Spawned Parenting Podcast with Liz of Cool Mom Picks

With the invention of smartphones (and tablets), keeping track of our digital memories (think photos, videos, scans), has become more difficult than we might have expected. In this episode, David Vaskevitch, CEO of Mylio Photos , shares the challenges that he experienced with digital memory preservation, and how families can make it a whole lot easier. Find us on Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram...

We've talked to so many incredible guests in 2022 -- film directors, authors, journalists, political pundits, activists. So we thought we'd share some of our favorite quotes and thoughtful advice in this fun look back at what we've learned over the past year here. If there's one you want to hear more about, you're already on your podcast app! Just click through to the Spawned library, scroll down,...

Moms are so busy trying to make fun for everyone over the holidays, sometimes we forget that we're supposed to be having fun too! How do we do that without adding "have more fun" to our to-do lists? Margaret Ables, co-host of the fabulous What Fresh Hell parenting podcast is joining me to offer smart tips, sweet stories, a lot of laughter, and a lot of compassion for moms Going Through It right no...

We've discussed the sex talk on Spawned a few times, however, if your school district is like mine (and many across the country), they are making sex education an optional, home-taught module. That means, we need to be more invested than ever in ensuring our kids are getting comprehensive sex education. That's what Andrea Brand's new book, “Stop Sweating & Start Talking," can help with, and a...

Just when I thought I was pretty aware of what I needed to know about teens and sleep, I got my hands on Lisa L. Lewis's book  The Sleep-Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, And How Parents And Schools Can Help Them Thrive  and I realized there was so much I didn't know. That was all solidified during this episode. Whether you have teens or not, Lisa's research for this book uncovered wh...

What's been the impact of Covid on kids? On mothers? How about on education? On class division? On our careers? On healthcare? Today I'm welcoming back author and NPR Education Reporter Anya Kamenetz who researched it all and put it into the must-read book The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Kids' Lives....and Where We Go Now . Her fascinating point: The systems that failed our families, especially...

If you're like Kristen and in the throes of perimenopause, then you're probably wondering why no one talks about it. Well, that's about to change as Kristen chats with Dr. Makeba Williams, a physician who specializes in the healthcare needs of midlife and menopausal women. She answers all of Kristen's burning questions, which might just be yours too. Make sure you're following us on social media:...

I will never think about yoga, supplements, activated charcoal or bath salts the same way after speaking with Rina Raphael, author of the utterly fascinating new book  The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Car e. How did wellness go from a legitimate health need to a $4.4 trillion industry? What's the role of wellness influencers in all this? Why are we so desper...

We don't want our kids to fall for false news, rumors, or disinformation. But how do we teach our kids media literacy when we can't even keep up with all the social media apps? Journalist, professor, and UCLA/Stanford professor Dr. Seema Yasmin joins Liz to talk about her incredibly engaging, very important new YA Handbook, "What the Fact?!: Finding Truth in All the Noise." She not only discusses...

As parents, one of the most challenging parts of raising kids is feeding them. It's especially hard if you have your own issues with body image and food, like many Gen X parents do. Thankfully, experts like Nicole Cruz, a registered dietitian nutritionist, and mom of three can really help. Her intuitive eating and non-diet approach to food felt revolutionary to me, and it's completely changed how...

You wouldn't think in 2022 that an author would have to fight to keep a female protagonist in a book, and yet that's just what happened to award-winning humorist Wendi Aarons when she first pitched her middle-grade book, Ginger Mancino: Kid Comedian . (Spoiler: It got published, Ginger is indeed a girl, and it's wonderful.) Wendi joins Liz to talk about the importance of funny girls in books, funn...

Since I got my first smartphone back in 2006, my relationship with my phone has certainly changed my life. It's also changed how I function as a person in this world, for better and for worse. Turns out, I'm not the only one, which is why I was so excited to chat with Emmy-award-winning journalist, and host of the new Mobile Diaries podcast from T-Mobile Stories , Shawna Ryan, which also happens t...

Author, educator, and Prep Matters founder Ned Johnson joins Liz once again to talk us through -- or talk us down from -- the college application process. And yes, I mean parents! You'll appreciate his thoughtful insight on the whole process, "test optional" schools, financial aid, the pitfalls and benefits of stress, the impact of Covid, how Black students need to approach things differently, and...

We often forget that social skills are taught, which seems especially important after two years in a pandemic. We're so grateful for authors, like Catherine Newman, who help make our lives as parents easier. Her new book "What Can I Say?" is a super helpful, illustrated book aimed at tweens and young teens , to help them navigate life's awkward situations, from learning how to apologize, to standi...

Our guest Roo Powell is the co-founder of SOSA (Safe from Online Sexual Abuse) and has put her child advocacy and deep knowledge to use by...disguising herself as a young girl and working with police to trap predators. That work is part of the Discovery Plus docuseries Undercover Underage. Roo's story is nothing short of fascinating -- and actually more encouraging than you might imagine. Take a l...

I've been wondering: are moms okay right now? And are we going to be okay? Is anything okay for anyone these days? So I invited one guest I knew would have an incredible perspective, Jessica Grose , author and Parenting Editor of the New York Times. Take a listen for an honest, terrific discussion about the state of modern motherhood including childcare issues, burnout, lingering pandemic issues,...

If you've got thousands of photos on your phone, you know how painful it can be to find the ones you need when you need them, not to mention create any sort of memory or photo book. Well, get ready, because professional photo organizer Casey von Stein (aka Miss Freddy ) whipped Kristen into shape (no guilt or judgment, either), and will do the same for you. Seriously, these tips are life-changing...

Who better to talk about self-care with than the ultimate self-care expert, Kate Spencer . You probably know her as the co-host of the super-popular podcast Forever 35 . But she recently released her first rom-com novel, In a New York Minute. On this episode, Kate talks about self-care, tackles a common complaint about rom-coms, and shares her current beauty faves in a rapid-fire session with Kris...

This week, Liz is so happy to be speaking (again!) with award-winning journalist and The Double Shift founder Katherine Goldstein , about her recent HuffPost article, There's a Coach for That . It lead Katherine to research the difference alllll the many kinds of coaches out there, and today she's explaining what different coaches do, who they can help, and whether what we really need is a good fr...

So many parents are wondering how to have conversations with kids -- of all ages -- about the increasingly frightening attack on Ukraine. We want our kids to be informed, but we don't want to overwhelm them with anxiety and fear. So Liz is chatting once again with the wonderful journalist/author Melinda Wenner Moyer for some helpful advice. We're elaborating on the 5 expert tips in her recent NY T...

It was the power of storytelling that connected Liz and me back almost 17 years ago, and it's still the lifeline for many parents, looking for community and commiseration in their parenting journey. This week, we're chatting with author and podcaster Zibby Owens about her newest anthology, Moms Don't Have Time to Have Kids , and why our stories matter. Catch us on social media: Twitter , Facebook...

Right now, the world is a pretty terrifying place, but we think you'll find a lot of reason for hope in this interview with John Della Volpe. Especially if you're raising a tween or teen right now -- or a kid who will be one soon. John is a notable expert on data around Gen Z and youth movements, the Director of Polling at Harvard's Kennedy School, and most recently, the author of FIGHT: How Gen Z...

This week, Liz chats with Amy L. Koppelman, writer, director and producer of the new film A Mouthful of Air , starring Amanda Seyfried and Finn Witrock. It's based on on Amy's critically acclaimed novel inspired by her own struggles with postpartum depression 20 years ago. Join us for a thoughtful discussion about issues around women and mental health. Like the shame women still experience, how pa...

In this episode, we're chatting with New York Times bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims about her new book Your Turn: How to Be an Adult . You might know Julie from her first book, "How to Raise an Adult," which was a New York Times bestseller and was the antidote to overparenting culture. Thankfully, she's back with a sort of follow-up to that one, aimed at older Gen-Z and millennials (and he...

We've been so grateful to our recent expert Spawned guests who have offered their help in navigating these last two years with our kids. And this week's expert, Mara Koffmann, is no exception. She shares her expertise from years working with kids and families as co-founder of Brain Trust Tutors, especially in the area of executive function skills. These are the extremely important skills that help...