The Mom Hour

Is it EVER appropriate to correct another mom’s car seat buckling technique? A listener wants to hear Meagan and Sarah’s thoughts on whether we feel comfortable offering unsolicited safety tips to other parents. Another mom asks our thoughts on how you distribute your parenting energy evenly when one kid is really struggling and others are “just bopping along”. We also talk about how to get through the day as a mom when you’re the one struggling, and finish out the episode with advice for containing a super-creative kid’s projects and experiments. It’s another Listener Questions episode – enjoy, friends!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• All of our Listener Questions episodes can be found here
• To listen to all of our episodes all the way back to the beginning, check out the archives

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• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Meagan and Sarah both live in beach towns – but very different ones. Today’s More Than Mom episode invites you to come to our areas for a visit – and head to the beach! We talk about what it’s like to live in a beach area generally, and in our towns specifically, and offer tips for making a day at the beach fit with your idea of fun (yes, even with kids!). From parking to hotels, what to bring and when to go, we have locals-only insights that will help you think through your next trip to the beach – even if it’s not to Santa Barbara or Saint Joe. We finish up the episode by talking about the beach-related products we’re using currently, as well as some we have our eye on. Happy Summer, friends!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Sarah’s go-to beach flip flops are Havaianas
• Sarah uses this Tommy Bahama umbrella
• Sarah loves this LL Bean Tote for the beach and also uses a mesh tote bag similar to this one
• These lightweight Turkish towels from Riviera Towel Company is a local favorite of Sarah’s (and they ship!)
• Sarah uses these EasyLunch boxes 3-Compartment Bento Lunch Box and stacks up a few in a cheap insulated lunch bag
• These Old Navy Sunglasses are great to take along to the beach
• Meagan loves these Vionic flip flops for the beach
• Meagan has these folding chairs, but is looking to upgrade to Tommy Bahama Chairs
• Meagan has a lightweight beach blanket and a straw beach bag similar to this one
• Meagan brings along her UEBoom Speaker to play her beach playlist
• Some sunscreen recommendations from Meagan are the Sun Bum Face Stick and Sun Bum Scalp & Hair Mist, Hawaiian Tropic Spray, and Neutrogena Water Boost Hydro Gel Face Sunscreen

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
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• 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.

A mom of tweens asks Meagan and Sarah whether we require our own kids to keep their rooms tidy (we have thoughts!); another listener dealing with cultural and generational divides in her family asks our thoughts on how to handle well-meaning grandparent advice. Finally, we coach a new-to-preschool mom on how to begin setting up playdates and social opportunities when you don’t know anyone at the school (and are emerging from a global pandemic). Join us for another installment of Listener Questions & Our Advice!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• All of our Listener Questions episodes can be found here
• To listen to all of our episodes all the way back to the beginning, check out the archives
• We referenced our episode A Summertime Chores, Life Skills & Freedoms Reset: Episode 315
• Meagan talked about our episode When You’re Feeling Criticized, Remember This: Episode 165

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
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• 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.

By pure coincidence, BOTH Meagan and Sarah have kids with broken bones right now – so we’re here to talk about it! We discuss the current injury situation in each of our homes, and reflect back on other kid-injuries that have occupied that tricky space in between “rub some dirt on it” and “call the ambulance”. From stitches to sprains, bumps to the head and busted lips, we know raising kids involves a lot of injuries, and that it can be tough on parents to know what to do in the moment. Today’s stories all ended well – we promise! – but we’re here to validate that parenting an injured kid can be tough, both in the moment of decision as well as in the aftermath. Join us!

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From bad hair to failed friendships to terrible taste in music, there are some phases of our lives that, in hindsight, were just kind of the worst. Other eras we look back on fondly, whether it was because our social lives were dazzling or our fashion sense just worked. In today’s More Than Mom episode Meagan and Sarah look back at our lives – both before motherhood, and also since becoming a mom – and declare our Bests and Worsts in style, culture, and friendships. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• We’re hiring! Check out our current job opportunities
• We mentioned our recent More Than Mom Episode, More Than Mom: #Influenced
• For more on friendships in motherhood, check out Friendships in Motherhood, Part One (Redefining “Ride Or Die”): Episode 307, and Friendships In Motherhood, Part Two (Deepening & Widening Your Circle): Episode 308

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

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

Lindsey Hein is a lifelong runner with more than 16 marathons to her name, including several Boston Marathon finishes. She’s also mom to four busy boys, ages two to eight, and host of a popular podcast for runners. In this month’s Voices episode Lindsey chats with Meagan about training for races with four little kids, how her podcasting side hustle grew into a network of shows (including a parenting podcast!), and why she made the tough decision to have a prophylactic mastectomy after finding out she was positive for the BRCA 2 gene mutation when her oldest son was 16 months old. Enjoy!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Lindsey’s podcast network is  SandyBoy Productions
• Connect with Lindsey on Instagram or Facebook
• Lindsey’s podcasts are I’ll Have Another with Lindsey Hein (highlighting pro & everyday runners) and Why Is Everyone Yelling (a parenting podcast)

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’ve noticed something: the end of school and start of summer always makes it suddenly clear how dang much our kids have grown. They’re smarter, they’re taller, they’re more capable, and all that means…it’s time to level up! We think summer is a great time to teach new life skills, reset chores and responsibilities, and also grant expanded freedoms to growing kids. In Episode 315 Meagan and Sarah talk about summer resets generally, and Summer 2021 more specifically – what our kids are ready for, where they need some support in the independence department, and how we’re planning on expanding their worlds this summer. Join us! 

LINKS MENTIONED:

• We’re hiring! Check out our current job opportunities
• Related episodes on chores and responsibilities are Life Skills We’re Glad Our Kids Have Right Now (And A Few They’re Still Working On), Chores, Life Skills, & Household Contributions, and Chores & Delegation
• Sarah did a deep dive on family meetings in the latest episode of Kidliterate
• Sarah loves Todoist (affiliate link – get 2 months of PRO free!) for task management and uses many of the more advanced features to share tasks, set up recurring tasks, etc. (Would you love a deep dive on this? Let us know!)

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
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• 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.

Having a house rule gives parents a shorthand for handling the same small annoyance the same way, every time. Will it stop your kids from fighting over the coveted “fishy cup” or arguing over whose turn it is to set the table? It will not. But it WILL allow you to consistently apply the same judiciary process (and one that feels right to YOU) each time kids start to go at it, which can cut down on a lot of mental gymnastics for mom. The beauty of house rules is that they’re born from necessity and are unique to each family, so in today’s episode we’re including smart ideas from dozens of our community members, all in the pursuit of House Rules For Sibling Harmony. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• We mentioned Kendra Adachi, The Lazy Genius, who says wise things about house rules in her book The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn’t, and Get Stuff Done
• Other episodes where we talk about raising siblings are collected here
• Join us in our Facebook Group for The Mom Hour Listeners (make sure to answer the questions to be approved!)

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• Visit our website
• Check out deals from our partners
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

So many firsts, so many outgrown outfits, so many unforgettable mom-moments, and so much MESS. Join Meagan and Sarah as we walk month-by-month through a baby’s first year of life, sharing our personal memories as well as general thoughts on what makes each month unique. If you’re beyond the infant years, we hope this will offer a little trip down your own nostalgic memory lane; if you’re in the middle of baby-land, we hope you feel seen and validated. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Share your baby’s first year memories with us in our Facebook Group for The Mom Hour Listeners (make sure to answer the questions to be approved!) or on our Instagram

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• 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 swimsuits to fitness programs, nail polish to meal delivery, we admit: we’re influenceable. But there’s a lot to unpack about the concept of influencer marketing and influencer culture in general. In today’s More Than Mom episode Meagan and Sarah talk about about the silly stuff (like the kind of ads the algorithm INSISTS on delivering us) and also the more substantial (like the ways in which we’ve been positively influenced by friends, both IRL and on the Internet). Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Sarah was influenced by her sister to get this L’Ange flat iron (affiliate link)
• Sarah shops Jane a lot, also influenced by her sister (affiliate link)
• Meagan loves SmartWool socks (influenced by a friend) and her Arc’teryx fleece (influenced by a very effective salesperson) – affiliate links
• Sarah loves following Instagrammers who authentically share product recs – and feels extra motivated to support their sponsored work because of the trust factor. Some favorites include Meghan Splawn, Stacie Billis, Erica Ladd, Kelsey Wharton, Kendra Adachi, Christine Koh
• Sarah has been influenced by goal-setting productivity friends like Kelsey Wharton, Christine Koh, and Sarah Hart-Unger

MORE HELPFUL LINKS:

• 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.