Do you remember walking home from school when you were maybe 12ish years old? You unlocked the door with your very own house key, threw your backpack in the hall, grabbed some snacks, and went right for the TV. The best part...you were solo (or maybe in the company of a sibling or two) because your parent(s) or guardian(s) were at work till dinner time. If this sounds familiar, you were a latchkey kid. What was your go to after school activity? Did you get started on homework, or did you buckle in for a few episodes of Saved by the Bell? Did you fight with your siblings or were you perfect angels? As a parent now, would you let your kids come home solo until you got home from work? Today we talk about our latchkey experiences and our thoughts on leaving our kids to fend for themselves after school. Our mom this week is the lovely PEG BOGGS from Edward Scissorhands. Find us on the socials and write to us at [email protected]. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving Canadian listeners, hope your enjoying your feasts...whatever they may be. Does waiting for your child to tie their shoes when you're already late for something make you want to pull your eyes out? Do they refuse to let you help them get dressed and they come out in three t-shirts, shorts over their track pants, and no socks on? Are you forever wondering why Americans don't take their shoes off in the house? No judgement American friends, I just don't get why you walk around your house with dirty shoes on! Today we talk about the simple tasks we try to teach our kids, but also wish we could just do for them to get the show on the road. There are also a few tangents...but tangents are fun! Our mom this week is SARAH CONNOR from Terminator 2! Find us on the socials and send in your parenting stories to [email protected]. Enjoy!

First of all, this episode comes out on October 3...Mean Girls day! I hope your own Aaron Samuels asks you what day it is with his sexy hair pushed back. Now, on to the episode deets. Do you have a room filled to the ceiling with toys? Or perhaps you prefer a more clutter-free lifestyle and your kid's toy collection is kept to just their most favourites. What were your favourite childhood toys? What are your thoughts on the traditional gender specific toys? What's with all the questions?! Sorry, there's just a lot to ask this week. We try to tackle as much as we can of how our own kids play with toys and how we live in the choas of dolls, Legos, and trucks. Our mom shout this week is FRANKIE BERGSTEIN from the show Grace and Frankie. Find us on the socials and email us with your parenting successes and failures at [email protected]. Enjoy!

Today we get into some potty talk. That's right, we go into our successes and failures (mostly failures) when we had to toilet train our children. We both struggled but eventually our kids figured out the toilet and diapers are now a thing of the past! If you don't like discussion (albeit mild) of number ones and twos, then I don't know how you've made it this far as a parent...unless you're not a parent and you just enjoy our witty back and forth! Don't worry if you're struggling, it takes time, patience and consistency. Eventually you'll realize that package of Pull-ups in the closet was the last one you had to buy and you'll have a new sense of freedom. Our mom this week is Rosemary Penderghast from the movie Easy A...one of my numerous personal faves! Find us on the all the socials and email us with your parenting stories, questions, or topic suggestions to [email protected].

Do you allow your kids in the kitchen and help with the creation of meals? Or maybe you're like me and the thought of them crushing...I mean cracking...an egg makes you super anxious. At some point our kids will have to learn to make food for themselves, and we have to hand over the reins and teach them how to do this...mess or no mess. For this episode, Elvina and I helped our kids in the kitchen as they made their own meals....with mixed results. What have you had your kids make? Do your kids like being in the kitchen and helping to create a meal? I have to learn to just let go...and probably just walk away. Our mom this week is LOUISE JEFFERSON from the Jeffersons! Find us on all the socials and don't forget to write in with your parenting successes and fails (we all have them) to [email protected].

Are your kids shy, preferring the company of books and puzzles rather than their classmates (you can't see, but I'm raising my hand to this one)? Or maybe they walk down the street striking up a conversation with every person they pass. For some kids, making friends is easy peasy, for others it can be a challenge. As parents we need to know when to step in and give that encouraging push, or to have conversations if we notice their comrade choices are a little iffy. They don't have to be liked by everyone, nor do they have to be friends with everyone, but we should be teaching them to be respectful and decent humans to everyone. Find us on the socials and don't forget you can email us with your parenting stories at [email protected].

Today Elvina and I talked about our excitement and fears about the offsprings going back to school in the time of COVID. We discuss how things are different in DC compared to here in Ontario and our fears if they get sent back home....hopefully they stay at school all year! I also describe what a duotang is because apparently they aren't a thing in the Americas. Our mom shout out is REBECCA PEARSON from This is Us. Elvina researched the character so much she may even start to watch the series! I've warned her to get ready to cry...because I cry A LOT. We hope you enjoy the episode! Find us on the socials and email us your parenting stories to [email protected].

Exciting news! Join me today as I welcome Elvina as my co-host! Elvina and I met on a podcast Facebook group and we decided to see how this goes. Maybe it'll work out, maybe schedules won't allow us to continue together, but either way I'm excited to have her on board. Today we talk about our first jobs, and how you can help get your offsprings ready to face the working world with their own first employment adventures. There's no drink or product, but we have a mom! Our mom shout out goes to PAM HALPERT from The Office. We hope you enjoy the new mom voice. Find us on all the socials and write in with your mom stories to [email protected].

So this is my first foray into the world of solo podcasting and I must say, it was super weird. I'm not used to talking by myself or not having someone respond to statements. I definitely missed having that second person. With that being said, I thought going solo was a good time to tackle a subject that is difficult for many parents....talking to your kids about divorce. It's a hard time for everyone involved and the conversation is not going to be filled with rainbows and sunshine. However, you can hopefully make the conversation a little less painful....not totally, but a little. I am by no means a single parent, but I am a child of divorce, so I've been on one side of the coin. There's no drink or product this week, but the mom shout out goes to CAROL FOSTER from Step by Step! I hope you enjoy...at least it's only 24ish minutes. Send in you parenting highs and lows to [email protected].

As you may have noticed from the length, this episode is not our usual format. It is with a heavy heart I announce that Erin is podcast breaking up with me and leaving the show. But it's Ok, I'm fine, I'm kind of surprised she lasted this long. Today is her final episode and so I decided to just keep it simple with just a little banter to close things off. BUT don't fear! I will continue on with episodes! I really enjoy making the show and I don't want to stop yet. I'm not sure what future shows will look like, maybe I'll have a co-host, maybe I'll have guests, maybe it'll just be me talking for 10 minutes about how much I hate cheesecake. No matter what future episodes look like, my mom voice will be part of it. Thank you soooo much to Erin for joining me for over a year and making sure I know when I'm being ridiculous ❤, you're welcome back as a guest any time! Keep following the pod on all social medias and don't forget you can write in with your own parenting or friend break up stories to [email protected].