The Mom Hour

We love books, and we hope our kids grow up to love them too…but how do we get there? Meagan and Sarah break down the ways we encourage literacy and a love of reading in our homes–without piling on the pressure. We talk about reading aloud, reading for homework, encouraging reluctant readers, and modeling a book-loving life as adults. PLUS Katie Addiss joins Sarah for a fun segment all about holiday picture books! We share some favorites for babies through big kids–just in time for the coziest reading season!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Sarah and Katie’s full list of holiday books is here
• Meagan’s appearance on the Read-Aloud Revival podcast: RAR #34: Reading Aloud around a Traditional School Schedule, and RAR host Sarah Mackenzie’s appearance on Meagan’s podcast The Home Hour in 2014
• Magazines Sarah loves include ASK and Muse from Cricket Media, Highlights High Five, and National Geographic Kids
• Sarah loves the book lists at What Do We Do All Day?, and specifically mentioned these three in her segment with Katie:
• Timeless Christmas Books
• New Christmas Picture Books
• Christmas Chapter Book Read Alouds for Families
• Meagan mentioned these books (affiliate links):
• Krampus: The Devil of Christmas
• The Night Before Christmas – Illustrated by Arthur Rackham
• A Christmas Carol
• Other episodes you might enjoy:
• Raising Lifelong Learners (Ep95)
• Bedtime Routines At Every Age (Ep80)
• Finding Kids’ Media That Isn’t Terrible (Ep46)

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Most families are touched by divorce in some way, and the holidays can bring up all kinds of questions and challenges for single or re-coupled parents, children of divorced parents (including adult children), and blended families. As Meagan enters her third holiday season post-separation, Sarah picks her brain about everything from the practical logistics of sharing the holidays with an ex, to the emotional landscape of the holidays as a divorced mom. PLUS we welcome the wise and witty voices of Kristen Chase and Liz Gumbinner of Cool Mom Picks and Spawned with Kristen and Liz. Listen for their advice, as well as a couple of listener questions, during the episode.

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Last year Meagan talked about changing traditions mid-divorce (Episode 128)
• Don’t forget to check out Cool Mom Picks and the Spawned podcast, and thanks to Kristen and Liz for contributing to today’s show!

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.

Buckle up, mamas. We’re getting into the details of air travel AND car trips with babies, toddlers, and little kids. Meagan’s the expert on road trips, and Sarah has flown a ton with tiny kids. If you’ve ever wondered whether to buy an airplane seat for a one-year-old, how to plan stops on an 8-hour car ride, or what to pack in your carry-on, this episode is for you. Join us!

PLUS Alison Thompson joins Sarah to share her baby #2 birth story and an update on the first two months of adjusting to life as a family of four. They reveal the baby’s name, discuss how big sister Claire is adjusting, and talk about a scary hospitalization that all turned out okay.

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Other episodes on kids and travel that you might have missed:
• Travel With Kids (Or, How To Enjoy Your Own Vacation)
• Smart Tech & Family Travel
• Over The River & Through The Woods (Holiday Travel & Visiting Family)
• Send in your holiday-themed listener questions! Email an audio file to [email protected], or head to speakpipe.com/themomhour to record there

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.

This year’s December doesn’t have to be like last year. Join Meagan and Sarah as we set intentions for the busy holiday month ahead, everything from little ways to find joy in the messes to bigger stuff about changing traditions. It’s another Holiday Bonus episode of The Mom Hour!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• All our holiday episodes of The Mom Hour are on this page

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!)
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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.

At twenty-one and ten years into motherhood respectively, Meagan and Sarah have the benefit of hindsight when it comes to parenting trends. In Episode 184 we talk about the things that have changed since we became moms–from the superficial stuff like trends in baby gear to the more significant ways that the digital age has shaped parenting culture over the years. PLUS, Sarah’s mom offers insight from the perspective of someone who has been a parent for nearly (but not yet) forty years. Join us!

LINKS MENTIONED:

• “Mommy Needs Wine” and Other Problematic Mom-Tropes (Episode 183)
• Meagan talked about Aidan Donnelly Rowley’s blog posts on the dry life, which we discussed in more detail last week
• more in this cute video
• Check out SpanglerScienceClub.com and use promo code MOMHOUR to save $10 on a 3-month subscription (more in this cute video)

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.