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posted on May 7, 2021

Freaking Out Less About Starting Kindergarten & Elementary School Academics: Voices 60 With Kelly Hiltz



As this incredibly strange and stressful school year winds to a close, parents are looking ahead to next fall and wondering: Should I send my 5-year-old to kindergarten, or wait a year? Will my first grader remember how to make friends since she’s been behind a screen all year? Will the struggle that was virtual learning mean my kid never learns to love school again? These are understandable worries, especially for those who are in the middle of their own first experience as school parents. This month’s Voices interview guest is Kelly Hiltz, kindergarten teacher who has seen it all this year – remote, hybrid, in-person – and mom to two boys in preschool and early elementary. Sarah and Kelly address the concerns parents have about kindergarten specifically, COVID learning loss generally, and what a 2021-2022 school year might look like for families. We also touch on “red-shirting” younger kinders, how to know what decision is right for your child, and what specific things families can do this summer to best prepare incoming kindergarteners for the fall.

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posted on May 4, 2021

Why Mother’s Day Is Hard (And How To Make It What You Want This Year): Episode 311



If you have mixed feelings about Mother’s Day, you’re not alone. For some, it’s a reminder of loss or grief, unmet expectations or missing people we love. For others, the social media buildup and commercialized clichés create expectations that can lead to disappointment. And even for those who don’t completely dread Mother’s Day, it can be hard to articulate what we really want to the ones who want to spoil us. In short: it’s a lot. In this week’s Episode 311, Meagan and Sarah validate why Mother’s Day can be complicated, reflect on our own celebrations during different seasons of life, and offer ideas for how to celebrate in a way that feels right to you this year. Join us!

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posted on May 2, 2021

More Than Mom: Car Talk (Then, Now, Someday)



Are we “car people”? Turns out, yes and no. After 25+ years of driving, Meagan and Sarah have many stories and a few opinions on what we want in our four-wheeled rides. From first cars to true lemons, minivans to post-divorce pre-mid-life-crisis splurges, this More Than Mom episode is an ode to our vehicles. We also chat about the process of procuring a new car, how much haggling at the dealer is a sport we do NOT enjoy, and what we hope for in our future cars.

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posted on April 27, 2021

Meagan Schools Sarah on Parenting Teens: Episode 310



Big news: Sarah is joining the Parents Of Teenagers club! In honor of Sarah’s oldest turning 13, Meagan taps into wisdom gained from over a decade of parenting teens and gives Sarah the real story. We unpack some stereotypes about teens (they’re moody! they’re smelly! they’re obsessed with their phones!) and find out what’s totally true, what’s sometimes true, and what might very much depend on the kid. We also explore some of the best and sweetest parts of parenting teens, validate that these are often very lonely years for moms, and compare teenage milestones to those reached earlier in childhood.

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posted on April 23, 2021

BONUS: Meagan & Sarah Chat About Reinvention



Whether it’s a career pivot, a creative passion, a relationship change, or just one of life’s unexpected twists, most women find themselves in a season of reinvention at least once. Today Meagan and Sarah are here with a surprise bonus episode, chatting about the idea of reinvention, how it intersects with motherhood and raising young kids, and how Meagan’s new podcast celebrates women reinventing themselves in a variety of wonderful ways. Join us for a fun conversation, followed by an extended excerpt from Season 1 of the Mother of Reinvention show.

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posted on April 20, 2021

Our Most Heroic “Mom To The Rescue!” Moments: Episode 309



Whether it’s pulling out the puke bucket juuuuuussst in the nick of time, or speeding across the room while pregnant to save a toddler from a toppling accident, we all know that feeling of doing what needs to be done in the moment without so much as a conscious thought. Call it quick-thinking, mom-heroics, or just another day in the life of parenting young kids, but these are moments that deserve to be celebrated. In Episode 309 Meagan and Sarah share stories from our own in-the-trenches days — some truly life-or-death and others just, well, messy — as a reminder that sometimes you have no idea just how strong, quick, clever, or brave you are until you’re called into action.

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