Spawned Parenting Podcast with Liz of Cool Mom Picks

The issue of division of labor and mental load are not new problems in relationships, but the pandemic has certainly exacerbated them. On this episode, we chat with author Eve Rodsky about her book Fair Play, which addresses these exact challenges with a helpful system that actually saved her marriage. Hooray for advice that really works! And as always, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of...

When we talk about inclusion and representation, the 1 in 5 people with disabilities are often left out of the discussion. Especially kids. So it's a thrill to get some thoughtful insight from Broadway star and disability advocate Ali Stroker, who is best known as the first Tony-winning actor who uses a wheelchair for mobility. (Her Ado Annie was perfection!) We chat about how she came to be proud...

Overcoming the Mom-Life Crisis: Ditch the Guilt, Put Yourself on the To-Do List, and Create A Life You Love, by entrepreneur and MomAgenda founder Nina Restieri is not the book I thought it would be. At all. Nina reveals some really personal, difficult details about seeming like you have it all together when you don't, and "hitting bottom" before she could rebuild and get to a better place. In our...

Should your 8th grader be taking PSATs? Will your high schooler fail life if they don't take 12 AP classes? Are you even thinking about college too late -- or too early? ACK! We know the college application process can be stressful, so we're thrilled to be joined by Betsy Cadel, a member of the NY State Association for College Admissions Counseling and founder of College Essay Helpers to talk us d...

Particularly if you're non-Black, it can be hard to know the "right way" to speak up about racism -- or what we can do at all, when the idea of dismantling racist system seems so overwhelming. So we're grateful for the time, guidance, and incredible insight of author, veteran broadcast journalist, and Black mom of two, Rene Syler. // Thank you so much for listening and subscribing. Your kind revie...

Growing up in rural Sweden, Helena Dahlgren always felt like an outsider. But when she discovered female protagonists, like Anne, from Anne of Green Gables, her life changed and she finally felt seen. It's, in part, what inspired her to become a writer. On this episode, she shares her thoughts on how books play an important role in shaping tweens' and teens' perceptions of themselves. And as alway...

After author Judith Warner's New York Times article about adolescents and the pandemic went viral with parents reacting very strongly one way or another, we invited her on Spawned to talk about it with Liz! Join us for an enlightening conversation about why the majority of kids are more resilient than you might think, recognizing the difference between unhappy and "impaired," what we can say and d...

Welcome to our first kids and addiction episode of Spawned. It's long overdue. And; thanks to our guest Jessica Lahey, columnist and author of The Addiction Inoculation: Raising Healthy Kids in a Culture of Dependence , you'll come away feeling encouraged, empowered, with detailed guidance on what we can do and say that makes a difference. You won't want to miss this extremely important, honest di...

Spawned listener favorite Jordan Shapiro is back! He totally changed the way we think about kids and tech, and now he's joining us to challenge our ideas about gender roles in parenting, and chat about his new book, Father Figure: How to Be a Feminist Dad . Is such a thing even possible? Well... We learn a whole lot about our own preconceptions here, how we can help change things -- and we get to...

We love this talk with Kate Eberle-Walker, author of The Good Boss, on what's good and bad for women in the workplace right now, how we can better support women, how we can even change the game entirely. (And of course, some fun bad boss stories!) Whether you're a manager or have one yourself, whether you're temporarily out of the workplace, you'll love this helpful discussion, filled with inspiri...

This week, we're joined Rachel Miller, journalist and author of The Art of Showing Up: How to Be There For Yourself and Your People to chat about how we can take better care of ourselves and our friendships, especially during a time when we're all feeling extra depleted. And as always, we'll share our cool picks of the week. Hey, follow us on social! We're on Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram . W...

As parents, we have an idea of what sorts of things we need to be talking to our kids about, but author Michelle Icard really lays them out and offers helpful guidance in her new book: Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen. She shares how to (and how not to) have these conversations, and offers insight into when to have them, and more. As always, we close our show with our Cool Picks of the Week. Join ou...

We were so honored to sit down with Kate DiCamillo, the wildly popular author of The Tales of Despereaux, Because of Winn-Dixie, and Flora & Ulysses, to talk about kids, reading, writing, imagination, superheroes, the need for diverse protagonists, and so much more. And we especially love her answer to the question: Should we make kids read the book before seeing the movie? Wow, she is a joy!...

Fair warning: This episode may really make you miss your IRL get togethers with your favorite mom friends, because that is exactly what this conversation with  Dr. Janice Johnson Dias  feels like. We knew that talking to Janice -- you might know her as "mom of Marley Dias" -- would be helpful, but we had no idea it be SO funny, so honest, so inspiring, and just so nourishing! (Also a little NSFW i...

This week, in honor of Black History Month, Liz has an incredible chat with Dr. Martin Luther King's goddaughter, activist and actress Donzaleigh Abernathy. Her stories about "Uncle Martin" and her childhood memories of the segregated south are simply riveting -- plus we talk current events, politics, racial justice, and being more engaged as anti-racist parents. She shares her honest views about...

There's a reason lots of us are organizing, uh... everything right now -- it helps us feel in control, during a time that so much feels beyond our control. So we're thrilled to be joined by professional organizer and President of the National Association for Black Professional Organizers, Naeemah Ford Goldson. She shares some brilliant advice, insight, and tips that we're already putting to good u...

We've talked a lot about self-care over the years, but nothing as deeply honest as we do in this week's episode with our friend, author and podcaster Dr. Christine Koh. She's been sharing her own journey of radical self care on her Instagram feed , so we wanted to tap her to share what she's discovered along the way, and how we can reframe our own view of self-care to get us through tough times. Y...

If there's one thing we're all talking about, and maybe even tearing up about (if you're Liz), it's the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccines. So we invited the most perfect guest, vaccine expert, author, NYU professor, pediatrician, NY Times science columnist of "The Checkup,"  Dr. Perri Klass. She's offering a fantastic perspective about the vaccine that we hope will either help put you at ease, or g...

Since we started Cool Mom Picks nearly 15 years ago (!) our hearts have always been with small businesses, especially those run by women and moms. So we're devoting this episode to sharing some of our favorite ways to shop small this holiday -- including lots of tips for shopping local and helping your own community businesses, that you may not have considered. Also, we talk about why we're tippin...

With Thanksgiving here, Kristen + Liz sat down for a really honest conversation about the holiday season during a pandemic: What we're missing, what we're grateful for, who we're judging, who we're trying not to judge, why women and moms bear most of the brunt of this (grrr), how our kids are doing,....and where are finding the silver linings. Even if you're cynical, they're there if you look for...

We needed a little diversion because these last few weeks have been rough, so on this episode, we're chatting about what we're wearing these days. Are you wearing workout clothes? Or are you getting dressed and putting make-up every day? What are you buying? What will you never buy again? And how is that affecting your sense of body image? If you need a little break from the news, THIS IS IT! Than...

If you've had kids struggling with reading, writing, and other basic skills, you're not alone. (We've been there too!) Language expert and learning scientist Dr. Cindy Blanco is completely enlightening us with the connections between language and literacy, and let's just say...minds blown. We know you'll get some great tips here for helping even reluctant kids become readers, including a whole lot...

Last week, Liz stumbled into a wonderful idea: Plan to do "one good thing today," each day. Just one. AScial media friends and followers responded with the most fantastic variety of ideas for their "one good thing," that we couldn't wait to share them on this week's episode to help inspire your own. We hope it gives you some positivity and lightness during some really tough times. We need it! // G...

With gender reveal parties on our minds these days, we were so glad to chat with author Lisa Selin Davis about gender stereotypes and what parents need to do to start to changing them, all of which she talks about in her new book, Tomboy: The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different . And as always, we close out our show with our cool picks of the week. Follow us on social:...

If you have an older child or teen who's just gone back to school, you're going to want to pay close attention to this week's episode of Spawned. Because we're talking with best-selling author, psychologist, and new podcaster Dr. Lisa Damour, who's here to elaborate on her her viral NY Times article, "The 2020 Back-to-School List for Teens' Emotional Well-Being." She helps us all learn a little mo...