The latest from Spawned: Our award-winning parenting podcast
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Spawned Parenting Podcast: The Best Advice, Tips, and Guidance of 2022
It's been an incredible 2022 for Spawned. We welcomed guests from film directors and political pundits to authors, activists, top journalists, and experts of all kinds So this week, we thought we'd take a look back at some of the best episodes of the year. Take a...
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...
More coolness from recent weeks…
Research shows this app can help kids become kinder, more generous, and possibly more willing to pick their clothes off the floor?
We all want to raise kind, caring, empathic kids, and there's certainly a lot of discussion about whether technology is helping -- or can do more to help. That's why our team has always worked hard to share those apps that make screen time meaningful, help kids learn,...
Where to find trusted children’s car seat safety tips: Q&A with Jamie Grayson
Children's car seat safety is so so important, but with the rise of TikTok car seat "experts" who are uh...well, like many self-proclaimed experts, not necessarily offering the most accurate advice, it can be tough to navigate the car seat safety tips flooding our...
The best Taylor Swift gifts for your special Swiftie! | Holiday Gift Guide
We couldn't put together a gift guide this year without including the best gifts for Taylor Swift fans, right? Whether or not you're a Swiftie yourself, you probably know someone who is--like my niece who was at the rainiest rain show that ever rain showed, ever,...
11 top-rated veterans charities offering everything from adaptive housing to service dogs to support exclusively for women
There are so many wonderful veterans charities that could really use our support right now for all they do. From scholarship funds for families of fallen soldiers, to support just for women veterans, to service dog training or the construction of adaptive homes, the...
24 of the absolute best 2023 Advent calendars for crafty kids, cool teens, and Christmas-loving adults
If you enjoy counting down the days to Christmas as much as we do, you'll want to grab one of these fantastic 2023 Advent calendars ASAP! The best ones get scooped up fast. And while the holidays may seem very far away right now, experience tells us that December 1st...
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...
Wonderful printable sugar skull coloring pages for Dia de los Muertos.
Dia de los Muertos may sound ominous to those unfamiliar, but this holiday recognized in Mexico, throughout Latin America, and increasingly around the US is traditionally a sweet time for families to come together to pray for and celebrate their loved ones who have...
Build positivity with these 5 printable gratitude journal pages for kids
When I started keeping a gratitude journal with my daughter a few years back, I was struck by her comment one night at bedtime: "Doing this makes me so happy." All the research I've seen seems to support her reaction; keeping lists of the things you're thankful for...
Trusted charities supporting the citizens of Israel and Gaza. (And another important message I want to share.)
I want to share a list of top organizations on the ground supporting the innocent people in Israel and Gaza tragically impacted by the war between Hamas and Israel. This is not a political post, it's a humanitarian one. But first, I want to share something I think is...
What is Indigenous People’s Day? Great resources for talking to your kids, because Native American history is American history.
Today, the second Monday in October, is the day that's been traditionally celebrated as "Columbus Day" in the U.S., but knowing now what we know about Christopher Columbus, the holiday is fast transforming into Indigenous People's Day. If you're wondering what...
The new Stevie Nicks Barbie: So much yes!
To be honest, a Stevie Nicks Barbie Doll is one of the last of all the new Barbies expected to see this year. I mean, I figured Mattel still had a few more Barbie: The Movie dolls to roll out as we head toward the holidays. So now we get The Queen of Rock n Roll? As a...
Cool, creepy non-candy Halloween gift for a teen or tween? : Reader Q & A
When Lisa asked us for cool but appropriately creepy non-candy Halloween gift ideas for her teen and tween nieces and nephews, I was on the case! I checked with my own Halloween-loving but decidedly...particular teens to see what kinds of things they would think are...
From Elle Woods to Fresh Prince: 12 of the best 90s Halloween costumes for kids
For my fellow millennial parents who need a laugh, I present these hilarious 90s throwback Halloween costumes for kids, all inspired by the decade of our misspent youth. We've got Fresh Prince! Wayne's World! Clueless! As if... you couldn't tell (see what I did...
Stylish trench coats for fall into spring: 9 of my favorites for any style, shape or budget
I was just poking around for stylish trench coats for my fall wardrobe, when a @coolmompicks Instagram follower (hey Alyson!) DM'd me with a question -- she was looking for trench coats as well. Only she offered a few must-haves in her request: "More city than...
11 cool teen Halloween craft ideas that don’t suck.
Halloween is coming, and while we love sharing Halloween craft ideas for our preschoolers and little ones, our teens and older kids want to get in on the fun too. So with my own Halloween-loving older kids in mind, I searched around for some cool Halloween craft...
7 gorgeous nail trends for fall 2023…that you can actually do yourself.
Each year, we love sharing our favorite nail trends for the season. In 2023, it's all about shades of brown, goth-core matte nails, holograph meets glitter, and a fun tone-on-tone take on the French manicure. As for the best nail brands, I will say I swear by...
20 magnificent children’s books and YA books for Hispanic Heritage Month
September means new backpacks and football kickoff and pumpkin spice everything (*insert eyeroll), but mid-month, September becomes Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15). So we put together some of our very favorite children's books, middle grade books,...
5 terrific children’s books about 9/11, featuring heroes and helpers
I've been looking for children's books about 9/11 because now that 2001 is so far behind us that it feels like "history" to our kids (and now, to some young adults) I want to be sure my kids to really understand the importance of this day. You may want to read Liz's...
Nikkolas Smith’s The Artivist: Here’s why every family, every school, every library needs this inspiring new picture book.
"Activism is the power to spark the compassion and the empathy of the whole world," says the young narrator of The Artivist. the stunning and important new children's book from architect turned Disney Imagineer turned best-selling author/illustrator Nikkolas Smith....
The coolest free school printables: Lunch notes, planners, labels, chore charts and more | Back to School Guide
Back to school time isn't just about shopping! (Not that there's anything wrong with shopping, of course.) One of our favorite annual traditions is sharing our favorite back to school printables in our Back to School Guide to help make the school year easier, more...
9 cool ways to transform your plain white sneakers after summer
If you're a traditionalist, Labor Day marks the last day to wear those white canvas sneakers until next Memorial Day. Which is why we've brought back this great post on cool DIY white sneakers makeovers for you, so you can get more wear out of your favorite white...