We were in the middle of recording new episodes when the pandemic hit and disrupted our lives, and yours. Now that we’re finally settling into this “new normal,” we wanted to check-in and give you an update on what’s been going on in the last few months. And there’s been A LOT. Including a new addition to the Moms in the Middle family! We’ll also hear how some of our favourite guests from past episodes are surviving lockdown.

How we’re surviving parenting during lockdown

This is the podcast for moms who feel like they’re in the middle of it all—the chaos, the joy, the struggle—and are ready to get real about it all. Evanka Osmak hosts a national sports show late at night, and Melanie Ng is a news anchor on a morning show at the crack of dawn. Each week, these two friends will meet in the middle of their busy days to talk all things parenting. Tune in for Evanka and Mel’s own stories about the good and the bad, advice from experts and honest discussion. The reality is whether you’re a working mom, a stay-at-home dad, mom of many, mom of one, aunt of some, godmother of any—it’s hard! And it helps to know you’re not alone.

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It’s been a year since everyone’s lives were flipped upside down because of Covid-19. Working from home, home-schooling our kids, and managing family expectations. It’s been hard.

Now imagine getting pregnant and delivering a baby during a pandemic? OH wait…that’s exactly what happened to many of us this past year. Including our very own Evanka!

In this episode, we dive into the world of pandemic pregnancy to share the ugly truths everyone is scared to talk about.

The truth about pandemic pregnancy

At this point, the pandemic is feeling like a marathon with no finish line in sight. If you’re a parent struggling to keep up with virtual learning, a spouse finding it hard to keep the peace with your partner, an employee fighting distraction while working from home, or all three (!!), the burnout is real. So how do we carry on and ensure that our mental health is taken care of?

Taking care of mom’s mental health

Since the pandemic began, millions of Canadian women are struggling to juggle child care, household responsibilities, and paying jobs. Saying it hasn’t been easy is an understatement. Trust us, we’re right there with you! Now, recent reports are coming out with discouraging data that shows women are leaving the workforce. What does this say about our fight for gender equality? And how can we stop the backwards slide? To help us answer these tough questions we’re joined by Dr. Sonia Kang. Sonia holds the Canada Research Chair in Identity, Diversity, & Inclusion and is an associate professor of organizational behavior and human resources management at University of Toronto. She’s also the host of her own podcast, For the Love of Work.

Keeping women in the workforce

If you said no, you’re not alone. Maybe this sounds familiar: As you head off to bed late at night, you have to remind your pre-teen (for the millionth time) to also hit the sack. In the other room your wee toddler can’t seem to get into a bedtime rhythm. Or maybe all the heavy news has you tossing and turning. Sleep has become one of the biggest challenges during COVID-19, so we turned to the go-to sleep expert, Alanna McGinn, to help us catch some much needed Z’s.

Are you getting enough sleep during the pandemic?

We, like many of you, have been watching the protests around the world, reading and listening to Black voices and having challenging conversations about race and racism in our lives. Systemic racism and social injustice have been happening for centuries but it’s only been a problem for some. And finally the world is waking up to it. But in order for this revolution to have positive change on our futures, and the futures of our little ones, parents need to include their kids in the conversation. So how do you do that? How can you engage them in meaningful and effective ways that they will understand? This episode we’re joined by Sportsnet personality and father of one, Donnovan Bennett, and writer and mom of two, Natalie Preddie.

How we’re surviving parenting during lockdown

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