Actress Melissa Fumero joins Megan, Chris, and Kurt. They love their kids, BUT…Can we not douse our kids in the bad family traditions we were subject to as children, and instead bottle them up and put them on the shelf for all of eternity? Like many Cuban-Americans, Chris grew up smelling like a cross between freshly cut flowers and an out-of-work DJ thanks to Agua de Violetas, a cologne geared towards kids. His mother, Sunny’s grandmother, is very big on this particular tradition for her grandson, but for Chris, and most importantly his wife, it may have a hard time passing the smell test, let alone being passed down a generation. Melissa Fumero gave her two sons very non-traditional names. Her Cuban family refuses to accept this and opts to pronounce the names like they’re soaked in Aguas de Violetas. It’s the fine line between honoring your heritage and knowing that some things are best left in the past. Good luck telling your parents that!

And remember, you can call our hotline and leave us questions, comments, or your own funny, totally anonymous “Circle Time” parenting story at 424-570-KIDS or you can email us at [email protected]. Just don't forget to start your story with, “I love my kid, but…” and maybe we'll use yours on air!

Listen to I Love My Kid, But... on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/i-love-my-kid-but/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week comedians Randy and Jason Sklar join Megan, Chris, and Kurt. They love their kids, BUT…forget Bird-Magic or Yankees-Red Sox, nothing brings out the competitive spirit like a little sibling rivalry. This week is all about the pros and cons of encouraging competition in our kids. In Kurt’s house, it’s an old-fashioned race to see who can put their shoes on first. He is trying to teach his daughter, Olive, how to tie her shoes but entering the ring is challenger and younger brother Gus, who isn’t going to pass up the chance to prove that his shoe game is even tighter (even though they're just velcro, kiddo). The Sklar Brothers reminisce about their own upbringing and how, rather than compete against each other, their drive was used to push one another to excel and become famous comedians. But that success comes with a competitive price when their own kids want to stage hilarious family roast battles. Nothing like mom, dad, and the kids bonding over attempting to one-up each other in planting deep-seated hatred and installing a foundation for the years of therapy ahead. Game on!

And remember, you can call our hotline and leave us questions, comments, or your own funny, totally anonymous “Circle Time” parenting story at 424-570-KIDS or you can email us at [email protected]. Just don't forget to start your story with, “I love my kid, but…” and maybe we'll use yours on air!

Listen to I Love My Kid, But... on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/i-love-my-kid-but/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week comedian Dan Levy joins Megan, Chris, and Kurt. They love their kids, BUT… why are the biggest parenting critics in your life the ones you’ve known the longest and also used to share a bathroom with? Family, it’s like riding a bike; you never forget how to do it and when you fall your siblings will always be there to laugh at you. After a very long family vacation, Megan realizes that all that old baggage and habits one develops with their siblings and parents through the years don’t magically go away when you become a parent. Nope, It’s still there lurking behind every parenting decision you make until it blows up like the Volcano Nachos at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville Restaurant. And Dan Levy talks about how his younger brother, with much less parenting experience than him, can’t stop giving unsolicited parenting advice. So this Thanksgiving, you may not be able to choose your family, but you can certainly choose to double the shots in the Last Mango In Paris Margherita to help cope. Happy Thanksgiving Buttheads!

And remember, you can call our hotline and leave us questions, comments, or your own funny, totally anonymous “Circle Time” parenting story at 424-570-KIDS or you can email us at [email protected]. Just don't forget to start your story with, “I love my kid, but…” and maybe we'll use yours on air!

Listen to I Love My Kid, But... on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/i-love-my-kid-but/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week comedian Natasha Leggero joins Megan, Chris, and Kurt. They love their kids, BUT…why does the idea of having only one child completely break other people’s brains? Chris has been getting the “So ya gonna have another one?” question a lot lately and quite frankly, he’s had it! Maybe the number of kids a couple chooses to have along with the fact that his wife nearly died in childbirth isn’t any of your business buddy! Natasha is also perfectly fine being in the “One and Done” club. While everyone’s quick to blurt out that a brother or sister would be good for an only child; Natasha felt her experience playing Cinderella to her younger siblings and waiting on them hand and foot isn’t something she wants for her daughter. And that’s ok! It’s the one and done convo that some of you nosey jerks need to hear. 

And remember, you can call our hotline and leave us questions, comments, or your own funny, totally anonymous “Circle Time” parenting story at 424-570-KIDS or you can email us at [email protected]. Just don't forget to start your story with, “I love my kid, but…” and maybe we'll use yours on air!

Listen to I Love My Kid, But... on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/i-love-my-kid-but/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week comedian Al Madrigal joins Megan, Chris, and Kurt. They love their kids, BUT...why is it easier to come up with a make-believe demon that will punish your kid if they don’t behave rather than just asking them to simply stop doing something? Chris prefers to communicate directly and honestly with his daughter when she’s doing something wrong. At the same time, his mother leans into fantastical threats and absurd, never-going-to-happen punishments to get results. And because parenting is a results-based business, Chris is a bit conflicted about which method works best. As someone with grown children, Al Madrigal brings a much-needed veteran presence to the I Love My Kid, But… locker room and imparts some wise advice for the parenting rookies; like encouraging them to be dorks, play a weird sport, and know how to order a vodka and soda without embarrassing yourself. And honestly, that’s what we all need to hear right now.  

And remember, you can call our hotline and leave us questions, comments, or your own funny, totally anonymous “Circle Time” parenting story at 424-570-KIDS or you can email us at [email protected]. Just don't forget to start your story with, “I love my kid, but…” and maybe we'll use yours on air!

Listen to I Love My Kid, But... on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/i-love-my-kid-but/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week comedian Bobby Moynihan joins Megan, Chris, and Kurt. They love their kids, BUT…it’s Halloween and even scarier than werewolves, zombies, and vampires is the first time installing a carseat for a newborn. Megan talks about the horror of coming up with a clever family costume idea, especially as a comedian. Better be funny! Bobby Moynihan recalls how everything with the first kid was absolutely terrifying but with his second kid, it’s like re-watching a horror movie. You know exactly when all the jump scares and frights happen, so no big whoop, play with those knives kiddo. Plus they all discuss the most frightening, terrifying, ghoulish aspect of parenting; doing the math to see how disgustingly old you’ll be when your kids finally leave the house (shutters). We’re stuck in this house of horrors for a long, long time, parents, so you might as well get out the kids' sack of Halloween candy and drown yourself in Snickers. Happy Halloween!

And remember, you can call our hotline and leave us questions, comments, or your own funny, totally anonymous “Circle Time” parenting story at 424-570-KIDS or you can email us at [email protected]. Just don't forget to start your story with, “I love my kid, but…” and maybe we'll use yours on air!

Listen to I Love My Kid, But... on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/i-love-my-kid-but/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week comedian Mike Lawrence joins Megan, Chris, and Kurt. They love their kids, BUT…Wait, what was I talking about? Oh right, why is parenting killing more of our brain cells than all of the collective drugs we've (allegedly) ever taken? Kurt laments that parenting has him so fried that he no longer can tell the difference between Among Us, Last Of Us, This Is Us, or a Thesaurus. But Mike Lawrence feels that parenting hasn’t made him dumber, but it has changed him in other ways. Like after trying to simultaneously finish dinner with one hand while a baby falls asleep in the other arm, telling jokes on stage doesn’t seem as important anymore. Maybe re-prioritizing what matters is a form of forgetting the old, so consider all of us parents great big dummies. 

And remember, you can call our hotline and leave us questions, comments, or your own funny, totally anonymous “Circle Time” parenting story at 424-570-KIDS or you can email us at [email protected]. Just don't forget to start your story with, “I love my kid, but…” and maybe we'll use yours on air!

Listen to I Love My Kid, But... on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/i-love-my-kid-but/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Spouse alert! This week Kurt is on the hot seat as his wife, actress Lauren Cook joins him, Megan, and Chris. They love their kids, BUT…Why are the best laid plans blown up in seconds, because the only thing you can expect from kids is the unexpected? Megan shares a story about a wonderful mini-family vacation she lovingly planned only to have it ruined by judgey moms, demonic puke, and a little too much prosecco. Lauren Cook has been listening to the pod and she has NOTES for Kurt! But mostly she just gives us some insight into Kurt, the dad, as they compare parenting styles and she dishes on how most of Kurt’s mood swings can be attributed to, much like their children, if his belly is full or not. Someone get Kurt a snack, because he can expect to be in for a long show. 

And remember, you can call our hotline and leave us questions, comments, or your own funny, totally anonymous “Circle Time” parenting story at 424-570-KIDS or you can email us at [email protected]. Just don't forget to start your story with, “I love my kid, but…” and maybe we'll use yours on air!

Listen to I Love My Kid, But... on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/i-love-my-kid-but/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.