In keeping with the spooky vibe of Halloween, in this episode, Hannah and I discuss real ghost stories from our own childhoods, and how we view them now that we’re adults. We also talk about the strange and creepy things kids sometimes say. Is this all just our imagination, or are children, and some adults, just more tuned in to things beyond the veil? Can we really open windows to other planes of existence and if so, do we even want to? We discuss all this and MORE on this episode of After The Kids Are In Bed, we hope you enjoy it!

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Song is Lightness by Nomyn https://soundcloud.com/nomyn Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/2CDOZQC Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/yTIFnD_iAyM

In this episode Hannah and I discuss school shootings, school safety, gun control and how we talk to our kids about traumatic events when they happen. How do we explain these events to our kids when we hardly understand them ourselves? How do we assuage their fear when we don’t have the answers and are afraid ourselves? What do we do, in our own communities, to help our families, our schools, our police and our neighbors to be safe? We discuss all these topics and MORE on this episode of After The Kids Are In Bed, we hope it’s helpful.

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Song is Lightness by Nomyn @nomyn Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/2CDOZQC Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/yTIFnD_iAyM

In this episode Hannah and I do a 2021 recap and go over our most popular episodes from the last year, and list the locations around the world where most of our listeners are! Then we dive into the topic of friendships after kids. Balancing healthy friendships with adults outside the home once we become parents can be a challenge, but so rewarding! How do you make new friends as an adult, and do they also need to be parents in order for the friendship to last? What about friendships with people that are the same gender as our spouse? How do we keep friendships platonic and meaningful while still staying true to our significant others? We discuss all these topics and MORE on this episode of After The Kids Are In Bed, we hope you enjoy it!

In this episode Hannah and I talk about aging (and aging gracefully, if there is such a thing) gray hair, fine lines, wrinkles, weight gain and all the joys of raising kids while we are getting older. How does aging affect our parenting styles? How do we deal with our changing reflections as we age, and how hard do we fight against them? Do we ever learn to embrace these changes and go with the flow, and if so, how? What lessons can we learn along the way and how do we impart this wisdom to our kids so their process is easier? How do we like ourselves with older faces and bodies when we live in a society where beauty and youth are prized above all things? We discuss all these topics and MORE on this episode of After The Kids Are In Bed, we hope you enjoy it!

In this episode Hannah and I talk about transitioning into fall and heading back to school with our kids. After a year and a half of distance learning, what we are we most excited for and most afraid of? How are the kids coping with these changes and what is on their minds? What Covid protocols are in place and are they enough, or too much? We talk about all these things and MORE in this episode of ATKAIB, we hope you enjoy it!

In this episode Hannah and I get together to dig deep into a topic neither of us know much about – parenting children who identify as transgender. We feel that this is an incredibly important subject, and in order to gain a more authentic perspective, I interview my friend and fellow mother, Amber Brio. Amber speaks openly about her parenting journey with her son as he transitioned, and how she learned to be the parent he needed her to be. What can parents do if their child comes to them and is upset about, or unsure of, their gender identity? At what point is it good to get medical and psychological professionals involved? How can you support your child when you don’t understand what they are going through, and is that understanding even necessary? How do you come to terms with your child choosing to be their authentic selves, if it is different from the person you thought you brought into the world? We talk about all these things and MORE in this episode of ATKAIB, we hope you enjoy it!

A final note from Amber:

As a parent, it is vital to let your child set the tone for your level of advocacy and how vocal you are. If they are at all uncomfortable with you speaking openly about these issues, don't. Being a loud, proud parent can feel like outing your child on repeat. It's not about you, don't press them about it. Be an advocate in the ways you vote, with the tone you set when these conversations come up, and by how well you show up for your child. Love wins.

Please note that the title of this episode came from a famous quote by trans woman Christine Jorgensen:

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“Nature made a mistake, which I have corrected”

- Christine Jorgensen

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Christine Jorgensen went through her transition and had her gender reassignment surgery done in Denmark, but she was the first transgender woman to announce her gender change in the United States. In her personal biography, she said she had a normal and happy life, but as she got older she started to feel like she was a woman trapped in a mans body. She served in the military, but she was honorably discharged and that’s when she decided to start her transition. The public reaction to her transition is credited in helping start the sexual revolution of the 1950’s and 1960’s.

In this episode Hannah and I discuss get together for our first in-person podcast recording session since March 2020! We celebrate finally getting together and talk about all our Summer plans. Then we delve into internet safety and screen time. How do we teach our kids to put the phone/tablet/computer down and interact with people face to face, when we struggle ourselves? How do we lead by example when using screens is so enticing and addicting? As our kids get older and get online more and more, how do we keep them safe? What conversations should we be having with them, and just how honest should we be? How do we balance keeping tabs on their online activity and still honor their privacy? We talk about all these things, and MORE in this episode of ATKAIB, we hope you enjoy it!

In this episode Hannah and I discuss the pets and animals in our lives and how they have enriched our family dynamics. When your kids ask you to bring an animal home (and at some point they definitely WILL) how do you decide whether or not to take on the responsibility? Even when kids promise they will do all the work with the family pet, how much time, energy and money do we, as parents, need to realistically invest? How do we know what pet is right for us, where do we find it and how do we give it the best home possible? How do we become animal advocates and help with the fostering and adoption of animals in need? We talk about all these things, and MORE in this episode of ATKAIB, we hope you enjoy it!

In this episode of After The Kids Are In Bed Hannah and I discuss having the “birds and bees” talk with our third graders, and teaching them about pregnancy and childbirth. Then I interview Simone Garland and Kate McLane, two of my very best friends who just happened to have their first babies this past year, in the middle of a pandemic. They both share their personal experiences with everything from visits to the OB to private ultrasounds to delivery and family visits, all during a time peppered by the virus. And finally, they detail all the new Mommy and Baby gadgets they love, and can do without. We talk about all these things, and MORE in this episode of ATKAIB, we hope you enjoy it!

In this episode Hannah and I continue to record over the phone and safely distanced and chat about our feelings related to adoption. Both of us know people who have been in different roles surrounding adoption (and have seen the incredible ways adoption can change lives) but neither of us have experienced it first-hand. Then, I interview one of my dearest friends from childhood, Becky Hills Skolmoski. Becky talks openly about her personal struggles with infertility and how she coped with her feelings and eventually decided to give adoption a try. She then details the experiences she and her husband went through on their journey to parenthood and adopting their two children from different agencies. How do you even begin the process of adoption? How do you know what agency to go through? What can you expect from the adoption process and what kind of toll does it take on your life, and your finances? How do you open yourself up to a child, and a family, when you are picked as adoptive parents? We talk about all these things, and MORE in this episode of ATKAIB, we hope you enjoy it!