The Mom Hour

Happier motherhood starts here.

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OMG We’re Sick AGAIN?!: Episode 389


Million dollar sick-kid question: “are they going to school today, or not?”! After two fall seasons impacted by pandemic schooling in all kinds of ways, Fall 2022 appears to be The One Where The Children Are Sick ALL THE TIME. In today’s episode Sarah and regular contributor Jayme validate (and commiserate) about the plight of kids picking up every possible virus this fall, and offer practical tips for managing kids home with common childhood illnesses. (In addition to having a toddler and a preschooler, Jayme is also a nurse by training and a physician-spouse, so she comes with some legit background…and lots of real talk.) Hang in there, mamas! You are not alone in your wellness struggles, and hopefully next fall will be a little less hard!

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More Than Mom: 2022 Goals & Intentions (What We Said, How It Went & Where Life Surprised Us)



While there’s a lot of value in setting goals and intentions at the start of a new year (and in revisiting and tracking progress throughout the year), sometimes the intentions we set months ago aren’t serving us the way we had hoped. In this More Than Mom episode, Meagan and Sarah revisit what we said we wanted to do and ways we hoped to grow in 2022, reflect on how we’ve done so far, and share how some intentions shifted over time. We also realize that sometimes life surprises us with growth we hoped for…just not in the way we thought it might happen. And that is OKAY.

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Emergency Room Visits With Kids: What I Wish I’d Known, Packed, Said & Done

Taking your child to the emergency room is one of those unforgettable rites of passage as a parent. A fun morning at the playground can take a turn when a kid falls from the monkey bars. An endless evening with a feverish baby can turn into a middle-of-the-night drive to the hospital. No trip to the emergency room is stress-free. However, there are ways to make it stress-manageable. Here are a few things I’ve learned by navigating ER visits with kids.

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Self-Improvement & Self-Acceptance In Motherhood: Episode 373



We get dueling messages from our culture: On the one hand, come as you are! Accept yourself fully, imperfections and all. On the other hand, you deserve better! Here’s what to do (and buy) to sleep better, eat better, look better, and feel better. It can be confusing to navigate a genuine desire to live your best life alongside the necessary self-acceptance it takes to feel like you’re doing enough today. Do we have this figured out? We do not, but today we’re here to talk about it. Meagan and Sarah share what self-improvement AND self-acceptance look like for them in the reams of wellness, career, mental health, and leisure – plus we reflect on what this balance has looked like at different seasons of motherhood.

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Real Stories About Postpartum Mental Health: Voices 74 With Emily Roark And Kia Hammond



Between the raging hormones, sleep deprivation, and overstimulation that occurs on the daily, it’s no wonder most moms feel a little “off” for a few weeks after delivery. But how do we know when the baby blues develop into something more? In this episode, Sarah chats with contributors Emily Roark and Kia Hammond, who share their personal postpartum mental health journeys, including how they recognized signs of postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety, when and how they got help, and which coping strategies worked best. We also get into preparing for mental health support during subsequent pregnancies, how the COVID upended mitigation strategies for pandemic babies, and more. We hope you’ll join us for this important conversation.

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Raising Active Kids: Voices 70 With Larissa Maloney



We hear about the benefits of movement and exercise for our own physical and mental health – but kids are just … NATURALLY active, right? Turns out the answer is a bit of a Yes, AND…. In this month’s Voices interview Sarah chats with former professional beach volleyball player, personal trainer, coach, and mom of three Larissa Maloney about the physical and mental benefits to keeping kids active throughout the day. We talk about the difference between traditional organized sports and a more holistic approach to active lifestyle, the brain and body benefits to moving our bodies, and how fun games and activities can get the whole family moving without feeling like an obligatory “workout.” Larissa also shares how growing up a competitive athlete and natural risk-taker led her to take big risks in sports, business and life.

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buy our books

The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read:
An How We Let Our Kids Go & Embrace What’s Next by Meagan Francis

The Mother’s Gratitude Journal:
An Easy Guide to Capturing Everyday Joys
and Milestone Moments by Meagan Francis and Sarah Powers

find us elsewhere

meaganfrancis.substack.com

sarahjanepowers.substack.com

midlifeladyleisurepursuits.substack.com