We are thrilled to have Monica Packer with us in this episode as we chat all the things we THOUGHT we knew before we had kids. It was only a matter of time though before it became apparent just how little we knew. And boy, did our kids make that apparent. It's because of us that we have as much humility as we have ;)

We're thrilled to have a special guest with us today, Monica from About Progress. She's not just a fellow parent but also a passionate advocate for progress, especially in the messy journey of parenting. Monica is known for her expertise in supporting women, helping them live with purpose, and connecting with their greater potential.

If you haven't already, make sure to check out Monica's podcast, About Progress, and follow her on Instagram @aboutprogress. Trust us; she's a wealth of knowledge that you don't want to miss.

Getting to Know Monica:
We're diving right in! Monica, tell our listeners more about yourself and your mission. We know we can't do it justice, so we'd love to hear from you directly.

Parenting Realities:
Now, onto the real talk about parenting. A For Effort podcast aims to prevent unintentional birth control, but if you're on the fence about having kids, stick around—listen with open hearts and eyes. These real and raw insights from parents might just teach you something valuable.

Listener Submissions:
We asked our listeners to share what they thought they knew going into parenting but soon realized they knew nothing. Let's dive into some of these eye-opening submissions:

1. Magical Recoveries: Kids complaining about stomach pain is a daily occurrence, but the magical recovery when they cuddle up with a parent is a true miracle.
2. Fashion Expectations: Expectations of cute Janie and Jack outfits turned into the reality of the trendy, effortlessly disheveled looks.
3. Dirty Dishes Dilemma: The struggle with dirty dishes multiplying faster than rabbits, and the challenge of stacking them like a game of Jenga.
4. Co-Sleeping Confessions: From being against co-sleeping to just wanting to sleep – a candid revelation.
5. Patience Tested: Parenthood as a crash course in patience, with a reminder to be gentle on oneself.
6. Unexpected Affection for Kids: A surprising turn from not liking kids to realizing they're actually great, the essence of the A For Effort podcast.
7. Parenting Multiple Personalities: Parenting multiple kids compared to solving a Rubik's Cube – an ever-evolving challenge.
8. Freedom and the Little Sidekick: A reflection on the total lack of freedom with a little one always by your side.
9. Breastfeeding Expectations: The assumption that breastfeeding would be natural versus the reality.
10. Yelling and Parenthood: The unexpected realization of yelling despite hating it when parents yelled.
11. Adult Growth: The revelation that adults do the most growing in the parenting journey.
12. Sleep Struggles: The challenge of getting kids to sleep and the underestimation of its difficulty.
13. Eating as a Living Thing: The misconception that kids instinctively eat to survive.
14. Textbook vs. Parenting: The vast difference between textbook child development and the unpredictable reality of parenting.
15. Poop-Centric Conversations: How much of the day and conversations revolve around another person's poop.
16. Influence Over Behavior: The realization that having influence over children's behavior is more challenging than expected.
17. Parenting Feast: The humorous realization that parenting is simply the practice of eating your words.

Closing:
And there you have it, folks! We hope you enjoyed these honest and relatable insights into the world of parenting. Before we wrap up, take a minute to rate, review, comment, and share your thoughts. We appreciate each one of you and look forward to connecting with you in the next episode. Be a friend to everyone! Bye!