Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Can we please stop freaking out about kids and social media? : How to raise responsible digital kids | Spawned Ep 170
After seeing so many discussions in our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook community filled with parents who seem panicked -- or at least very concerned -- about kids and texting and social media, we thought it would be helpful to devote this week's episode to that very...
You are a f*cking awesome mom with author Leslie Bruce
Here's an obvious statement: motherhood is hard. It's so hard, in fact, that it can often feel like you're not doing a great job. It's actually why I started my blog Motherhood Uncensored, and why author Leslie Bruce wrote her newest book, You Are a F*cking Awesome...
Who can be called a single mom? | Rachel Sklar, Spawned ep. 168
I think our listeners will find this is a slightly different kind of Spawned episode than usual. It's a lot more personal for me than most of our interviews. It was a little tough in some ways. And above all, it was inspired by a listener. A few episodes, ago I joked...
More coolness from recent weeks…
Illustrators see the beauty and meaning of Halle Bailey as Ariel and we’re here for it.
With the announcement of the inspired casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel in the upcoming Little Mermaid live action reboot, certain people in certain corners of the internet lost their GD minds. I alternated between bemusement and more uh, intense feelings, about those...
These 8 cool new kids’ activity books are screen-free boredom busters for every interest
We're already hearing, "I'm bored," from the kids this summer, which is where we turn to all the cool kids' activity books available. Having a stash around our house for them to choose from is one trick that's helped around our house; it usually gives them a good 30...
Paris with teens: 8 of our favorite off-the-beaten-path attractions and activities
Our family of four with two teenagers recently returned from a five-day trip to Paris. While we did hit most of the major attractions -- the Louvre, Notre Dame, Versailles, and of course the Eiffel Tower -- we also found some fun, less touristy places to visit with...
3 new books for kids that make you proud to be American
With July 4th coming, up, this is a time my family often discusses what it means to be American, how we can make the country better, safer, and more equitable for other Americans, and what we can do to help live up to our nation's promise of liberty and justice for...
Cool Mom Picks Book Club Selection 5: The New Childhood by Jordan Shapiro
We’re back with our fifth selection for the Cool Mom Picks Book Club with The New Childhood: Raising Kids to Thrive in a Connected World a book by Jordan Shapiro I've raved about for months over on Cool Mom Tech. It covers the topic of digital parenting unlike any...
Wait, moms are funny? A delightful conversation with Ophira Eisenberg | Spawned Episode 161
We've always said that if we weren't laughing about motherhood, we'd be crying. Hey, parenting is hard. And from what we learned from our chat with comedian and NPR Ask Me Another host Ophira Eisenberg, we're not alone. Have you ever wondered what it's like being on...
Can holding a potato help prevent car sickness?
Earlier this year, I read somewhere that holding a russet potato can help prevent car sickness. I had no idea how or why, but I thought it was worth a shot. Because if you have kids who get car sick, you know that you will try anything. Like...anything. On a long...
Aluminum in deodorant and antiperspirant: Health issue or internet rumor?
For a long time I had been hearing about a terrible link between aluminum and deodorant. We have even had writers through the years who have insisted on only using natural deodorants, which, cool. Because we believe in choices. But several years ago, I did my own...
Kindness Crate combines crafting and compassion for kids
This summer, I’m looking for fun new ways to engage my kids’ creativity, despite their best efforts to convince me that more Overwatch is the answer. So when I heard Kindness Crate subscription service, my interest was piqued from the name alone. Every other month,...
Loop delivers your favorite products to your door, while helping the environment in a revolutionary way | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from Loop and Cascade Busy families like the convenience of having favorite household products delivered to their doors, but there can be a lot of packaging involved to keep deliveries arriving safe and intact. That's where Loop, in...
When your America stands for kindness, compassion, justice, inclusion and love.
If you're shopping for some flag-adorned July 4 wear for the kids, and the standard stars-and-stripes stuff in the big stores isn't jumping off the shelf at you, here's a totally different way to go, and I love it:: The América la Estupenda American Flag "love" kids...
How to watch the US Women’s Soccer Team (beat France) in the Women’s World Cup quarterfinals?
Cheering for the US Women's Soccer team right now? Us too! But So where can you watch the 11:1:2 team face off against France this Friday and take (thinking positively!) the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinals? The game is airing live at 3 PM Eastern, or 12 PM...
Migrant children in crisis: Know these stories. Say their names. Please, don’t turn away.
Friends, I hardly know where to start. But I knew I couldn't write a single other thing today, until I addressed the crisis at the border and our government's abject cruelty toward babies and children. (Feel free to live with those words for a moment.) While I have...
The Evangeline Lilly interview that will convince you she’s one of the coolest moms | Spawned Ep 160
As it turns out, Evangeline Lilly is not just an Orc-defeating Tolkien elf, badass desert island survivor, or quantum realm-traveling Marvel superhero. She is also a super cool mom, and author of the darkly comic, wonderfully inventive new young reader series, the...
Cool Mom Picks Book Club Selection 4: How to be a Happier Parent, by KJ Dell’Antonia
We are so excited about the fourth selection in in our Cool Mom Picks Book Club because it's a topic every parent can use help with, no matter how old our kids. We're talking about how to be a happier parent! And the book that's going to guide us is, coincidentally,...
The crisis in Sudan: What you should know and how you can help
If you've been hearing about Sudan, or seeing friends turning social media avatars blue, but aren't sure what it's all about, allow us to help. No guilt, no shame, if this is new to you. There's so much going on in the world right now that it can be hard to keep up;...
The best children’s books, delivered right to your door with Amazon Prime Book Box | Sponsored Message
This is sponsored message for Amazon Prime Book Box Parents are always looking for ways to encourage their young readers, but keeping up with which children's books are the best for their kids can be a bit of a challenge. But now with Amazon Prime Book Box, you can...
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver writer Jill Twiss on finding the funny in tough times | Spawned 159
Does it feel hard to laugh sometimes with all that's going on in the world? You'll love this episode of the Spawned Parenting Podcast. This week we're talking to Jill Twiss, Emmy-winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver staff writer, and best-selling children's...
Johnson’s: 6 things you may not know but want to | Sponsored Message
This is a sponsored message from Johnson's® Johnson's has been a trusted brand since 1893, but there are still a lot of things that a lot of parents may not know about the company and their products. It's good information to have, when you're deciding what kinds of...
Tidying up while keeping the kids safe: Expert tips and tricks that work | Spawned Ep 158
We all would love a tidy home that's Marie Kondo approved, but let's be honest, kids definitely complicate that endeavor. With all the stuff they accumulate, and then, keeping them safe on top of it all, well, it's overwhelming to say the least. That's where our...
The lawn sprinkler made entirely from predatory humanoid alien parts
The trend of crazy inflatable lawn sprinklers and cool pool floats shows little sign of slowing down. But if rainbow and unicorn sprinklers aren't quite up your kid's alley, I wouldn't be surprised if a predatory, inter-dimension humanoid lawn sprinkler spraying water...