Halloween is a huge holiday with consumers, with billions spent each year. We're talking about our own Halloween experiences and where we've landed these days with trick-or-treating. Where does Halloween come from anyway? Does it matter if or how we celebrate it?

Jessica Patay, a mom of 3 from Los Angeles, CA, isn't fearless. But she is brave. She's formed a support organization and completed an anthology of stories from moms like her, moms whose expectations of motherhood turned out differently from what they'd imagined. One of her sons has Prater-Willi syndrome, a genetic disorder that they've learned to not only live with, but that has spawned an incredible outreach of support and community.

wearebravetogether.org

Brave Together podcast

the Becoming Brave Together book

Older children need different guidance. There are some real transitions going on between parenting an elementary aged child and an adolescent/teen--for both parents and kids. They should be gaining responsibility and earning some freedom, while parents shift from directive guidance to a more influential role. We talk about many of those transitions and some of the issues that arise during these sometimes bumpy years.

The gig of motherhood. If we do it right and all goes according to plan, we end up with children who leave and make their own way in the world. It's the most all consuming thing for parents aannnddd then it isn't. On this episode, we're reflecting on what the empty nest felt like initially and how it's going.

Attorney and mom, Melissa Hogan, wrote the first book of its kind when her son was handed a challenging diagnosis. As she's navigated the health care system and learned how to care for her son and herself in the process, Melissa recognized the need to help all parents prevent and manage medical trauma. In our conversation she talks through some practical and surprising things parents can do with their children--even for routine pediatric doctor and dental visits--that can help allay fears and smooth the process.

Afraid of the Doctor

One of the first major transitions a child has is the first day of school. We talk to two seasoned kindergarten teachers who give us great tips on what's really important for kids to know and practice before they start school, and some helpful advice for parents, too. Kindergarten is about way more than learning letters and numbers. How do you know when your child is ready?

Grocery prices have skyrocketed and the average family struggles to afford feeding their family every week. Mandy is a real-life, regular mom who has figured it out. She's got easy and delicious meal plans with shopping lists and normal ingredients for busy families--even if cooking isn't your thing. We tried some of her recipes and gave them two thumbs UP!!

Plandy Mandy Meal Plans

LISTENER DISCOUNT CODE: MOM30

Student debt can be a hot button subject! We wanted to see how it looked from a student's point of view. This episode is our conversation with a student recently out of grad school, with the student loans to prove it. Savannah Cunningham (Bonnie's daughter) taught us a thing or two and offers some on-the-ground tips for families with high school or college students navigating the minefields of student debt.

Many of us have looping tapes playing in our heads with a soundtrack that's largely negative. With a little practice and some small habits, we can arrest these toxic thoughts before they gain a foothold and hijack our relationships, success, and joy. And, we can teach our kiddos early on how to do this, too!

How we tell our stories determines how we see ourselves and the world. How do we frame a failure or diappointment? How do we recount a struggle? But it's not just all about the spin. In this episode, our conversation covers learning how to tell better, truer stories in order to find those glimmers of joy.

Marcus Warner's book: The Four Habits of Joy-Filled People