The Mom Hour

Meagan wrote a book—and Sarah has lots of questions. In this episode, we dive into Meagan’s journey from concept to publication. From the initial spark of an idea to the challenges of writing, editing, and getting it out into the world, join us for an inside look at the process behind bringing her book to life. Whether you’re a writer, a non-writer who likes to learn how the sausage gets made, or simply want to offer Meagan your support during launch week, we hope you’ll listen!

Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next

HELPFUL LINKS:

• meaganfrancis.substack.com
• More on Meagan’s book-writing journey:
• The Kettle podcast episode Gretchen Rubin on her “open door” approach to parenting young adults
• Is it possible to plan a “slow” book launch?
• Meagan shares thoughts about gearing up for book promotion season in One month until my new book publishes!
• Sarah mentioned the podcast #amwriting
• Meagan took a book proposal writing course from Beth Kempton
• Episodes From The Archives On Writing:
• Life Of A Writer Mom: Episode 406
• Living A Writerly Life: Episode 454
• More Than Mom: Writing, Motherhood & Creative Practice

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

• Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next
• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does it mean to “launch” a kid into adulthood? How does parenting change when you’re still mom, but they’re no longer children? With Meagan’s new book just a week from launch, we’re diving into five things she’s learned about parenting young adults. Sarah asks the questions, Meagan shares the wisdom—and we both reflect on how the parenting journey keeps evolving. Enjoy!

GET THE BOOK: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read – Available For Pre-Order NOW!

HELPFUL LINKS:

• The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read – Available For Pre-Order NOW!
• If you preordered Meagan’s book, email your receipt to [email protected] and you will get a signed bookplate later in May.
• Join Meagan on Substack for her book launch
• Find Sarah on Substack
• We mentioned this recent episode when talking about time opening up for us as moms: On Balance & Busy-Ness

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

• Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next
• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Raising creative kids isn’t just about paintbrushes and piano lessons—it’s also about noticing how they think, solve problems, and dream up deas. Both Meagan and Sarah come from creative backgrounds and hope to raise creative kids, but we’ve learned that creativity shows up in unexpected places—from storytelling and party planning to building weird contraptions out of couch cushions. We share what’s worked in our own families, where we’ve had to shift our thinking, and some of the misconceptions we’ve had about what being “creative” really means. Join us!

HELPFUL LINKS:

• Episodes From The Archives You May Enjoy:
• More Than Mom: Writing, Motherhood & Creative Practice
• Midlife Lady Leisure Pursuits: Episode 484
• More Than Mom: Creative Hobbies (Now … Soonish … Maybe Someday

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

• Pre-Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next
• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’ve heard from so many listeners who say that The Mom Hour helped you through your early years of parenting. Your notes of gratitude got us thinking (and feeling all the feels) about what a uniquely intense and tender season “active mothering” really is—and why it inspires a certain nostalgia when viewed later from a distance. Join us as we share some of your own words as well as memories of our own, reflecting on the pop-cultural, sensory, emotional, and unexpectedly specific things that instantly transport us back. Enjoy!

HELPFUL LINKS:

• Episodes Mentioned In This One:
• The Muscle Memory Of Motherhood: Episode 363
• Giving Ourselves Credit & Compassion: Episode 506
• Magical Night Visitors (Elves, Bunnies, Fairies & Jolly Fat Dudes): Episode 96
• Last Firsts & First Lasts (Milestones We Notice, And A Bunch We Miss): Episode 166

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

• Pre-Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next
• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, we’re talking about busy-ness—that always-running hamster wheel we either can’t get off… or can’t seem to climb onto. Meagan and Sarah each look back on times in our lives when our relationship with productivity felt off—whether we were drowning in to-dos or floating in a weird limbo of not-enough-to-dos. Where are we at now on the busy scale? How do our personalities lend themselves to being busy – or not? And is there even such a thing as the perfect balance? Join us!

This is Part 1 of a three-part series about Time running this spring. Check back next month for Part 2!

HELPFUL LINKS:

• The Fall Sarah Quit Everything: Episode 233
• Episodes From The Archives On Time Management:
• The Lazy Genius Helps Fix Our Time Management Troubles: Episode 485
• Time Management For The Season You’re In: Episode 483
• Time Management & Productivity Tips For Savvy Working Moms: Voices 54 With Whitnee Hawthorne
• Productivity & Time Management Tips For Moms: Episode 169

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

• Pre-Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next
• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From sandbox maintenance and the endless cycle of outgrown kids’ clothes to the rise of sourdough starters and evolving gardening ambitions, today's episode is about how our home management tasks have shifted as our kids have grown. We each share a few “then vs. now” snapshots, offering little insights into what domestic work looks like during different seasons of family life. Enjoy!

HELPFUL LINKS:

• Meagan wrote the blog post Organizing Kids' Clothes: Seasonal And Hand-Me-Down Storage Made Simple back in 2014 about the storage and swap-out of seasonal clothes and handmedowns that she used for her four boys for a decade.
• Meagan mentioned the book The Domestic Revolution by Ruth Goodman (affiliate link) 
• Episodes From The Archives You May Enjoy On Home/Life/Time Management.

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

• Pre-Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next
• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey, book lovers! This week, Meagan and Sarah catch up on our latest reading adventures. We share some books we’ve been loving lately, our TBR lists and check in on our library habits. We also discuss how reading habits change when we’re on vacation or just shaking up our routines. Oh, and with Meagan’s book launch on the horizon, we’re giving you a peek into how she’s keeping up with all the new releases and buzz in the book world. So grab a cup of your fav beverage and let’s dive into this bookish catch-up!

HELPFUL LINKS:

• Episodes From The Archives On Reading & Libraries:
• 7 Habits Of Moms Who Make Time For Reading: Episode 492
• More Than Mom: For The Love Of Libraries
• Meagan and Sarah both use the Libby App to borrow books from the local library.
• Sarah subscribed to The New Yorker
• Meagan’s Books (book links are affiliate links)
• The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series
• The Domestic Revolution: How the Introduction of Coal into Victorian Homes Changed Everything by Ruth Goodman
• A Walk Across America by Peter Jenkins
• Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell is on Meagan’s TBR list
• The Tea Planter’s Wife by Dinah Jefferies is on Meagan’s TBR List
• Sarah’s Books(book links are affiliate links)
• Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come: One Introvert’s Year of Saying Yes by Jessica Pan
• Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
• Jedidiah Jenkins, author of Mother Nature, was featured on Armchair Expert.
• Meagan wrote about her current relationship with the library in a new Substack post.
• Meagan interviews Gretchen Rubin on her podcast The Kettle on April 15

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

• Pre-Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next
• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

No April Foolery from us today, but we ARE talking about family culture around jokes and funny stuff. We touch on Sarah’s very strong feelings about pranks and jump scares, the joy of watching our kids’ unique senses of humor evolve as they grow, whether teasing and ribbing fit in our our families’ culture, comedy styles in pop culture that catch on with our teens, and more. Join us!

HELPFUL LINKS:

• Speaking Our Kids’ Love Languages (And Knowing Our Own): Episode 296
• Staying Connected With Tweens, Teens & Beyond: Episode 482

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

• Pre-Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next
• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Living near other families with kids is a blessing and, occasionally, a challenge. In today’s episode of House Rules, Meagan and Sarah share tips from The Mom Hour community—consider this your go-to guide for making those impromptu playdates a little smoother! From setting boundaries, providing snacks, staying safe, and keeping the peace, we've got you covered. Enjoy!

HELPFUL LINKS:

• House Rules For Neighbor Play ideas from our Facebook Community.
• Did you enjoy this House Rules episode? Here are a few more from the archives:
• House Rules For Messy Fun: Episode 468
• House Rules For Easier Bedtimes: Episode 443
• House Rules For Tidying Up: Episode 413
• House Rules For Gifting & Giving: Episode 393
• House Rules For After School: Episode 380
• House Rules for Playdates: Episode 340

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

• Pre-Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next
• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we celebrate a decade of The Mom Hour! We asked listeners to tell us the phrases we say all the time – MomHour-isms, if you will – and wow, did you deliver. We own up to our quirks and vocal tics, give backstory to oft-repeated phrases we utter, and share behind-the-scenes details about making and editing the podcast. Join us!

HELPFUL LINKS:

• Did you miss our news about the future of The Mom Hour? Listen to How Do You Know What’s Next?: Episode 503
• Episodes from the archives mentioned in this episode:
• Mom Milestones (By Popular Request!): Episode 257
• We Hate Fun: Episode 109
• We Hate Fun! (Okay, Not ALL Fun): Episode 10
• The Muscle Memory Of Motherhood: Episode 363

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:

• Pre-Order Meagan’s book: The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next
• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
• Follow us on Instagram
• Join our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)
• Sign up for our newsletter

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.