How to Become a Happier Parent, With Journalist K.J. Dell’Antonia

In this episode, KJ Dell’Antonia -journalist and author of How to Be Happier Parent: Raising a Family to Have Life, and to Love (almost) Every Minute -joins Offspring editor Michelle Woo to discuss how to make your family life less stressful and even – dare we say it? – fun. But first, Alice gives staff writer and future new parent Nick Douglas an important (note: not very important) parenting test. Finally, we have a playlist of non-kids songs that your kids will love as much as you do, because there’s nothing better than a parent who doesn’t have to spend all day listening to the Wiggles.

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In this episode

Intro & Quiz (0:00 – 9:02)

Alice tests Nick for his knowledge of babies and how well he listened all this time when she told him stories from her child’s childhood. (Spoiler: not very good.)

Interview: K.J. Dell’Antonia (10:22 – 28:20)

Offspring Editor Michelle Wu talks to KJ about how to lower your expectations, ease, and humor your parents’ misadventures.

Playlist: Music for adults that kids will love (29:39 – 25:58)

The Upgrade audience presented their favorite non-kids songs to listen to with the kids. In this segment, we’ll hear a few highlights.

Get the entire playlist here.

Weekly Update & Credits (37:28 – 44:00)

Here are the little things that have changed our lives a lot:

Producer Levy: This sound library is changing Levy’s production play, especially with him and Nick’s new podcast Roommate From Hell .

Nick: This young socialist was going to read Marx’s Capital, but decided it would take too long, so he bought Marx’s Illustrated Capital instead. So far, so good.

Alice: She strongly recommends keeping a dream diary, especially if you feel creatively stuck, which she was before she started … a dream diary. (Note: This also saves other people from having to hear about your dreams.)

More…

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