• Home
  • About
    • New? Start Here.
    • Meet The Co-Hosts
    • Meet The Contributors
    • In The Media
  • Advertise
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter

The Mom Hour

Happier motherhood starts here.

  • New? Start Here.
  • Podcast
    • Recent Episodes
    • Complete Archives
    • Search By Topic
  • Blog
  • Ages & Stages
    • Babies
    • Toddlers
    • Preschoolers
    • Big Kids
    • Tweens & Teens
  • Shop

posted on June 14, 2022

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 pieces of advice and encouragement to remind us that it is all going to be OK. Join Meagan and Sarah for a reflection on eight pieces of wisdom that have carried us through motherhood struggles at every age and stage. We are offering them to you, to ourselves, and to all of our future selves in Episode 369.

Listen Now

posted on May 31, 2022

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 ‘see ya later’ to early morning alarms, and settle in for a more laid-back (or at least DIFFERENT) routine. In this episode, Meagan and Sarah tap into the wisdom of our community and share your simple summer rituals and traditions for filling summer calendars with fun – without totally throwing structure out the window. Enjoy this mashup of sweet, family rituals along with clever house rules to help you prepare for summer days ahead!

Listen Now

posted on May 23, 2022

Potty Training: Third Time’s The Charm?

I am making progress in my patience and need to control everything and he is making progress in pooping in the potty more often than not. One day, we WILL get there. There will come a day when he goes to the bathroom and I don’t even ask if he wants to put a sticker on his sticker chart. He will become self-sufficient and grow and these experiences will fade into funny memories. Memories that will definitely be shared one day when I attend a baby shower as a veteran mom letting a new mom know all that is to come after the baby’s first year.

Read More

posted on May 16, 2022

Making A Case For Video Games

About three months ago we bought a Nintendo Switch and have offered our son opportunities to play every day since. Much to my surprise, I’ve witnessed far more positive outcomes from having this console in our home than I ever imagined.

Read More

posted on May 2, 2022

Five Tips for Water Safety This Summer

Whether you’re planning to get a membership at a local pool, take a family beach vacation or spend your days at the lake, chances are your kids will encounter a new swimming opportunity at some point this summer. As moms, we look forward to these adventures, but they can also be stressful. Making sure everyone is safe is a top priority. Not to mention the endless supply of sunscreen, snacks, and swimsuits these activities require. Whatever adventures you have planned, here are my tips for a safe summer.

Read More

posted on April 26, 2022

Listener Questions (Vol. 39): Episode 362



Sports and extracurriculars are picking up this spring, and two different listeners have questions about what age to start kids in activities and how to budget for this part of family life. We take a question about “gentle parenting” that leads into an in-depth discussion about discipline philosophies and finding the approach that works for your family. Finally, a busy mom of three has the chance to get help from neighborhood “mother’s helpers” and wants our guidance on how to make the most of the extra sets of hands. Meagan and Sarah offer validation, support, and encouragement in another Listener Questions episode this week – join us!

Listen Now

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • …
  • 19
  • Next Page »

Listen + Subscribe

Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
Subscribe on Spotify
Subscribe in Google Podcasts
Subscribe on YouTube
Subscribe on Amazon Music

Search

Recent Blog Posts

3 Easter Egg Decorating Ideas For Older Kids, Tweens & Teens

March 20, 2023 By Sarah Powers

8 Activities To Make Spring Break At Home With Little Kids Bearable (And Fun!)

March 13, 2023 By Emily Roark

Fun & Practical Easter Basket Ideas Your Kids Will Love

March 8, 2023 By Sandy Hsu

Yes, YOU Can Coach Youth Sports!

March 6, 2023 By Jennifer Carroll

Worried, Mom? We Were, Too.

February 27, 2023 By The Mom Hour

more from the blog...

Send us an email

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Email hello@themomhour.com and we’re here to help!

looking for something?

New episode! Let's go deep on the fluffiest of to New episode!

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.

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
Two things happened to me in the past few weeks. Two things happened to me in the past few weeks. 

First, my youngest child - my baby! - turned 14.

Second, I went on a trip with said baby (Clara) and her next-older brother Owen, who’s 17, and was reminded that few experiences are quite as humbling as being a middle-aged mother outnumbered by teenaged offspring...in public.

Whereas I was once the sun they orbited around, my teens are now spinning off on their own path. It’s not they don't like me (I hope, though it can feel that way at times), it’s just that the gravitational pull around which they organize their lives has changed. 
 
I was struggling to find words for this new state of affairs, when it struck me: I’m a lame-duck parent now, counting down my last days of power while adult and nearly-adult children look eagerly ahead to whatever’s coming down the line. 

Instead of ruling like the sun to their planets or some kind of benevolent monarch, as I did when they were little, I’m more akin to a city manager who must be tolerated and placated in order to get enough budget allocated for one’s pet projects. 

After twenty-five years of organizing my time, my home, my energy and my heart around small people, the emotional shift in these not-quite-empty-nest years has been surprisingly disorienting. 

There’s a self-protective urge to rush these last four years or so of parenting minors - to check out of all this confusion and skip to the part where I claim a whole new life for myself as an empty nester and they seem to value my wisdom again (as a mom to 20-somethings I know this is also a real thing.)

But I can’t abdicate my throne just yet, friends. 

Even though my subjects often don’t see things my way, I’m still their leader…and I still have a job to do. -M

(Friends, if you like these glimpses of my life as a mom of older kids, I'd love for you to follow my personal account at @meaganfrancis! I write there regularly about midlife motherhood, raising teens, and reinventing your life after 40.) 

#parentingteens #raisingteens #lameduckparent #motherofreinvention #midlifemom #midlifemotherhood #raisingadults #parentingbigkids #momlife
I (Sarah) have been pleasantly surprised at how lo I (Sarah) have been pleasantly surprised at how long my kids have hung in when it comes to decorating Easter eggs. Not only that, but as fine motor skills and - ahem - frustration-management skills have improved for my three, the sophistication level of our egg-dyeing adventures has increased dramatically.

Click this image at the link in our bio to read more about the egg decorating kits, products, and techniques that have worked well in our house for older kids, tweens, and teens!

#eastermom #easterfamily #eggdecoratingideas #eggdyeingideas #easterwithkids #easterwithteens #craftsforteens #craftsfortweens #eggdecorating #easter2023
New episode! It's our Podcastaversary (yep, we ju New episode!

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, different states and more).
👇 For an episode! 👇 It's the first day of 👇 For an episode! 👇 

It's the first day of SPRING, which means we're already thinking about SUMMER. And, specifically, making our own lives as moms and home managers easier and more joyful for Summer 2023.

If you have a tip or hack that falls into the general bucket of "do this now; enjoy summer later", we'd love to hear it! We'll be sharing our own in an upcoming episode and hope to include some from listeners as well. Can be from any area of summer enjoyment from childcare to travel to self-care to home management to backyard gardening!
Hear for yourself why The Mom Hour podcast is stil Hear for yourself why The Mom Hour podcast is still going strong after eight years, 644 episodes, and more than 15 Million listens! Click the subscribe links in our bio or ask your smart speaker to "play the latest episode of The Mom Hour podcast".

New episodes release every Tuesday and alternating Sundays all year round. Our archives have conversations about every stage of parenting from before-baby through launching young adults - and every aspect of motherhood, too.

#podcast #podcastformoms #mompodcast #parentingpodcast #mommypodcast #mamapodcast #womenpodcasters #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts #themomhour #motherhood
Do we call it a birthday or an anniversary? A podv Do we call it a birthday or an anniversary? A podversary? Birthcast? No matter how you slice it, The Mom Hour turns EIGHT years old on March 19!

Want to totally make our day? Leave a comment that tells us - in life milestones - how long you've been listening (i.e., "the baby I was pregnant with when I found you guys is now in kindergarten" OR "I have a middle schooler who was in preschool when I started listening" OR "I was on leave with my first when I discovered the podcast; now I have four kids!")

We appreciate this community so much - and we're not slowing down! Thanks for being here, friends. Talk to you Tuesday!

-M &S
Happy Friday! It's time for our monthly sponsor ro Happy Friday! It's time for our monthly sponsor roundup, where we thank our partners and remind you of their great deals. For our unique promo codes and links, just tap our saved "Sponsors" highlight or search the brand name on our website. Remember, when you check out our sponsors and use our links + codes, it helps support our show. Thank you!

We also collect ALL our active promo codes in our email newsletter - which is full of our latest episodes and blog posts, personal updates, community news, and more. Tap on this image at the link in our bio to subscribe today.

Shoutout to our NEW partner:
💰 @fearlessfinance ($50 off your 1st meeting!)

And welcome back . . .
⭐ @everyplate (meal kits for just $1.49 per meal!) 
⭐ @scholasticinc (books for kids of all ages!)
⭐️ @caraway_home (10% off cookware!)
⭐ @caredotcom (local, background-checked care!) 
⭐ @prepdish (2 weeks of free meal plans!)
⭐ @minted (art, bags, gifts & more!)
⭐ @chatbooks (the easiest photo books ever!)
⭐ @fabletics (2 workout bottoms for $24!)
⭐ @todoistofficial (2 mo. free of Todoist Pro!)
⭐️ @theessentialcalendar (10% off calendars!)
⭐️ @hiyahealth (50% off 1st order!)
⭐️ @kiwico_inc (50% off your 1st mo!)
⭐️ @athleticgreens (1yr of Vit.D + 5 travel packs!)
⭐️ @vionicshoes (free shipping on comfy shoes!)
It can *seem* like everybody has travel plans comi It can *seem* like everybody has travel plans coming up for Spring Break, but we know that every single year, just as many families aren't going anywhere - and that's OK, too!

This week on the blog @emilyeroark offers suggestions for mixing up your same ol' same ol' when kids are off for Spring Break. Check out the post by clicking this image at the link in our bio!

#stayathomemom #springbreakathome #staycationideas #stayathomeparent #toddlermom #preschoolmom #momofthree #springbreak2023 #spring #springbreakathome #kidsactivities
New episode! Bowling. Bonfires. The mall (no, rea New episode!

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!

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

Copyright © 2023 · Life, Listened
Development by Cipher