15 Podcast Episodes to Help You Cope With Major Parenting Challenges
There are plenty of podcasts offering free advice (well, free with ads; just use a promo code to save 10% on this chat therapy app!) on how to parent. Finding the right parenting podcast can be a challenge, but once you meet an expert who speaks your language, they can help you solve any parenting dilemma or motivate you to improve your parenting skills.
If you’re looking for podcasts that will take your parenting skills to the next level, here are the 15 best podcast episodes for parents of 2023 that will help you through all the difficult developmental milestones, from potty training to the difficult teen years.
Picky Eaters: “Mom Knows Picky Eater Nutrition and What to Do” from Simply Good Things with Rachel Mansfield
Listen to Mansfield , author of the cookbook Just the Good Stuff , have a candid conversation with registered dietitian Barnes about introducing new foods, feeling guilty about serving dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, proper portions, food waste and tips for keeping Yasso bars young. Hands. This is a refreshing discussion, especially if you, like me, are a parent of picky eaters.
Kids and Guns: “Children and Gun Safety” from Life Kit: Parenting
As you’d expect from a public radio podcast, host Mariel Segarra deftly tackles the topic of gun safety while avoiding any political elephants in the room. Rather, she talks with guest Dr. Lois Lee, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Boston Children’s Hospital, about the conversations we should have with our children (and other parents) about gun safety and proper storage of guns and ammunition.
How to Handle Tantrums: “How to Handle Tantrums, Meltdowns, and Defiance” from the Mindful Parenting Podcast
As I wrote back in September , mindful parenting is less about not yelling at your kids and more about managing your own emotions. As author Campbell uses real-life situations with host Hunter Clark-Fields to explain how children can control their strong feelings, she explores what motivated her personally to grow up to help parents avoid lashing out when children have meltdowns.
Teens: “The Emotional Lives of Teens” from The Rich Roll Podcast
When vegan endurance athlete Rich Roll started his podcast, it was about nutrition and resilience in the body and mind. Since then he has moved on to topics that really interest him. Roll approaches his interview with Lisa Damour, author of The Emotional Lives of Teens , from the perspective of a concerned parent of two teenagers.
Increasing self-esteem: “How to raise confident children” from Momwell
To boost our children’s confidence, parents need to boost their own morale, says podcast guest Dr. Vanessa Lapointe . But how can we find the self-esteem we need when social media shows us that it is impossible to achieve? Host Erica Jossa wisely asks Lapointe all the questions her listeners have on their minds regarding body image, confidence and breaking generational cycles.
Support for transgender youth: “Gender Euphoria” from Into the Mix
Yes, this is a podcast from the creators of Cherry Garcia. However, ice cream makers Ben and Jerry’s have always supported social causes, and this podcast highlights 19-year-old Oli Oski’s efforts to advocate for trans youth. When he was seven, he convinced an LGBTQ resource center to open playgroups for transgender and gay children. As the story unfolds, you’ll discover what can happen when trans youth can feel safe and receive the support they need from their parents and community.
Racism: “How to Talk to Kids About Race and Racism” from How to Talk to Kids About Everything
Dr. Robin Silverman begins her conversation with the authors of Masculine Discomfort by asking children not to see color. What follows is a frank and sometimes funny dialogue about racism, peppered with personal anecdotes that highlight why discussing race with our children is critical.
Divorce: “Coping with Divorce with Teens” from the Puberty Podcast
Family lawyer Sophie Jacobi-Parisi told hosts Dr. Kara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett that when she starts talking to parents about divorce, she asks them if their child has a therapist who can help them through this significant upheaval. While there are so many stories about how parents feel during this time, it’s nice to hear someone focusing on a child’s perspective on a difficult situation.
Having One Child: “The End of Parenthood” from My Best Mom Friend
Renee Reyna, host of The Mom Room podcast, knew she didn’t want to go through pregnancy and postpartum again after giving birth to her son, but didn’t tell anyone because of the assumptions that came with having just one child. Listening to Rayna explain this to My Best Friend Mom host Sandra Erath is like listening to a private conversation. They debunk parenting myths and explain that nothing, not even motherhood, comes with guarantees.
Raising Siblings: “An Analysis of Parent -Child and Sibling Relationships in Continuity” from Raising Good People.
For a parenting podcast , this episode of The Dr. Aliza Pressman Show is full of spoilers for the final season of Legacies. Still, it’s a nice diversion from her typical episodes about the difficulties of raising little people. Pressman applies many of the principles she discussed throughout her show’s three seasons to the Roy children’s shared trauma, their dynamics as siblings, and living in fear of their father. Her analysis offers a new perspective on a series that has been analyzed to death.
Potty Training: “Special Circumstances” from Oh Crap! Podcast about potty training
Jamie Glowacki is committed to sharing with readers of her popular book or listeners of her companion podcast that you are the expert on your child. That’s what makes this episode on potty training children with mobility or cognitive disabilities so special. She knows that the three-day program outlined in her book doesn’t apply in such cases, so she offers alternatives for those struggling with one of the most difficult parts of raising a toddler.
Intergenerational Relationships: “Intergenerational Issues and the Impact of Childhood on Adulthood” from Relationship Advice.
How can we avoid making the same mistakes that our parents made with us? Host Chase Kosterlitz and his guest, neuropsychologist Dr. Julia DiGangi, often think about the answer . DiGangi believes we end up in these situations because we don’t trust ourselves as parents. This knowledge opens up their conversation in new and surprising ways.
Preventing Sexual Abuse: “Raising Safe Children with Per Berkower” from the uncut film Motherhood
Feser Berkower, a social worker and founder of Parenting Safe Children, believes that if we don’t have difficult conversations about sexual abuse and violence now, our children will suffer from it later. Hosts Kate Kripke and Deb Rubin use their time with Berkower to give listeners a chance to overcome their awkwardness.
Anxiety: “When Your Child Has a Difficulty Making Decisions” by Flusterclux
It can take my son a long time to decide what he wants for a snack and whether he should wear shorts or pants to school. Psychotherapist Lynne Lyons and co-host (and Lyons’ sister-in-law) Robin Hutson explain why kids worry about the little things and what parents can do to help kids develop confidence in their choices.
Renewing the fire: “Sex? After children? Tell Me More, Esther Perel” from The Good Inside with Dr. Becky
I love listening to therapist Esther Perel’s no-nonsense advice about relationships. I have also been dying to interview Dr. Becky Kennedy for years. Hearing two of my favorite experts talk honestly about how parents need to communicate and maintain intimacy even when parenting gets in the way is a dream come true. It’s also a fascinating conversation.