Podcasts for #momlife

Many years now I have been a heavy consumer of podcasts. They are a great way to make the most of a commute, make waiting rooms more tolerable or drown out your cube mate eating chips. My usual fare consists of a (un?)healthy variety of true crime, cold cases, and serial killers, but when I became a parent, my repertoire expanded a bit, and now I have several podcasts that either help me up my mom game or feature interesting, relatable stories about parents. Here are a few of my favorites, all available wherever you get podcasts.

The Longest Shortest Time

What it’s about: Billed as “the parenting show for everyone,” this award-winning podcasted created by Hillary Frank and hosted by Andrea Silenzi features stories about “parenting in all its forms.” These aren’t trite stories that you’ve heard a million times. The show tells wonderfully complex, unique stories about the good, bad, and ugly of parenthood.

Favorite episode(s): “Accidental Gay Parents” parts 1-5. Also “Terry Gross on Not Having Kids” (if you love Fresh Air, you have to listen to this).

Also check out: Hillary Frank’s book Weird Parenting Wins, all about those strange, spur of the moment solutions that worked.

The Double Shift

What it’s about: Host Katherine Goldstein reports the stories of women who are “challenging how society sees mothers and how we see ourselves.” She tells the out-of-the-ordinary stories of mothers with jobs ranging from the owner of a 24-hour daycare center in Las Vegas, to a rabbi in a punk rock band, to a candidate for the North Carolina legislature. 

Favorite episode: “Co-Work, Co-Play” made me wish this kind of working arrangement was available for me.

The 43%

What it’s about:  Host Claudia Reuter interviews some of the 43% of women who have kids and leave the workplace for some extent of time. The show aims to provide examples of more possibilities for women who have had to think through work and family decisions.  Women from across the spectrum of professions share their stories and provide advice for those of us still struggling through work-life balance.

Favorite episode: “Pepperlane founder and CEO Sharon Kan on Motherhood as a Benefit and not a Risk”

Life Kit: Parenting

What it’s about: I’m a sucker for NPR, and this collaboration between NPR and the child development experts at Sesame Workshop does not disappoint. In true NPR fashion, hosts Cory Turner and Anya Kamenetz engage experts and science to help you deal with topics from helping children develop self-control (as modeled by Cookie Monster), to talking about race, to discussing death.

Favorite episode: “Kindness Can Be Taught. Here’s How” if you ever wondered how to help ensure your child isn’t the mean one in their class.

Respectful Parenting: Janet Lansbury Unruffled

What it’s about: In each episode, host Janet Lansbury, guides a listener through their (often all too relatable) parenting issue using her respectful parenting philosophy. 

Favorite episode: “Connecting with Your Kids when They’re Upset (Works with Siblings Too)”

Also check out: Janet Lansbury’s book No Bad Kids: Toddler Discipline without Shame for more on respectful parenting.

Before Breakfast

What it’s about: This one isn’t strictly a parenting podcast, but the time management strategies host Laura Vanderkam shares have helped me make the most of a hectic life. Vanderkam has written several books on time management that I’ve been meaning to read for years without ever actually getting around to it (go figure…), but her daily podcast episodes are under 10 minutes long, the perfect length to listen to while I get ready in the morning. Many times I’ve walked away with a tool or strategy I can implement that day.

Favorite episode: “Think 168 hours, not 24.” This mindset shift has helped me tremendously in how I think of my schedule.

Any fellow podcast fans out there? What are you listening to? And, if your true crime listening queue isn’t long enough, hit me up; I’ve got you!