Spawned Parenting Podcast with Liz of Cool Mom Picks

As we round out the year (yes we made it, phew) we're keeping things light with an entire COOL PICKS EPISODE. We're sharing 10 of our favorite holiday gifts that we recommended across our sites this year, but if you know us, we've always got a few more we sneak in! Take a listen, don't stress the gifts (seriously), shop local when you can, find time with people you love, and stay healthy. That's o...

As Liz and I try to keep our heads afloat this holiday season, we decided to take a week off and instead, re-share a timely episode with a message we all need right now. A couple of years ago, I interviewed our friend, author Nancy Davis Kho, about her book The Thank You Project. This gratitude project changed her life, and well, with all that's happening around us these days, and the holidays onl...

This interview with William Stixrud Ph. D. and Ned Johnson may be one of the most helpful episodes we've ever run, and if you've ever struggled to help your child manage any kind of problem at all, we think you'll agree. They're the best-selling co-authors of The Self-Driven Child, and we're talking about advice from their brand new book, What Do You Say? Talking with Kids to Build Motivation, Str...

We originally had researcher and author Emily Oster on the show to chat about her book, The Family Firm , which is a helpful guidebook for parents that offers a smart method for making decisions (because as parents, we make a lot of them). However, we couldn't have her on and not chat about some of the research she has done about opening the schools in the pandemic, and most recently, the effectiv...

This time of year, when we're aware of those who have so much and those who don't, we wanted to have a candid, frank conversation about kids and gratitude during the holiday season. This is a great talk about what we can do to raise kids who value gratitude, practice empathy, and see the joy in giving back. We hope you love it too. Much thanks to our sponsor KidsBeeTV , a fun, and safe app that st...

We're so happy to be joined by a top NYC pediatrician, Dr. Preeti Parikh, to answer parents' biggest questions about the Covid-19 vaccine and kids 5-11 so you can make the best health decisions for your family. We think you'll get a lot from her thoughtful, thorough answers -- we even learned a few things too! This episode is graciously brought to you by GoodRx Health , a brand new online health r...

If your kids are like ours, they're obsessed with Minecraft, which is why were so excited to chat with author Delilah Dawson, whose new book Minecraft Mobsquad is all about... Minecraft! She's the perfect person to share why Minecraft can be a really positive experience with kids. And as always, we share our Cool Picks of the Week. Thanks to our sponsors: Google Kids Space , a kids mode available...

We know that over the last few years in particular, many of us have felt extra activated to help make change in the world. But if we're honest, being an activist can be exhausting and soul sucking. Well, our good friend and author Karen Walrond has a whole lot to share about this exact issue, and what we can do about it. She's chatting about her new book The Lightmaker's Manifesto , and we hope yo...

Ever wondered about the 5 principles of being a good digital citizen? Well this week we're talking to Diana Graber , founder of CyberWise and author of Raising Humans in a Digital World: Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology . As you might have guessed.... we talk through how we can raise our kids to use digital tools safely, responsibly, and even to put more positivity out in...

Considering our kids are well beyond picture book age, it might seem odd that we're so excited about a picture book. (Okay, okay, so Kristen does have one of her own coming out in late 2023, but still). Hello, Star, by author Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic and illustrator Vashti Harrison is a wonder to behold, and how lucky are we that they came by Spawned to chat with Kristen about their new collabora...

This week we're talking to Jenny Lawson . and we can't even believe we hadn't done it before! The best-selling author, humorist, new indie bookstore owner , and all around amazing human is joining us in time for National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month for a candid discussion about...well depression. And anxiety. And other mental health issues that so many of us experience but are som...

For ages, we've wanted to cover the topic of raising LGBTQ+ kids with kindness, compassion, understanding... and we have the absolute perfect guest for that: Kristin Russo, the honest, hilarious and incredibly helpful author of This is a Book for for Parents of Gay Kids. So basically the 3 H's. We know you'll love this chat, which is like an entertaining audio FAQ for parents -- or anyone who want...

It's a big Spawned milestone as we welcome our first ever aerospace engineer, Keji Sojobi, who chats about her work with the new Netflix show, Ada Twist, Scientist . She shares how she's working hard to make STEM more accessible to girls, particularly girls of color. And of course, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of the Week. You can find us on Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook . Let us...

We parents feel the pressure of social media, so it's no surprise that our kids are feeling it too. And according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, it's young women and the effect of Instagram on their body image that's a huge problem that Facebook is not talking about. So... we are! We chat about the problem, but better, offer possible solutions for parents. And as always, we share our coo...

As we watched the York Central School District make national news with their recent book ban, we thought it was important to reshare this fantastic episode with author Meena Harris, who chats with Liz about the importance of diverse books for kids. Even though YCSD overturned the ruling, many school districts around the country are following suit. SPONSORS: Sign up for a free 7-day trial plus save...

We get some of our best topic ideas from YOU -- like this week's episode on how to manage step-parenting, divorce, and welcoming new kids into your heart We're so happy to chat about this with dynamic Certified Parenting Coach, author and educator,  Naja Hall . She's the founder of the popular community Blended and Black as well as the force behind VIP Stepmom and we know you'll love her frank, of...

Especially during these challenging times, we're finding that what matters to us when it comes success with our kids has changed vastly. And we're not the only ones. Author Madeline Levine spoke with everyone from CEOs to military leaders to discover what they're looking for in candidates, and what they said might surprise you! As always, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of the Week, and...

Sibling conflict has ramped up a lot over the past year. And don't we know it. So when several listeners asked for help, we invited back family therapist, psychologist, and best-selling parenting author Dr. Sheryl Ziegler to help us figure out how to break up the sibling fights, manage behavior we don't like, and create some rules to foster better sibling relationships int he first place. Yay for...

We often ask ourselves what it takes to raise strong, wonderful kids who are kind, empathic (aka not assholes), which is why we were so excited to chat with Melinda Wenner Moyer , author of the new book  How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes .  She's a science journalist (and parent herself), and looked to the science of character and research to share insights into what works and what doesn't. Ya...

Just when you thought that back to school 2021 would be easier than 2020... here we are, trying to figure out, once again, what to do with our kids as many school districts are mask optional and the Delta variant is greatly affecting kids. Liz and Kristen chat about their own experiences, as well as offer advice on what actions you can take, from advocacy to talking to your kids. And as always, we...

When Kristen wrote a viral post last week about wearing crop tops in response to a conversation with her daughter, the comments from our readers were so inspiring, we knew we wanted to discuss body positivity further on Spawned. Please join us for a very honest, and probably very relatable conversation about owing our shapes (especially as we age), why we think we "can't" wear certain things, word...

If you need a laugh as much as we need a laugh, you'll appreciate this vintage Spawned episode with author and Twitter superstar James Breakwell. And hey, maybe his parenting tips will help us survive this summer! Meet our sponsor: Notes from the Backpack , a parenting podcast from the PTA. Subscribe now while you're listening to Spawned. You can find all the links from the show over on our podcas...

It's one of our all-time favorite, most-listened-to episodes, which isn't that surprising considering how much Dr. Ken Ginsburg has changed the way we approach parenting our teenagers. In this vintage Spawned episode, Liz asks him some of your (and our) tough questions about parenting teenagers. It's an episode we bet you'll keep listening to over and over again. Thanks to our sponsors: Notes from...

On our very special Father's Day episode, we're thrilled to welcome Christopher and Camilla "Pepper" Persley. You may have heard about Pepper, who at just 10-years old is making her mark in the world of professional women's sports as a podcaster and journalist. We chat with them both about Pepper's exciting journey, as well as how to parent your kids towards their passions. And as always, we close...

We read a fair amount of parenting books, and lately we've seen the idea of "influence" popping up when it comes to the role we play with our children. That's why we were so excited to welcome author Kelly Rippon as a guest on Spawned with Kristen and Liz this week. You may recognize her as the mom of Olympic medalist Adam Rippon, but as a single mom of six kids, along with being a corporate speak...