The Mom Hour

It's easy to let creative pursuits and hobbies fade into the background during the hectic years of early parenting. And when the time comes to make room for them again, we're sometimes left with questions: Am I too old? Is this still something I love to do? Maybe I should pick up something new? And how do I fit it all in? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rough patches in (and out!) of parenthood: whether it’s a temporary crisis, a general mom funk, or full-blown depression, we’ve all been there. In this episode, Sarah and Meagan have a frank conversation about some hard times we’ve been through as moms, give advice for taking care of yourself when things aren’t going well, and offer encouragement to help you see the light at the end of the tunnel.LINKS MENTIONED:Posts from The Happiest HomeWhy is it so hard to say ‘This is hard’? (Sarah)You can design a life you love (Meagan’s ‘rock bottom’ story)3 ways to get past a mom funk and Getting past a mom funk and Think better, not perfect: take baby steps to get out of a mom funk (Meagan)Parenting when life isn’t so happy (Meagan)Postpartum ProgressDr. Jessica MichaelsonBrené BrownNYT Article Meagan mentioned about women’s feelingsMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We get so many great questions from listeners, and sometimes it doesn't work to devote a whole episode to them. So we decided to take on four questions submitted by listeners: listen as we chat about room-sharing siblings, planning first birthday parties, feeling left out when you have your kids earlier or later than your friends do, and the evolution of playdates.LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah’s essay in On Parenting from The Washington Post: My advice for today’s politicians is the same as my advice for my bickering childrenIkea JANSJÖ wall/clamp spotlight that Sarah’s room-sharing kids used for individual reading lightsMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How does birth order - both our own and our children's - affect how we relate to our kids? Do stereotypes like the bossy oldest, peacemaking middle and freewheeling youngest hold up, in our experience? What do we remember about our role as oldest (Sarah) and youngest (Meagan) and how does that influence our mothering? We tackle these questions and more in Episode 40 - all about birth order. If you're fascinated by family dynamics, pop psychology, and the human experience, we think you'll love this show!LINKS MENTIONED:These playing card holders that help little gamers hide their hand (Amazon)Meagan's sister Kathreen's appearances on The Home Hour - Fabulous Food From Children's Literature and Growing Up TheatricalRaising Siblings Who Like Each Other (Episode 29 of The Mom Hour)Our listeners' feedback on growing up as a middle child from The Mom Hour Facebook pageIs Birth Order Destiny? (Psychology Today)This series on supporting oldest, middle, and youngest children from Aha! Parenting: Supporting Your Oldest Child, Preventing Middle Child Syndrome, Supporting Your Youngest Child (Dr. Laura Markham)MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you parent a picky eater? Then Episode 39 is for you. In this episode, Meagan and Sarah admit we don’t have the answers when it comes to this tricky (and oh-so-common) parenting challenge. But in lieu of solving all your problems, we share our own and talk through some of the complicated pieces of the puzzle.LINKS MENTIONED:LINKS MENTIONED:The Picky Eater (Ellyn Satter Institute)Picky Eater recipes on MOMables.comDeceptively Delicious (Jessica Seinfeld) and The Sneaky Chef (Missy Chase Lapine)MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One hospital birth. Two home births. Two birthing center deliveries. Three scheduled cesarean sections. Meagan and Sarah have had eight pregnancies between them (now eight kids ages 3-18!) and about as wide a cross-section of birth experiences as you can get. In Episode 38, at the request of several pregnant listeners, we travel back in time and share our pregnancy and birth stories with the benefit of hindsight. Join us as we talk about medical decision-making, finding your trusted pregnancy and birth cheerleaders, and what we might have done differently.LINKS MENTIONED:Are you "done" having babies? (The Mom Hour, Episode 7)Call the Midwife (BBC series we both adore)PregTASTIC Online Radio (fantastic pregnancy podcast that has not published new episodes since 2012 but is still an incredible resource)The Birth Hour and Postpartum Podcast (two more pregnancy- and childbirth-themed podcasts) MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Last we talked about traveling spouses; this week's episode is all about what happens when MOM is the one taking off for a trip. Whether you travel rarely or regularly, we hope you'll join us for a great discussion on the prep, the guilt (or lack therof!), and the logistics of leaving your kids.LINKS MENTIONED:Going away–without the kids? Feeling guilty or worried? Read this.Guilt? Worry? Fear? Which is it, and how to deal.On the other hand…NOT leaving your kids is not weird.5 reasons why Mom going away can be GOOD for kids.MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If your co-parent travels - occasionally 0r all the time - you know that holding down the home front is hard work. In Episode 36 we talk about what we've learned from years of experience about how to survive - and even thrive! - when your partner is away.LINKS MENTIONED:Your advice and tips about traveling spouses on our Facebook page and Instagram post (thank you so much!)Call the Midwife – Sarah’s go-to show when she watches TV alone in bed with her glass of wine What I Make for Dinner When I Don’t Feel Like Cooking (Sarah for The Happiest Home)How I Beat the Fast-Food Habit (Meagan for The Happiest Home)ORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

While we didn't set out to talk about The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up in this episode, it turns out Meagan got into a bit of a Facebook debate about the so-called magic of Marie Kondo's method. We had a bit of fun with this (and we're not altogether negative about the book - in fact, Sarah shares her take-aways in this episode) before moving on to the meat of Kate's question.LINKS MENTIONED:Great minds think alike! Our friends Kristen and Liz of Cool Mom Picks and the #SpawnedShow talked about this in their latest podcast: Decluttering tips from 5 top organization experts: Which is best for you?......AND Asha and Christine of the Edit Your Life show also tackled this topic their latest episode: Questioning the KonMari Decluttering MethodThe real reasons Marie Kondo’s life-changing magic doesn’t work for parents (Tanya C. Snyder for On Parenting at The Washington Post)MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Milestones tend to be something moms think a lot about in the first year or two of motherhood. But kids keep developing (at their own pace, as we all know) and moms keep celebrating, wondering, and sometimes worrying about them long after the baby years are behind us. In Episode 34 we tackle eight milestones from the preschool through teen years and share when and how our kids met them. We also talk about the importance of keeping conversations about milestones supportive, and how quickly they can slip into competitive or anxiety-inducing territory.LINKS MENTIONED:Past episodes about babies and toddlers: Episode 19 and Episode 24Past episodes about ‘free range’ parenting and kids’ increasing independence: Episode 12 and Episode 13MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.