Raising Cascadia

You are in for a TREAT. We are rounding out the holiday season with a real delight. For our final episode of the year, we had the honor and privilege of featuring Darcy Lockman, author of All the Rage: Mothers, Fathers, and the Myth of Equal Partnership, who shares with us much of the wisdom of her book. You won’t want to miss it!

Y’all. Drop everything and get your copy TODAY. All the Rage puts the data behind gender roles and the consequential inequality in parenthood. How does our patriarchal upbringing affect our parenting and partnering? Lockman argues that despite significant changes in the work force, home life has not shifted as substantially, and women in heterosexual relationships still shoulder about 2/3 of the work of parenting. These women are frustrated and tired. Lockman explores some of the reasons why and what we can hope to do about it (beside moving to Scandinavia).

She also discusses the term “intensive mothering," and how it may be linked to cultural anxiety of women’s return to work. GAH! All the Rage was a real eye-opener for us, and so many others. We think you will love it. So read it or listen to it on audiobook, and then share it with your friends… and your partner!

Solicited advice: Katie asks about rolling pins. She totally does.

Highs and lows: Contrary to our interview topic, one weekend, Katie did all the things and found it wonderful! It is possible!

Many thanks to Darcy Lockman for joining us, and to all of you for being a part of Raising Cascadia this year!

Oh hiiiiiiii. It’s been a hot, hot minute (with a wildfire portion) since our last episode. We were coasting on what was left of the summer fumes for a stretch, and now we all find ourselves in the early days of the 2021-2022 school year. With both Katie and Lee Ann sending their little ones off to school this September, we have thoughts. BUT ALSO! Katie has some BIG NEWS that she shares with us this episode, so you won’t want to miss it.

Episode 13 is a particularly awesome because it’s Part II of our discussion on gender identity. Last episode, we kicked off the conversation by talking to Anna, a mom navigating parenting her non-binary teen. In this episode, we have the great fortune of speaking to TWO people on this topic, one of whom is Anna’s kid, Sam! But, before we got into that chat, we also connected with our friend Samuel Broaden, an early education professional, who shared with us his insight on gender identity in young children.

Happy Pride Month!

Parenting is never easy, and there’s no real template for those raising kids in the LGBTQ+ community. Sometimes, the best resource is hearing directly from others walking the same path.

For this episode, we’re delighted to share an interview with the amazing Anna Held, a personal friend and overall rockstar. When her teenager, Sam, came out as non-binary over a year ago, she hit the books, talked to others, and relied on some of her knowledge from previous parenting best support them. She has a lot of wisdom: from how she and her husband created a safe space for gender expression in their home, to the questions she asks herself (and Sam) about when and how to best advocate for them. We’re also thrilled to soon feature a follow-up episode where Sam will share their perspective, as well.

In the interview, we discuss:

- Who is in Anna's family and why it was important to her and her husband to cultivate an open conversation about gender and sexuality (see recommendations below)

- How she responded when Sam first came out to the family over corn on the cob :)

- The question of balance; when and how to step in on when others misgender Sam

- Generational differences in how much the concept of binary is engrained in our culture and how it is changing

- Challenges communicating with individuals or institutions about changing pronouns

- The benefits of having non-binary adults who can share their story with Sam

- How some struggle when they “can’t understand” or “don’t recognize” gender identity outside the binary

Some of the great resources Anna mentioned in the interview, and a few she shared afterward, include:

- Jeffrey Marsh on Instagram — "Gender delightful” and non-binary rights advocate, author of How to Be You

- Sex Is a Funny Word - Non-gendered book that covers body parts, gender identity, and sexuality

- The ABC’s of LGBTQ - Described as “essential reading for questioning teens, teachers, or parents looking for advice, or anyone who wants to learn the language of respect.”

- Two books on trauma-informed parenting from Dr. Bruce Perry - The Boy Who Was Raised a Dog and What Happened to You? (with Oprah)

Thank you so much to Anna for sharing her perspective. We’d love to hear from other parents who can relate to Anna’s experience. Reach out and let us know your thoughts.

We’d also love to share an organization that was not discussed in the interview, but is doing the good work of reaching out to LGBTQ+ youth: The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25. If this is a cause that is dear to your heart, we encourage you to donate at www.thetrevorproject.org.

OTHER EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

- Katie got into grad school (woo-hoo!) and is ready to fork over her money and soul

- Lee Ann’s hair is not behaving and she apparently she wears her pants inside out

- NEW SEGMENT! HIGHS + LOWS (or ups and downs) of parenthood — share with us either a high or a low this month for you in the never-ending crazy that is raising humans. Katie kicks it off with a tale of her four-year-old turned fourteen-year-old. Send us a voice recording at [email protected], or leave us a voice message telling us your story by leaving us a voicemail at 503.893.5608. We may feature you in our next episode.

- SOLICITED ADVICE We share our thoughts on the awkward question of travel now that restrictions have eased up. Are you comfortable traveling? Do you have hesitations? We chip in our thoughts and would love to hear yours. Phone lines are always open.

Nobody embarks on the journey of parenthood for its reputation for amazing sleep. Especially in the early years, conversations about sleep - or lack thereof - seem to creep into many interactions. In our previous episode, we talked about ways moms of littles can look into their diet and hormones to address sleep difficulties for themselves; now it’s time we turn our intention towards those little heartthrobs who steal our sleep just because they’re little and parenting is hard.

For guidance, we turned to sleep expert Marie-Eve Gagnon, owner of Slumbertime Solutions. She is a certified Gentle Sleep Coach and helps families with kids 0-6 get the sleep everyone (moms! dads! kids!) needs through her consultations, group sessions, and online classes.

We were amazed to learn that bedtime should be 20-30 minutes, start to finish. Say whaaaat? Learn about how that happens and more in the episode!

Learn more about Marie-Eve Gagnon on the Slumbertime Solutions website, Facebook page, or Instagram account.

We also talked about:

Katie has nervous feelings about her grad school application (spoiler alert: she recently received the good news!)

Katie is not a Kardashian

Lee Ann cooks things in ovens— Interview —

Marie-Eve shares with us some of the background to what inspired her to start Slumbertime SolutionsWe learn about bedtime stalling - what that looks like (VERY FAMILIAR TERRITORY HERE) and how to redirect it

Changing sleep habits should see a difference in a few weeks, in general, according to Marie-Eve

We talk about the importance of kids testing boundaries and how to able to respond

Marie-Eve gives hope to parents that there are many ways to address sleep, beyond the commonly-known options of cry-it-out or wait-it-out. She says most people fall somewhere in the middle.— / Interview —

We introduce a new segment called Solicited Advice, where you can ask us questions and we'll share your question with an answer. Anything is game! Share yours through social media (@raisingcascadia), by phone (503.893.5608), or by email ([email protected])

Our Solicited Advice request was a discussion about “How do you feel about other people calling you mama?” We are both a little grossed out by companies using the term for advertising. Katie doesn’t like it in general, and Lee Ann hardly registers when friends use it. And we both hate the term Lady Scientist! Love the term “friends” for many reasons.

Another new segment! Send us your Ups and Downs of parenthood by telling us a story of something awesome or something less so by sending us a 30-60 second voicemail at the number above, or by shooting us a note through the usual methods!

Spring is here and we’re delighted! Though things are still far from normal, we are back on a somewhat normal track with the release of our 10th EPISODE (!), featuring an interview with the fantastic Dr. Angela Potter. She is a Portland-based naturopath who specializes in supporting postpartum moms. Spoiler alert: “postpartum” isn’t limited to the first six weeks after birth!Dr. Potter has a lot of wisdom to offer, and we think most moms can relate to having many ups and downs after having a baby. From not being prepared for physical recovery, to feeling stress when returning to work, or from struggling with hormonal imbalances, to just peeing oneself too much, Dr. Potter shares some of the common trials and tribulations encountered during the postpartum window — and what naturopathic support looks like. Importantly, Dr. Potter wants moms who are feeling stressed, scared, overwhelmed to know that they are not alone!Find out more about Dr. Potter and book a free health breakthrough session at www.drangelapotter.com. You can also follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and check out her videos on YouTube.Outside of our interview with Dr. Potter, we caught up with one another about daily life:- Katie had a grad school interview and officially feels old.- Katie’s daughter will begin a Mandarin immersion program next year, which is great news for her family.- In-person instruction is scheduled to begin in public schools and it’s a confusing time for parents.- Did you know you can bake things with an oven? It’s true! (Lee Ann’s oven finally arrived!)As always, thanks again for listening and we’d love for you to like, subscribe, and share. Tell your neighbors, tell your friends!

So much has happened since our last episode: we’ve seen a change in administration, an assault on the U.S. Capitol, and Katie got bangs. Katie also got vaccinated, and she shares her experience with listeners.

And while not much has happened in Lee Ann’s life (boring is good, sometimes), there has been a lot of cooking in her house. One child, normally a picky eater, has started to “expand his palate” (his words!) as he takes on more and more advanced culinary adventures. This changes has been one of the silver linings of quarantine life.

Which is why it was fitting that this episode’s interview is with Rachel Rothman, a pediatric dietitian and nutritionist, and owner of Nutrition in Bloom. Through her clinical work, she helps parents navigate the murky waters of picky eaters and other food challenges, and she shares her expertise with us.

Well, this episode was recorded back in…October. Obviously, a lot has happened since then but our banter and interview still seem timely. Today, as always, is a good day to remember that Black Lives Matter and that we should be working together to dismantle systems steeped in white supremacy.

In this episode, we interview Arianna Bradford - creative, mom, and activist, about her newest book "Shame on You: Big Truths From a Bad Mom". You can follow Arianna at @theariannabradford on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook for more.

Well, spoiler alert: things are certainly not back to normal yet, so Katie and Lee Ann are still remote recording. In this episode, in addition to catching up on what’s going in their lives, we were able to chat with our friend, Beaverton City Council candidate, and all around inspiration of a woman: Nadia Hasan!

Mental health battles are hard enough outside of our current pandemic, but being socially isolated and navigating uncertain times can make them even more challenging. For our sixth episode, we are featuring an interview with Julie Allen, originally recorded in the Before Time, about her personal story with the eating disorders and the foundation she created to help others find treatment.

In this Episode, Katie and Lee catch up from Easter to Mother's Day, Katie tells us about a weird picture with a great backstory, and Lee lets us in on small business ownership and what that's like these days.