Life Kit: Parenting

By NPR

Kids & Family

What's Life Kit: Parenting about?

Is Santa Claus real? What happened to the cat? Why is that kid's skin color different? Raising children means facing tough questions. Sesame Workshop's child development experts have 50 years of experience with giving answers. They help us handle three sensitive subjects: magic, race, and death.

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Finding The Perfect Name Fo...

05.06.2021

Picking a name for a baby can be overwhelming. With all the possibilities out in the world, it can be hard to even begin to choose. On this episode of Life Kit, host Diana Opong speaks with baby naming experts ...

Life Kit: Parenting episodes:

05.06.2021 Finding The Perfect Name For Your Baby Picking a name for a baby can be overwhelming. With all the possibilities out in the world, it can be hard to even begin to choose. On this episode of Life Kit, host Diana Opong speaks with baby naming experts ...
04.12.2021 Navigating Life After Pregnancy Loss Despite how common pregnancy loss is, families often suffer in silence. In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, Life Kit teamed up with the hosts of the podcast docuseries NATAL to share stories from parents who have experienced loss, and ...
04.10.2021 Raising Boys To Be Feminists Author Sonora Jha shares insights from her memoir, How To Raise A Feminist Son, which includes practical to-do lists about how to handle some of the hardest conversations with sons.
04.01.2021 Raising Kids Who Help With Chores Raising kids who pitch in around your home doesn't require bribes or a chore chart. Kids want to help – and parents can nurture that desire by including them in age-appropriate ways.
03.27.2021 Talking With Kids About Anti-Asian Racism Navigating conversations with kids around race and racism can be tricky. Here's what to think about while talking to kids about the rise in anti-Asian attacks and the shootings in Atlanta earlier this month.
03.25.2021 Helping Teens Cope With Mental Health Struggles Over a year into the pandemic, many teens are missing milestones and struggling with their mental health. Here's how to spot red flags and when to get help.
03.01.2021 Deciding When To Have A Baby Whether you've always wanted to be a parent or not, starting a family is a big decision. The pandemic makes it even tougher. In this episode, experts talk through what to consider.
01.07.2021 What To Tell Kids When The News Is Scary When the headlines are terrifying, how can parents make sure kids get the facts without traumatizing them? Whether it's a school shooting, a global pandemic or an insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, child development experts have some advice. (This episode ...
12.10.2020 Helping Kids (And Parents) Cope During COVID-19 Kids and teens have had their lives upended by COVID-19. Here's what parents can do to help them stay positive and feel supported.
11.16.2020 Transforming Kids' Worries Into Superpowers Kids have anxiety — but it's not always a bad thing. Renee Jain and Dr. Shefali Tsabary have some ideas about how to help children use those feelings to their advantage.
11.02.2020 How To Raise Good Citizens Now is a good time to talk to the kids in your life about how to engage in civics. Here's a primer from our Life Kit parenting team.
10.22.2020 FAFSA 2020: Here's How To Apply For College Financial Aid The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is now open to potential college students to fill out. Here's how to fill out the form to get money for college — and why you should apply now instead of waiting.
09.08.2020 A Simple Equation to Help Kids Love Math Math anxiety is real for kids and adults. But parents can help. The solution goes beyond equations and textbooks.
08.13.2020 How To Make Sure Your Child Learns This School Year This school year, families with children are in a serious bind. Whether you're looking for options for childcare or need resources to keep your kid entertained, this episode will walk through some ideas to think about.
07.21.2020 How To Work With — Not Against — Screen Time Some parents think the best way to manage a child's screen time is to set hard limits. But those rules are particularly difficult to keep during a pandemic, when screens are a lifeline for all of us. So what should ...
06.22.2020 Kids Know How To Occupy Themselves. We Need To Let Them Do It American parents often feel like event planners for their kids. There's a pressure to make sure kids are entertained and content every minute of the day. NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff says kids can be trained to occupy themselves.
06.11.2020 Discussing 'The Talk' It's Been A Minute host Sam Sanders talks with his colleague Kenya Young, executive producer of Morning Edition and mother of three boys about "the talk" — The series of conversations black parents have with their kids, particularly their sons, ...
06.04.2020 How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race NPR's Michel Martin talks with Jennifer Harvey, author of Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America, about how to talk with white kids about racially charged events — and how to keep the conversation going. If ...
05.28.2020 Be Honest And Concrete: Tips For Talking To Kids About Death Whether it's a family pet or a loved one, every child will experience a death at some point — and their parents will likely struggle to explain it. This episode, we revisit the Mr. Hooper episode of Sesame Street, which ...
05.26.2020 Decision Day Is Almost Here. Here's How To Decide For An Unknown Future While it's hard to know what college will look like this fall, college decision day is almost here. So what can students do to make a sound choice during this uncertain time? Education reporter Elissa Nadworny gives an update on ...
05.12.2020 When Will This Be Over? Sesame Workshop's Tips For Parenting During A Pandemic Many parents are struggling right now — juggling kids at home 24/7 and coping with their own losses. In this episode, Rosemarie Truglio, a developmental psychologist and senior vice president of curriculum and content at Sesame Workshop, offers helpful pandemic ...
05.10.2020 Sesame Street's Grover On Coping During Coronavirus: Just For Kids Hey kids! Sesame Street's Grover is here and he's got some great ideas for making your days brighter during coronavirus. Grover explains how to make virtual play dates more fun, how to daydream and how to be a helper.
05.08.2020 Kid-Friendly TV Show Recommendations Parenting during self-isolation can be challenging, and let's be honest — sometimes screen time helps you just get through the day. Our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour offer TV recommendations for those with young kids at home.
04.02.2020 Here's How To Pick A College During The Coronavirus Pandemic The coronavirus pandemic is making college decisions more complicated. This episode answers the burning questions: How do I get a hold of final transcripts if my school is closed? How do I decide on a school I can't visit? What ...
03.24.2020 6 Tips For Homeschooling During Coronavirus Tens of millions of parents are homeschooling their kids during the coronavirus. Here's a realistic guide to keeping kids engaged and everyone sane. Hint: this is a good time for passion projects and sleeping in a bit.
03.13.2020 Coronavirus And Parenting: What You Need To Know Now Life Kit answers your questions about parenting and the coronavirus.
03.12.2020 'Big Mouth' Creators On Embracing The Awkwardness Of Puberty Life Kit talks to the Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg, the creator's of Netflix's 'Big Mouth' about sex education.
02.11.2020 What Your Teen Wishes You Knew About Sex Education Consent, dating, masturbation, porn. It can be difficult talking with teens about sex and relationships. NPR's Life Kit has a few tips to help make those conversations with your kids a little easier.
02.06.2020 Helping A Child Whose Parent Is Struggling With Addiction What can you do if you suspect a child is being impacted by a family member's addiction? Experts say you don't need to be an addiction expert, just a caring adult. This episode offers guidance to help a kid through ...
01.28.2020 What Is Postpartum Depression? Recognizing The Signs And Getting Help One in seven women experiences postpartum depression. But it's easy to feel alone — especially when you're told having a baby is supposed to be blissful. This episode helps both struggling moms and loved ones identify the symptoms and find ...
12.17.2019 The Birds And The Bees — How To Talk To Children About Sex Sex, genitals, consent, self-touching — it's tricky to talk to younger kids about these topics. This episode helps parents get past the confusion and embarrassment around sex education so they can raise healthy, responsible kids.
10.29.2019 How To Help A Child Struggling With Anxiety When is your kid just scared of the dark and when are they dealing with a larger anxiety disorder? This episode will teach you how to help a child with anxiety and reach them in stressful moments.
10.24.2019 How To Talk To Kids About Climate Change Today's kids are bombarded with the realities of climate change — whether through extreme weather or in the news. These tips will help you and your kids cope with the overwhelming feelings to move beyond helplessness and toward action.
10.15.2019 Rethinking Brilliance: Raising Caring, Collaborative Kids We all want our kids to succeed, but that doesn't mean running math drills. Author Kathy Hirsh-Pasek explains the "6 C's" that kids need to thrive and why raising brilliant kids starts with redefining brilliant.
09.18.2019 From First Phones To Online Porn: Answers To Your Screentime Questions NPR's Life Kit answers parents' questions about their kids' screen use. Education consultant Ana Homayoun says it's all about empowering your kids to make good decisions when you're not around.
06.28.2019 Parents, Check Your Own Screen Habits From distracted parenting to "sharenting," an honest look at our own use of electronic media can make us into more skillful parents and better role models. Here's what to remember: - Put your phone away whenever possible when you're with ...
06.26.2019 The Darker Side Of Screen Time Emotional outbursts. Lost sleep. These are signs that your kids are spending too much time with digital devices. Here's what you can do about it. Here's what to remember: - Pay attention to your children's emotional relationship with screens, not ...
06.24.2019 The Brighter Side of Screen Time The family that plays video games together, stays together. When parents become digital mentors, children can learn empathy, resilience, and prepare for future careers. Here's how to harness the advantages of screen time. Here's what to remember: - Whenever possible, ...
05.31.2019 'We Wanted To Show Children Real Life': Sesame Street's Sonia Manzano Actress Sonia Manzano is beloved by millions as Maria on Sesame Street. Her character on TV mirrored many of Manzano's real-life milestones, like marriage and motherhood (Elmo served as ring bearer for Maria's wedding on the show). She also wrote ...
05.17.2019 What Cookie Monster Taught Us About Self-Control Self-regulation skills, including self-control, help us reach our goals, learn in school and get along with others. Millions of children struggle to develop them. We talk to experts for strategies to teach these skills — and get some very special ...
05.15.2019 Raising Kids Who Love Math — Even If You Don't By some estimates, up to 93% of American adults have some degree of math anxiety. The problem often starts in elementary school, but parents can do a lot to fix it. We talk to experts to get some some unexpected ...
05.13.2019 Kindness Can Be Taught. Here's How Most kids value success and achievement more than caring for others, according to Harvard's Making Caring Common project. Who is to blame? We are. We talk to experts for ideas on how to do better, and why. Here's what to ...
04.30.2019 NPR News: 04-30-2019 2PM ET NPR News: 04-30-2019 2PM ET
04.29.2019 Actor Patricia Arquette Arquette has won awards for her performances in 'Escape at Dannemora,' 'Boyhood' and 'Medium.' She currently stars in 'The Act' on Hulu, based on the real-life story of Dee Dee Blanchard, a woman who falsely convinced her daughter, Gypsy Rose, ...
04.27.2019 NPR Politics Live From Philadelphia: The Road To 2020 This is a special episode, recorded in front of a live audience at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Friday, April 26th. The cast heads to the heart of the blue wall that secured his win in 2016. With ...
04.27.2019 Best Of: 'Lear' Actor Glenda Jackson / Baseball History In 10 Pitches The 82-year-old British actor is currently playing Shakespeare's famed tragic figure on Broadway — a role traditionally played by a man. "As we get older, those absolute barriers that define gender begin to crack," she says. Jackson took a 23-year ...
04.26.2019 The Zombies & Roxy Music Head To The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame The 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees include the Zombies and Roxy Music. We listen back to archival interviews with Colin Blunstone of the Zombies, and Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno of Roxy Music. Also, John Powers reviews ...
04.26.2019 Keeping Secrets Who should get to keep secrets, and who should demand to know them? In this hour, TED speakers talk about the damage secrets can do, and the shifting roles we play when we keep, or share them. In a special ...
04.25.2019 Weekly Roundup: Thursday, April 25 After months of oscillating speculation former Vice President Joe Biden has announced that he will run for president in 2020. Plus, Democrats subpoena former White house counsel Don McGahn to testify about findings in the Mueller Report. This episode: White ...
04.25.2019 The Revelations And Redactions Of The Mueller Report 'Washington Post' investigative reporter Rosalind Helderman broke some of the big stories on the Trump's team's ties to Russia. She co-wrote commentary and analysis for the Post's publication of the Mueller report. Helderman notes what's new in the report, the ...

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