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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Getting Along (Siblings, Co...

11.22.2022

Can't we all just get along? (Or maybe, more accurately: Can ANYONE, EVER, just get along?) From playground drama to cousin power dynamics, sibling bickering to neighborly awkwardness, there's no avoiding relationship challenges as families grow, change, and evolve. Today's ...

The Mom Hour episodes:

11.22.2022 Getting Along (Siblings, Cousins, Friends & More): Episode 392 Can't we all just get along? (Or maybe, more accurately: Can ANYONE, EVER, just get along?) From playground drama to cousin power dynamics, sibling bickering to neighborly awkwardness, there's no avoiding relationship challenges as families grow, change, and evolve. Today's ...
11.15.2022 Greed, Gratitude & The Gimmies: Episode 391 The toy catalogs have arrived and the lists are being made! It's normal for kids to wish and want all season long, and it's ALSO normal for all those "gimmes" to get on parents' nerves (or make us worry that ...
11.13.2022 More Than Mom: Are We Basic? Trader Joe’s. Yoga. Book Club. Cute boots and crunchy leaves. Today Meagan and Sarah just want to know: “Are we basic?” Join us for a fun More Than Mom episode with deep thoughts on this totally fluffy topic, including a ...
11.08.2022 Nurturing Grandparent-Grandkid Relationships: Episode 390 Being sandwiched between the littles and the grandparents who love them isn't always easy - and there's no one right way to do it! Today we're tapping into the tips, advice and wisdom of our community on a topic we've ...
11.04.2022 Mom-Life On A Homestead: Voices 81 With Kendra Martin If you’ve been listening to this podcast for any length of time you know that Meagan’s harbored some serious homesteader fantasies since her early 20s. Nearly 25 years after Meagan’s oldest was born, she’s finally living outside the city limits, ...
11.01.2022 OMG We’re Sick AGAIN?!: Episode 389 Million dollar sick-kid question: "are they going to school today, or not?"! After two fall seasons impacted by pandemic schooling in all kinds of ways, Fall 2022 appears to be The One Where The Children Are Sick ALL THE TIME. ...
10.30.2022 More Than Mom: Partners & Personalities It's no secret that Meagan and Sarah can both get pretty into personality tests, particularly the Enneagram. In this fun More Than Mom we have an in-depth conversation about personalities in general (not just the types and tests!), especially as ...
10.25.2022 Holiday Hills To Die On (And How To Let Go A Little): Episode 388 From Halloween through New Year's we're given opportunities to create new traditions and fulfill holiday wishes - sometimes of our own design and, increasingly as kids get older, sometimes at our kids' behest. This week Meagan and Sarah talk about ...
10.18.2022 Sleep Challenges, (Mostly) SOLVED: Episode 387 From bedtime fears to big kid bed transitions, nightwaking big kids and second thoughts about co-sleeping, we've covered a lot of sleep challenges over the years. Today we're bringing together some of the most common pain points our listeners have ...
10.16.2022 More Than Mom: 2022 Goals & Intentions (What We Said, How It Went & Where Life Surprised Us) While there's a lot of value in setting goals and intentions at the start of a new year (and in revisiting and tracking progress throughout the year), sometimes the intentions we set months ago aren't serving us the way we ...
10.11.2022 What REALLY Matters In Parenting? Episode 386 When an article or study claims that a certain parenting approach is "best" or is "matters most," how does that make you feel as a mom? Meagan and Sarah have thoughts, starting with this: assuming that every family defines "parenting ...
10.07.2022 Going Big Vs. Keeping It Simple At Halloween: Voices 80 With Joanna Martin & Diane Boden Whether you love everything about Halloween or mildly dread some of the excess (sugar, stuff, events, oh my!), today's episode is meant to give you permission to find the traditions and celebrations that work for your family. Regular contributor Joanna ...
10.04.2022 A Week Of Real-Life Lunch Packing: Episode 385 Now that school routines are underway, we're going deep into the details of lunch packing - with the help of our team! In Episode 385 Meagan and Sarah call on the experience, perspective and real-life lunch packing advice of five ...
09.27.2022 Dealing With Insecurity As A Mom: Episode 384 Oh, you bought THAT carseat? Your third grader has a cell phone? Wow, you really give your kids freedom! No moms we know are immune from feeling judged, or criticized, or called out by comments from others (even if it's ...
09.25.2022 More Than Mom: Tiny Habits For Making The Most Of Your Fall Mom Mojo Have you found some renewed energy now that the season is changing and the kids are back in school? Now is the perfect time to start some tiny habits to make the most of that fall mojo! Today, Meagan and ...
09.20.2022 Talking To Kids About Money: Episode 383 Teaching kids life skills around money isn't as straightforward as, say, teaching them how to order a pizza or do a load laundry. Not only are there different ways to approach each topic - from allowance and paying for chores ...
09.13.2022 Separation Without (Quite So Much) Anxiety: Episode 382 Separation anxiety - but make it for moms! Today we're talking about the feelings and experiences that come up when we're separated from our children, whether it's for a couple of hours or many days. Meagan and Sarah look back ...
09.11.2022 More Than Mom: Books Talk! (What & How We’re Reading Lately) It's been a while since we talked about books and reading! These days Meagan identifies as a total bookworm and Sarah as more of a modest reader in terms of quantity - during other seasons of life we've been just ...
09.06.2022 What’s In Our Fridge & Freezer Right Now: Episode 381 Is your fridge neat and tidy inside with organized compartments, or is it more like a game of Tetris? Taking a peek into someone's fridge can tell a lot about the season of life they're in, and in today's episode, ...
09.02.2022 Seasonally-Inspired Homemaking & Parenting: Voices 79 With Katherine DeVries Fall is just around the corner and while some of us look to classic markers like crisp air, sweatshirts and chili, others - especially those in warm-weather climates - have to work a bit harder to make a mindful shift ...
08.30.2022 House Rules For After School: Episode 380 Empty your lunch box! Wash your hands! No screens before homework! What non-negotiable rule do you enforce when the kids walk through the door after school gets out? In our latest "House Rules" episode, Meagan and Sarah tackle the time ...
08.23.2022 Lessons In Motherhood From Chickens & Kittens: Episode 379 While we WILL be talking all about motherhood today, we WON’T be talking about mothering any humans. In this one-of-a-kind episode, Meagan and Sarah talk motherhood through the lens of caring for chickens and kittens! If you've been following us ...
08.21.2022 More Than Mom: Empties! (Products We Love So Much We Want More…) Got any empties? You know the ones–those products that you use down to the VERY last drop. In this super fun More than Mom, Meagan and Sarah share products that we simply can't stop adding to our cart because they’re ...
08.16.2022 Annual Late Summer Grab Bag Chat: Episode 378 You're invited to our accidentally-annual-grab-bag chat! In today's episode, Meagan and Sarah have a good-old fashioned girl chat to catch up on all the things. We share our late summer moods (one of us is very ready for school to ...
08.09.2022 Glad I Did / Wish I’d Done: Back To School: Episode 377 The back to school season brings that sense of routine that some of us crave–but it can also bring on a whole lot of anxiety (getting the right supplies, attending all the events, filling out paperwork…the list goes on!). In ...
08.05.2022 First Phones & Digital Responsibility: Voices 78 with Catherine Pearlman When to get kids their first cell phone brings up all kinds of questions: How do you know when your child is ready? How to talk to kids about safety? How to help kids develop a healthy relationship with their ...
08.02.2022 College Plans & Family Culture (Hopes, Dreams, Memories & More): Episode 376 College decision-making is influenced by so many things--parents, peers, teachers, family members, your larger community and more. And as with everything else: all families approach this differently! While some bleed their alma mater colors, others don't see college as the ...
07.26.2022 Listener Questions (Vol. 41): Episode 375 What are Meagan and Sarah’s best tips for getting kids started with their first phone? And with a new school year right around the corner, a mom asks how to prepare her child for the first day of kindergarten and ...
07.19.2022 Listener Questions (Vol. 40): Episode 374 What’s a mom to do when one kid feels left out of outings his younger sibling gets to do while he’s at school? A listener about to move to a new city for just one year wants tips for finding ...
07.17.2022 More Than Mom: Advice (Giving It, Getting It & More) Today we're talking about advice: asking for it, giving it, and consuming it in general. Things have come a looong way since the days of Dear Abby (we're looking at you, Facebook crowdsourcing!), and in this fun More Than Mom ...
07.12.2022 Self-Improvement & Self-Acceptance In Motherhood: Episode 373 We get dueling messages from our culture: On the one hand, come as you are! Accept yourself fully, imperfections and all. On the other hand, you deserve better! Here's what to do (and buy) to sleep better, eat better, look ...
07.08.2022 What’s New In Baby Gear & Baby Shower Registries: Voices 77 with Kia Hammond and Katherine DeVries Meagan's first baby shower was - wait for it - twenty-five years ago this summer. To bring her up to speed on how things are done nowadays and what's new in baby gear, gifting, and registries, Meagan is joined by ...
07.05.2022 Growing Families, Grown Kids, And The “Someday Family Dinner Table”: Episode 372 "How do you know when your family is complete?" is one of the most common listener questions we receive. Meagan and Sarah both now have several years of hindsight separating them from the baby and toddler years, and today we're ...
06.28.2022 A Week Of Real-Life Housework (Part Two): Episode 371 Not feeling like an expert in the housework realm? Turns out, very few of feel like we know what we are doing. Last week Meagan and Sarah talked about WHAT we do to keep our households in a state of ...
06.26.2022 More Than Mom: Meagan & Sarah As Kids & Teens What we remember from childhood helps build our narrative of who we were - even if those memories are fuzzy or slightly flawed. Today Meagan and Sarah get in the way-WAY-back machine and reflect on what we were like as ...
06.21.2022 A Week Of Real-Life Housework (Part One): Episode 370 Most of us enjoy having a clean and tidy home, but have you ever kept track of how much you do throughout the week to keep it that way? In today’s episode, Meagan and Sarah share what seven days of ...
06.17.2022 Family Travel Mishaps & Why We Go Anyway: Voices 76 If you travel with kids, it’s just a matter of time before a trip goes off the rails in spectacular fashion. Maybe it’s a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, or an expensive vacation spent sick in a pricey ...
06.14.2022 8 Truths Every Mom Needs To Hear: Episode 369 As moms, we can be hard on ourselves…and sometimes we just need to hear the simplest, oft-repeated pieces of advice and encouragement to remind us that it is all going to be OK. Join Meagan and Sarah for a reflection ...
06.12.2022 More Than Mom: Fantasy Summer Camps For Moms Have you ever fantasized about attending a camp-like environment for grown-ups? Much about the classic summer camp experience is appealing to us (though not EVERYTHING--we could certainly do without the bugs), and the idea of simply showing up for a ...
06.07.2022 Glad I Did / Wish I’d Done: Tech And Devices: Episode 368 Among parents, technology and screen time can be a loaded topic. How much is too much? Is that movie too mature? And what's the best age for a first phone? In today’s episode, Meagan and Sarah share the role technology ...
06.03.2022 Getting Outdoors With Kids: Voices 75 With Jayme Sherrod & Jennifer Carroll There are big benefits to getting kids outside as much as possible. But as a mom to young kids, it can feel intimidating to curate the perfect outside experience for them (and you)! In this Voices episode, Meagan chats with ...
05.31.2022 Simple Summer Rituals & Traditions: Episode 367 It’s the last day of May, which means that for many families it's time to stow away backpacks, say 'see ya later' to early morning alarms, and settle in for a more laid-back (or at least DIFFERENT) routine. In this ...
05.24.2022 On This Day In (Our Motherhood) History: Episode 366 Looking back at old photos is a quick way to feel a ALL the feels: everything from "I can't believe they were ever that little" to "What was I thinking with that haircut?" to "Oh riiiiiiiight, that was one exhausting ...
05.22.2022 More Than Mom: Products We’re Loving Lately Products. Just because. Yay! Meagan and Sarah pop into your Sunday feed with a light and fluffy chat about the products we are loving lately. From linen pants to fizzy beverage makers, pens for lefties and Very Many Opinions About ...
05.20.2022 Real Stories About Postpartum Mental Health: Voices 74 With Emily Roark And Kia Hammond Between the raging hormones, sleep deprivation, and overstimulation that occurs on the daily, it's no wonder most moms feel a little "off" for a few weeks after delivery. But how do we know when the baby blues develop into something ...
05.17.2022 Oh Hey, It’s May. (End of School Chaos, 2022 Edition): Episode 365 Performances. Plays. Graduations. The lusty month of May is upon us as we ditch our well-oiled, calendar-planning systems and enter our end-of-school-year survival mode. In this episode, Meagan and Sarah share strategies for tackling the extra-ness of this season (like ...
05.10.2022 Talking About Our Own Kids. Or Not: Episode 364 As moms, we are our kids' biggest fans. But when it comes to deciding when, how and what to share about them with others, the struggle is real. In today’s episode, Meagan and Sarah discuss how talking about our own ...
05.08.2022 More Than Mom: Marketing To Moms (We Have Thoughts) Moms are savvy consumers, conscientious home managers, and discerning decision-makers. So why are we so often the target of hyper-generalized and cringey marketing efforts? In today’s More Than Mom episode - airing on Mother's Day! - Meagan and Sarah keep ...
05.06.2022 Cultivating A Reading Life: Voices 73 With Amy Clark Has your reading life come to a screeching halt due to the responsibilities of motherhood? In this month’s Voices interview, Meagan welcomes back blogger, podcaster, and book club leader Amy Clark, to discuss how a busy mom can take small ...
05.03.2022 The Muscle Memory Of Motherhood: Episode 363 Crouching. Bending. Stooping. The magical, ninja-like way you lay a baby down in the crib without waking her up; the feeling of wet, sloppy gums on your knuckles as he teethes. In Episode 363, Sarah and Meagan reflect on the ...

Older episodes

The Mom Hour

What's The Mom Hour about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Mom Hour episodes:

Getting Along (Siblings, Cousins, Friends & More): Episode 392

Greed, Gratitude & The Gimmies: Episode 391

More Than Mom: Are We Basic?

Nurturing Grandparent-Grandkid Relationships: Episode 390

Mom-Life On A Homestead: Voices 81 With Kendra Martin

OMG We’re Sick AGAIN?!: Episode 389

More Than Mom: Partners & Personalities

Holiday Hills To Die On (And How To Let Go A Little): Episode 388

Sleep Challenges, (Mostly) SOLVED: Episode 387

More Than Mom: 2022 Goals & Intentions (What We Said, How It Went & Where Life Surprised Us)

What REALLY Matters In Parenting? Episode 386

Going Big Vs. Keeping It Simple At Halloween: Voices 80 With Joanna Martin & Diane Boden

A Week Of Real-Life Lunch Packing: Episode 385

Dealing With Insecurity As A Mom: Episode 384

More Than Mom: Tiny Habits For Making The Most Of Your Fall Mom Mojo

Talking To Kids About Money: Episode 383

Separation Without (Quite So Much) Anxiety: Episode 382

More Than Mom: Books Talk! (What & How We’re Reading Lately)

What’s In Our Fridge & Freezer Right Now: Episode 381

Seasonally-Inspired Homemaking & Parenting: Voices 79 With Katherine DeVries

House Rules For After School: Episode 380

Lessons In Motherhood From Chickens & Kittens: Episode 379

More Than Mom: Empties! (Products We Love So Much We Want More…)

Annual Late Summer Grab Bag Chat: Episode 378

Glad I Did / Wish I’d Done: Back To School: Episode 377

First Phones & Digital Responsibility: Voices 78 with Catherine Pearlman

College Plans & Family Culture (Hopes, Dreams, Memories & More): Episode 376

Listener Questions (Vol. 41): Episode 375

Listener Questions (Vol. 40): Episode 374

More Than Mom: Advice (Giving It, Getting It & More)

Self-Improvement & Self-Acceptance In Motherhood: Episode 373

What’s New In Baby Gear & Baby Shower Registries: Voices 77 with Kia Hammond and Katherine DeVries

Growing Families, Grown Kids, And The “Someday Family Dinner Table”: Episode 372

A Week Of Real-Life Housework (Part Two): Episode 371

More Than Mom: Meagan & Sarah As Kids & Teens

A Week Of Real-Life Housework (Part One): Episode 370

Family Travel Mishaps & Why We Go Anyway: Voices 76

8 Truths Every Mom Needs To Hear: Episode 369

More Than Mom: Fantasy Summer Camps For Moms

Glad I Did / Wish I’d Done: Tech And Devices: Episode 368

Getting Outdoors With Kids: Voices 75 With Jayme Sherrod & Jennifer Carroll

Simple Summer Rituals & Traditions: Episode 367

On This Day In (Our Motherhood) History: Episode 366

More Than Mom: Products We’re Loving Lately

Real Stories About Postpartum Mental Health: Voices 74 With Emily Roark And Kia Hammond

Oh Hey, It’s May. (End of School Chaos, 2022 Edition): Episode 365

Talking About Our Own Kids. Or Not: Episode 364

More Than Mom: Marketing To Moms (We Have Thoughts)

Cultivating A Reading Life: Voices 73 With Amy Clark

The Muscle Memory Of Motherhood: Episode 363

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