One Bad Mother

Biz and Theresa explore why we yell and how effective it is. It may not do much for the kids but it "effectively" makes us feel bad. Plus, Biz reflects upon her mortality as she sends another fish to great beyond and Theresa was cute for five seconds! Chicago! We added another LIVE show at GMan Tavern on FRIDAY, May 11th at 8:00 p.m.!  We still have a couple of tickets left! Check out our book!  Y...

Biz and Theresa wonder why our attempts at self-care feel more like self-sabotage sometimes. Is it that it can mess up our momentum, or are we just really bad at it? Maybe both! Plus, Biz wonders, "WHAT IF?,” Theresa does feed her children, and we welcome back Renegade Mothering’s Janelle Hanchett to talk about her new book  I’m Just Happy To Be Here: A Memoir Of Recklessness, Rehab and Renegade M...

Renée Colvert from the hit MaxFun podcast Can I Pet Your Dog? joins Biz to discuss the question, "Will having dogs prepare me for being a parent?" Is this question insulting, laughable, or does it actually hold some elements of truth? Maybe a little of all three! Plus, Biz discovers a new level of hell and Tugboat is in the house! Catch a new episode of  Can I Pet Your Dog  twice a month! You can...

Thanks to everyone who supported us in this years Max Fun Drive! Biz and Theresa fill our own boredom by talking about what to do when our kids are bored. Should we bust that boredom with 10 exciting ways to fill up summer break or just threaten to take their toys away if they are so bored? Both probably will have some sort of effect. The real question is how does it make us feel when we hear thos...

This is the last week of the Max Fun Drive and we would love it if you could show us your support! In order to make a contribution go to  maximumfun.org/donate  and use the #MaxFunDrive on social medial to show us some love! Who cares if the kids are bored? We want to be bored, too! We explore the idea that being bored may be a missing step to achieving self-care, as well as other mind-blowing con...

Max Fun Drive is upon us and we would love it if you could show us your support! In order to make a contribution go to  maximumfun.org/donate  and use the #MaxFunDrive on social medial to show us some love! Biz and Theresa explore the art of tattling. How do we teach our kids when to “tell,” when to work it out themselves, and when to shrug it off? Plus, Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen doesn’t sol...

Biz and Theresa explore the art of bragging and decide this is a tough one. How can we teach our kids to have pride in their accomplishments while being mindful of the feelings of others? Instead of slapping the label “bragging” on it and walking away, what if we start with the lesson of being gracious towards others? Crap! That sounds like work! Plus, Biz brags about her garden, Theresa brags abo...

Biz and Theresa talk about how hard it is to watch our children deal with big disappointments, like missing their first sleepover because they’re sick! Not only do we want to comfort them, it also brings up our own crushing memories… “Mama! Why did you not buy me those Monkees tickets!!! WHY!!!??” The good news is this feels like a parenting situation we can handle. If we survived, it probably mea...

Don’t hang up yet, you’re just on hold! Biz and Theresa wonder if putting things on hold until [fill in the blank] is a good thing, and if perhaps it's better to just let some things go so that we can return to them when we're ready. Let's hold off on answering that. Plus, Biz is in the moment but not in the zone, Theresa says, "I’ll do it myself!" and we talk to award-winning children's book auth...

Biz and Theresa talk about setting boundaries and how it can be the start, if not the actual act of self-care. Shutting yourself in the bathroom is a boundary, right? Plus, Biz really had a nice moment, Theresa also had a moment, and we talk to Debbie Reber from TiLT Parenting about differently-wired kids. Check out the beautifully designed  TiLT Parenting  and subscribe to the  TiLT Parenting pod...

Biz and Theresa explore the significance of the days of the week post-kids. Mondays feel like the new Fridays and it's always Friday somewhere! Plus Biz passes on some serious knowledge to Katy Belle and Theresa receives some knowledge of her own. And we listen to a stay-at-home mom have a breakdown about...staying at home Chicago! We added another LIVE show at GMan Tavern on FRIDAY, May 11th at 8...

Biz and Theresa are in situations we'd only witnessed and judged in our pre-kid lives and are wondering, "How did we get here?" It's like the fog is clearing and once we can see everything we discover that we have no idea where we are. Are we “here” forever or is this just a stop on the road? Plus, Biz perfects her "sick kid" parenting and Theresa’s kids bring home the Gold in whining! Chicago! We...

Biz and Theresa check in on sleep. Why do we think “Problem solved!" when it is really always changing? Why is sleep the one issue that when our kids are having trouble, it feels like we are the ones with the problem? And how do we help older kids who suddenly won’t sleep through the night? Plus Biz works the streets, Theresa is someone, and sleep expert Dr. Jodi Mindell comes back to talk about s...

Biz and Theresa explore the saying, "Parenting is the toughest job, but also the most rewarding." What are those rewards and why don't they feel like finding a $20 bill in the couch? Is it that the language of “rewards” is misleading? Is it a long game? Is it that there are times when we are in too deep to see them? It may be all or none of these, but what might help is a trophy that says, “Reward...

Biz and Theresa wonder, “Where do party favors go to die?” The answer? Your house. Kids love them, we hate them, and we admit to fully participating in the madness by buying them and giving them out at our own kids' parties. Maybe giving kids $1 when they leave the party is the cheaper and more environmentally friendly way to go! Plus, Biz lets go of something big, Theresa gives herself the silent...

Biz and Theresa are live from San Francisco Sketchfest with guest Eliza Skinner and we're talking about swear words! Our bread and butter! I guess maybe it's weird to hear a four-year-old sound like a sailor at the preschool interview? OOPS. Are some words just bad, is it more about how our kids reflect back on us, or is it just important that kids at least understand what they're saying and the e...

Biz and Theresa wonder if there is anything to birth order as a determining factor in our personalities or if it's basically as reliable as astrological horoscopes? Does being the second child mean we shouldn’t leave the house today or make new investments? Yes, yes, it does. Actually, we discover something terrible…birth order may have nothing to do with our children or how we treat our children...

Biz and Theresa wonder why it feels like it’s all or nothing when it comes to getting things — even fun things — done as a parent. Biz thinks we’re trapped between having to commit to being interrupted on the one hand, and being unable to carry out anything (project, work, or personal fun) on the other. Either way, we’re supposed to be "cool with it" because we are "mom." Eek- we may have stumbled...

It's the 2nd Annual HOLIDAY Genius Fail Spectacular, Plus Rants Show! Take that, 2017! This week we need to destress from the holidays and kick off the new year right with you, our special guests, as you share your genius and fails of the holidays! Tickets for One Bad Mother Live at SF Sketchfest with special guest Eliza Skinner on Sunday, January 21st 2018 are on sale now! Check out our book!  Yo...

Biz and Theresa admit that when we have those “what if I hadn’t done this or that” moments it may be tied to unrecognized guilt. Like most parenting guilt, while it isn’t true, it still feels bad, so is there any benefit to it? Plus Biz is not in a happy place, Theresa is in a happy place and we talk to James Breakwell, the exploding unicorn himself, about his new book Only Dead On The Inside: A P...

Biz and Theresa discuss our kids’ budding independence…or lack thereof and wonder how much we, as parents, are to blame for it. What do you mean ignoring our children's desire to do it themselves because we have no patience could be part of it? Weird. Plus, Biz is visited by the ghost of resolutions past and thank you notes, and Theresa “wuvs" baby talk. Check out our book!  You're Doing A Great J...

Biz and Theresa realize that our childhood memories of the holidays combined with our visions of what we want our kid’s memories to be makes for one bad tasting fruit cake of guilt. The sensation that time is fleeting is really ramped up over the holidays, and we try to take a step back to focus on what is really important…presents for us! Plus Biz knows they aren’t doing it at her and Theresa has...

Biz and Theresa explore why it feels like being inside our homes sometimes makes us worse at parenting. Do we have shorter fuses and less patience because of the clutter and the never-ending list of chores that weigh us down when we're at home? Or...is there something "Amnityville Horror" going on? It's probably the clutter. Plus, Biz can’t remember anything, Theresa gets a visit from the Sleep De...

Biz and Theresa explore the confusing moment when things go well. How is it possible when we know it will all melt down? Well, doesn’t it always melt down and don’t we want to be be proven right that we can’t do anything nice? UHG! Be it play dates, travel, staying up late or any other set of circumstances that usually go wrong with kids, maybe we should embrace the amazing feeling of the worst no...

Don’t tell your sister but you are my favorite! Biz and Theresa talk about favoritism in our homes growing up and how we are trying to steer clear of it now that we're parents. We can at least agree that screaming “why can’t you be more like your brother” is probably a bad idea, right? It gets hard when we wrestle with feeling like we have to over-do to make each child feel they are getting enough...