The Mom Hour

By Mom Hour Media

Kids & Family

What's The Mom Hour about?

Co-hosts Meagan Francis and Sarah Powers have eight kids between them, little to grown. Weekly conversations offer practical tips and real-life encouragement for moms who want to enjoy motherhood more, and cut back on comparison, worry, and stress. We’re not experts, we’re moms who’ve been there. We’re not perfect, we’re real. Welcome to The Mom Hour.

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Creating Holiday Memories [...

12.08.2023

Feeling overwhelmed, or like the season is passing too quickly? Let today’s episode – a classic from the archives – help you pause, reflect, and reset. Meagan and Sarah offer our thoughts on how memories really “get made,” why simply ...

The Mom Hour episodes:

12.08.2023 Creating Holiday Memories [Classic Replay] Feeling overwhelmed, or like the season is passing too quickly? Let today’s episode – a classic from the archives – help you pause, reflect, and reset. Meagan and Sarah offer our thoughts on how memories really “get made,” why simply ...
12.05.2023 Inconsequential Holiday Gripes: Episode 442 It feels good to complain once in a while – especially during the holidays. Today Meagan and Sarah laugh our way through a “vent sesh,” sharing mostly inconsequential gripes about what’s bugging us this year. While we often appreciate a ...
11.28.2023 Genealogy & Family History: Episode 441 Who came before us, and what can we learn from them? We think there’s a reason that ancestry research, genealogy, and discovering family stories holds a special interest for midlife women, and we’re here to talk about it. Meagan shares ...
11.21.2023 Regrets, We've Had A Few: Episode 440 While we try not to kick ourselves when we’re down and generally avoid second-guessing our parenting choices, we are human. And sometimes that means we experience regret. Today Meagan and Sarah reflect on some big and small choices we’ve made ...
11.17.2023 Musical Kids, Musical Families (Hint: That's All Of Us!) Do you have to identify as a musical person to nurture a love of music in your family? We think not. Meagan and Sarah look back at parenting babies, small kids, big kids and teens, reflecting on the role music ...
11.14.2023 Listener Questions & Our Advice: Episode 439 Kassidi wants to become a more confident home cook and asks us where to begin. Natalie needs strategies for easing the long wind-down at bedtime for her co-sleeping toddler. Joy is considering traveling with young kids on her own but ...
11.07.2023 Tricky Family Dynamics: Episode 438 Spending time with extended family can bring on parenting challenges that don’t come up as often in our day-to-day routines. If you’re anticipating some uncomfortable situations this holiday season, don’t fret! Meagan and Sarah have your back with this episode’s ...
11.03.2023 Navigating Youth Sports At what age are kids ready for team sports? How do kids respond when parents volunteer to coach? (And what about the other parents?) How much is too much and what’s the deal with travel teams? The Mom Hour contributors ...
10.31.2023 Do This Now; Enjoy The Holidays Later: Episode 437 It’s that time–the run-up to winter holidays is officially HERE! While we’re still early in the season, Meagan and Sarah offer practical, do-able ideas for taking action now to relieve stress and pressure later in the year. We also share ...
10.24.2023 #Influenced: Episode 436 From wool underwear to fussy ice cubes, make-up fails to planners that don’t stick: we’ve been #Influenced and we’re hear to talk about it. (Technically, we’re talking about it again – we chatted on this topic in 2021 but these ...
10.20.2023 A Conversation About Miscarriage October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Today Emily, Joanne and Lisa come together in conversation about their personal experiences with miscarriage in an effort to help moms in our community feel less alone. If this topic is ...
10.17.2023 When Will This Get Easier?: Episode 435 People tell me ‘oh, you’re in it’ or ‘don’t worry, it gets better,’ but as a mom of a two-year-old and a six-month-old, I’m like: ‘Okay, but…WHEN? When does that actually happen?” Good question. When DOES parenting start to get ...
10.10.2023 Chores & Household Responsibilities: Episode 434 Getting kids to do chores, pick up after themselves, and help around the house is not for the faint of heart. Meagan and Sarah are decades into parenting and can still settle in for a vent-session about dirty socks left ...
10.03.2023 House Rules For Halloween [Classic Replay]: Episode 433 Candy. Late bedtimes. Costumes. Halloween is a holiday that can easily throw kids’ schedules and moms’ sanity way off. Today’s episode is full of practical halloween parenting tips, including house rules for costume buying, trick-or-treating, candy consuming, and much more. ...
09.26.2023 Kitchen Gadgets & Gear, Part 2: Episode 432 As busy moms and business owners we’re often on the go – and, cliché as it is, almost always with a beverage in hand! In part two of our conversation about kitchen gadgets and gear, Meagan and Sarah go deep ...
09.19.2023 Kitchen Gadgets & Gear, Part 1: Episode 431 Kids are back in school and we’re back in our kitchens with a bit more pep in our steps – so let’s chat about gadets and gear! Join Meagan and Sarah today to hear about the Porch Microwave, the Mercedes-Benz ...
09.12.2023 New Partners, Step-Parents & Big Transitions In Family Structure: Episode 430 Big transitions in family structure are never easy. When it comes to blending families, introducing a new romantic partner as a single parent, or stepping into step-parenting, there’s so much to think about. Today Meagan gets candid about her current ...
09.05.2023 The Beauty Of A Soft Start: Episode 429 Are you a “Today’s The Day!” type, or do you prefer to ease gently into a new adventure, challenge, or season? Whether you get excited to dive into a slew of new initiatives with the turning over of that shiny, ...
08.29.2023 Rest-Of-Summer Recap & Fall Aspirations: Episode 428 Meagan and Sarah had fun-filled travel in August before saying goodbye to summer. The Powers family traveled to the East Coast for a week of multigenerational state-hopping served with a side of bug bites and butt bruises! And Meagan officially ...
08.22.2023 Beyond The Mom Bun (Talking About Our Hair!): Episode 427 Sarah stopped dyeing her hair and growing out her natural grays last fall – almost a year ago – and Meagan is contemplating a new style! Today Meagan asks Sarah ALL the gray grow-out questions to catch up on the ...
08.15.2023 MORE Back-To-School Listener Questions & Our Advice: Episode 426 Lizzie will have all three kids in full-time school for the first time and wonders how her identity as a stay-at-home mom will shift. Shelby, mom of three, is sending her oldest to kindergarten and struggles with the idea that ...
08.08.2023 Back-To-School Listener Questions & Our Advice: Episode 425 Stephanie worries she didn’t “do enough” for her children this summer by way of plans, vacations, and educational activities. Sara asks if we have rituals for ourSELVES to mark the back-to-school season, and Caitlyn needs tips for encouraging a painfully ...
08.01.2023 Summer So Far (& More To Come!): Episode 424 We’re Baaaack! It’s been about a month since you’ve heard from present-day Meagan and Sarah and we have lots to share. Find out where we’ve traveled this summer (so far), how Sarah has done some outdoor adventuring in spite of ...
07.28.2023 It Gets Easier, Mostly [Katherine & Lisa Respond To Ep100] News flash: even if it looks like other parents have all their you-know-what together when you feel like you don’t, that’s almost never the case. We’re all flying blind most of the time – and better off when we acknowledge ...
07.25.2023 It's All Gonna Be OK (And Other Truths Moms Need To Hear) [Classic Replay] Sometimes, you just need to hear that it’s all going to be OK. That you’re not alone. That what you’re doing matters. In this classic replay of Episode 100 from 2017, Meagan and Sarah offer some of our most oft-repeated ...
07.21.2023 Real-Life Routines For Better Sleep [Emily & Kia Respond To Ep87] Taking walks, eating healthy and staying hydrated are just a few small things that can help save your sanity while coping with sleep deprivation. And while it sounds simple, it’s easier said than done. In today’s episode, regular contributors Kia ...
07.18.2023 Coping With Sleep Deprivation [Classic Replay] Not sleeping? You’re not alone. In today’s replay of 2017’s classic episode on sleep deprivation, Meagan and Sarah offer helpful tips for making it through the day when your nights are long and, uh, eventful. Whether you have a new ...
07.14.2023 Making Quality Time Actually Happen [Joanna & Joanne Respond To Ep86] When they’re tiny, babies and toddlers need us so much that “spending time” together is mostly about fulfilling their needs. But as kids get older and more independent, how do we prioritize time together in a way that naturally suits ...
07.11.2023 How (And Why) To Spend One-On-One Time With Your Kids [Classic Replay] If the idea of “special time” feels impossible, impractical, and a little bit guilt-laden, you’re not alone. Spending one-on-one time with your kids is both valuable AND wildly difficult, and as moms of many kids, Meagan and Sarah are here ...
07.07.2023 Kids & Clutter [Jayme & Jennifer Respond To Ep35] The school art is coming in from every direction. The hand-me-down clothing complicates wardrobe systems. And the overwhelming gift-giving throws toy organization out of whack. In today’s episode, regular contributors Jayme and Jennifer speak to their tips and tricks for ...
07.04.2023 Stuff, Junk & Things [Classic Replay] Goody bag treasures, generous grandparent gifts in every shade of plastic, and inexplicably precious (to someone) “junk” – it’s the stuff of motherhood! In this replay of Episode 35, Meagan and Sarah share our strategies for minimizing the intake of ...
07.01.2023 Oh Hi, July! July on The Mom Hour will look a bit different – and we’re excited to tell you about it. Meagan and Sarah pop in to share what’s ahead this month. Join us!
06.30.2023 Dr. Ken Ginsburg On Why Teens Need Their Parents More Than Ever When it comes to teenagers, how much do WE (as parents) matter? According to guest, parents matter A LOT (just maybe not in the way we might think). In this special bonus interview, Meagan talks with Dr. Ken Ginsburg, a ...
06.27.2023 On "Taking A Break" As A Mom (And Human!): Episode 423 Taking a break” sounds simple, but for many moms (and people) it just isn’t. Who steps in to relieve mom when she needs a break from being everybody’s go-to? Is all the prep and planning needed to take a break ...
06.25.2023 More Than Mom: Home Design Quirks As Meagan settles into her newlywed home in a house her husband designed and built for himself, questions abound. And on the West Coast, Sarah is still perplexed by some of her home’s original design (or 90s remodel) quirks. Join ...
06.20.2023 House Rules For Summer: Episode 422 From when and where popsicles may be eaten to what chores must be done before screen time, summer gives many of us a near-blank slate on which to write some new house rules. Join Meagan and Sarah as we highlight ...
06.16.2023 Dr. Lisa Damour On Supporting Teens Through Big Emotions It’s no secret that teenagers have BIG feelings. And it can be tricky navigating this stage of parenting without taking on their emotions as our own OR downplaying them so that we feel more comfortable. In this special bonus episode ...
06.13.2023 Weddings...With Children! : Episode 421 While darling flower girls and wee ring bearers are undeniably cute, parenting kids who are part of a wedding ceremony can be stressful. Even when kids are merely AT a wedding (versus IN it), all kinds of tricky situations crop ...
06.11.2023 More Than Mom: Weddings Meagan got married! On a raft! Today we talk all about it (and more)! Meagan shares the details of her Memorial Day wedding in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, including how Sarah came to the rescue (from thousands of miles ...
06.06.2023 A Mom Around Town (The Errands Episode!): Episode 420 Come run errands with Meagan and Sarah! Errands are an essential part of mom-life–but the running of them looks very different depending on where you live and your season of life. Today we chat about our preferences and personality quirks ...
06.02.2023 Constantly Connected (The Joys & Challenges Of Parenting In The Smartphone Era): Voices 83 Being a mom in 2023 means having a device connecting you to the world, wherever you go. It isn’t all bad or all good – but it does impact our parenting lives at every turn. Join Kia and Jayme, moms ...
05.30.2023 Pomp, Circumstance, And Motherhood: Episode 419 Processionals, promotions, caps, gowns, and more! Today Meagan and Sarah dig into graduations of all kinds from our perspective as moms in the audience experiencing all the feels. We have some strong opinions about how promotion ceremonies can be incorporated ...
05.23.2023 Mourning The End Of The Baby-Having Years: Episode 418 “Done having babies” and “Sad about the end of the little years” are two completely different mom-emotions, as Meagan and Sarah get into today, with the help of a thoughtful listener question. We look at how it’s possible to be ...
05.16.2023 Listener Questions & Our Advice: Episode 417 A parent of three is exhausted by dinnertime sillies and wants help steering conversation at the family table. A stay-at-home mom asks what to do when her child says, “don’t tell dad I got in trouble at school!”. And a ...
05.14.2023 More Than Mom: This Or That? Happy Mother’s Day! Meagan thought it would be fun to surprise Sarah with an episode full of lightning-round-style “this or that” questions and “would you rather” head-scratchers. Join us for lots of laughs, silly questions and tons of fun! If ...
05.09.2023 Field Trips, Little To Teen: Episode 416 Meagan spent a soggy day helping eighth grade science students release salmon into a creek, and it inspired this conversation all about kids and field trips. From tiny toddlers at the fire station to teens on a red-eye flight to ...
05.07.2023 Traveling As Business Besties (Meagan & Sarah From Dallas Together!) SURPRISE! Popping in with a bonus episode we recorded together in real life (and, in the same bed!) on a recent trip to Dallas. Get a feel for what Meagan and Sarah are like on the road together, how we ...
05.05.2023 Tips For Traveling With Teens (Meagan’s Florida Family Vacation) From surfing lessons and sunset cruises, to training dolphins and learning about space…Meagan and her two teens, Clara and Owen, packed in so many unforgettable experiences during their Spring Break trip to Florida! In this episode Meagan shares more about ...
05.02.2023 Feel-Good Foods & Feeding Ourselves Well: Episode 415 With warming weather, meals, snacks and cravings shift too. Today Meagan and Sarah unpack what it means to us to feed ourselves well as moms, from taking time to assemble a sandwich to paying attention to the way food makes ...
04.30.2023 More Than Mom: Special Man Friend Gets Promoted! Meagan has big news. Sarah has alllll the questions. Join us for a fun dive into all the plans and details! LINKS MENTIONED:We mentioned other episodes where we share personal news while couching it in a larger context, such as:Self ...

Older episodes

The Mom Hour

What's The Mom Hour about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Mom Hour episodes:

Creating Holiday Memories [Classic Replay]

Inconsequential Holiday Gripes: Episode 442

Genealogy & Family History: Episode 441

Regrets, We've Had A Few: Episode 440

Musical Kids, Musical Families (Hint: That's All Of Us!)

Listener Questions & Our Advice: Episode 439

Tricky Family Dynamics: Episode 438

Navigating Youth Sports

Do This Now; Enjoy The Holidays Later: Episode 437

#Influenced: Episode 436

A Conversation About Miscarriage

When Will This Get Easier?: Episode 435

Chores & Household Responsibilities: Episode 434

House Rules For Halloween [Classic Replay]: Episode 433

Kitchen Gadgets & Gear, Part 2: Episode 432

Kitchen Gadgets & Gear, Part 1: Episode 431

New Partners, Step-Parents & Big Transitions In Family Structure: Episode 430

The Beauty Of A Soft Start: Episode 429

Rest-Of-Summer Recap & Fall Aspirations: Episode 428

Beyond The Mom Bun (Talking About Our Hair!): Episode 427

MORE Back-To-School Listener Questions & Our Advice: Episode 426

Back-To-School Listener Questions & Our Advice: Episode 425

Summer So Far (& More To Come!): Episode 424

It Gets Easier, Mostly [Katherine & Lisa Respond To Ep100]

It's All Gonna Be OK (And Other Truths Moms Need To Hear) [Classic Replay]

Real-Life Routines For Better Sleep [Emily & Kia Respond To Ep87]

Coping With Sleep Deprivation [Classic Replay]

Making Quality Time Actually Happen [Joanna & Joanne Respond To Ep86]

How (And Why) To Spend One-On-One Time With Your Kids [Classic Replay]

Kids & Clutter [Jayme & Jennifer Respond To Ep35]

Stuff, Junk & Things [Classic Replay]

Oh Hi, July!

Dr. Ken Ginsburg On Why Teens Need Their Parents More Than Ever

On "Taking A Break" As A Mom (And Human!): Episode 423

More Than Mom: Home Design Quirks

House Rules For Summer: Episode 422

Dr. Lisa Damour On Supporting Teens Through Big Emotions

Weddings...With Children! : Episode 421

More Than Mom: Weddings

A Mom Around Town (The Errands Episode!): Episode 420

Constantly Connected (The Joys & Challenges Of Parenting In The Smartphone Era): Voices 83

Pomp, Circumstance, And Motherhood: Episode 419

Mourning The End Of The Baby-Having Years: Episode 418

Listener Questions & Our Advice: Episode 417

More Than Mom: This Or That?

Field Trips, Little To Teen: Episode 416

Traveling As Business Besties (Meagan & Sarah From Dallas Together!)

Tips For Traveling With Teens (Meagan’s Florida Family Vacation)

Feel-Good Foods & Feeding Ourselves Well: Episode 415

More Than Mom: Special Man Friend Gets Promoted!

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