Hands Off Parents

This week, Steph and Abby welcome the lovely Monica Danna to the show to discuss how she does it all (be a mom, a wife, juggle many jobs, community organizer, showering), and they are pleased to find out that she doesn't! Monica shares her absolutes and the things that she's dropped to the waste side (like laundry). It's refreshing to say the least. Drop the ladies some reviews on iTunes!

This week Steph and Abby try very hard to discuss a podcast sent to them by a listener, in which a couple raise their daughter without conforming to gender norms. It's a great story which makes the ladies consider how far they go in support of their own principles. As much as this topic demands discussion, it become very difficult because Steph's daughter is with them and she also demands a lot. She adheres to her own set of principles, which prohibits cohesive conversation.

After a in-depth discussion last week about the mental load of moms, Steph and Abby are thrilled to have Aaron Reese (back!), super-dad of twins, who emailed the ladies about his own take on the mental load. Aaron shares his load and how he and his wife have (attempted) to share the burden. According to Aaron, it kinda works-ish. Email [email protected] to share your load!

This week Steph and Abby discuss a topic that's been making its way around the internet: The Mental Load of parents (mom specifically). The mental load is that never-ending to-do list that runs through your brain daily that no one really knows about but you. Is it draining the life out of you or what!? And how about the mental load of fathers? What's that list look like? Share your absurd mental load list with them by liking them on Facebook, and then you can cross that off your list of things to do today.

This week Abby shares a story of her current experiences with the public school system. Her neighborhood school has some growing pains, and the activist in her wants to support by enrolling her kids but is also worried about being a guinea pig. Steph offers some sage advice, as always, filled with sarcasm. Then they share some good things that have happened with their kids lately and they struggle to think of any! How does your school system work? Share in the comments.

Because of a recent email the ladies received about having a second child. Steph and Abby are stoked to welcome back a friend and previous guest, Nyala Wright Nolen. Nyala has a three-year-old and an 8-month old baby. The three ladies discuss "how that's all going," as it may seem like a nightmare to some. Nyala has some great tips about dealing with a toddler and a baby and some things she didn't anticipate (the three year old wants to sit in the baby's car seat!). It's a fun conversation and might just help you decide if you should have another one... you know if you were debating that or something.

This week, Steph and Abby discuss a recent article arguing that we should not call our daughters pretty. Instead, they should be smart and brave and hardworking. The ladies wonder, well, can girls be all of those things and be told they are pretty too? This leads them down a path of their own childhoods and what those labels may have done or not done for them. Do you call your daughters pretty and your sons handsome? Email them about it at [email protected]. And please share if the spirit moves you!

This week Steph and Abby welcome Jay and Joe Bostick, an amazing couple, who share their stories of fostering, adopting, and parenting children who don't look like they do. Their stories are heroic, to say the least, but also funny and heartbreaking. They squash some of the misconceptions about the foster-care system, too. Steph and Abby ultimately wish these guys would adopt them. Or maybe you will? Or just rate them on iTunes.

This week Steph and Abby welcome the incomparable Dennis Draper, an amazing person and father of adopted teenage son, Blue. Dennis shares his story, a sad and heartwarming one, of how he came to adopt his cousin's son, a young man in and out of foster homes for most of his life. It has been a struggle but so worth it. Dennis is a plethora of heart and knowledge about being a single gay man who is learning how to thrive in his new role.

Steph and Abby, currently in the middle of the nightmare that is Hurricane Harvey, wanted to discuss just that via Skype. The city of Houston is in crisis mode, and while they have fared pretty well, their hearts hurt for other parents who are in unimaginable situations. How do you do this with kids? How do you sit on your roof in the rain with small children waiting for a rescue boat? They are having a tough enough time dealing with toddlers trapped in-doors! Their love goes out to all those dealing with this catastrophe! Please give a shout and let them know how you are all fairing.