Puberty is awkward. Parenting through it doesn't have to be. This week, we sit down with Vanessa Kroll Bennett, bestselling author, podcaster, and co-founder of Less Awkward, to talk about what is actually happening in your kid's body and brain during the middle school years.

Vanessa co-founded Less Awkward and co-authored This Is So Awkward to give parents the tools, language, and confidence to guide their kids through puberty without the panic. She brings the science, the honesty, and just enough humor to make the tween years feel totally manageable.

This is the conversation most parents were never given and the one every parent of a tween desperately needs. If you have a kid heading into the awkward years, or already in the thick of it, this episode is for you.

Less Awkward Links
Website: LessAwkward.com
Podcast: Less Awkward Podcast
FREE Puberty 101 Guide
Instagram: Less.Awkward
https://vanessakrollbennett.com/

Everything is not awful:  Women are amazing! Madelene Sagstrom is 7 months pregnant and still competing at the US Women’s Open this week. 

Tech Tip: Co-playing for video games can lead to amazing bonding moments!

Obsessions:

Anne’s: Vinnie Louise Dress

Kate’s: Hoola Bronzer & Merritt Brush

Like to watch your podcast? Watch here.

Support us by downloading our Free Kids & Tech Guidebook.

Follow Us on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Sage Haven: Safer Messaging App for Kids

Summer is here and routines are officially hanging on by a thread. Kate and Anne are getting into all of it this week — how to manage the schedule shift when summer throws everything off, what to do when you have a kid who does not handle change well, surviving swim season, the bedtime debate when summer hits, and why everyone in the house is just too tired right now. Plus a tech tip that stopped us in our tracks — the average adult checks their phone 200 times a day and the average teen 100 times. We are talking about what that actually does to attention spans and how small habit changes can make a real difference. Highs, lows, a truly incredible teacher story that will make you tear up, and the honest truth about how we are holding it all together right now. Spoiler — barely.

Everything is not awful: Kim Rohlf, a second-grade teacher at Westwood Elementary in Ankeny, Iowa, spent months handmaking personalized quilts for every single student in her class before retiring after 35 years

Tech Tip: Lower distractions. The average adult checks their phone 200 times per day, and the average teen 100 times per day. It does harm attention span although data not showing that it’s permanent. If we reduce distraction we can fix it.  Notifications, delete certain apps, try to work on one thing longer.  Focus on the show and not also scrolling.  Habits can be changed!

Obsessions:

Anne’s: Blackstone Flattop Grill
Kate’s: Sunshine Tienda Hat

Like to watch your podcast? Watch here.

Support us by downloading our Free Kids & Tech Guidebook.

Follow Us on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Sage Haven: Safer Messaging App for Kids

It is officially summer and we are doing a full June smorgasbord. Kate and Anne are catching up on everything — what they are watching, what they are reading, and how they are moving. Off Campus is a must watch and we are not sorry about it. Interior design is having a moment and the price tags are giving us feelings. We have the best summer reading list for you and workouts you can actually do with your family without losing your mind. Plus all the usual highs, lows, and obsessions you showed up for. Grab your iced latte and settle in — this one is a good one.

Everything is not awful:  Diplo best DJ performance ever!  

Tech Tip: New screen-time warning for parents

Obsessions:

Anne’s: Fruit and Salad Spinners

Kate’s: Concert Hat

Like to watch your podcast? Watch here.

Support us by downloading our Free Kids & Tech Guidebook.

Follow Us on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Sage Haven: Safer Messaging App for Kids

Mary Flo Ridley and Megan Michelson have spent decades helping parents have the conversations most of us were never taught to have. Their Birds & Bees online course walks families through how to talk to kids about sex — starting in early elementary, long before the dreaded “talk.” This episode is about giving Sage Sisters listeners the tools, the language, and the confidence to be the trusted voice in their child’s life on one of the most important topics of our time.

Birds & Bees Links

Website: birds-bees.com
Instagram: Birds__Bees
Online Course - 20% for all of our listeners with code: SAGEHAVEN

 
Everything’s not awful: Nancy Delgado, a mother of three, posted a video on TikTok that showed her and two of her children surprising their neighbor, Maria, to celebrate her milestone 80th birthday.

Tech Tip: How to get rid of iMessage on your kid's devices.

Kate’s Obsession: Best Summer PJs. Bamboo Boody Shorts, Bamboo Boody Cami, Bamboo Boody Sleep Top
Anne’s Obsession:  Pizza Stone, Pizza Peel, Pizza Cutter

Support us by downloading our Free Kids & Tech Guidebook.

Follow Us on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Sage Haven: Safer Messaging App for Kids

Summer is coming and if you are a working parent staring down ten weeks with no structure — this episode is for you. Kate and Anne are getting into all of it. Camps versus no camps, the pressure to plan the perfect summer versus the guilt of doing too little, and what happens when Sunday scaries show up in June. They are talking about how to time block your summer before it gets away from you, why building in alone time and fun time is not selfish but necessary, and how to do a spring cleaning push before school lets out so you are not starting the summer already behind. Plus a honest conversation about why parenting feels harder than it should right now for working moms — and what to actually do about it. Tech tip, obsessions, highs and lows, and everything in between.

Everything’s not awful:  Hacky sacks are back - Nostalgia and IRL play!

Tech Tip of the Week 

The checklist every parent needs. This free, reusable daily checklist helps kids earn screen time by building healthy habits. Just customize, print, and check off!

Kate's Obsession:  Dolce Vita Dom Strappy Sandal
Anne's Obsession:  The Good Tree Fountain Or Indoor Ceramic Fountain

Like to watch your podcast? Watch Here.

Support us by downloading our Free Kids & Tech Guidebook.

Follow Us on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Sage Haven: Safer Messaging App for Kids

Maycember is real and we are living it. Highs, lows, a Kentucky Derby win for the history books, Netflix drama, botox regrets, smoothie wins, and all the end of school chaos. A full smorgasbord with Kate and Anne.

Everything’s not awful: first female trainer of the Kentucky Derby - Cherie DeVaux, come from behind win for Golden Tempo with jockey Jose Ortiz. 

Tech Tip of the Week (Visit @sagesisterspodcast for how to video)

Netflix quietly added YouTube creators to kids' profiles and we are not here for it. Salish Matter — hard pass.

Here is how to block specific creators without wiping out all their content. Go to Netflix on a browser, Account → Profile & Parental Controls → select your child's profile → Viewing Restrictions → search and block by title. Also set a Profile Lock PIN so they can't just switch profiles.

(Mark Rober's CrunchLabs stays though. That one earned it.)

Kate's Obsession:  Shu uemura - Strengthening Water Hair Spray
Anne's Obsession:  Birds of Paradise Plant

Like to watch your podcast? Watch here.

Support us by downloading our Free Kids & Tech Guidebook.

Follow Us on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Sage Haven: Safer Messaging App for Kids

We are talking about something we get asked about a lot — anxiety management and the tools that are actually working in real life. Not the generic advice. The real stuff.

This week we dig into what Simple, Gentle, Easy looks like as a daily practice — how to recognize when you are in a hard season and intentionally calibrate toward content, conversations, and moments that bring your nervous system down rather than up. Kate shares the daily tracking tool she uses to rate her own energy and how it has changed the way she moves through hard days.

And then we go deep on the Enneagram — specifically how knowing your own type and the types of the people closest to you can be one of the most powerful tools for anxiety management, patience, and self understanding you will ever find. We talk about our own types: Type 8 wing 7 — the Challenger with a Enthusiast edge — and Type 3 wing 2 — the Achiever with a Helper heart — and what it looks like to work with those energies instead of against them. Knowing your own type and the types of the people closest to you changes everything. It builds patience, it builds grace, and it genuinely helps you show up better for yourself and everyone around you.

Tech Tip: Sometimes you just have to give up!!

Kate's Obsession: Air Fryer Greek Yogurt Bagel Recipe

Anne's Obsession:  The Coffee House - Southern Pecan Coffee 

Like to watch your podcast? Watch here.

Support us by downloading our Free Kids & Tech Guidebook.

Follow Us on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Sage Haven: Safer Messaging App for Kids

Chef, restauranteur, mom, and fridge-foraging queen — Amanda Frederickson is here and we are talking all things feeding your family. With over 105K followers on Instagram, Amanda has built a community around real food for real life. We get into how she feeds her own crew, what she has finally given up on with picky eaters, her go-to family dinner recipes, the best healthy-ish snacks for kids, and all about her establishments Radish and Rad Market. 

Tech Tip: Ask your kids to show you how their fav apps work! Stay in the loop!

Amanda’s Kid Friendly Recipes:

Snacks:

• Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars
• Made Good Bars
• Homemade Soft Pretzels

Breakfast:

• Banana Protein Pancakes (1 ripe banana (the riper the sweeter), 2 eggs, 0.5 teaspoons cinnamon, 0.3 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 pinch of nutmeg (optional), 1 pinch of salt
• Protein Smoothie (1 cups frozen strawberries, 0.5 cups frozen mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries), 1 banana (frozen for creaminess), 0.5 cups plain Greek yogurt, 1 cups milk (dairy or oat milk), 1 tablespoons nut butter (almond or peanut), 1 teaspoons honey or maple syrup (optional), 1 teaspoons chia seeds (optional, hidden protein boost)
• Morning Glory Muffins
• Blueberry Muffins with Greek Yogurt
• Acai Bowl
• Homemade Granola

Lunch:

• Grilled Veggie Burgers with Lentils and Walnuts
• Mason Jar Salad
• Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
• Yogurt Marinated Chicken with Tzatziki

Dinners:

• Baked Ricotta Chicken
• BBQ Salmon with Coconut Rice and a Peach Cucumber Slaw
• Sesame Noodles with Shrimp and Roasted Peanuts
• Spice Chicken with an Middle Eastern Inspired Yogurt Sauce
• Summertime Chicken Salad with Zucchini, Corn, Tomatoes, and Feta
• Seared Halloumi and Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Zucchini

Anne’s Obsession: Protein Coffee Recipe - 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein (Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein, ¼ cup Califa Organic Almond Milk - French Vanilla, 1 tsp of Cinnamon. Froth and pour in coffee of choice!

Kate’s Obsession: Skinny Marg Recipe - 3 ounces blanco tequila, 2 ounces fresh orange juice (about 1 orange), 2 ounces fresh lime juice (about 2 limes), 4 ounces Topo Chico sparkling 

Like to watch your podcast? Watch here.

Support us by downloading our Free Kids & Tech Guidebook.

Follow Us on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Sage Haven: Safer Messaging App for Kids

Mean comments. Leaving someone out. A group chat that spirals. Every parent dreads the moment their child comes home and says, "nobody played with me today." But knowing how to respond — without overreacting, underreacting, or accidentally making things worse — is genuinely hard.

In this episode, we break down the real difference between bullying and kids just being mean (and why that distinction changes everything about what you do next), when to step in as a parent versus when to let your child work it out, and how to give kids the actual skills to handle social friction on their own. We're also talking about body language and confidence cues that kids send without realizing it, what to do when the mom group chat goes sideways, and how to protect your child's self-worth through all of it.

Because the goal isn't to shield your kid from every hard social moment — it's to raise one who knows how to handle them.

Tech Tip: Unsubscribe from old stuff in emails, consume less news before you are ready!

Obsession: New Golf Shoes 

Obsession:   ILIA Eye Shadow Pencil and Bryson DeChambeau 

Like to watch your podcast? Watch here.

Support us by downloading our Free Kids & Tech Guidebook.

Follow Us on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Sage Haven: Safer Messaging App for Kids

Kate's highs, Anne's lows, Maura's roses, and one very suspicious Frye Fest in a Barbie Dream Tent. This week we're covering everything from Survivor blindsides to Summer House drama, debating whether eating lemon water slowly makes you European, and asking the hard questions about one-sided monogamy. Buckle up — it's a lot, but at least everything's not awful.

Everything is not Awful: Door dash elderly delivery guy who ended up getting over $1M in donations so he and his wife can retire. 

Tech Tip:  Lock down the device!

Obsessions:

• Anne’s:  Zena Liquid Collagen 
• Kate’s:  Prequel Lip gloss w SPF Rose

Like to watch your podcast? Watch here.

Support us by downloading our Free Kids & Tech Guidebook.

Follow Us on Social Media:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Sage Haven: Safer Messaging App for Kids