Toddler Purgatory

We asked those in our Facebook group how they maintain friendships with childless friends. The answers ranged from hilarious to heartbreaking. Keeping childless friends in our lives involves self-reflection, perspective taking, FaceTime, texting, and roller skating. Oh, and, unfortunately, "hard pants."

In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss:

Here is the link to the article mentioned in the episode:

Rachel Bertsche for The New York Times: "Staying Close to Your Friends Without Kids"

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Hiya Health gummies are non-GMO, vegan, dairy-free, allergy-free, gelatin-free, nut-free and basically free of all the stuff you don’t want. For 50% off your first order, go to HiyaHealth.com/TODDLER

With Auto Approve, vehicle owners can lower their monthly payment, get a better rate, or both. To find out how much you could save, get your free quote at autoapprove.com/adalyst

Prose is the healthy hair regimen with your name all over it. Take your FREE in-depth hair consultation and get 15% off your first order today! Go to prose.com/toddler

With Thrive Market, you can shop everything from healthy pantry essentials and sustainable meat and seafood to nontoxic cleaning and beauty products - all delivered right to your door. Go to thrivemarket.com/laughing to get 40% off your first order AND a FREE gift worth over fifty dollars.

Peloton has workouts for every schedule, every goal, and every fitness level. The Peloton Bike+ is now $500 less, its best price yet! That includes FREE delivery and setup. Visit onepeloton.com to learn more.

Little Passports offers globally inspired, award-winning monthly subscription kits designed for curious kids to fuel their inner explorer. For listeners of the show, Little Passports is offering new customers 20% off when you go to littlepassports.com/purgatory

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the most relaxing 24 hours of the year! What’s your one wish, moms? Breakfast in bed? Lunch in bed? Dinner in bed? Oh, all day in bed. That’s actually an excellent wish…

In this special Mother’s Day episode, Molly and Blaire interview their own mothers to find out what their mothers wished were different in their own time and how they view motherhood today.

In this episode, Molly’s and Blaire’s mothers, Lynn and Peggy, discuss:

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Hiya Health gummies are non-GMO, vegan, dairy-free, allergy-free, gelatin-free, nut-free and basically free of all the stuff you don’t want. For 50% off your first order, go to HiyaHealth.com/TODDLER

With Auto Approve, vehicle owners can lower their monthly payment, get a better rate, or both. To find out how much you could save, get your free quote at autoapprove.com/adalyst

Prose is the healthy hair regimen with your name all over it. Take your FREE in-depth hair consultation and get 15% off your first order today! Go to prose.com/toddler

With Thrive Market, you can shop everything from healthy pantry essentials and sustainable meat and seafood to nontoxic cleaning and beauty products - all delivered right to your door. Go to thrivemarket.com/laughing to get 40% off your first order AND a FREE gift worth over fifty dollars.

Peloton has workouts for every schedule, every goal, and every fitness level. The Peloton Bike+ is now $500 less, its best price yet! That includes FREE delivery and setup. Visit onepeloton.com to learn more.

Little Passports offers globally inspired, award-winning monthly subscription kits designed for curious kids to fuel their inner explorer. For listeners of the show, Little Passports is offering new customers 20% off when you go to littlepassports.com/purgatory

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just a heads up: this episode mentions the correct anatomical names for private body parts, as well as mention of good and bad touches.

Help! My child is playing whipping it out at the playground and I don't know what to do! Before you crawl into a hole, take a listen to this episode and let Molly and Blaire share some tips for talking to kids about private body parts without stigma or euphemisms.

In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss:

Resources/books we mentioned in this episode:

Jenny Marder for The New York Times: "Keeping Kids Curious About Their Bodies Without Shame"

"It's Not the Stork! A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families and Friends" by Robie Harris

"Bodies are Cool" by Tyler Feder

And for a bonus--Doctor Lindsey Doe of "Sexplanations" has this to say about removing stigma from discussion of kids' bodies: "What Should You Say to Kids About Their Genitals?"

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Auto Approve makes vehicle refinancing easy and gets your more money for what matters most. Get your free quote at autoapprove.com/adalyst.

Firstleaf Wine Club delivers personalized wines you'll love right to your door. Join today and you'll get 6 bottles of wine for $29.95 and free shipping. Just go to tryfirstleaf.com/toddler

Hiya Health makes sugar-free gummy vitamins for kids. Go to hiyahealth.com/toddler to get 50% off your first order.

Peloton has thousands of workouts on their app for every goal, day, and mood! We're fans of the yoga, meditation, and dance cardio, but there's truly something for everyone. Learn more: onepeloton.com.

Plant People makes doctor-formulated, regenerative plant and mushroom supplements that unlock people's potential. Go to try.plantpeople.co/toddler to get 15% off your first order.

Prep Dish is the best way for busy people to get healthy meals on the table without stress. Subscribers receive an email every week with an organized grocery list and instructions for prepping meals ahead of time. Check out prepdish.com/laughing for a free 2-week trial.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

"Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom." The call of the wild toddler rouses us from the deepest sleep. It's nice to be needed, right? Well, not CONSTANTLY. You do have a life, after all. (You do have a life, right?) It may seem like your toddler is unable to play alone, but that's not unusual.

Teaching your kid to entertain himself is a process, and luckily there are some methods you can use to make that process a little more bearable and a little less tearful. (His tears and yours.)

In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss:

Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in today's episode:

janetlansbury.com: "Stop Entertaining Your Toddler (In 3 Steps)"

Laura Grande for Today's Parent: "5 ways to get your kid to play alone"

Meghan Leahy for The Washington Post: "When Kids Want Parents to Play All the Time"

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Auto Approve makes vehicle refinancing easy and gets your more money for what matters most. Get your free quote at autoapprove.com/adalyst.

Firstleaf Wine Club delivers personalized wines you'll love right to your door. Join today and you'll get 6 bottles of wine for $29.95 and free shipping. Just go to tryfirstleaf.com/toddler

Hiya Health makes sugar-free gummy vitamins for kids. Go to hiyahealth.com/toddler to get 50% off your first order.

Peloton has thousands of workouts on their app for every goal, day, and mood! We're fans of the yoga, meditation, and dance cardio, but there's truly something for everyone. Learn more: onepeloton.com.

Plant People makes doctor-formulated, regenerative plant and mushroom supplements that unlock people's potential. Go to try.plantpeople.co/toddler to get 15% off your first order.

Prep Dish is the best way for busy people to get healthy meals on the table without stress. Subscribers receive an email every week with an organized grocery list and instructions for prepping meals ahead of time. Check out prepdish.com/laughing for a free 2-week trial.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why is it that kids are so darn honest? Turns out the "filter" that the rest of us try to apply to our everyday interactions just doesn't exist in our young ones. Their little brains aren't capable of fabricating lies like older kids and adults. And, as we all know, the constant honesty of little kids is a double-edged sword.

Listeners wrote in with some of the most ruthless truths their toddlers have voiced, and man oh man, kids really can be frank!

In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss:

Here are some of the resources mentioned in today's episode:

Lizzy Francis for Fatherly: "How to Raise an Honest Kid (But Not a Narc)"

Brook Bolen for Vice: "Behind the Brutal Honesty of Drunks and Toddlers"

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Auto Approve makes vehicle refinancing easy and gets your more money for what matters most. Get your free quote at autoapprove.com/adalyst.

Firstleaf Wine Club delivers personalized wines you'll love right to your door. Join today and you'll get 6 bottles of wine for $29.95 and free shipping. Just go to tryfirstleaf.com/toddler

Hiya Health makes sugar-free gummy vitamins for kids. Go to hiyahealth.com/toddler to get 50% off your first order.

Peloton has thousands of workouts on their app for every goal, day, and mood! We're fans of the yoga, meditation, and dance cardio, but there's truly something for everyone. Learn more: onepeloton.com.

Plant People makes doctor-formulated, regenerative plant and mushroom supplements that unlock people's potential. Go to try.plantpeople.co/toddler to get 15% off your first order.

Prep Dish is the best way for busy people to get healthy meals on the table without stress. Subscribers receive an email every week with an organized grocery list and instructions for prepping meals ahead of time. Check out prepdish.com/laughing for a free 2-week trial.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All parents look forward to the day when they can get their kids out of diapers once and for all, but when it comes to potty training the process is rarely a straight line.

In our Facebook group a listener wrote in to say:

I'm a first-time mom to an almost 3-year-old. We started potty training and I am starting to understand why some animals eat their young. Our very strong-willed daughter seems to know EXACTLY what buttons to push to send me right to the edge of the edge! Can someone tell me how to not scream into a pillow each night after the constant potty training power struggle?

Good news! Potty training IS survivable. Some keys to success are:

Whatever method you choose remember to keep it fun (yes, we know, easier said than done). With a positive outlook potty training can be about quality time between you and your child– and most importantly, it can work!

Here are links to some things we mention in today's episode:

pull-ups.com: 6 Signs Your Child is Ready

Jarrod Rendle for KiwiFamilies.co.nz: 4 Most Common Potty Training Methods

Here's a link to Blaire's disposable potty covers

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Auto Approve makes vehicle refinancing easy and gets your more money for what matters most. Get your free quote at autoapprove.com/adalyst.

Firstleaf Wine Club delivers personalized wines you'll love right to your door. Join today and you'll get 6 bottles of wine for $29.95 and free shipping. Just go to tryfirstleaf.com/toddler

Hiya Health makes sugar-free gummy vitamins for kids. Go to hiyahealth.com/toddler to get 50% off your first order.

Peloton has thousands of workouts on their app for every goal, day, and mood! We're fans of the yoga, meditation, and dance cardio, but there's truly something for everyone. Learn more: onepeloton.com.

Plant People makes doctor-formulated, regenerative plant and mushroom supplements that unlock people's potential. Go to try.plantpeople.co/toddler to get 15% off your first order.

Prep Dish is the best way for busy people to get healthy meals on the table without stress. Subscribers receive an email every week with an organized grocery list and instructions for prepping meals ahead of time. Check out prepdish.com/laughing for a free 2-week trial.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Any one who has had a toddler knows the terror that surfaces whenever a lovey (let's say Mr. Bunny) goes missing.

About 60% of babies adopt some sort of transitional object at around 9 months old. This is when little ones start to separate from parents (and, in fact, when they begin to understand that their parent is a separate person). Once a kid bonds with "Mr. Bunny", you may worry they'll be taking him to college. But there are ways to gently wean your child off comfort items in time.

In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss:

Here are links to some of the resources referenced in this episode:

Alice Allan for La Leche League International: "Comfort Items and Attachment Parenting"

Lindsey Konkel for What to Expect: Why Do Some Babies Need Comfort Items (Or "Transitional Objects")?

Marnell Jameson for Parents.com: "6 Tips for Weaning Your Child's Comfort Object"

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Athletic Greens supports your sleep quality, energy, immune system and more with just one scoop per day! Get a one-year supply of Vitamin D plus 5 free travel packs at athleticgreens.com/laughing.

Daily Harvest delivers delicious harvest bowls, flatbreads, smoothies, and more, all built on organic fruits and vegetables. Go to dailyharvest.com/toddler to get up to $40 off your first box!

Lumineux makes toothpaste, mouthwash, and whitening with certified non-toxic ingredients which leave the good bacteria in your mouth alone! Find Lumineux on Amazon and get $7 off today! 

Peloton has thousands of workouts on their app for every goal, day, and mood! We're fans of the yoga, meditation, and dance cardio, but there's truly something for everyone. Learn more: onepeloton.com.

Plant People makes doctor-formulated, regenerative plant and mushroom supplements that unlock people's potential. Go to try.plantpeople.co/toddler to get 15% off your first order with the code TODDLER.

Snow Days taste like the pizza bites we remember eating as kids, but without the junk! Use promo code TODDLER to save $15 off your first order at www.snowdays.com/TODDLER.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Educators have long known that bringing therapy animals like dogs into schools helps developmentally-challenged kids learn. Now they're finding that all children can benefit from the presence of a nonjudgmental pal with paws. Pets don't just help children learn. There are actually a lot of benefits to bringing pets of all different types into your home when your kids are young. We'll walk you through the how, the when, and the why.

In this episode, we discuss:

Here are links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: 

Elizabeth Greenwood for the New York Times: How to Introduce Pets to Babies

Bill Strickland for Parents: The Benefits of Pets for Kids

Jennifer Stauffer for Care.com: Best Pets for Kids At Every Age and Stage

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Athletic Greens supports your sleep quality, energy, immune system and more with just one scoop per day! Get a one-year supply of Vitamin D plus 5 free travel packs at athleticgreens.com/laughing.

Daily Harvest delivers delicious harvest bowls, flatbreads, smoothies, and more, all built on organic fruits and vegetables. Go to dailyharvest.com/toddler to get up to $40 off your first box!

Lumineux makes toothpaste, mouthwash, and whitening with certified non-toxic ingredients which leave the good bacteria in your mouth alone! Find Lumineux on Amazon and get $7 off today! 

Peloton has thousands of workouts on their app for every goal, day, and mood! We're fans of the yoga, meditation, and dance cardio, but there's truly something for everyone. Learn more: onepeloton.com.

Plant People makes doctor-formulated, regenerative plant and mushroom supplements that unlock people's potential. Go to try.plantpeople.co/toddler to get 15% off your first order with the code TODDLER.

Snow Days taste like the pizza bites we remember eating as kids, but without the junk! Use promo code TODDLER to save $15 off your first order at www.snowdays.com/TODDLER.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Little kids may be cute, but boy, are they self-centered. Turns out that’s how they’re wired: the egocentrism of toddlers gives them confidence to explore and express themselves. But it also can make them a tad inflexible about points of view that might differ from their own. 

In this episode, we discuss: 

Experts tend to agree that by the ages of 5 or 6, most children understand and take into consideration the feelings of others. So hang on: you’re going to have a real group thinker by first grade. 

Here are links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: 

Being the Parent: Understanding Egocentrism in Children

Scholastic: Must-Have Books to Teach Social-Emotional Skills

The Conversation: Young children are terrible at hiding– psychologists have a new theory why

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Athletic Greens supports your sleep quality, energy, immune system and more with just one scoop per day! Get a one-year supply of Vitamin D plus 5 free travel packs at athleticgreens.com/laughing.

Daily Harvest delivers delicious harvest bowls, flatbreads, smoothies, and more, all built on organic fruits and vegetables. Go to dailyharvest.com/toddler to get up to $40 off your first box!

Lumineux makes toothpaste, mouthwash, and whitening with certified non-toxic ingredients which leave the good bacteria in your mouth alone! Find Lumineux on Amazon and get $7 off today! 

Peloton has thousands of workouts on their app for every goal, day, and mood! We're fans of the yoga, meditation, and dance cardio, but there's truly something for everyone. Learn more: onepeloton.com.

Plant People makes doctor-formulated, regenerative plant and mushroom supplements that unlock people's potential. Go to try.plantpeople.co/toddler to get 15% off your first order with the code TODDLER.

Snow Days taste like the pizza bites we remember eating as kids, but without the junk! Use promo code TODDLER to save $15 off your first order at www.snowdays.com/TODDLER.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

True listening requires true presence. But in the household whirlwind that is life with little ones, sitting and eye-contacting and breathing deeply, in order to fully take in a monologue about "Dinosaur Train," has its challenges.

In this episode, we discuss

Here are links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: 

Catherine Newman for Parents: 5 Easy Ways to Be A Better Listener to your Child

Dr. Michael Nichols: The Lost Art of Listening

Centers for Disease Control: Active Listening

Special thanks to this month's sponsors:

Athletic Greens supports your sleep quality, energy, immune system and more with just one scoop per day! Get a one-year supply of Vitamin D plus 5 free travel packs at athleticgreens.com/laughing.

Daily Harvest delivers delicious harvest bowls, flatbreads, smoothies, and more, all built on organic fruits and vegetables. Go to dailyharvest.com/toddler to get up to $40 off your first box!

Lumineux makes toothpaste, mouthwash, and whitening with certified non-toxic ingredients which leave the good bacteria in your mouth alone! Find Lumineux on Amazon and get $7 off today! 

Peloton has thousands of workouts on their app for every goal, day, and mood! We're fans of the yoga, meditation, and dance cardio, but there's truly something for everyone. Learn more: onepeloton.com.

Plant People makes doctor-formulated, regenerative plant and mushroom supplements that unlock people's potential. Go to try.plantpeople.co/toddler to get 15% off your first order with the code TODDLER.

Snow Days taste like the pizza bites we remember eating as kids, but without the junk! Use promo code TODDLER to save $15 off your first order at www.snowdays.com/TODDLER.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices