The latest from Spawned: Our award-winning parenting podcast
“Acceptance is Protection”: Kate Brookes on parenting a trans kid, or any child on their own path. | Spawned 299
I could not be more thrilled to share this wonderful interview with award-winning TV reporter/producer/mom Kate Brookes, author of the upcoming Transister: Raising Twins in a Gender-Bending World. While our conversation is super helpful for parents looking for advice...
Keeping kids healthy on social media with Dr. Devorah Heitner | Spawned Ep 298
With U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy introducing new social media guidelines for children in the past few weeks, social media and mental health is all any parent we know is talking about. Especially with summer here. So I immediately reached out to one of my...
Melinda Wenner Moyer’s parenting strategies to raise good kids into great adults | Spawned Episode 293
We often discuss what it takes to raise kind, generous, ambitious, resilient, wonderful kids who will become kind, generous, ambitious, resilient, wonderful adults. Which is why we wanted to bring back one of our favorite interviews -- parenting and science journalist...
Reaching your organizational goals: Sarah Hart-Unger on prioritizing, organizing, and managing time | Ep 292
Is a messy desk a sign of a messy mind? Is organization something we just have to give up for a while as parents? Is a single, perfect whiteboard the key to solving all your time management woes? Sarah Hart-Unger of the podcasts Best Laid Plans and Best of Both Worlds...
Being mixed race in America, with author Lauren Kung Jessen | Spawned Episode 291
As a mixed-race Chinese American, I've struggled to feel a sense of belonging. I grew up feeling more accepted by the German (white) side of my family. Then, as I got older, I learned more about the Chinese side of my family and felt a connection to the experiences of...
More coolness from recent weeks…
Cool Valentine’s gifts for teens on Etsy … that they might actually like!
If you’re looking for cool Valentine's gifts for teens, we're happy to present a whole bunch of the best gift finds, all supporting the real makers we love on Etsy. I mean we've always been the place to find unique Valentine’s gifts for everyone on your list, but this...
Our favorite Valentine’s gifts for kids on Etsy this year, no cap
Sure Valentine’s Day is traditionally for our sweethearts, but we love giving adorable Valentine’s gifts for kids we find on Etsy. (Almost as much as we love embarrassing them by saying "no cap.) So I searched like crazy to find some Valentine's gifts for kids I can...
We found the best Valentine’s gifts on Etsy for boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses and partners. All made with love.
You don't have spend hours to find the best Valentine's gifts on Etsy for your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, partner, or sweetheart. Because we did it for you! We get it: searching for creative Valentine's gifts is hard in general, let alone finding actual makers on...
Sweet, easy Valentine’s Day crafts young kids can make their BFFs.
This year we're making sure that friend love doesn't get neglected on Valentine's Day, and so I've rounded up 8 awesome crafts that celebrate your kids' BFFs in the most adorable ways. Because while I can barely tell you the names of my middle school boyfriends (and...
These Valentine’s Day gift ideas are perfect for boys who aren’t so into the hearts and romance stuff
Valentine's Day has a tendency to skew all lace and hearts and sweetness, so as moms of boys, we wanted to find some cool gifts they would appreciate too. Of course these gifts are not just for boys, because cool Valentine's gift ideas know no gender -- but it is hard...
These tips from experts and research studies will help get your kids excited about reading.
Not every kid comes out of the womb loving reading. (Or, even comes out of preschool loving reading.) No matter how much you read to your kids or encourage reading, sometimes it just doesn't click right away. And that's okay! fter years of writing about this -- let...
A college guidance expert and former admissions officer helps de-stress the application process. Phew! | Spawned Ep 301
Navigating the college search and admission process is rough -- emotionally, practically, financially. (Eep!) It completely stressed me out, and I'm a pretty Type B mom. So learn from my mistakes! Make it easier on yourself by listening to all the helpful advice...
Here are the auto-subscriptions that have been saving me time, money, and a ton of hassle
One of the things that I've started doing over the past few years is signing up for practical subscriptions that get delivered to me every few months or so. It's saving me time, saving me money (a lot!), and saving me a whole lot of hassle when I'm like "oh crap, I'm...
Dr. Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech in its entirety: Where to watch, and what to talk about with your kids
Today we commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's life and legacy, as we have every year since we started this site. Over the years, we've shared plenty of excellent books, videos, resources, and websites to help kids understand the reason for MLK Day. And they are all...
Oversized handbags are back! Go big or go home!
Oversized handbags are trending again and well, hallelujah, the world is once again feeling New York City! See, we don't have cars (or trunks or gloves compartments) in which to stash our daily lives, so we just carry our entire lives with with us at all times in...
A printable rewards chart to get kids to do anything. Almost.
We started a rewards chart with my daughter a month ago, and -- although I'm scared to say it out loud -- it's working to keep her in her bed at night. So, consider me a brand new fan of rewards charts, whether you're starting potty training or well past it; and allow...
Discover the Deliciousness of Organic Snacking with Skout Organic: Perfect for Every Health-Consicous Mother and Family
As a mother, finding a snack that is convenient, tasty, and nutritious for your family can be challenging. Enter Skout Organic, an excellent option for health-conscious mothers who don't want to compromise on taste or nutritional value when it comes to feeding their...
These gorgeous printable 2024 calendars will modernize your wall in seconds
There are a lot of printable 2024 calendars out there, but (no offense!) most of them look like someone's having a good time playing with Canva templates. I'd rather recommend something for you that's a little more artful. So after a good long search around Etsy, I...
How to Make a Burn List: My New Year’s tradition helps me manifest good things for next year – and get rid of a little petty. (Okay, a lot.)
When Ibi shared her New Year's Eve tradition with me, I was like...this is genius. How have I never done this? I need to do this! Whatever I can do to be out with the old and focusing on better things in the year to come sounds good to me. I'm sure I'm not alone, so I...
New Year’s Eve home with the kids: 12 ideas to make it fun for adults too!
New Year's Eve at home with the kids isn't exactly like New Year's Eve home without them. New Year's Eve parties for parents are more about trying our very best to stay up till midnight (though 10 p.m. is more like it) and drinking fun cocktails with our kids as we...
Tons of the best last-minute gift ideas that you can still get in time. You’ve got this! | Holiday Gift Guide
For all you out there needing last-minute Christmas gifts (or ahem, New Year's gifts), we got you! Check out this thoughtful list of last-minute gifts that don't feel last-minute at all. We've got subscriptions, books, experience gifts, gift cards, treats, and ideas...
Our big list of more than 200+ homemade holiday gift ideas: DIY gifts for moms, dads, kids, grandparents, neighbors, teachers…
While of course our holiday gift guide is always full of wonderful gifts you can buy, we adore homemade holiday gifts of all kinds. It's not just that homemade gifts allow us to save some money (well, depending on the gift of course!), but they allow us to give an...
More than 50 amazing holiday gifts for kids under $15: Like, GOOD gifts. Not stocking stuffers.
Each year, we love putting together a list of affordable holiday gifts for kids under $15 to go with our list of 60+ holiday gifts for adults under $15. It's nice to know there are plenty of affordable gifts that still seem like big deals to kids, tweens, and even...
8 of the coolest modern nativity sets that belong on your own mantel, not your grandma’s.
I love nativity sets, but I've never really gone for the Jesus-as-a-Precious-Moments-cherub style. So I've rounded up 8 modern nativity sets that skip the uber-traditional but still deliver on all the festive Christmas vibes. If you're looking for cool graphic design,...
Fitness gift idea: This celeb-favorite athletic wear brand gives back to kids in a meaningful way
We're always fans of finding gifts that give back to meaningful causes during the holiday season (or all year long, really) and one of my favorite new finds is a woman-run businesses that's also supporting one of my favorite causes: helping us raising the next...
A personalized letter from Santa generating donations to Girls Who Code? That’s the spirit!
If your kids are the age to write letters to Santa---a pretty cute age, we admit---they'll be floored to get a personalized letter from the big guy himself before he heads out on his annual trip around the world. Instead of using elves this year (they're busy making...