• Home
  • About

The Mom Hour

Happier motherhood starts here.

  • Popular Episodes
  • Complete Archives
  • Ages & Stages
    • Babies
    • Toddlers
    • Preschoolers
    • Big Kids
    • Tweens & Teens

Episodes & Blog Posts About TODDLERS

posted on October 16, 2023

Four Reasons I Read To My Kids

During a recent book purge, I realized there’s a formula to the kids’ books we keep vs. donate or give away. It’s not just what I like or only my kids’ favorites. It’s a combination of these things and more. Here are the reasons why I read books to my kids, as well as how I decide what stays and goes.

Read More

posted on October 3, 2023

House Rules For Halloween [Classic Replay]: Episode 433

Candy. Late bedtimes. Costumes. Halloween is a holiday that can easily throw kids’ schedules and moms’ sanity way off. Today’s episode is full of practical halloween parenting tips, including house rules for costume buying, trick-or-treating, candy consuming, and much more. Plus, Meagan and Sarah reminisce about 2021 Halloween v. today.

Listen Now

posted on July 21, 2023

Real-Life Routines For Better Sleep [Emily & Kia Respond To Ep87]

Taking walks, eating healthy and staying hydrated are just a few small things that can help save your sanity while coping with sleep deprivation. And while it sounds simple, it’s easier said than done. In today’s episode, regular contributors Kia and Emily discuss how they survive the long nights, early mornings and short stretches of sleep that are so common during the early stages of motherhood.

Listen Now

posted on July 11, 2023

How (And Why) To Spend One-On-One Time With Your Kids [Classic Replay]

If the idea of “special time” feels impossible, impractical, and a little bit guilt-laden, you’re not alone. Spending one-on-one time with your kids is both valuable AND wildly difficult, and as moms of many kids, Meagan and Sarah are here to unpack why. In this classic replay of Episode 86 from 2017, we share why a good-enough approach to quality one-on-one time has helped our own relationships with our kids, and how (like, literally, HOW) we manage to make it work.

Listen Now

posted on July 4, 2023

Stuff, Junk & Things [Classic Replay]

Goody bag treasures, generous grandparent gifts in every shade of plastic, and inexplicably precious (to someone) “junk” – it’s the stuff of motherhood! In this replay of Episode 35, Meagan and Sarah share our strategies for minimizing the intake of “all the stuff,” ideas for reasonable purging, and how to organize the things you decide to keep.

Listen Now

posted on June 20, 2023

House Rules For Summer: Episode 422

From when and where popsicles may be eaten to what chores must be done before screen time, summer gives many of us a near-blank slate on which to write some new house rules. Join Meagan and Sarah as we highlight our community’s summer house rules for screens and snacking, water fun and bedtimes, neighborhood play and quiet time. Not much of a “rules mom”? That works, too – and we discuss why!

Listen Now

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • …
  • 18
  • Next Page »

Listen + Subscribe

Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
Subscribe on Spotify
Subscribe on Amazon Music

save 10% on our fave calendar

Save 10% with code THEMOMHOUR at TheEssentialCalendar.com!

buy our book

click on the image above to pre-order The Mother's Gratitude Journal: An Easy Guide to Capturing Everyday Joys and Milestone Moments

Search

The “Surfboard Kid”

the story behind the "surfboard kid"

Click photo to read the full story behind Meagan's viral "bad parenting" moment...

as seen on

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

looking for something?

find us elsewhere

meaganfrancis.substack.com

sarahjanepowers.substack.com

midlifeladyleisurepursuits.substack.com

We'll leave you with this today, friends. It reall We'll leave you with this today, friends. It really is, for the most part, all gonna be okay. And when it isn't, remember that you're not alone.

💛 Meagan & Sarah
After more than a decade and over 800 hours of con After more than a decade and over 800 hours of conversation, connection, and community, The Mom Hour comes to a close in this final episode. Join Meagan and Sarah as we reflect on what it has meant to share this space with you—our listeners, fellow moms, and, truly, our friends.

Whether you've been with us from the beginning or found us more recently, we hope this episode leaves you with inspiration to carry forward the spirit of The Mom Hour in your everyday life.

You’ve let us into your ears and your lives, and we are endlessly grateful. Thank you for making The Mom Hour what it’s been.

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
Happy Saturday! 😎 It's time for our June spons Happy Saturday! 😎  It's time for our June sponsors roundup, where we remind you of our brand partners and special deals. ALL of our special promo codes and links can be found on the Deals & Offers page on our website. Tap on this image at the link in our bio to check it out.

Thank you for helping support the show by using our links + codes!

Check out our sponsors . . .

🛏️ @zlumberbedtools (15% off Zlumber Lock!)
🎵 @carnegiehall (fun music games & quizzes!)
🍋 @hiyahealth (50% off your 1st order!)
🪑 @wayfair (shop outdoor furniture online!)
👡 @vionicshoes (15% off your entire order!)
🎨 @minted (art, cards, decor & more!)
📚 @chatbooks (the easiest photo books ever!)
☑️ @todoistofficial (2 mo. free of Todoist Pro!)
📅 @theessentialcalendar (10% off calendars!)
It's a bittersweet week for your co-hosts as we bo It's a bittersweet week for your co-hosts as we both recorded our last-ever episode of The Mom Hour (yes, there were tears) AND launched a new project out into the world.

Midlife Lady Leisure Pursuits is not meant to replace, or extend, or even spin off or pivot from The Mom Hour. It's so different in all the ways, from the back-end tech to our intended audience to our goals to our time commitment. That said, it's the same two pals on the mic, and we're having a blast!

MLLP is available wherever you get your podcasts, and we have a Substack for extended show notes. Click this image at the link in our bio.
New episode! What would you like to accomplish be New episode!

What would you like to accomplish before your next milestone birthday? Today Meagan and Sarah share our personal “five before fifty” lists, giving ourselves the next few years to check off some aspirations both lofty and silly (think big travel goals, creative dreams, home improvements and outdoor adventures). Whether you're approaching 30, 40, 50, or just love a good life list, this episode will get you thinking—and maybe even writing your own!

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
New episode! Time is slippery—especially when y New episode!

Time is slippery—especially when you’re standing in midlife, looking both forward and back. Today Meagan and Sarah continue unpacking one of the most elusive and shape-shifting concepts we wrestle with: time. How do we imagine the future, how do we plan for it (tarot cards, anyone?), and how does our relationship to longterm planning and future-casting change in our forties? We explore the common traps we fall into when envisioning what’s next, the lessons that still haven’t quite landed, and how midlife has reshaped our goals, timelines, and even the way we dream.

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
New episode! After a decade of sharing the ups an New episode!

After a decade of sharing the ups and downs of motherhood, we're wrapping up The Mom Hour this month—and taking one final episode to update you on the kids who’ve grown up alongside this show. From 12 to 27, our eight kids have been a background-but-constant presence on the podcast, and today we'll share where they are now and how they're each thriving in their own way.

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
New episode! As kids grow up, it’s the littlest New episode!

As kids grow up, it’s the littlest reminders that catch us off guard—like discovering a pair of toddler socks or realizing nobody needs a kid’s menu. Join Meagan and Sarah as we share some of the small-but-significant signs that time is, as ever, marching on. It’s a conversation full of warmth, nostalgia, and gentle reminders to savor the stages as they come…and go.

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
It's the weekend 🎉 and time for our May sponsor It's the weekend 🎉 and time for our May sponsors roundup, where we remind you of our brand partners and special deals. ALL of our special promo codes and links can be found on the Deals & Offers page on our website. Tap on this image at the link in our bio to check it out.

Thank you for helping support the show by using our links + codes!

Check out our new sponsors . . .
🛏️ @zlumberbedtools (15% off Zlumber Lock!)
👶 @sittercity (find high-quality childcare!)

And welcome back . . .
🎵 @carnegiehall (fun music games & quizzes!)
🍋 @hiyahealth (50% off your 1st order!)
🪑 @wayfair (shop outdoor furniture online!)
👡  @vionicshoes (15% off your entire order!)
🎨 @minted (art, cards, decor & more!)
📚 @chatbooks (the easiest photo books ever!)
☑️ @todoistofficial (2 mo. free of Todoist Pro!)
📅 @theessentialcalendar (10% off calendars!)
New episode! Honi asks how our friends are showin New episode!

Honi asks how our friends are showing up for us these days. Laura wonders if we ever get recognized in public (and if it's our faces or our voices that give us away!). Aspiring writer Samm is looking for advice on getting started with writing, Lisa wants to know what we’ll miss most about The Mom Hour, and Erica prompts some reflection on what we’re most proud of as moms. And Ann? She’s eager for the scoop on what’s next—listen to find out!

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 © 2025 · Life, Listened
Development by Cipher