Parenting: Difficult Conversations

By NPR

What's Parenting: Difficult Conversations 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.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Parenting: Difficult Conversations episodes:

02.24.2022
What to say to kids when the news is scary
Whether a school shooting or a deadly tornado, scary events in the news can leave parents struggling to know when — and how — they should talk with their kids about it. Rosemarie Truglio of Sesame Workshop and Tara Conley,...
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. We revisit the Mr. Hooper episode of Sesame Street, which provides a...
11.28.2019
Is It OK To Lie About Santa And The Tooth Fairy?
Magical thinking is part of childhood, and when it comes to characters like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, parents often play along with elaborate charades. Here's what to do when kids start aging out of the magic and asking...
11.25.2019
Special Announcement From Life Kit
Life Kit is excited to bring you more episodes but we're making some changes to how we organize things. Starting in the new year, this three-part guide will disappear, but all of the episodes will still be available — they...
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...
04.29.2019
Live Episode! Peloton: John Foley
John Foley started climbing the rungs of the corporate ladder at a young age, first as a fast food server and eventually as an e-commerce executive. Still, at 40, he couldn't climb out of bed fast enough to make it...
04.26.2019
'What If We Lived In Two Houses?' Talking Kids Through Divorce
Even the most amicable split is world-changing for young children. Here are a few key tips for grown-ups trying to help their kids navigate this big transition.
04.26.2019
The Problem With Toy Guns And Princesses
Whether it's mini-makeup kits, gross-smelling slime or semi-automatic foam-dart guns, every parent or caregiver has fielded requests for toys that they're just not that into. Here's when you should worry.
04.26.2019
Talking Race With Young Children
Even babies notice differences like skin color, eye shape and hair texture. Here's how to handle conversations about race, racism, diversity and inclusion, even with very young children.
04.26.2019
Introduction To Parenting: Difficult Conversations
Is Santa Claus real? What happened to the cat? Why do I have different skin color from other kids? Raising children means facing tough questions. Sesame Workshop's child development experts have 50 years of experience with giving answers. In this...
04.22.2019
Bumble: Whitney Wolfe
At age 22, Whitney Wolfe helped launch Tinder, one of the world's most popular dating apps. But a few years later, she left Tinder and filed a lawsuit against the company alleging sexual harassment. The ensuing attention from the media...
04.15.2019
Men's Wearhouse: George Zimmer
In 1970, George Zimmer was a college graduate with no real job prospects and little direction. That's when his father, an executive at a boy's clothing company, asked him to go on an important business trip to Asia. It was...
04.08.2019
Chez Panisse: Alice Waters
In the 1960s, Alice Waters studied abroad in France – and discovered a culinary world far from the processed food popular in America. When she returned to California, she tried to find restaurants to recreate her experiences abroad, but she...
04.01.2019
Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes
In the late 1980s, a New Zealand engineer named Keith Alexander wanted to buy a trampoline for his kids. After his wife said trampolines were too dangerous, Keith set out to design his own — a safer trampoline, without metal...
03.25.2019
Compaq Computers: Rod Canion
In 1981, engineer Rod Canion left Texas Instruments and co-founded Compaq, which created the first IBM-compatible personal computer. This opened the door to an entire industry of PCs that could run the same software. PLUS for our postscript "How You...
03.18.2019
Away: Jen Rubio
In early 2015, Jen Rubio was racing through an airport to catch a flight when her suitcase broke, leaving a trail of clothing behind her. She tried to replace it with a stylish, durable, affordable suitcase — but she couldn't...
03.11.2019
Logic: Logic & Chris Zarou
In 2010, Logic the rapper, born as Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, released his first official mixtape titled "Young, Broke & Infamous." At 20 years old, Logic certainly was young and broke, and while crashing on a friend's couch, he...
03.04.2019
Squarespace: Anthony Casalena
Like many classic technology stories, Squarespace started in a college dorm room. In 2003, 21-year-old Anthony Casalena created a website-building tool for himself. But after hearing some positive feedback from friends, he decided to put the tool online and start...
02.25.2019
Eileen Fisher: Eileen Fisher
In 1983, Eileen Fisher signed up for a fashion trade show with no experience, no garments, no patterns or sketches – nothing but a few ideas for a women's clothing line focused on simplicity. Within three weeks, she came up...
02.18.2019
Burt's Bees: Roxanne Quimby
In the 1970s, Roxanne Quimby was trying to live a simpler life – one that rejected the pursuit of material comforts. She moved to Maine, built a cabin in the woods, and lived off the grid. By the mid-80s, she...
02.11.2019
TOMS: Blake Mycoskie
Blake Mycoskie started and sold four businesses before age 30. But only in Argentina did he discover the idea he'd want to pursue long term. After seeing a shoe drive for children, he came up with TOMS — part shoe...
02.04.2019
JetBlue Airways: David Neeleman
In the mid-90s, David Neeleman wanted to launch a new airline. He had already co-created a regional airline out of Salt Lake City that was acquired by Southwest. And despite his admiration of Southwest's business model, Neeleman felt there was...
01.28.2019
Canva: Melanie Perkins
When she was just 19 years old, Melanie Perkins dreamt of transforming the graphic design and publishing industries. But she started small, launching a site to make yearbook design simpler and more collaborative. Her success with that first venture —...
01.21.2019
Bonobos: Andy Dunn
When Andy Dunn was in business school, his housemate Brian Spaly created a new type of men's pants: stylish, tailored trousers that fit well in both the hips and thighs. Together, they started the men's clothing company Bonobos, which became...
01.14.2019
Five Guys: Jerry Murrell
Jerry Murrell's mother used to tell him, you can always make money if you know how to make a good burger. In 1986 — after failing at a number of business ideas — Murrell opened a tiny burger joint in...
01.07.2019
SoulCycle: Julie Rice & Elizabeth Cutler
Before Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice met, they shared a common belief: New York City gyms didn't have the kind of exercise classes they craved, and each of them wanted to change that. A fitness instructor introduced them over lunch...
01.04.2019
Remembering Herb Kelleher
The co-founder and former CEO of Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher, has died. He was 87. We are grateful Herb shared his story with us in 2016. We are republishing it as a tribute to his life and career, in which...
12.31.2018
Kickstarter: Perry Chen
In the early 2000s, Perry Chen was trying to put on a concert in New Orleans when he thought, what if fans could fund this in advance? His idea didn't work at the time, but he and his co-founders spent...
12.24.2018
The Chipmunks: Ross Bagdasarian Jr. & Janice Karman
Years after his father created a hit singing group of anthropomorphic rodents called The Chipmunks, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. made it his mission to revive his dad's beloved characters. Over the last 40 years, Ross Jr. and his wife Janice have...
12.20.2018
Lisa Price Of Carol's Daughter At The HIBT Summit
It's our final episode in our series from this year's How I Built This Summit! Today, we're featuring Lisa Price of the beauty brand Carol's Daughter. When Lisa sat down with Guy Raz in October, she described how her business...
12.17.2018
Live Episode! Dollar Shave Club: Michael Dubin
At the end of 2010, Michael Dubin was working in marketing when he met a guy named Mark Levine at a holiday party. Mark was looking for ideas to get rid of a massive pile of razors he had sitting...
12.13.2018
Stitch Fix's Katrina Lake At The HIBT Summit
Today we have another live episode from the How I Built This Summit, featuring Katrina Lake of Stitch Fix. Katrina sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco in October to discuss building culture...
12.10.2018
Burton Snowboards: Jake Carpenter
In 1977, 23-year-old Jake Carpenter set out to design a better version of the Snurfer, a stand-up sled he loved to ride as a teenager. Working by himself in a barn in Londonderry, Vermont, he sanded and whittled stacks of...
12.06.2018
Airbnb's Joe Gebbia At The HIBT Summit
Next in our series of episodes from the How I Built This Summit: Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb. Joe sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco, and talked about why he and his...
12.03.2018
ActOne Group: Janice Bryant Howroyd
In the late 1970s Janice Bryant Howroyd moved to Los Angeles and began temping as a secretary. She soon realized there were many other young people in situations similar to hers. So with $1,500 in her pocket, Janice rented an...
11.29.2018
Lyft's John Zimmer At The HIBT Summit
Next up in our series of episodes from the How I Built This Summit: John Zimmer, co-founder of Lyft. John sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco last month to talk about Lyft's...
11.26.2018
Live Episode! Glossier: Emily Weiss
In 2010, while working as a fashion assistant at Vogue, Emily Weiss started a beauty blog called Into The Gloss. She quickly attracted a following of devoted readers hooked on the blog's intimate snapshots of style makers' beauty routines. Within...
11.22.2018
Method's Adam Lowry And Eric Ryan At The HIBT Summit
This episode from the How I Built This Summit features Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, co-founders of Method cleaning products. Adam and Eric joined Guy Raz live on stage at the Summit in San Francisco, to talk the highs and...
11.19.2018
Whole Foods Market: John Mackey
In 1978, college drop-out John Mackey scraped together $45,000 to open his first health food store, "Safer Way." A few years later he co-founded Whole Foods Market — and launched an organic food revolution that helped change the way Americans...
11.15.2018
Rent The Runway's Jenn Hyman At The HIBT Summit
Our first episode from the How I Built This Summit features Jenn Hyman, co-founder of Rent The Runway, a designer clothing rental service that pulls in $100 million a year. When Jenn sat down with Guy Raz for a live...
11.12.2018
DoorDash: Tony Xu
In 2013, Tony Xu was brainstorming ideas for a business school project when he identified a problem he wanted to solve: food delivery. For most restaurants, it was too costly and inefficient, leaving most of the market to pizza and...
11.05.2018
Barre3: Sadie Lincoln
Sadie Lincoln and her husband, Chris, had what seemed like the perfect life – well-paying jobs, a house in the Bay Area, two kids. But one day they decided to sell everything and start a new business called Barre3: a...
10.29.2018
Betterment: Jon Stein
When Jon Stein realized he couldn't stand the sight of blood, he gave up the idea of becoming a doctor. Instead, he went into finance, but soon grew restless with "helping banks make more money." So he decided to build...
10.22.2018
Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell
At age 40, Bobby Trussell's promising career in horse racing hit a dead end. With bills to pay and a family to support, he stumbled across a curious product that turned into a lifeline: squishy-squashy memory foam. He jumped at...
10.15.2018
Rent The Runway: Jenn Hyman
Jenn Hyman got the idea for Rent the Runway in 2008, after she watched her sister overspend on a new dress rather than wear an old one to a party. Jenn and her business partner built a web site where...
10.08.2018
method: Adam Lowry & Eric Ryan
In the late 1990s, Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan took on the notion that "green doesn't clean" by setting out to make soap that could clean a bathtub without harming the environment. Adam started experimenting with baking soda, vinegar, and...
10.01.2018
Cisco Systems & Urban Decay: Sandy Lerner
In the pre-Internet 1970's, Sandy Lerner was part of a loosely-knit group of programmers that was trying to get computers to talk to each other. Eventually, she and Len Bosack launched Cisco Systems, making the routing technology that helped forge...
09.24.2018
Power Rangers: Haim Saban
As a refugee growing up in Tel Aviv, Haim Saban remembers not having enough money to eat. As an adult, he hustled his way into the entertainment business, writing theme songs for classic cartoons like Inspector Gadget and Heathcliff. But...
09.17.2018
Bobbi Brown Cosmetics: Bobbi Brown
Bobbi Brown started out as a makeup artist in New York City, but hated the gaudy color palette of the 1980s. She eventually shook up the industry by introducing "nude makeup" with neutral colors and a natural tone. In 1995,...
09.10.2018
Live Episode! New Belgium Brewing Company: Kim Jordan
In 1991 newlyweds Kim Jordan and Jeff Lebesch took out a second mortgage on their home in Fort Collins, Colorado to start a craft brewery in their basement. Jeff had been inspired by the fruit and spice-infused beers he had...

What's Parenting: Difficult Conversations about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Parenting: Difficult Conversations episodes:

What to say to kids when the news is scary

Be Honest And Concrete: Tips For Talking To Kids About Death

Is It OK To Lie About Santa And The Tooth Fairy?

Special Announcement From Life Kit

'We Wanted To Show Children Real Life': Sesame Street's Sonia Manzano

Live Episode! Peloton: John Foley

'What If We Lived In Two Houses?' Talking Kids Through Divorce

The Problem With Toy Guns And Princesses

Talking Race With Young Children

Introduction To Parenting: Difficult Conversations

Bumble: Whitney Wolfe

Men's Wearhouse: George Zimmer

Chez Panisse: Alice Waters

Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes

Compaq Computers: Rod Canion

Away: Jen Rubio

Logic: Logic & Chris Zarou

Squarespace: Anthony Casalena

Eileen Fisher: Eileen Fisher

Burt's Bees: Roxanne Quimby

TOMS: Blake Mycoskie

JetBlue Airways: David Neeleman

Canva: Melanie Perkins

Bonobos: Andy Dunn

Five Guys: Jerry Murrell

SoulCycle: Julie Rice & Elizabeth Cutler

Remembering Herb Kelleher

Kickstarter: Perry Chen

The Chipmunks: Ross Bagdasarian Jr. & Janice Karman

Lisa Price Of Carol's Daughter At The HIBT Summit

Live Episode! Dollar Shave Club: Michael Dubin

Stitch Fix's Katrina Lake At The HIBT Summit

Burton Snowboards: Jake Carpenter

Airbnb's Joe Gebbia At The HIBT Summit

ActOne Group: Janice Bryant Howroyd

Lyft's John Zimmer At The HIBT Summit

Live Episode! Glossier: Emily Weiss

Method's Adam Lowry And Eric Ryan At The HIBT Summit

Whole Foods Market: John Mackey

Rent The Runway's Jenn Hyman At The HIBT Summit

DoorDash: Tony Xu

Barre3: Sadie Lincoln

Betterment: Jon Stein

Tempur-Pedic: Bobby Trussell

Rent The Runway: Jenn Hyman

method: Adam Lowry & Eric Ryan

Cisco Systems & Urban Decay: Sandy Lerner

Power Rangers: Haim Saban

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics: Bobbi Brown

Live Episode! New Belgium Brewing Company: Kim Jordan