Parenting, apparently

Is there such a thing as safe social media for kids? If so, what does it actually take to build it?

This week, Melissa and Esther are joined by Leah Ringelstein, co-founder and CEO of Zigazoo, the kid-safe social media app designed to help children create mindfully instead of scroll. Before launching Zigazoo, Leah taught in Phoenix, Tanzania, and the Bronx, experiences that shaped her vision for a healthier online space for kids.

Leah shares how Zigazoo moderates every video before it reaches the feed, how the platform encourages kids to lead with positivity, and how its moderation system uses a detailed behaviour matrix to flag everything from inappropriate language to subtle sarcasm.

Beyond the inner workings of the app, the conversation explores the stigma parents face when letting kids use social media, and how platforms like Zigazoo can serve as a "practice playground" for building a healthier relationship with it. Leah explains how the app fosters digital citizenship and creativity instead of endless consumption, using positive role models to inspire kindness and empathy in young creators.

If you're wondering how to keep kids safe online, what healthy social media for kids could look like, or whether there really is a better alternative to TikTok and other platforms for children, this episode is for you.

Learn more about Zigazoo;

https://www.zigazoo.com/

Write in to us at [email protected]

Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team:

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Pok Pok YouTube

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Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play.

Learn more: https://playpokpok.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Esther and Melissa dive into the world of YouTube, AI slop, and the challenge of finding healthier media for kids. After creating their own low-stimulation kids’ channel, Studio Pok Pok, and navigating the YouTube Kids approval process, they question how so much low-quality content still reaches children and who should be responsible for changing that.

They share why neither family uses YouTube Kids at home, how content being on the platform doesn’t guarantee quality, and the problem with autoplay. They also unpack real examples of AI-generated kids’ content, from alphabet videos missing letters to confusing traffic safety lessons like “green means turn right.”

Beyond YouTube and AI, Esther and Melissa get personal about struggling with their own phone habits and how being the first generation to grow up alongside this technology shapes the concerns we have for our kids.

While this conversation may not leave you with answers, it offers honesty, reassurance, and new perspectives for families trying to build a healthier relationship with the media their kids consume.

Write in to us at [email protected]

Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team:

YouTube

Pok Pok YouTube

Instagram

Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play.

Learn more: https://playpokpok.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sam Doll is a musician, writer, filmmaker, and creator with over a million followers online. In this episode about finding yourself after kids, Sam joins Melissa and Esther to talk about the identity shift that comes with motherhood, postpartum struggles, and how becoming a mom has changed the way she shows up online.

Inspired by sharing their birth stories, they unpack why so much of parenting can feel like a competition and why the hard parts are talked about more than the joys of parenthood.

Sam also shares the story behind Riot Bbby, the maternity clothing line she created after getting frustrated with poorly designed maternity clothes.

Follow Sam!

https://www.tiktok.com/@sam_d0ll

https://www.instagram.com/sam_d0ll

Write in to us at [email protected]

Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team:

YouTube

Pok Pok YouTube

Instagram

Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play.

Learn more: https://playpokpok.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Courtney Phillips Spoehr, senior creative executive at Calm, joins Melissa and Esther to talk about summer parenting stress and the pressure of the “18 summers” mindset.

This conversation explores what real summer parenting looks like behind the highlight reel—from juggling work meetings, summer camps, and travel logistics to the guilt of not feeling present enough amid the overstimulation of the season.

They unpack the cultural pressure to “make every summer magical” and how that expectation often clashes with parents’ mental health and capacity. Each mom shares honest reflections on staying regulated in hard moments, what repair looks like after losing patience with your kids, and how it’s okay to grieve that things aren’t always as easy as we’d hoped.

Despite the pressure to create the best family memories, they point out how these often happen in the unplanned in-between moments. By protecting alone time and having realistic expectations, we can feel more present for the meaningful moments we’ve been chasing all along.

Learn more about our summer campaign with Calm:

https://playpokpok.com/blog/this-summer-myth-gives-parents-core-memory-anxiety/

Write in to us at [email protected]

Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team:

YouTube

Pok Pok YouTube

Instagram

Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play.

Learn more: https://playpokpok.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freya Lyon — known online as The Queer Mama — joins Melissa for a chat about queer parenting, donor conception, and how to answer kids’ questions honestly about identity, death, and their bodies.

Freya grew up donor-conceived in a two-mom family and is now raising her own two donor-conceived children with her wife, offering a second-generation perspective on queer family building.

In this episode, the pair explore raising children when the world outside the home doesn’t always reflect their values — inspired by Freya’s personal example of her daughter’s school potentially pulling back LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Freya shares how she’s navigating advocating for her family while not wanting to become “that parent at the school gates,” or intrude on her child’s safe space and autonomy.

They also cover topics like:

• Does being honest with kids help or confuse them more?
• Why Freya’s post about donor conception honesty went viral
• The intentionality that comes with creating queer families
• Book recommendations for talking to kids about diversity and inclusion

Follow Freya at:

https://www.instagram.com/thequeermama/?hl=en

And check out her book recommendations:

Mai Story Book Library - https://www.instagram.com/maistorybooklibrary/

Lucy Catchpole - https://thecatchpoles.net/books-by-lucy-and-james-catchpole/

Nosy Crow - https://nosycrow.us/

Julia Donaldson - https://www.juliadonaldson.co.uk/

Write in to us at [email protected]

Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team:

YouTube

Pok Pok YouTube

Instagram

Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play.

Learn more: https://playpokpok.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Parenting, apparently, Esther and Melissa sit down with Elan Lee, the award-winning game designer, storyteller, co-creator of Exploding Kittens, and, most importantly, a dad. Elan shares how becoming a parent changed the way he thinks about play, creativity, and game design—including how his 4-year-old daughter helped him create a successful line of preschool games.

Together, they explore what makes a games fun for both kids and adults, why children are often the best collaborators in creative game design, and how play can help kids build confidence, executive function, problem-solving skills, and emotional resilience. From board games and puzzles to pizza-making, boundaries, and the joy of watching your child get better at something, this episode is a thoughtful conversation about family play, child-led creativity, play-based learning, and designing experiences that respect our kids’ intelligence.

To learn more about Elan Lee:

https://www.elanlee.com/

And follow his Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@ElanLee

And find his games:

https://www.explodingkittens.com/

Write in to us at [email protected]

Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team:

YouTube

Pok Pok YouTube

Instagram

Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play.

Learn more: https://playpokpok.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Parenting, Apparently, Esther and Melissa sit down with developmental psychologist Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek to talk about why play is one of the most powerful ways children learn. From everyday moments like walking to daycare or waiting at a restaurant, to bigger questions about screen time, school readiness, and achievement pressure, they explore how parents can bring more curiosity, connection, and play into daily life without added stress.

Dr. Kathy shares why kids do not need perfect parents, flashcards, or constant milestone tracking to thrive. Instead, she makes the case for open-ended play, human interaction, and child-friendly environments that support creativity, language, problem-solving, and emotional development. For parents wondering how to help their kids learn without turning childhood into a race, this episode offers a grounded, science-backed reminder: play is not extra. Play is the work.

Learn more about Dr. Kathy's work:

https://kathyhirshpasek.com/

And find her book: Einstein Never Used Flashcards

Check out the study she mentions on human excellence and world class performance by Barth and Güllich:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41411418/

And her book recommendation "Raising Humans" by Dana Suskind:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/811792/human-raised-by-dana-suskind-md/

Write in to us at [email protected]

Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team:

YouTube

Pok Pok YouTube

Instagram

Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play.

Learn more: https://playpokpok.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Parenting, Apparently, Esther and Melissa speak with Ben Drury, co-founder and CEO of Yoto, the screen-free audio platform for kids designed to support independence, imagination, and choice in what children listen to.

Together, they explore what it means to design intentional media for kids, how their own parenting experiences shape their views on children’s technology, and reflecting on growing up with different forms of media.

The conversation moves beyond business into the real parenting questions behind products like Yoto and Pok Pok: how kids develop taste, why audio can support autonomy, and how families navigate screen time in a world of AI-generated content and addictive algorithms. Ben also shares how Montessori thinking and his experience as a parent shaped his approach to building for children.

For parents thinking about balancing calm screen time for kids, screen-free activities, and more thoughtful children’s media, this episode explores how different types of technology can support a healthier relationship with tech as kids grow.

To learn more about Yoto;

https://www.yotoplay.com

Write in to us at [email protected]

Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team:

YouTube

Pok Pok YouTube

Instagram

Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play.

Learn more: https://playpokpok.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Parenting, apparently, Esther and Melissa explore how parenting can make the world feel big again. From dinosaurs, outer space, and gemstones, to basketball, poisonous plants, and library deep dives, they talk about the strange and joyful ways kids’ niche interests reignite curiosity in adults, too. The conversation unpacks learning alongside our children, supporting open-ended play, respecting kids’ obsessions as meaningful, and finding ways to nurture curiosity without turning every moment into a lesson. It is a warm, funny episode about parenting, child development, fostering creativity, and the lifelong value of asking “why?”.

Write in to us at [email protected]

Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team:

YouTube

Pok Pok YouTube

Instagram

Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play.

Learn more: https://playpokpok.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when we reject “bounce-back” culture and bounce forward into who we’re actually becoming?

Marlie Cohen, founder of Bounce Forward, has joined Esther and Melissa for a chat that celebrates the postpartum transformation and eases the pressure of getting back to our former selves. Marlie shares how postpartum anxiety, physical injury, COVID, and two young children pushed her to reject the “bounce back” narrative and create a more realistic fitness platform for moms.

This isn’t just about exercise—It’s about designing supportive habits that respect the actual conditions of motherhood.

For more about Marlie and her company Bounce Forward Co;

https://www.instagram.com/kale_and_krunches/

https://www.bounceforwardco.com/

Write in to us at [email protected]

Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team:

YouTube

Pok Pok YouTube

Instagram

Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play.

Learn more: https://playpokpok.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.