On this episode: Elizabeth and Jamilah are joined by KC Davis. KC is author of the book How To Keep House While Drowning, host of the podcast Struggle Care, and is well known for her TikTok content. 

They advise a listener who thinks her niece may be neurodivergent and is specifically showing signs of autism spectrum disorder. The letter writer doesn’t think her brother and sister-in-law have noticed yet and she wants to inform them to make sure her niece is being supported. But she has no idea how to start the conversation. 

Then on Slate Plus, KC, Jamilah, and Elizabeth share their favorite activities to participate in with their kids. 

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. 

Podcast produced by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola and Rosemary Belson.

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On this episode: Lisa Lewis, journalist, and author of The Sleep Deprived Teen joins the show to unpack the myths surrounding teen sleep. Lisa explains why teens actually need more sleep (even if they’re staying up super late), how to get schools to start later, and why you and your teen should still have a wind-down bedtime routine. 

Recommendations: 

Jamilah recommends Rap Sh!t, a comedy series created by Issa Rae.

Zak recommends a narrative podcast series called Mother Country Radicals. 

Elizabeth recommends cute, fun, and nerdy T-shirts from TeaTurtle

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. 

Podcast produced by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola and Rosemary Belson.

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On this episode: Zak, Jamilah, and Elizabeth advise a parent who wants to intervene but doesn’t want to break her daughter’s trust. Her middle schooler told her that her friend, who is a frequent visitor to their house, was trying to pressure her into smoking weed with him. Our letter writer isn’t super familiar with the kid’s family. Should she let them know about the smoking? Should she tell her daughter before intervening? Should she talk to the kid herself? 

Then on Slate Plus, Zak, Jamilah, and Elizabeth relive the funniest places they’ve been lost and the scary moments where they left their own kids behind. 

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. 

Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.

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On this episode: Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth answer a question about a little boy who was super excited to start team sports. However, he has been really hard on himself and has slipped into some negative self-talk, including saying that he’s “the worst” and “will never get better.” They have some advice for making sure the kid enjoys his season, if he wants to continue. 

Recommendations: 

Zak recommends Everything Naomi Loved by Katie Yamasaki and Ian Lendler. 

Elizabeth recommends How To Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis. 

Jamilah recommends Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. 

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Mom and Dad are Fighting. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to help support our work.

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. 

Podcast produced by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola and Rosemary Belson.

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On this episode: Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth answer a question from a parent who would love to be more involved with other families in the community but is having a hard time finding playdates for her large, rambunctious family. They also share their triumphs and fails about spilt milk, birthday redemption, and answering a ton of questions about the Donner Party.

Then on Slate Plus, they’re discussing Inside the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis. The episode of The Daily covers the rising number of mental health issues in adolescents and what actions are being taken to help meet this crisis. 

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. 

Podcast produced by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola and Rosemary Belson.

Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth lend advice to a parent who will be taking her family on vacation with her sister’s family. Both families will be sharing a vacation home for a week, but the sister has a much stricter screen time policy for her children. They share some tips on how to navigate house rules when on vacation with another family. 

Recommendations: 

Jamilah recommends this NYT chocolate olive oil cake recipe with All Recipes chocolate glaze

Zak recommends Apples and Peanut Butter for lunch

Elizabeth recommends Guess Who educational cards: Birds, Black History, & Bluey 

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. 

Podcast produced by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola, Anna Phillips, and Rosemary Belson.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth share their triumphs and fails, including a hair styling defeat. They then answer a question from a mom whose son is struggling with a 50/50 custody agreement. He never wants to go to his dad’s house and complains that his step siblings are making fun of him. Is it time to intervene? Then on Slate Plus, Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth discuss their thoughts on a Missouri school district reinstating corporal punishment as a form of discipline. Spoiler alert: they’re not fans of the move.

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. 

Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson, Anna Phillips and Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.

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On this episode: Zak, Jamilah, and Elizabeth are joined by Phillip Maciak, TV editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books and teacher at Washington University in St. Louis. Phillip explains why Bluey, a kids show centered around a family of dogs in Australia, is the best depiction of parenthood on TV.

Recommendations: 

Phillip recommends reading newspaper comics with kids.

Elizabeth recommends the games Stack the States and Globle.

Jamilah recommends Cheers Hydrate.

Zak recommends Joe Reilly’s music. 

Check out Phillip’s original piece for Slate: Why TV’s Best Kids Show Is Also Its Best Show About Parents

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. 

Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson and Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.

Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Zak, Jamilah, and Elizabeth help a letter writer who is hurt by the cliquey moms in her parenting group. All the kids get along great. But the moms constantly make her feel like an outsider, despite her initiating conversation and planning hang outs. Zak, Jamilah, and Elizabeth share some tips for making friends with other parents, knowing your value, and ditching people who aren’t giving you the time of day. 

Then on Slate Plus, they discuss Angela Garbes’ piece, The Morning Rush: Parenting at its Most Essential. 

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. 

Podcast produced by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola and Rosemary Belson.

Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode: Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth jump back into the potty-training trenches to help a parent who is at her wit’s end. Her kid is potty trained—or so she thought—but will not stop peeing in his pants before taking himself to the toilet. They share some tips for making the toilet actually appealing to her son. 

They also respond to a listener who wrote in following the How to Address Death episode and check in about their plans for the fast-approaching (or already underway) school year. 

Recommendations: 

Zak recommends the show, A League of Their Own on Amazon Prime. 

Elizabeth recommends the books Yo MIllard Fillmore! and Yo Sacramento!

Jamiliah recommends Loot on Apple TV. 

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. 

Podcast produced by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola and Rosemary Belson.

Slate Plus members get a bonus segment on MADAF each week, and no ads. Sign up now at slate.com/momanddadplus to listen and support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices