In the special segment "Dear Past Me," Shanna and Laura give their former selves parenting advice based on what they know now, including wisdom about sentimental baby items and encouragement to advocate for yourself in the early days of new motherhood. Also, Laura manages to get her reluctant kids to go on an urban adventure, and Shanna celebrates her daughter's 7th birthday and travels to Phoenix with her family for a celebration-of-life event. Finally, they share their BFPs or BFNs for the week. Shanna's kids are 7 and 9.5 years old, and Laura’s kids are 6.5 years old and 4.5 years old.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Finding outdoor adventures close to home for your family
• The difficulty of transitions with kids
• Attending a memorial/celebration of life and what it’s like to do meaningful rituals with kids
• Reflections on early parenting choices and what we wish we could tell our younger selves
• Why keeping up with milestone keepsakes for all your kids is important
• Navigating career and creativity opportunities as a new mom
• Anti-mom bias at work and within creative spaces, and why advocating for yourself matters
• Kids exploring the performing arts and the joy of seeing them come alive creatively
• Finding helpful online communities and learning new routines that are rewarding

Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:

• Flint Peak Trail
• "Big Fish" movie
• The Baby-Sitter's Club #33: "Claudia and the Great Search"
• "Flashback" (Shanna's short film)
• Shanna's Website
• Fine Hair Subreddit
• Pomeranian Subreddit

Past BFP episodes mentioned in this episode:

• Ep. 283 - (Laura discusses Auggie's reluctance to participate in his school's theater production)
• Ep. 285 - (Laura reports on Auggie's refusal to participate in the theater production on the day of the show)
• Ep. 374 - (Laura talks about her boys getting excited about their hiking "costumes" in Portland)
• Ep. 376 - (Shanna talks about her stepdad's passing)

Connect with Us

• Follow us on social: Instagram, TikTok or Facebook at @bfppodcast
• Join our Facebook community group for support and camaraderie on your parenting journey.
• Visit our website: bigfatpositivepodcast.com
• Email us: [email protected]

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Big Fat Positive: A Pregnancy and Parenting Journey is produced by Laura Birek, Shanna Micko and Steve Yager.

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