The Millennial Sandwich

If you're a millennial women who is approaching midlife, you've probably asked yourself "is it perimenopause or am I just tired?" too many times to count. It's a perfect storm: You're being bombarded with perimenopause content. Your friends are suddenly talking about their symptoms candidly. You're feeling something shift in your own body...but you're too bu...

We went to our 20-year high school reunion and it got us thinking...did our teenage selves ever imagine adulthood would look or feel like this? Spoiler alert: No. They didn't. On this episode, we (two millennial women,  both happily married moms of two with successful careers, aging parents, and even more stress than we had while taking the SAT) unpack all the myths millennial women were fed...

There are so many narratives about the intersection of motherhood and work. One tells us that "working moms" and "stay-at-home moms" are fundamentally different types of women, and that's there's no fluidity or common ground between the two. Another tells us that if you must pause your career, its best to do this when your kids are babies (and that the right time to r...

It's something nearly every member of the sandwich generation has thought about: What's the best way to talk to young kids — or older kids, or teens — about death, dying, and grief? Certified Child Life Specialist  Jessica Correnti is here with practical, actionable tips. Her advice isn't prescriptive; it honors the fact that kids (just like adults!) process heavy things in a variet...

Season 1 of The Millennial Sandwich is officially wrapped!  From the first episode we recorded (which, spoiler alert, has still never been released) to this season 1 recap, we've learned so much, felt so seen, and found ourselves asking..."is this a podcast or a therapy session" over and over again. In this episode, we talk about what we took away from our first season, what you can...

Naaz Nichols is Care.com's Chief Customer Experience Officer. She's also a sandwich generation caregiver — and that lived experience gives her the tools to fully understand what other caregivers truly need. In this episode, Naaz joins us to share the details of Care.com's first ever Sandwich Generation Report . She shares a statistic that may shock you. Naaz also gets deeply persona...

If you're a millennial, there's a good chance you've noticed some changes in how your parents function. Maybe they're moving differently, or they're repeating themselves more, or they're simply just...not as confident as they used to be. But if you're in the sandwich generation, noticing those changes in how your parents behave is especially complicated — because...

Personally and professionally, Hitha Palepu wears a lot of hats. She's a mother of boys (but not a boy mom), a daughter of immigrants, and only child, a pharma CEO, a content creator, an author, a speaker...and that's not even an exhuastive list. It's easy to look at someone like Hitha and wonder how she does it all. But here's the thing: She doesn't.  Hitha talks us throu...

Care work has value, economically and beyond — yet both our systems and our culture refuse to acknowledge this.  Nobody understands this deep devaluation better than Elissa Strauss , who (literally) wrote the book ( When You Care ) on the true value of care.  In this episode, Elissa, Anita & Zara discuss: The longheld idea that motherhood shouldn't "take over" your identity The...

Millennials are preparing for their midlife era...and it's bringing up a lot of questions.  For example... Does every generation feel this way at this age? Why do we feel so much younger *and* so much older than we actually are? What do I actually want to be when I grow up? I've done all the things I set out to do. Now what? And, perhaps most importantly...do women even get to have a mid...

Jessica C. Guthrie was your typical ambitious millennial. She had it all figured out: The big dreams, the Ivy League education, the clear path to the top. And then, when Jessica was 26, her mom's Alzheimer's Disease diagnosis changed the plan. In this episode, Jessica, a caregiving advocate and consultant, joins Anita and Zara to talk about the realities of being a young caregiver.   The...

Grief doesn't always follow the five stages that have become a fixture in cultural conversations about loss. The reality? Grief can show up in a costume...and it doesn't always begin when someone dies. Claire Bidwell Smith , therapist, author, and grief expert joins Anita and Zara for a conversation about the elements of grief we rarely discuss. It's a perspective-shifting conversat...

One of the hallmarks of millennial parenting? Knowing so much (maybe...too much?) about raising kids, yet constantly feeling undermined by the people who raised you.  Even the experts are experiencing this. See: Dr. Mona Amin, a pediatrician, content creator and podcaster who shares parenting advice with over 2 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, yet has stumbled through the complexitie...

As a content creator and author of Honest Motherhood: Losing My Mind and Finding Myself , Libby Ward built her platform on radical honesty. In this conversation, she delivers just that. Come for Libby's story, which includes a lifetime of caregiving responsibility, and stay for Libby's sharp, unfiltered opinions about the state of motherhood today. Libby speaks to Anita and Zara about: H...

There's no formal introduction to the sandwich generation. Chances are, you've been in it for longer than you realize — at least if your sandwich generation story is anything like our experiences. Anita and Zara, hosts of The Millennial Sandwich, get deeply personal in this episode (yes, there were tears!). From how they each discovered they were officially in the sandwich generation, to...

Having kids is going to change your relationship — that's inevitable. But that doesn't mean your partnership is doomed after you have kids. Eli Weinstein, LCSW therapist, host of The Dude Therapist and author of From I Do to We Do is here to break down our most pressing questions about partnership as parents. Think... Is marriage supposed to feel hard? Will we be okay without date nights...

It's not in your head: Millennials really are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to finances.  We're navigating astronomical childcare costs, an unstable job market, inflation, and more...and while still paying back our student loans. Meanwhile, we're being told the reason we're financially strapped is because we overspend on lattes and avocado toast. On this episode, fina...

Anita and Zara discuss the evolution of media representation of caregiving. From 'Leave it Beaver' and other depictions of 1950's suburbia, to the social media-driven landscape we're currently navigating, representation of caregiving has evolved...but has it really changed all that much? The hosts dig into their opinions, share thoughts on the buzzy tradwife novel Yesteryear ,...

Leah Ruppanner , a sociologist and the author of Drained , joins Anita and Zara to discUss the complexities of mental load. In this conversation, Leah debunks common misconceptions and explains how emotional thinking work impacts burnout and gender norms. This conversation offers research-backed insights and practical advice for understanding and managing mental load in everyday life. In this epis...

What happens when a journalist who covers parenting and a physician who cares for older adults enter the sandwich generation? If Zara Hanawalt and Dr. Anita Chandra's experiences are any indication, no amount of expertise can truly prepare you for what it's really like to be in the sandwich generation.  Join longtime friends Anita and Zara they explore the complexities of the millennial...

Saumya Dave , psychiatrist, author, and mental health advocate joins Anita and Zara to discuss the complex emotions of guilt, the importance of authentic friendships, and the societal expectations placed on women and mothers. She shares personal stories, insights from research, and practical advice on navigating mental health and relationships in modern life. Key Topics The different types of guil...

Dr. Allison Alford, PhD, a researcher and the author of Good Daughtering , joins Anita and Zara to discuss the concept of daughtering, its emotional labor, and its significance across generations. Discover how recognizing and valuing daughtering can transform relationships, foster resilience, and expand our understanding of womanhood. Key Topics The concept of daughtering and its origins Emotional...