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The hard talks we need to have with our kids (and how to have them) | Spawned Episode 294
As parents, we know that there are going to be difficult conversations that we need to have — about sex, violence, relationships, substances — but it can be hard to know how to actually talk about them. That's where author Michelle Icard can help. Her book, Fourteen...

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...
Margaret Ables on how moms can have more holiday fun – not just make it for everyone else | Spawned ep 288
I have been thinking a lot about the pressure on moms to make the holidays magic! Perfect! Memorable! Fun all day and all night! But what we don't talk about enough, is how we can have more fun over the holidays -- not necessarily to make more fun. And the perfect...
Why the sex talk with your kids is more important than ever | Spawned Ep 287
It's not the first time we've talked about the sex talk on Spawned, but if your school district is like mine (and many across the country), they are making sex education an optional, home-taught module. That means, we need to be more invested than ever in ensuring our...
Why our teens are so darn tired, with author Lisa L. Lewis | Spawned Episode 286
Just when I thought I was pretty aware of what I needed to know about teens and sleep, I got my hands on Lisa L. Lewis's book The Sleep-Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, And How Parents And Schools Can Help Them Thrive and I realized there was so much I...
So much coolness. Where to start…
4 New Year’s resolutions you can actually tackle, with lots of resources to help
January 1 is my favorite holiday, and making New Year's resolutions is my favorite way to celebrate. Okay, that and cleaning out my closets! (I know, I'm a party animal). I know that there are various approaches to New Year's resolutions, many of which we've featured...
Margaret Ables on how moms can have more holiday fun – not just make it for everyone else | Spawned ep 288
I have been thinking a lot about the pressure on moms to make the holidays magic! Perfect! Memorable! Fun all day and all night! But what we don't talk about enough, is how we can have more fun over the holidays -- not necessarily to make more fun. And the perfect...
Irreverent cross stitch kits from Subversive Cross Stitch: The holiday gift probably not for your in-laws.
I know we've been sharing gifts galore, because hey, that's what we do this time of year. (And quite well, I might add. Ahem.) But I want to call your attention to one more gift idea that checks all my favorite boxes -- it's from an independent business, it's run by a...
Why the sex talk with your kids is more important than ever | Spawned Ep 287
It's not the first time we've talked about the sex talk on Spawned, but if your school district is like mine (and many across the country), they are making sex education an optional, home-taught module. That means, we need to be more invested than ever in ensuring our...
17 Gen Z gifts that give back to the incredible causes they care about | Holiday Gift Guide
For this year's holiday gift guide, we really wanted to share some creative, irreverent, sassy and smart Gen Z gifts that give back to causes that our teens and young adults care about. We have Gen Z kids ourselves, and we know first hand how passionate they can...
17 personalized holiday gifts you can still get in time for Christmas (and Hanukkah too!) | Holiday Gifts 2022
Personalized gifts have always been among our favorites, but finding affordable personalized holiday gifts -- well, we really love a challenge. So we've found more than a dozen for you all, to help you select something extra-thoughtful for anyone on your list. Of...
21 great gift ideas for college students | Holiday Gifts 2022
The span between shopping for a preschooler and finding a holiday gift for a college student seems impossibly short, now that many of us have hit that stage of parenting. But what remains is the desire to make the holidays really special for our kids. And since even...
Why our teens are so darn tired, with author Lisa L. Lewis | Spawned Episode 286
Just when I thought I was pretty aware of what I needed to know about teens and sleep, I got my hands on Lisa L. Lewis's book The Sleep-Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, And How Parents And Schools Can Help Them Thrive and I realized there was so much I...
Amazing gifts under $15 for adults: 64 cool finds for everyone on your list
Each year, we love sharing our favorite affordable gift ideas for everyone on your list, and this year, we've gone back to one of our most popular guides and updated it fresh for 2022. Behold: 64 incredible gift ideas under $15 for adults -- none of them stocking...
5 tips for flying with toddlers, from a mom who has flown many times, with many toddlers
If you're looking for tips for flying with toddlers, you've come to the right place. Even though my four kids are now teens, they were once toddlers, and we used to travel a lot. That means there was a time when I was on a plane with toddlers and babies, all by...
24 perfect gifts for your mother-in-law (or stepmother or aunt or cool grandma) | Holiday Gifts 2022
No matter how long you've had a mother-in-law in your life, finding a perfect gift for your mother-in-law can be so hard. Especially when she's a VIP member of your family. While some mothers-in-law are verrrrry specific with the kinds of gifts they like, others make...
Cyber Monday Deal: 40% off this cult-favorite root concealer spray
This is a sponsored message from Style Edit These days, it's hard to find the time, money and energy to hit the salon and touch up your color -- or maybe you're waiting until your roots grow in just a teeny bit more. Enter the cult-favorite, beauty...
The 10 coolest Ted Lasso gifts for fans who can’t wait for Season 3.
The AFC Richmond fans say it's the hope that kills you, but we're here to say that it's really the anticipation -- of Ted Lasso Season 3, of course. Luckily, it will be appearing on our screens in 2023, and we can almost taste the homemade biscuits. So to tide us...
15 gift ideas for the guy who’s hard to shop for. | Holiday Gifts 2022
Every year, we put together our favorite gift ideas for the man who has everything and while last year's picks are still pretty awesome, we thought we'd share some new ideas too. I get it -- it's hard! But I hope this list helps you pick the perfect gift ideas for...
10 of my favorite holiday gifts from Oprah’s favorite things list 2022
Last year I browsed Oprah's Favorite Things List of holiday gifts so thoroughly that I thought -- whoa, what if I share my favorites from her favorites? So I did. And you liked them! So much so, it was hard to even get your hands on some of them. Like those headlight...
10 Thanksgiving books for kids written from the Native perspective, by Native people
Looking for the best Thanksgiving books for kids to share with you all, it's become increasingly important for us to share Thanksgiving books for kids from a Native perspective -- and more than that, books about Thanksgiving from Native authors and illustrators...
These personalized, virtual holiday cards may have changed e-cards forever
This is a sponsored message from American Greetings If you love sending real holiday cards but hate the hassle of printing, finding postage and mailing -- basically all of us -- you're going to love Creatacard from AmericanGreetings.com. It's one of the easiest ways...
The impact of Covid on kids: Anya Kamenetz on what we know and what we don’t yet | Spawned Ep 285
This week on Spawned, I have the honor of welcoming back the wonderful Anya Kamenetz, NPR Education reporter and author, to talk about her new book, The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Kids' Lives...and Where We Go Now. I will tell you this: From the title alone, this...
200+ of the best gifts for kids by age: The ultimate guide for birthdays and holidays!
Every year, it's our joy to put together our guide to the best gifts for kids by age, from one-year-olds to those picky tweens and teens. To be sure, this is a (long, long) labor of love! Christina and I spend literally months combing the corners of the web to create...
Over 20 of the best Advent calendars for 2022: From the magical to the luxurious, to… goofy dad jokes?
I'm just about ready to think about all things Thanksgiving, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that NOW is the time to order an amazing Advent calendar so you can start the countdown to Christmas on December 1st. The best ones goes fast! Which is why we've rounded...
25 wonderful Hanukkah gifts for toddlers to teens 2022 | Holiday Gift Guide
With Hanukkah coming up December 18, it's time to share some of the best Hanukkah gifts for kids in 2022 -- that actually are Hanukkah gifts. Because this year, more than previous years, a lot of us are really thinking about what it means to be Jewish and to celebrate...