With school starting, that means activities are starting up too, and both of us are a little overwhelmed about what to do with our own kids.

(Also, Minecraft isn’t necessarily considered a viable skill that will get them a college scholarship. Or is it?)

If you’ve ever had questions about activities for kids — when to start, when to stop, why do they cost so much, what do the experts say about overscheduling, we’re talking about it today on SPAWNED with Kristen and Liz.

Plus, Liz finds data about the weirdest Google searches by state (Alaska, why so obsessed with Nicholas Cage?), and quizzes Kristen about them. Plus, we share some of our our own hilariously weird search terms which have brought people to our sites. Maybe you?

You can listen right here, or just subscribe to Spawned on iTunes and listen in the Podcast app that comes totally free with your iOS device.

Have you left us a review or rating yet? Please do! It helps other people find our podcast, and well, it just makes us happy.

 

Links from SPAWNED Episode 13:
Competitive Crochet

Find out your state’s most embarrassing Google search.

Liz has written a whole post series on Mom 101 called Carry on my Wayward Googlers about the odd search terms bringing guests to her personal blog. We couldn’t pick a favorite, so here’s a few to get you started: The Political Distraction Edition, Summer Edition, and Spring Edition.

Liz wrote about how her daughter’s classmates were already “specializing” in a specific after-school activity as young as pre-Kindergarten. (And how she wished she had the finances to let her daughter join in.) Later, she wonders about whether or not to push her daughter to remain in ballet or let her drop out.

The book Queen Bees and Wannabes discusses the importance of girls participating iin after-school sports and clubs.

Our friend Katherine Stone wrote on Facebook about how her 9th grade son had 6 hours of homework a day. And that’s below the national average.

On the NY Times Motherlode blog, KJ Dell’Antonia debates Bruce Feiler on whether or not to let kids quit activities.

And don’t miss this NY Times piece by Bruce Feiler quoting psychologist Michael Thompson, author of The Pressured Child, about overscheduled children.

 

Kristen’s Cool, er Silly, Pick of the Week: Kristen surprises Liz with a Mullet On the Go. (What, you thought our Instagram feed would just be pretty pictures?)

Liz’s Cool Pick of the Week: The FX show Married. You’ll love it!

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SPAWNED with Kristen and Liz Podcast: Subscribe on iTunes and Stitcher

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Now, go listen! We’re having so much fun, and we hope you will too!

Top image: Wikimedia Commons