Parents vs the Modern World

How does a chat at the school gates turn into a podcast?

In this episode, Dani and Tash tell the story of Parents vs the Modern World: from a five-minute voice note recorded in the car, to six months of Friday mornings around a dining table before they ever hit record.

They talk about why this idea felt different from every business Dani had built before, what they were both seeing in childhood that pulled them together (Tash through the smartphone-free childhood movement, Dani through Tiny Tastemakers and cooking with kids), and the honest work they did first: building personas, naming their insecurities, agreeing how to give each other feedback, and even planning around their cycles.

It's also a conversation about being two busy mums with clashing schedules, choosing grace over scorekeeping, and the personal growth that comes from doing something outside your comfort zone.

If you've ever had an idea you've been sitting on, this one's for you. Pick a friend. Have a go.

In this episode:

• How one voice note started it all
• Why we spent six months on foundations before recording
• Personas, vulnerabilities and how we challenge each other
• Working with our cycles, not against them
• Different strengths, same vision
• Why you should start before you feel ready

Want to know the questions we asked each other before we started? Get in touch, we'd love to share them.

Brands: interested in sponsoring an episode or collaborating? We'd love to hear from you.Music: “Chain Reactions” by Phlotilla x Andrea Wasse, produced by Topher Mohr

Could the secret to raising curious eaters start long before the food reaches their plates?

This week, we're talking FOOD. Fussy eaters, mealtime battles, treats, and how we can help our children develop a healthy, positive relationship with food.

Drawing on her experience working with hundreds of children through Tiny Tastemakers, Dani shares why getting children involved in the kitchen can make such a difference. Not just in encouraging them to explore and eventually try new foods, but in building confidence, independence, curiosity and connection along the way.

We talk about taking the pressure off at mealtimes, stepping back and letting children discover just how capable they really are, and why even the smallest everyday moments in the kitchen can make a difference.

From cracking eggs and chopping vegetables to growing herbs, navigating treats and talking about food without labelling it good or bad, it's a conversation about making food a positive part of family life.

Plus, a parenting win at the Louvre and a barefoot gardening experiment that didn't quite go to plan! 😂

Explore the episode guide, practical ideas and resources:
https://parentsvs.co/episodes/food

We'd love to hear from you. What's one thing your children love helping you make in the kitchen?

Less judgement, more honesty, better conversations.

Music: “Chain Reactions” — Phlotilla x Andrea Wasse (Topher Mohr)

When did giving your child a smartphone become such a loaded parenting decision?

For Tash, it started with something much smaller. Her five year old was given online homework and she found herself wondering why children who were still learning to write their names needed to be doing maths and spelling on a screen.

That question led to conversations with the school, other parents and eventually a local Smartphone Free Childhood community.

So where do we draw the line?

How do we balance safety, independence, social media and the pressure of “everyone else has one”? And does delaying a smartphone really protect childhood, or just delay something our children will eventually have to learn to navigate?

Not anti tech. Not a rulebook.

Just a very real conversation about smartphones and childhood.

We’d love to know what you think.

Would you delay giving your child a smartphone?

Keep the conversation going

Website: parentsvs.co

Music: “Chain Reactions” by Phlotilla x Andrea Wasse, produced by Topher Mohr

What happens to your ambition when you become a mum?

In this episode, we talk about careers, motherhood and what happens when the life you worked hard to build suddenly has to fit around a completely different version of your life.

We talk about our own experiences of work before and after children, the pressure to somehow do everything, the choices women end up making, and whether motherhood really changes our ambition or simply changes what we need from work.

This was one of those conversations that stayed with us after we stopped recording, and we’d love to know what you think too.

Keep the conversation going

Website: parentsvs.co
Instagram: @parents.vs

A quick note from us

This was one of the first episodes we recorded while we were still figuring out the technical side of podcasting, so the sound isn’t quite where we wanted it to be. We’ve fixed that for future episodes, but the conversation was too good not to share.

Music: “Chain Reactions” by Phlotilla x Andrea Wasse, produced by Topher Mohr