Janice’s husband works in China and hasn’t been able to travel home to Australia since January; Kassidy and her partner have merged their combined five kids under the age of seven and are learning to live together while figuring out new ways to do their jobs; Stephanie returned from maternity leave just before the pandemic, resuming work as an ICU nurse in one of the country’s early hot spots. All three are also moms juggling the demands of caring for their families as the pandemic wears on. Hea...
May 24, 2020•39 min
As the country begins to open up–slowly, differently, uncertainly–one family’s decisions about how to re-enter the world will look different from the next. Can we have confidence in our own decisions while holding space for others to interpret guidelines differently? Are criticism and judgment online a symptom of quarantine fatigue, or the beginning of a toxic new norm? And can the experience of new motherhood provide lessons about empathy that apply in these unprecedented times? Meagan and Sara...
May 19, 2020•59 min
Maddi works full-time in a warehouse picking product to be shipped for GAP while her three little boys try to make sense of the changes in their lives; Sarah is pregnant with her second child and working to meet the needs of vulnerable children in her community; Robyn is a 20-year elementary school teaching veteran learning the new ways of distance learning with her fourth grade class. All three are also moms whose home lives, work lives, and futures have been upended by COVID-19. Find out what’...
May 17, 2020•46 min
We have MORE little pleasures to share this week! Continuing last week’s discussion, Meagan and Sarah offer ten more small things that are bringing us comfort these days. From minor tweaks to the morning routine to the comfiest pants we’ve found, these are a combination of comforts you can add to your online shopping cart and simple pleasures that don’t cost a thing. Join us! This episode was recorded on May 21, 2020. A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these da...
May 12, 2020•42 min
Christina's brick and mortar fabric shop pivoted to mobilize mask-making for healthcare workers; Sarah facilitates distance learning for five kids while adjusting expectations for her own wedding celebration and plans to grow their blended family; Kati and her husband alternate day and night shifts at a steel mill and haven't experienced "staying at home" at all. All three are also moms dealing with the everyday challenges of busy toddlers, kids missing sports, and what to make for dinner. Hear ...
May 10, 2020•47 min
Stressors right now loom large; but sometimes solace comes in the form of lots of little bright spots. Today Meagan and Sarah compare notes on the little things that bring comfort, humor, and moments of happiness when things are intense in the world. From the silly to the slightly-less-silly, Episode 259 is full of ideas for how to notice--or, let's be honest: purchase--small comforts in a chaotic time. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art1...
May 05, 2020•44 min
Laura treats COVID-19 patients as a respiratory therapist during incredibly unstable times; Hilary supports the mental health of young adults and is adjusting to delivering services via telehealth; Carla is a social worker serving foster youth in Canada and bears the weight of her caseload while mothering three very young girls. Hear what’s hard, what’s hopeful, and what life is like for Laura, Hilary, and Carla in Episode 04 of Pandemic Perspectives. This episode was recorded on April 6-7, 2020...
May 03, 2020•42 min
Living a creative life with small children underfoot is a challenge in any circumstances; doing it while running a business during a global pandemic is another thing altogether. For this month’s Voices interview Sarah chats with her good friend, fellow podcaster, and all-around good human Ashlee Gadd, founder of the wildly popular Coffee + Crumbs community. Ashlee shares thoughts on quarantine parenting, social media connection AND social media breaks, adjusting expectations when you’re an Ennea...
May 01, 2020•58 min
We’ve had lots of time to observe our kids in their natural habitats the last couple months…wherein their “natural habitat” is also OUR HOUSE. Turns out, we’re really glad we’ve passed on some basic life skills to these growing humans, because they’re doing pretty well in a lot of areas. It’s clear, however, that other life skills are still works-in-progress. In Episode 258 Meagan and Sarah take a lighter look at life skills–both the ones our kids have mastered as well as the ones that need impr...
Apr 28, 2020•58 min
Kathryn is mom to four small girls and an attorney representing the most vulnerable kids in her state; Robyn and her husband are both on the front lines as an Emergency Room RN and a firefighter/paramedic; Kyria teaches social studies at a Bay Area high school and now instructs students from home while the baby (hopefully!) naps. All three are also moms dealing with the everyday challenges of clingy toddlers, remote-learning kids, and work-from-home demands. Hear what’s hard, what’s hopeful, and...
Apr 26, 2020•42 min
More than a month into safer at home , a day in the life of most moms looks nothing like it did before COVID-19. We’re living in close quarters with small humans (and big humans!) whom we love but may be used to getting an occasional break from. We’re parenting through a time of unprecedented stress. And we’re doing it all against a backdrop of Instagram-era expectations that can make us feel like we’re not measuring up. In this special episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah take an honest lo...
Apr 24, 2020•58 min
From making our first “mom friend” to the first time all of our children could stay home alone, today’s episodes celebrates the milestones that mark new phases of motherhood. Inspired by a listener question and the enthusiastic response we received for a whole episode on this topic, in Episode 257 Sarah and Meagan share twelve mom milestones , moments where we felt like we’d unlocked next-level parenting skills or shifted our identity as moms in a small-but-significant way. Join us! LINKS MENTIO...
Apr 21, 2020•56 min
Jessi watched the national shutdown play out from inside the PICU, where she and her husband were quarantined with their newborn twins (who are now home and doing great!); Gillian’s NYC-based medical practice undergoes huge changes while her family grieves a personal loss; Heather’s husband is on the front lines at the grocery store while she juggles working from home while parenting. Hear what’s hard, what’s hopeful, and what life is like for Jessi, Gillian, and Heather in Episode 02 of Pandemi...
Apr 19, 2020•49 min
Does a toddler “need” a formal preschool program if it isn’t necessary for childcare purposes? Did we think about kids’ birthday timing when we were planning (or not planning) our pregnancies? How can a physically active toddler channel his energy for good during stuck-inside days? And what are Meagan and Sarah’s most memorable “mom milestones”? In this week’s episode we answer these questions with our personal stories and (solicited!) advice. It’s a fun one–join us! This episode was recorded on...
Apr 14, 2020•58 min
Casey is the director of an after-school program serving vulnerable communities; Megan teaches English online to students in China and watched their families experience COVID-19 before things got serious in the US; Jayme is weeks away from having her second baby and worries that being married to a hospital physician might separate their family. All three are also moms dealing with the everyday challenges of clingy toddlers, remote-learning kids, and work-from-home demands. Hear what’s hard, what...
Apr 12, 2020•48 min
Join us for conversations with teachers, business owners, healthcare professionals, social workers, partners of first responders, and others who are living, working, and parenting their kids through the COVID-19 global pandemic in a unique or particularly challenging way. The goal of this series is to better understand what people’s lives are like in different industries, careers, and situations during the COVID-19 global pandemic. In each episode you’ll hear three short interviews with someone ...
Apr 10, 2020•1 min
Working from home with little kids during COVID-19, moving a baby into a shared sibling bedroom, dealing with cancellation disappointment for both mom and kids, and finding small breaks in the long days of stay-at-home parenting: This week’s podcast episode is dedicated to your listener questions and our advice. Join us! This episode was recorded on April 5, 2020. A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASED DURING COVID-19: Things change so quickly these days–including recommendations for health and safety, as ...
Apr 07, 2020•47 min
Meal planning is hard enough for busy families; now families are eating nearly all their meals at home, it’s a next-level challenge. So for this month’s Voices interview we’re bringing back cookbook author and Didn’t I Just Feed You? co-host Stacie Billis to talk about grocery shopping, what freezes well and when to freeze it, how to minimize food waste while adjusting to a new normal, the best pantry staples, and more. It’s a helpful, upbeat, and encouraging episode–we hope you’ll join us! This...
Apr 03, 2020•1 hr
Plans vs. reality. Pretty menus vs. the aftermath of a spontaneous smörgåsbord. Now, more than ever, we find it fascinating to look back at what our families ate for dinner in a given week and how the reality of those meals departed from our best-laid plans. Meagan and Sarah (plus Kelsey from our team) each wrote down our dinners for the past week and we’re here to discuss what worked, what failed, and how we’re faring as we feed our families during a global pandemic. Join us! This episode was r...
Mar 31, 2020•49 min
Tackling digital clutter means working toward a system where there’s a place for everything, and everything is in its place—if that sounds daunting, we get it! Our desktops get messy, too. Join Meagan and Sarah for the final episode in our special series on digital spring cleaning as we talk about file storage, folder systems, that pesky-but-essential “cloud,” and more. Enjoy! This episode is Part 3 in our series on Spring Cleaning Your Digital Life. Listen to Part 1 by clicking here , and Part ...
Mar 27, 2020•26 min
This week we’re busy spring cleaning…our digital space! In Part 2 of this special series, Meagan and Sarah discuss the state of our email inboxes. From whether we aim for “inbox zero” to how we find that email we know is in here somewhere , this is both a realistic and an aspirational look at managing information that comes at us via email. Join us! This episode is part of our 3-part series on Spring Cleaning Your Digital Life. Listen to Part 1 by clicking here , and look out for Part 3 tomorrow...
Mar 26, 2020•32 min
With lots of time spent at home these days, we’re motivated to do a little spring cleaning…and not only in our physical space. Join us for a special 3-part series this week, all about getting a better handle on our digital clutter. In Part 1, Meagan and Sarah tackle digital photos—from how we organize and back up the thousands on our phones right now, why on earth we end up with so many screen shots, and how we make use of new technology to do cool things with older photos. Join us! This episode...
Mar 25, 2020•26 min
It’s been a week of new reality, new schedules, and new opportunities to get to know ourselves as moms. Along with all the stress and changes brought about by current events, we’ve been thrust into a position of radical self-care, of ensuring we’re able to meet the needs of our families while navigating unprecedented times. Join Meagan and Sarah for a thoughtful—and even funny!—conversation about the specific things we’re doing to manage our time, energy, and moods at home these days. This episo...
Mar 24, 2020•59 min
Parents everywhere are now the overseers of their kids’ remote learning–in other words: Apparently we’re all homeschooling now? In this special bonus episode, Sarah chats with two seasoned homeschooling moms about how they manage schedules, what home learning looks like during stressful seasons, when to add more structure and when to back off, and more. This is the episode you need to approach home learning calmly, without putting pressure on yourself, and even with an attitude of fun. Enjoy! Th...
Mar 19, 2020•59 min
Activities and products to keep kids busy? Got ’em. Some tips for setting the tone in your home during a stuck-inside season? Check. Updates on how COVID-19 has affected our communities in Southwest Michigan and Southern California? Yep (as of recording date, 3/13). We’re coming to you from a new reality this week, and we hope you’ll join us for some thoughtful discussion and helpful tips for managing time at home with kids. This episode was recorded on March 13, 2020. A NOTE ON EPISODES RELEASE...
Mar 17, 2020•49 min
Do you naturally match up with friends who share your individual quirks and preferences, or are your relationships more a case of opposites attract? In our years-long working relationship and close (but long-distance) friendship, we’ve got a little bit of both going on. Get to know Meagan, Sarah, and our partnership a little better in this fun More Than Mom episodes all about the little and not-so-little ways that we’re similar and different. Join us! Note: We know that COVID-19 is top-of-mind f...
Mar 15, 2020•48 min
Is everyone you know planning a family vacation, or does it sometimes just feel that way? In our experience, there are “vacations” that feel like a lot of work, and other ways to spend school holidays that feel more relaxing and don’t break the bank. In today’s episode (Part One of Two in a series all about planning family travel) we’re talking about what goes into planning a family vacation you’ll actually enjoy–from knowing yourself as a mom and being realistic about the ages of your kids, to ...
Mar 10, 2020•1 hr
If you’re parenting a child who walks through the world a little–or a lot–differently, or if you’re hoping to raise kids who see differences as opportunities instead of deficits, this conversation is for you. Sarah chats with Debbie Reber, mom of a 15-year-old “differently wired” son and leader of TiLT Parenting, a movement that both celebrates neurodiversity and recognizes the challenges that kids and parents face in navigating a world designed for one type of learner. Sarah and Debbie discuss ...
Mar 06, 2020•1 hr
What’s great about our eight? Getting each of them ALONE once in a while. With big, busy families, we recognizing that connecting with each kid individually is important, but we also firmly believe it doesn’t have to be a fancy structured thing. In this installment in our (very loose) “What’s Great About Our Eight” series, Meagan and Sarah go kid-by-kid and talk about what solo time looks like in the stage they’re in right now, what we do together and whether feels like enough, and how we might ...
Mar 03, 2020•48 min
Ashley Schafluetzel is a kindergarten teacher and mom of two who lives outside St. Louis, Missouri. Her daughter, Ella, loves big hair bows and Frozen 2, is a great big sister, and is thriving in first grade. However, Ella’s start in life was anything but typical, and through a high-risk pregnancy, premature birth, and extended NICU stay with multiple complications, Ashley and her husband faced challenges that they never expected would come with parenthood. In this special bonus episode of The M...
Feb 28, 2020•36 min
