Mom Curious

To continue the conversation, go ahead and follow @daniellarabbani on Instagram. Daniella met Jessi during the Spring semester of Freshman year at NYU. They were both studying acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting. And it was Passover. Jessi was eating Matzo straight from the box in the student lounge and Daniella yelped "OMG come to my parents uptown tonight. You need to eat." They've been family ever since. Jessi has become a mommy mentor to Daniella. In this episode you'll hear why. Here's Jessi's bio and some of the books and resources she recommends below. Enjoy! Visiblechild.com

Books:

Your Self Confident Baby- Magda Gerber

Unconditional Parenting- Alfie Kohn

Punished by Rewards- Alfie Kohn

The Whole Brain Child- Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

No-Drama Discipline- Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

It's OK Not to Share-Heather Shumaker

Best for practical application:

younger kids:

No Bad Kids- Janet Lansbury

How to talk so kids will listen- Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Older kids:

Raising Human Beings- Dr. Ross Greene

Parent Effectiveness Training- Dr. Thomas Gordon

Today, Daniella talks with Jessica Lane Weiss! Daniella and Jessica will dive into what RIE parenting is (1:30), and Jessica's parenting style (13:40). Jessica describes why radical trust is a major component of RIE (25:50) and shares with us some of the individual choices she gives her children around clothes which lead to facing criticism as a parent (35:50).

Jessica opens up about how RIE has benefited her in her other relationships (42:55), and one of her favorite parenting resources (47:00). Lastly, Jessica shares her parting advice (49:00).

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MALYNDA HALE IS A SINGER/SONGWRITER, ACTRESS, ENTREPRENEUR & ACTIVIST. You can follow her brilliant voice @malyndahale on Instagram. And as always, Daniella is @daniellarabbani. This is a very special episode in honor of Black History Month. We hope you enjoy and feel free to keep the conversation going.

Today, Daniella talks with actress/singer and activist Malynda Hale! Daniella and Malynda will dive into Malynda's faith (2:20), and her advocacy for the Jewish community (4:45). Malynda will also share her thoughts on how we can move the needle further for the black community and why education is so important (11:21). Malynda discusses how she feels about mothering while being an activist (24:08), and how she is able to show up in her life with so much energy (28:36). Malynda shares with us what self-care looks like for her now (36:33).

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Beth Ann Hopkins is an Actor, Singer, Director, Foley Artist and Country Mouse.

After feeling embraced by the Carroll Gardens community of Brooklyn, she decided to co-found a theater company there entitled, SMITH STREET STAGE with her now husband Jonathan Hopkins. Twelve years, 20+ production and hundreds of performances later, she has been blessed to work on Queens, Fools, Warriors and Lovers and she wouldn't have it any other way.

When honing her own directorial style, she enjoys the movement of theater, using View Points, Suzuki, Modern Dance, acrobatics, fabrics and a variety of other physical techniques.

She longs for a future when live theater is well funded, when Artists have the time and space to create thoughtful pieces of work, and when the Parks Department will let her hang sails from the trees.

Today, Daniella talks with Beth Ann Hopkins about adopting her son and her experience in the theater industry! Daniella and Beth Ann will dive into how she met her husband working in the theater (1:51), her adopted son Calvin Dean Hopkins (4:33), and making the decision to adopt (10:18). Beth Ann will also share her experience of her son’s birth and adoption protocol (15:40). Beth Ann goes in depth about directing Measure for Measure in the current political climate (25:15), and her consciousness of her son's race (34:40). Daniella and Beth Ann discuss mothering as a community (44:50) and raising kids in NYC (48:20). Beth Ann gives us her thoughts on adopting older children (53:38), and her parting words for anyone looking into adoption (1:06:39).

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Laura Danger is a Certified Life Coach, Licensed Educator, Community Advocate and Certified Fair Play Facilitator who believes domestic labor is labor. Through her online platform, her one on one and group coaching and retreats, she helps individuals and couples live more balanced, equitable lives both inside and outside of the home.

Today, Daniella talks with Laura Danger about the common power dynamics seen in heteronormative relationships. Daniella and Laura will discuss how these unfair dynamics can be shifted through Fair Play (8:58), what weaponized incompetence looks like (23:12), and why everyone needs their Unicorn Space (33:19). Laura will also share her advice on the best question to ask your partner before having kids (41:06).

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Micaela Ezra is an illustrator, designer and writer. She shares teachings on Jewish spirituality and ritual, fusing ancient wisdom with modern meaning. She is the founder of AHYIN, a boutique collection of contemporary Judaica objects, created with artisan communities across the globe.

Introducing Micaela Ezra (4:50)! Daniella and Micaela discuss the divine and spiritual in New York CIty (14:37), how Micaela found herself on a path of spiritual learning (21:03), and what Micaela’s spiritual practice looks like now (27:00).

They’ll also focus on self forgiveness and it’s spiritual ties (33:57), and how Micaela stays connected with three children (41:03)!

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Lulu Brud is an actress (Ray Donovan, Pretty Little Liars, etc) and interior designer. In 2020, she took a big pivot, moving her young family from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree, where she really leaned into her love of interior design. She now runs a boutique vacation rental company (Hi Dez Mgmt) where she manages and develops properties with a heavy design focus to help create memorable experiences in the high deserts of California. She is a Momma to Wilder, a 3 year old who has really started growing into his name.

In this episode, Daniella chats with Lulu Brud about Lulu’s advocacy for abortion access and its need to be treated as healthcare (5:20). She will touch on the difficulty she faced finding a doctor who would perform a D&E abortion (15:10), how she dealt with sharing the news of losing her daughter late into her pregnancy (28:15), and the difficulties in accessing abortion – now and before the overturning of Roe v Wade (34:15).

Lulu will also discuss how long it took her to get pregnant again after her loss (40:13) and which actress she admires for her abortion advocacy and sharing of resources (47:17).

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This episode, Daniella takes a look back on 2022 and the goals of her work with Mom Curious (0:50). She’ll discuss what lessons she’s taken away from the interviews (3:04), the pressure mothers’ face (7:56), and what topic she wants to cover in 2023 (11:20).

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Natasha started the blog in 2012 when her twin daughters were 18 months; which was when her childrens book Any Two Can be TwinDollicious received a Mom’s choice Award. This led to the build of a community which continues to thrive today. As a mom of 3; she continues to nourish her audience with tips, tools and content that serves them best. Our TwinDollicious & co readers engage in our social media posts for influence in creating a sibling bonded lifestyle. “As a writer, I blog about family lifestyle with fashionable twins who are bonded through things in common.” We cover travel, lifestyle hacks and diy fun, product reviews, as well as events in and around NYC.

Introducing Natasha D’Anna (1:43)! Daniella and Natasha will dive into the behavioral therapy and the family system (7:00), how Natasha managed the news of twins (17:54) and Natasha’s company Twindollicious (21:53)!

They’ll also dive into Natasha’s creative process – and how it connects to her family history (28:20)! Lastly, they’ll cover Natasha’s amazing ability to not be tied down by labels or roles (33:42)!

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Nora Fiffer is a writer, director, and actor based in Chicago and New Hampshire. A graduate of NYU Tisch and The School at Steppenwolf, Nora co-founded Firelight Theatre Workshop, which is dedicated to creating immersive, site-specific projects. She is a Jeff Nominated actor and was awarded Best Director by the New Hampshire Theatre Alliance.

Nora is currently in post-production on Another Happy Day, is a postpartum depression comedy and her debut feature. Tune in to listen to Daniella and Nora, old classmates, chat about filmmaking and motherhood in this candid conversation.

Daniella and Nora will dive into Nora’s life and career (1:09), how she got into writing and directing (14:45), and how the pandemic affected family life (21:56). They’ll also bond over their shared mission to speak candidly about motherhood (31:03) and how this mission influenced Nora’s feature film, Another Happy Day (36:48). Finally, they’ll talk about how other film sets differ in comparison to the production of Another Happy Day (48:10).

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Just in time for Hannuka, Daniella sits down with Lori Hoch Stiefel, PJ Library Engagement Officer. PJ Library sends free high-quality storybooks and activities to families with kids from birth through age 12. These stories spark conversation and inspire the whole family to engage with what is most meaningful to them about being Jewish. Created by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, the program is made possible through partnerships with philanthropists and local Jewish organizations. To learn more and sign up, visit pjlibrary.org.

Listen along as Daniella and Lori discuss what PJ Library is (1:34), the importance of representation in children’s literature and media (9:03), and Jewish representation in mainstream media overall (23:37).

They’ll also cover the tough topics of discussing antisemitism with their children (29:17), and how joy and pride is such an important part of building a strong community and foundation (45:08).

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