Atomic Moms

Adoptive mama RUTH SMITH embraces the differences in her culturally diverse family. She and her husband are white, and their adopted sons are black. She speaks of her daily commitment to celebrate her sons' race, to honor their culture, and to be a conscious parent in a world that struggles with racism. She also laughs about the sleep deprivation and craziness that is inevitable when introducing a toddler to his newborn sibling! Check out www.atomicmoms.com for program notes. Subscribe and leave a review on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms.

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"Mom Solo" Evie Peck was nearing forty when she decided to start a family on her own. She discusses her choice to become a single mother with host Ellie Knaus and mom-friend-Bridget-Moloney-Sinclair. They chat about the unique challenges and upsides of parenting solo, societal assumptions, and how we are redefining family in the 21st century. Subscribe on iTunes! And for episode notes and the very first video version of Ellie's intro, go to www.atomicmoms.com.

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Early childhood educator ERIKA CHRISTAKIS has dedicated her life to small children. This former preschool teacher and director, Yale Child Study Center lecturer, and mother of three chats with Ellie Knaus about her New York Times bestseller "The Importance of Being Little: What Preschoolers Really need From Grownups." Preschool has become the new Kindergarten, and that's a problem! She shares research that backs up the importance of play based, exploratory learning. And she talks about how classrooms are falling short with all their worksheets and tests and meaningless crafts, and how we can give our little ones what they need! Thank you in advance for leaving a review on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms if you enjoy this podcast! (It helps with our iTunes rankings. And we love hearing from you.) For more on this interview and podcast notes, check out: AtomicMoms.com throughout the week. xo Ellie

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JESS ZAINO captures the funny, raw, and honest moments of parenthood in the video diary series “New Mom Diaries” for TLC.com. This Emmy award nominated producer had no plans of becoming a mother until she was sitting at a Hollywood Health clinic for what she thought was the flu. Nothing is off limits when she and Ellie get together to chat about new mom life, including Jess’ weight gain, the strain a baby puts on a marriage, and the struggle to have true expression (and a very loud voice) while attempting to be a mindful parent. For episode notes, go to www.atomicmoms.com. Subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms.

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Marie Horrigan takes Atomic Moms mom friends Deanna Russo, Bridget Moloney-Sinclair, and host Ellie Knaus on a totally wild, completely unexpected, and super empowering birth journey that has changed the way she looks at parenting and the world at large. (And you'll never believe what her father ends up doing after the birth.) What makes this story extra special is how vastly different it is from her first traumatic birth experience. Healing is possible. And there's always the possibility that next time will be different. Atomic Moms believes it's imperative we share the good times and the difficult ones, the traumatic moments and the triumphant ones too. And we are honored that Marie allowed us to share both of her birth experiences on this episode. Follow on @atomicmoms, check out www.atomicmoms.com, and please subscribe and leave a review on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms.

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Film and television actress and host Garcelle Beauvais chats with Ellie Knaus about co-parenting twins after a very public divorce. We also talk about what inspired her children's book series: I Am Mixed, I Am Living in Two Homes, and I Am Amazing. And I can't wait for you to hear what happened when Garcelle took her children to the White House. Subscribe on iTunes.com/Atomicmoms or stream on www.atomicmoms.com. And share with a friend!

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New York Times bestselling author and legendary Esquire Magazine editor-in-chief Lee Eisenberg speaks with Ellie Knaus about his new book "The Point Is: Making Sense of Birth, Death, and Everything in Between". We discuss the identity shift that comes with parenthood, how early childhood memories influence one’s personal myth, the importance of jotting down the little moments, and what constitutes a meaningful existence. We also talk about the “H Word”…happiness. Find more of Eisenberg’s work: www.leeeisenberg.com. And follow Atomic Moms @AtomicMoms, subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms, check out our website: www.atomicmoms.com. Share with friends!

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Author Roma Khetarpal ("The 'Perfect' Parent: 5 Tools for Using Your Inner Perfection to Connect with Your Kids") shares simple and effective parenting tools for strengthening the parent/child connection. We talk about the easiest and most effective way to get your children to problem solve for themselves, the difference between guidelines and rules, the first step to take when a meltdown is coming (child's or parent's), the daily "Take 5" approach, and Ellie realizes she needs to wash her own mouth out with soap (verbal hygiene). In closing Roma reflects on what she has learned raising her children in America after being raised in Kuwait by her Indian parents. Roma Khetarpal's website is: www.toolsofgrowth.com. Follow on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: @atomicmoms. And check out our website: www.atomicmoms.com which includes a link to Susan Stiffelman's "Parenting in the Digital Age" series.

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Guests Claire Coffee (starring in NBC's Grimm) and Bridget Moloney-Sinclair (masters in clinical psychology) explore the tricky subject "Friends Without Kids" and how raising children has strengthened or strained our other relationships. Also in this episode a medical mystery has host Ellie Knaus re-evaluating her priorities and obligations. And she opens up about Bianca's departure from the podcast last fall. Listen while you're commuting, exercising, or doing chores, or up for the night shift. We're your mom friends on demand. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram @atomicmoms and our website www.atomicmoms.com Please subscribe on iTunes and share with friends!

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Natalie Thomas, Emmy-nominated TV producer, Huffington Post, Today Show, Cafe Mom and Womanista contributor, Nat’s Next Adventure founder, and former editor and spokesperson of US Weekly chats with Ellie Knaus about everybody wanting to know if a mom is having another one, and her essay “Can We Just Be”. Whether you’re “one and done” or considering your sixth, this episode will have you nodding your head in agreement, rolling your eyes, and wanting to shout: “It’s none of your bee’s wax people!” In honor of the upcoming Hallmark holiday, Ellie introduces her husband Adam and gives him a Valentine’s Quiz. Subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms and please leave a review (it's very helpful for rankings), follow on social media @atomicmoms, and check out www.atomicmoms.com xo

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