Slate Advice

On this episode: Elizabeth, Zak and Jamilah help a listener who’s planning to take the whole family abroad for a year — but their 8-year-old won’t stop raining on the parade. They also revisit some triumphs and fails from the archives — and then, if you’re sticking around for Slate Plus, we debate whether everyone is secretly co-sleeping with babies, and not sharing stories in fear of getting yell...

On this episode: Jamilah Lemieux and Elizabeth Newcamp are joined by comedian Hari Kondabolu. They talk about Hari’s new standup special, Vacation Baby. They also answer a listener question about vacation. The letter writer’s mother requested a trip with her and her kids. No spouses or children. Is it a selfish ask?  Recommendations:  Hari: Vacation Baby and I’m a Virgo Elizabeth: Em & Friends: A...

In this episode, Candice Lim (co-host of Slate’s ICYMI) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about whether to reject invitations from friends with filthy homes, how to cope when everyone at the office thinks you're a cheater, and what to do when you suspect your ambitious partner is about to burn out…and you’re kind of happy about it. If you want more Dear Prudence, j...

On this episode: Jamilah Lemieux and Elizabeth Newcamp are joined by comedian Hari Kondabolu. They share their parenting triumphs and fails, including a tooth shot out by a Nerf gun, a toddler with very cool music taste, and a pottery painting catastrophe. They also advise a listener who has her heart set on a big family. Her husband wants two kids, max. Then, if you’re sticking around for Slate P...

The last few years have been overwhelming for Tracy. Her career was demanding and she experienced multiple deaths in her family. Recently, she changed jobs and is in a better place with her mental health, but something is still missing from her life. She’s just not sure what. On this episode of How To!, co-host Carvell Wallace brings on Samantha Clarke, happiness consultant, speaker, and author of...

On this episode: Jamilah Lemieux, Zak Rosen, and Elizabeth Newcamp are joined by award-winning author and journalist, Desiree Cooper. At 62, Desiree started her second round of parenting when she took in her three grandkids. She wrote about her experience for the New York Times in a piece called What if I Hadn’t Been There to Catch Them?.  Recommendations:  Elizabeth: Sketch Pals Doodle Board from...

In this episode, Alisha Wainwright (actor and host of the new podcast series, When Science Finds A Way) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer your letters from readers about friends who don’t call you when they’re in your town, the pros and cons of dating divorced men, and what to do when you’ve pressured your friend to break up with someone who… ends up being a great husband to someone el...

On this episode: a listener writes in wanting advice for a difficult situation: she was sexually assaulted as a child, and now her daughter is the same age. The PTSD is affecting her ability to parent… so should she tell her children what happened?  The hosts also go over their week in triumphs and fails. Then, if you’re sticking around for Slate Plus, they dissect the New Dad Canon proposed by th...

Most people have something they’re holding on to. For Lesley and Alex, that’s some old baseball and basketball cards that are collecting dust in their attic. For Kathy, that’s a house full of antiques. They’ve all been wanting to pare it down. But the big question is: how much is it worth? On this episode of How To! co-host Carvell Wallace is joined by Leila Dunbar, a veteran appraiser and frequen...

In this episode, Ophira Eisenberg (host of the new comedy podcast Parenting Is A Joke) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer your letters from readers about whether to make your partner pass a test before having kids, how to handle it when you fall for someone else right in front of your boyfriend, and what to do when your friend seems to think she’s adorable and it really bothers you. If...

On this episode: a listener worries that her kids aren’t in enough activities. Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth offer some ideas for finding scheduling harmony and picking out activities that the kids really love.  They also go over their week in triumphs and fails. Then, if you’re sticking around for Slate Plus, they talk about Rebecca Onion’s piece on Slate: The Case for Leaving Strangers in Your Fam...

Amy and Sarah are high school English teachers who both want to quit the classroom, but for very different reasons. Amy has over 200 students, and tensions between teachers and parents are on the rise so she’s “beyond burned out.” Whereas Sarah has been teaching for over a decade and is itching for a change. On this episode of How To!, the second in a two-part series, co-host Amanda Ripley is join...

On this episode: Dan Kois, former Mom and Dad are Fighting co-host, delivers an essay called Good Enough Friends. The piece explores the evolution of teenage friendship, online connections, and the awkward beauty of not being able to mute yourself IRL.  Recommendations:  Elizabeth: SUMMER READING! Pizza Hut Book It , Barns & Nobel , Everyday Reading Summer Reading Chart , Scholastic Online , Half...

In this episode, Shan Boodram (host of Lovers and Friends and Bumble's Sex & Relationship Expert) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer your letters from readers about what to do when your work crush starts ignoring you, when your spouse quietly quits the marriage, and when a partner’s mom seems to control his every move. If you want more Dear Prudence, you should join Slate Plus, Slate’s...

On this episode: a listener worries that her house is too chaotic — and not fancy enough — to impress her book club. Zak, Jamilah and Elizabeth offer reassurance… and ideas for snacks. They also go over their week in triumphs and fails. Then, if you’re sticking around for Slate Plus, they talk about another Slate show’s episode on what happens when the kids we post online grow up… and want to recl...

Today there are about four million teachers in America, and nearly a third of them are thinking about leaving their jobs. It has become harder to be a teacher in the U.S. due to a lack of resources, political meddling, and teacher shortages, to name a few reasons. On this episode of How To!, the first in a two-part series, co-host Amanda Ripley talks with two teachers, Sarah and Amy, and Daphne Go...

On this episode: Zak Rosen talks with author and philosopher, Ryan Holiday, about his new book, The Daily Dad: 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids. Elizabeth Newcamp and Jamilah Lemieux join to go over recommendations and to listen to your advice.  Recommendations:  Jamilah: Banana pudding Zak: Using magnet tiles on your walls, which may be magnetic. Elizabeth: Summer Brain...

In this episode, the co-hosts of Stitcher’s Vibe Check, Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones, and Zach Stafford joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer your letters from readers about sharing food with ungrateful people, wanting to date a friend’s crush, and getting emotional needs satisfied by AI. If you want more Dear Prudence, you should join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an e...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Zak and Jamilah help a listener whose middle schooler is being asked to hang out with the popular kids… and he’s worried that there’s a catch.  They also go over their week in triumphs and fails — and then, if you’re sticking around for Slate Plus, they talk about parenting advice from child-free adults. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus....

Sleep is objectively worse when splitting a bed. Yet that’s the default for most couples. But that doesn’t mean sharing the covers is easy. Especially when one person is having trouble falling or staying asleep. On this episode of How To!, the second in a two-part series, co-host Carvell Wallace continues the conversation with Dr. Wendy Troxel, author of Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to...

In this episode, Kelsey McKinney (host of Radiotopia’s Normal Gossip and co-owner of Defector.com) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer your letters from readers about who to share random thoughts with after your spouse dies, what to do when you’ve saved a neighbor’s life but don’t want to be friends with her, and how to handle petty insults in the family group chat. If you want more Dear...

On this episode: Jamilah Lemieux and Zak Rosen are joined by Willa Paskin, host of Slate’s Decoder Ring. The three talk about the beauty of weird little rituals, and help a listener through her ick of tooth fairy-ing. Listen to Decoder Ring’s episode: Who Owns the Tooth Fairy? Jamilah and Zak also share their triumphs and fails for the week. Then, if you’re sticking around for Slate Plus: public s...

Vanessa isn’t a night owl. Yet, often, you can find her lying awake desperately trying to turn off her brain. When her partner stays over she often resorts to the couch just to get some rest. On this episode of How To!, co-host Carvell Wallace brings in Dr. Wendy Troxel. She is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in sleep medicine and the author of the book, Sharing the Covers: Every Cou...

On this episode: Jamilah Lemieux, Zak Rosen and guest host Maribel Quezada Smith advise a couple who have one kid. They thought they were a ‘one and done’ family but they’re feeling the pressure of the biological clock and now don’t know if they should have a second before it’s no longer an option. We also have listeners weigh in on how they approach family composition.  Recommendations:  Zak: Emb...

In this episode, co-host of Red Table Talk and host of Positively Gam Adrienne “Gammy” Banfield Norris joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer your letters from readers about friends who make bad choices, a groomzilla who is being snobby about wedding planning, and a 70-year-old father who might be cheating using dating apps. If you want more Dear Prudence, you should join Slate Plus, Slate’...