Processionals, promotions, caps, gowns, and more! Today Meagan and Sarah dig into graduations of all kinds from our perspective as moms in the audience experiencing all the feels. We have some strong opinions about how promotion ceremonies can be incorporated thoughtfully (or not) into kids’ younger years, and very different experiences when it comes to high school graduations. Find out what brings tears to our eyes almost instantly, what makes us roll our eyes, and how our own kids are “levelin...
May 30, 2023•49 min
“Done having babies” and “Sad about the end of the little years” are two completely different mom-emotions, as Meagan and Sarah get into today, with the help of a thoughtful listener question. We look at how it’s possible to be at peace with your family size and still experience grief at the identity shift that happens as your last babe gets big (and your bigs get huge). We reflect on what pangs us most about small kids growing bigger, how to accept the unfamiliar role of being (slightly) less n...
May 23, 2023•55 min
A parent of three is exhausted by dinnertime sillies and wants help steering conversation at the family table. A stay-at-home mom asks what to do when her child says, “don’t tell dad I got in trouble at school!”. And a parent of a tween who wants acrylic nails asks a bigger question about letting kids alter their appearance in general. Meagan and Sarah tackle tricky parenting challenges with our best attempts at nuance, compassion, and humor in today’s episode. Join us! LINKS WE MENTIONED: Liste...
May 16, 2023•49 min
Happy Mother’s Day! Meagan thought it would be fun to surprise Sarah with an episode full of lightning-round-style “this or that” questions and “would you rather” head-scratchers. Join us for lots of laughs, silly questions and tons of fun! If you’ve been listening for a while you know that we’re chronically lightning-round-challenged. Find out if we answer all the questions before the buzzer goes off! Links Mentioned: Our list of This or That and Would You Rathers Pretty please take our survey ...
May 14, 2023•42 min
Meagan spent a soggy day helping eighth grade science students release salmon into a creek, and it inspired this conversation all about kids and field trips. From tiny toddlers at the fire station to teens on a red-eye flight to Washington, D.C., time outside the classroom requires a ton of flexibility from everyone; we're here to discuss the both/and nature of field trips bringing added hassle AND growth opportunities. We also hear from two teachers and a special needs parent about their though...
May 09, 2023•56 min
SURPRISE! Popping in with a bonus episode we recorded together in real life (and, in the same bed!) on a recent trip to Dallas. Get a feel for what Meagan and Sarah are like on the road together, how we feel about various airport-adjacent accommodations in the DFW area, and what we watched on TV that made us both so happy. Join us! LINKS MENTIONED: Here’s more on the Carol Burnett 90th Birthday Special! We weren’t kidding about the employee name tags at The Westin Hotel. While we had a great exp...
May 07, 2023•23 min
From surfing lessons and sunset cruises, to training dolphins and learning about space…Meagan and her two teens, Clara and Owen, packed in so many unforgettable experiences during their Spring Break trip to Florida! In this episode Meagan shares more about her travels with teens to the Space Coast of Florida and St. Augustine/Florida’s Historic Coast, thanks to our sponsor VISIT FLORIDA. And while the activities may look a little bit different with teens vs. big kids and toddlers, find out why M...
May 05, 2023•43 min
With warming weather, meals, snacks and cravings shift too. Today Meagan and Sarah unpack what it means to us to feed ourselves well as moms, from taking time to assemble a sandwich to paying attention to the way food makes us feel – both physically and emotionally. We share some of our personal favorite feel-good foods, and also acknowledge the often inherent conflict in feeding ourselves well AND keeping our families fed. Join us! LINKS MENTIONED: Target links are affiliate links, which means ...
May 02, 2023•58 min
Meagan has big news. Sarah has alllll the questions. Join us for a fun dive into all the plans and details! LINKS MENTIONED: We mentioned other episodes where we share personal news while couching it in a larger context, such as: Self Care As Self-Preservation: Episode 104 Talking About Our Own Kids. Or Not.: Episode 364 Eric found a vintage wedding ring set from Gesner Estate Jewelry on Etsy Follow @meaganfrancis on Instagram or sign up for email updates at meaganfrancis.com to stay in the loop...
Apr 30, 2023•51 min
Deciding where to go on a family vacation with littles can be overwhelming. How will the kids adjust to all the changes? Will the adults enjoy their time, too? In this special episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan chats with team member Catie Parrish about her family’s spring break trip to Florida. Listen to hear all about Catie’s favorite things they did, as well as her top tips for happy travels with young kids. Catie also shares how she preps her house before a big trip, as well as how to make it e...
Apr 28, 2023•47 min
Becoming a mom as a teen or young adult years comes with unique challenges (and also some sweet memories!). In today’s episode, Meagan and regular contributor Kia compare our personal experiences as young moms and explore how young motherhood shows up in parenting our own teens and young adults. We also compare notes on fourteen-year-old girls and share our love of big families and grown sibling dynamics. Enjoy! LINKS MENTIONED: Follow Kia on Instagram Episodes of The Mom Hour featuring Kia: Wha...
Apr 25, 2023•48 min
From music and timers to one-touch rules and baskets for EVERYTHING, moms are beyond creative when it comes to getting kids to help clean up. In the latest episode in our House Rules series, Meagan and Sarah share dozens of smart ways moms in our community make tidying up with kids a little easier. Join us for this grab bag of tidying up strategies you can try with your family! LINKS MENTIONED: Here’s a link to the Facebook thread where you all provided your House Rules for Tidying Up. More from...
Apr 18, 2023•49 min
Spring brings with it pretty flowers, warm sunshine and fresh scents…and also bugs, rain and mud. In today’s More Than Mom, Meagan and Sarah get in the mood for spring by comparing how our different climates show up for the season, how we lean into spring in our homes, and what our outdoor spaces have to show off this time of year. We also reflect on how spring is a full sensory experience and chat about bringing the outside IN to spruce up our homes. Enjoy! LINKS MENTIONED: We’d so appreciate i...
Apr 16, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Want to get ahead before the May madness sets in? Do these things now and set yourself up for a less stressful summer! In Episode 412 Meagan and Sarah return for the second in a two-part series with tips from our own lives and from The Mom Hour community, including identifying micro-seasons within your longer summer plans, anticipating shifts in kids’ sleep patterns, and saving money this summer by recognizing what you probably WON’T do this summer. Enjoy! LINKS MENTIONED: Do This Now; Enjoy Sum...
Apr 11, 2023•44 min
Summer has a funny way of sneaking up on us. Whether you’re a plan-it-all-out mom or a go-with-the-flow mama, there are things you can do now to set your summer up for more joy and less stress. Join us for the first episode in a two-part series as Meagan and Sarah share some of our well-earned experience and practical tips (plus some from The Mom Hour community!) for prepping for the upcoming summer season. Enjoy! LINKS MENTIONED: Please take our Listener Survey which we use to plan content, fin...
Apr 04, 2023•38 min
Taking kids to Disney should be a magical experience, right? From meeting Mickey to flying on Dumbo, memory-making abounds. But LOTS of planning and strategizing goes into all that magic, and LOTS of parenting challenges present themselves inside the park gates. Today Sarah chats with Katie Gouldner from The Mom Hour team about the weeklong Disney trip she’s planning for later this spring. From rope-drop strategies to how to land the best dining reservations–it’s a lot! Katie then looks to Sarah...
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Let’s go deep on the fluffiest of topics: personal adornment. In today’s More Than Mom episode, Meagan and Sarah share our approaches to everyday jewelry, special gifts and heirloom pieces, jewelry trends and finding our personal styles. We also talk about where we like to buy jewelry, how motherhood seasons have intersected with accessorizing phases, and what our storage wins and woes are these days. Join us! LINKS MENTIONED: Meagan referenced the movie Thoroughly Modern Millie with Julie Andre...
Mar 26, 2023•54 min
It’s our Podcastaversary (yep, we just made up a new word)! Today we are celebrating eight years of The Mom Hour by reflecting on some of your most-asked questions over the years. Beyond recurring queries like “should I have that third baby?” or “what’s the ideal spacing between kids?,” we’re digging into some deeper through-lines that point to the fears, insecurities, and hopes of our community. We also provide snapshots of the many places we have recorded our 640+ episodes (the floor, the bed,...
Mar 21, 2023•57 min
Bowling. Bonfires. The mall (no, really.) And board games (maybe?). What’s fun for our families right now looks quite different than it did years ago, so today Meagan and Sarah revisit an oft-discussed hot topic on The Mom Hour: family “fun.” We share several ideas for ACTUALLY FUN family activities that work for our current seasons, as well as some gripes about things that feel like they should be fun but aren’t. Join us! LINKS MENTIONED: Other deep-dives on what’s fun and what’s absolutely not...
Mar 14, 2023•1 hr
It isn’t always easy to appreciate the mundane tasks of our daily lives, or to see the glass half-full when something goes awry. Inspired by yet another social media trend that had us scratching our heads at first (and then reflecting in spite of our forty-something selves), today Meagan and Sarah talk about situations from our own lives where we romanticized the hard stuff to get by. Join us! LINKS MENTIONED: Sarah recommends reading this New York Times article to better understand the phrase “...
Mar 12, 2023•57 min
Worrying as a mom is a universal experience (and, spoiler alert: it never REALLY goes away). Today Meagan and Sarah look back over the years on the worries that surface most often in our community. Going by the questions we get from listeners, moms worry a lot about safety (our kids’, our own, the state of the world); and we also worry about WORRY (are we worried about the “right” things? is our worry creating anxiety in our kids?). Join us as we revisit these questions and more with that well-w...
Mar 07, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Pitching, submitting, and financial uncertainty: the writerly life isn’t easy before kids come into the mix, but as a writer-mom it’s even trickier. In today’s episode, Meagan chats with contributor and full-time professional writer Joanne Ruelos Diaz to talk all things writing. We discuss how we each landed in this career, how we balance motherhood and writing, our hopes for the future and some advice about how to dive in to this creative outlet, whether it’s for personal or professional goals....
Feb 28, 2023•59 min
Do you ever find yourself dreaming of a creative outlet or pursuit outside of your day-to-day life? Maybe you've thought about becoming an artist, opening a coffee shop, or even starting your own podcast! In this episode, Meagan and Sarah are talking about some of our dream businesses--and we include some from our team of contributors, too! Plus, Meagan gives an update on her actual new business endeavor that started as a dream and is turning into reality this year. Enjoy! LINKS MENTIONED: You h...
Feb 26, 2023•56 min
Do you have "mom mission statements"? Pillars or values that guide your parenting and ground your confidence when its shaken? We didn't - but now we do! In Episode 405 Meagan and Sarah offer up our personal motherhood mission statements by finishing the sentence "As I mom I..." . Join us! LINKS MENTIONED: Sarah loves the book Catastrophic Happiness by Catherine Newman, a memoir about the middle years of motherhood (this is an affiliate link). We are open to an episode about Family Mission Statem...
Feb 21, 2023•48 min
UR Cute. Be Mine. XOXO. Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone (and happy birthday to Sarah)! No better day than today to talk all things kids, crushes, and budding romance. Join us as we discuss parenting kids through crushes, romance, and relationships, how much our kids share with us about their love lives, what we think about adults projecting romance onto toddlers and preschoolers, and what we hope for future relationships with our kids’ partners. We also throw in a few of our childhood Valentine’...
Feb 14, 2023•48 min
Accepting and embracing the body changes that come with motherhood and midlife isn’t easy – and it’s a challenge that listeners write to us about a lot. While the conversation is (and must!) be nuanced, and the prevailing wisdom on this topic constantly changing, today we’re taking it on the only way we know how: from personal experience. Join Meagan and Sarah for an honest exchange about what body confidence means to us (spoiler: it’s not all about weight or size), where we feel self-conscious ...
Feb 12, 2023•52 min
A peek into pantry cupboards reveals a lot about how a family lives and the season of life they’re in. Today Meagan and Sarah open our own pantry doors and chat about what we see: from dry goods staples to kid-approved snacks and some things that are “just for mom,” we’ve got small joys and pesky frustrations in the pantry – just like any other area of the house! We also discuss the “ingredient household” TikTok trend that has moms reflecting on how they grew up and how they’re feeding their fam...
Feb 07, 2023•48 min
Big black trash bag energy is in full effect over here! In this episode Sarah is joined by contributor Joanna Martin for a conversation about how, why and what we are getting rid of this January. We talk strategic home resets, major junk-hauling, and tips for ongoing clutter maintenance. And while on the surface this episode is about physical stuff, we also acknowledge the emotional complexity that surrounds getting rid of stuff. Enjoy! LINKS MENTIONED: Follow Joanna’s 2023 home reset progress i...
Jan 31, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Does solitude come naturally to your kids, or are moments of solo play far and few between? Meagan and Sarah read some research recently that challenged us to think about the importance of alone time, and whether our kids get enough. In this episode, we dive into our own childhood memories, how our children embrace (or run from) solitude, and how challenging it is to find that just-right balance. Join us! LINKS MENTIONED: Sarah and Meagan referenced the article in The Atlantic titled How Much Al...
Jan 24, 2023•59 min
With all the day-to-day planning required to run a household, it’s easy to put longterm planning on the back burner. Today Meagan and Sarah share lessons we’ve learned (or are still learning) that help us look ahead at a whole year, quarter, or month at a time. From knowing ourselves and our seasonal rhythms to figuring out where they keep next year’s school calendar, we’ve picked up a few things over the years, and we’re ready to dive in for 2023. Join us! LINKS MENTIONED: On Wednesday, we’ll b...
Jan 22, 2023•50 min
