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Happier motherhood starts here.

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episodes

8 Truths Every Mom Needs To Hear: Episode 369

As moms, we can be hard on ourselves...and sometimes we just need to hear the simplest, oft-repeated ...

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More Than Mom: Fantasy Summer Camps For Moms

Have you ever fantasized about attending a camp-like environment for grown-ups? Much about the ...

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Glad I Did / Wish I’d Done: Tech And Devices: Episode 368

Among parents, technology and screen time can be a loaded topic. How much is too much? Is that movie ...

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Getting Outdoors With Kids: Voices 75 With Jayme Sherrod & Jennifer Carroll

There are big benefits to getting kids outside as much as possible. But as a mom to young kids, it ...

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Simple Summer Rituals & Traditions: Episode 367

It’s the last day of May, which means that for many families it's time to stow away backpacks, say ...

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On This Day In (Our Motherhood) History: Episode 366

Looking back at old photos is a quick way to feel ALL the feels: everything from "I can't believe ...

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Play Our Latest Episode!

https://media.blubrry.com/themomhour/pdst.fm/e/content.blubrry.com/themomhour/MHVoices78.mp3

looking for something?

Did you know...? We publish fewer More Than Mom ep Did you know...? We publish fewer More Than Mom episodes in the summertime, and then ramp back up in the fall. Do you have a fun, fluffy topic you'd like to hear Meagan and Sarah tackle in a MTM this fall? Drop a comment below! ⬇️ ⬇️
New episode! When to get kids their first cell ph New episode!

When to get kids their first cell phone brings up all kinds of questions: How do you know when your child is ready? How to talk to kids about safety? How to help kids develop a healthy relationship with their phone? Social Media? Phone etiquette? (The list goes on!) In today's episode, Sarah welcomes back her friend Dr. Catherine Pearlman to talk about kids and technology--specifically the learning that happens when kids start to navigate their own personal devices, like phones. Today Catherine (@thefamilycoachsays) helps us navigate the new and murky waters of personal devices for our kids and answers some of your burning questions about first phones. Plus, stick around for a short conversation Sarah had with her own 9- and 12-year-olds about what THEY think about this topic!

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
We're talking college on the podcast this week! No We're talking college on the podcast this week! Not necessarily the brass tacks of sending a kid for college, but more the role the very IDEA of it plays in our family culture.

Dressing tiny humans in university garb is for sure a little parenting joy - I had lots of fun doing it when my kids were small. Looking back at these photos makes me (Sarah) smile - and wonder what team colors are being flown in our listeners' homes!

Do you have little Longhorns or tiny Tigers or wee Wildcats? Do your kids know your college fight song? Are you a house divided by college sports rivalry? Is any of this this even a thing in your house? I'm here for it all. 💜 -S 

PS - Look for this image at the link in our bio to listen to the episode. It's as much for moms of littles as it is for those who have college on the horizon - and we tell some fun stories!
Listener Mail! 📬 Thanks so much for the travel Listener Mail! 📬 Thanks so much for the travel tip, Audrey! (Shared with permission.)

"I enjoyed your travel-related topics this summer and even though we had traveled quite a bit with our kids pre-pandemic, I found a bunch of the tips incredibly helpful as we have restarted our family travels again. One tip I would like to offer, is to put the kids in almost obnoxiously bright clothing on the day of travel. I make my two rambunctious boys wear neon-colored shirts when we are in airports for flight travel or crowded rest areas or restaurants on road trips. This allows my eyes to quickly spot them if ever they should lag behind or get ahead. It makes me feel more relaxed to think they would be a little easier to locate myself or for someone else should something happen, or if I’m overwhelmed trying to navigate new places and my attention is elsewhere." 

Don't forget that ALL our travel-related content is collected at http://themomhour.com/travel22! You'll find podcast episodes, packing lists, blog posts, Disney tips, and more. Click this image at the link in our bio to find the Travel Hub.

#travelwithkids #roadtriptips #familytravelhack #familytravel #familytraveltip #flyingwithkids #roadtripswithkids
New episode! College decision-making is influence New episode!

College decision-making is influenced by so many things--parents, peers, teachers, family members, your larger community and more. And as with everything else: all families approach this differently! While some bleed their alma mater colors, others don't see college as the only option for helping launch kids after graduation. In this episode, Meagan and Sarah have an open-ended conversation about the role college played in our own stories, our family-of-origin culture, and the narrative we're shaping for our kids now. We also give you a peek into our educational paths, how we made those decisions and how our eight kids perceive the idea of college today. This is a topic close to home for Meagan as she prepares to send Will off in the next few weeks to start his own journey.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
Last week, on our annual extended-family up-north Last week, on our annual extended-family up-north trip, a few things struck me. 

One: this pack of boy cousins - now a mixed bag of older teens and young adults - has been goofing off for the camera pretty much just like this since they were toddlers and preschoolers. 

Two: things are changing almost unbelievably quickly. This year Will brought his car and drove several of his cousins to the meeting spot, a campground with spotty wifi in the middle of a data desert. With their own transportation and unreliable communication, that meant the boys were truly on their own for a good part of the trip.

There was a busy four-year-old boy with us on the trip, the son of my nephew's girlfriend. As the little guy leapt over roots and sprung from rock formations on one of our hikes, his (likely exhausted) mom keeping a wary and watchful eye, I was fielding texts from Will announcing that he and his cousins had decided to go shopping instead and would meet up with us later. I nearly protested, but stifled it with a sigh. 

When I was that wary, watchful mom with my own passel of busy boys, I would have given a lot for an hour's hike, unencumbered. But now that mine are rapidly growing and flying, I find myself wishing sometimes that the who's-in-charge and who-needs-whom dynamics were more cut-and-dried. 

Parenting young adults is a delicate balance between holding them accountable to everything - social expectations, their own commitments, basic politeness - and giving them the autonomy to decide for themselves when to strike out on their own and even what counts as quality family time. It's a tightrope walk between helping them make good decisions about bedtimes and dietary choices and letting them figure out for themselves the consequences of a 3 AM bedtime after a bag of chips and a two-liter of soda. 

It's a constant push-pull, albeit a lot more subtle than gripping a sturdy small hand for a stair-jumping assist, and full of deep breaths of suppressed frustration and small chuckles of appreciation when the moments come - and they do still come - when they momentarily shed those tough, adult exteriors, and ham it up like little kids again. -M
Getting ready for kindergarten? We’ve got you co Getting ready for kindergarten? We’ve got you covered!

We’ve talked about kindergarten over the years. A LOT. With the start of a new school year right around the corner, we've gathered all our kindergarten and kinder-adjacent podcast episodes and blog posts in one handy place to help you prepare for this milestone. 

Click this image at the link in our bio to access our kindergarten roundup of resources.

#kindergarten #firstdayofschool #motherhood #parenting #school #kindergartenreadiness #lunchpacking #choosingtherightschool #schoolvolunteering #tipsforstartingschool
We’ve had some big discussions on the show the l We’ve had some big discussions on the show the last two weeks about moms taking on extra emotional work: to keep morale up, to show up for a struggling kid, to shape our kids’ future identities within a sibling group. Even when we think we’re aware of these dynamics, it’s easy to assign ourselves extra work without even realize we’re doing it. (And often in areas where we really have very little control!)

Where can you give yourself a gentle free pass right now? Finish the sentence “It’s not my job to…” in whatever way rings true for you - and drop a comment if you want to share!

Here are just a few ideas, but please add your own! 🥰

It’s not my job to…
…prove that I’m a good mom
…keep my children constantly entertained
…prevent every disappointment 
…intervene in sibling dynamics
…be the sole keeper of the family schedule
…join my tween in her mood
Happy Birthday, @meaganfrancis! If you listened t Happy Birthday, @meaganfrancis!

If you listened to yesterday's podcast episode, we chatted about how Meagan is celebrating 45 in the UP with her extended family... possibly with a karaoke takeover of the campground bar and grill.

Meagan, this podcast wouldn't exist without you, full stop. It's no exaggeration to say that you've helped bring calmness and common sense to hundreds of thousands of families in your two decades of creating content about motherhood. (And, less notably but thank goodness nonetheless, to ME.)

That's worth raising a glass to, no?

Listeners, if you want some extra Meagan in your ears this week, head over to @motherofreinventionshow and subscribe to the podcast. I (Sarah) will be on with Meagan in her Season 3 finale tomorrow (7/28) talking about kids getting older, midlife, career pivots, and more. 

☀️ Sarah
New episode! What are Meagan and Sarah’s best t New episode!

What are Meagan and Sarah’s best tips for getting kids started with their first phone? And with a new school year right around the corner, a mom asks how to prepare her child for the first day of kindergarten and looks for some fun traditions to help celebrate back to school. The “bigger kids, bigger problems” stage arrives early for one listener’s family, and she looks for strategies for maintaining her mental health and other relationships while they navigate tough times. Lastly, a mom of bickering siblings sets us up for a lively discussion about whether it’s mom’s job to prevent kids developing a complex or identity stemming from their birth order and sibling roles. In addition to our own thoughts, we tap the wisdom of our contributors as we tackle your listener questions in Episode 375.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts

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