Toddler Purgatory

Mom tribes and parent posses: do we need friends who are also fellow parents? If we don’t have a group of those, how do we set about finding or creating one? 

70% of moms agree that their “inner mom circle” is their primary means of daily support. Some of us find that soft place to fall really quickly, and some of us struggle, for reasons that are in and/or out of our control. 

In this episode we discuss

Speaking of virtual mom groups and parent posses– join us in the What Fresh Hell Facebook group! and tag us: #toddlerpurgatory

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

Dr. Sarah Blaffer Hrdy: Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding

Coffee and Carpool: 10 Easy Steps For Introverts To Find New Mom Friends

 Jenna Autuori Dedic for Parents: How to Make New Mom Friends During the Pandemic

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Calm is the # 1 mental wellness app that gives you the tools to improve the way you feel. Go to calm.com/toddler to get 40% off a CalmPremium Subscription!

Choose Lovevery and take the guesswork out of your child’s play! Get free shipping when you sign up to receive your play kits at lovevery.com/laughing.

Betterhelp Start taking charge of your mental health– no matter where you live! Go to betterhelp.com/laughing to get 10% off your first month of counseling.

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Are our kids ready to start school? Are *we* ready to let them go? It's complex. In this episode we talk about how we've gotten our kids ready for their new school experiences, what "school readiness" actually entails, and what options might be available if you believe your youngster is not developmentally ready for the demands of an all-day academic program.

Here are links to some resources and articles we discuss in this episode:

Fiona Tapp for Parents: Kindergarten Readiness Skills: A Checklist for Parents

Scholastic Parents: Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten? The Skills They'll Need This Fall

Jessica Smock for Scary Mommy: It’s Okay If Your 5-Year-Old Isn’t Ready For Kindergarten

allianceforchildhood.org

parentsacrossamerica.org

kaboom.org

Special thanks to our sponsors:

Calm is the # 1 mental wellness app that gives you the tools to improve the way you feel. Go to calm.com/toddler to get 40% off a CalmPremium Subscription!

Choose Lovevery and take the guesswork out of your child’s play! Get free shipping when you sign up to receive your play kits at lovevery.com/laughing.

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Nobody tells you that the four-day potty training plan might take 6 weeks. Or that you should always have crayons and paper in the diaper bag. This episode is full of boredom busters, potty training tips, and all the best stuff somebody really should have told us ahead of time!

Got a topic idea or a question you'd like to hear on the podcast? Leave us an email on our website: https://www.toddlerpurgatory.com/contact/

Special thanks to our sponsors, including:

Choose Lovevery and take the guesswork out of your child’s play! Get free shipping when you sign up to receive your Play Kits at lovevery.com/laughing.

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Babies are mysterious creatures, which is why Molly and Blaire took to the What Fresh Hell Facebook group to ask: "What is something you wish someone had told you before having a baby?"

From how long it can take to get pregnant, to the likelihood your little one will love carrots for a year before turning on them for no apparent reason, laugh along as Toddler Purgatory gets to the bottom of all the things nobody ever told us before we had kids.

Please "follow" or "subscribe" us wherever you listen so you never miss an episode! Find all the places you can listen on toddlerpurgatory.com.

Special thanks to our sponsors, including:

Choose Lovevery and take the guesswork out of your child’s play! Get free shipping when you sign up to receive your Play Kits at lovevery.com/laughing.

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Most kids are somewhat finicky about what they'll eat. Some are full-blown picky eaters, who won't eat chicken nuggets unless they're dinosaur-shaped. And even then only if the ketchup isn't touching them on the plate. People who say "Your kids will eat when they're hungry enough!" mean well. They are also incorrect.

So what's a parent to do? Keep feeding the picky eater the three foods she'll eat, or keep offering her other foods she won't?

In this episode, we discuss why kids are so often picky in their eating, what parents can do to encourage eating new things without causing huge battles, and how to recruit our picky eaters in that process.

Enjoying our podcast? Please give us a rating/review on Apple Podcasts! https://www.podpage.com/toddler-purgatory/rate/

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Kids are bananas. Some particularly so. But why are some kids seemingly born to scale the kitchen cabinets before they can walk? And are there are any future upsides to having been a “danger baby”? 

In this episode, Molly and Blaire discuss the many benefits of “free play,” the differences between danger and risk, how we can teach our little ones to be safely courageous, and what child development specialist Rebecca Weingarten calls “constructive failure.”

Here are links to some of the writing on the topic and other things discussed in this episode: 

https://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/2017-05-11/9-ways-to-cultivate-courage-in-kids

https://www.todaysparent.com/kids/kids-health/why-our-kids-should-take-risks-sometimes-even-slightly-dangerous-ones/

Shakira’s song “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” https://youtu.be/pRpeEdMmmQ0

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: 

Lovevery's play kits are designed by experts for your child’s developing brain, with unique, one-of-a-kind activities and playthings that are built to endure plenty of play. Get free shipping when you sign up to receive your Play Kits at lovevery.com/laughing.

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The sun is out, the masks are coming off, and we’re just beginning to come to terms with what the heck that all was. For our little ones, pandemic life *was* normal life. In this episode, Molly and Blaire talk about their toughest pandemic moments and what worked to get their families through. 

Molly mentions What Fresh Hell's interview with Dr. Harold Koplewicz- you can find that episode here: https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/fresh-take-dr-harold-koplewicz-on-the-best-way-to-support-our-kids/

Check out the first three episodes of Toddler Purgatory right now- and help a new podcast out hitting "subscribe" or "follow" for Toddler Purgatory in your favorite podcast player:

Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/toddlerpurgatory

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3nYMJbs

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vV0ZIMTcyMzIwMDk5Mg==

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Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/toddler-purgatory

You can also find us at toddlerpurgatory.com or on the socials at #toddlerpurgatory.

New episodes every other Tuesday!

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Kids whine because it works– studies show that the human brain is uniquely unqualified to tune it out. Because it’s a “low-power strategy of dominance.” And because we often cave to it pretty quickly– which unfortunately leads to more of the same. In this episode, Molly and Blaire talk about when their little ones whine, and what they've been doing to escape from Whine Town.

Check out the first three episodes of Toddler Purgatory right now- and help a new podcast out hitting "subscribe" or "follow" for Toddler Purgatory in your favorite podcast player:

Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/toddlerpurgatory

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3nYMJbs

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vV0ZIMTcyMzIwMDk5Mg==

iHeart: https://iheart.com/podcast/81711771/

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/toddler-purgatory

You can also find us at toddlerpurgatory.com or on the socials at #toddlerpurgatory.

New episodes every other Tuesday!

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Aren’t toddlers just the best? Are they not also, at times, the WORST? Blaire Brooks and Molly Lloyd welcome you to Toddler Purgatory, where life with littles is not all bad, but definitely less than perfect.

In this premiere episode Blaire and Molly discuss the many challenges of life with the tiny, ruthlessly honest, tantrum-having, often stinky carbon copies of themselves they have running around their respective homes.

Check out the first three episodes of Toddler Purgatory right now- and help a new podcast out hitting "subscribe" or "follow" for Toddler Purgatory in your favorite podcast player:

Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/toddlerpurgatory

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3nYMJbs

Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vV0ZIMTcyMzIwMDk5Mg==

iHeart: https://iheart.com/podcast/81711771/

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/toddler-purgatory

You can also find us at toddlerpurgatory.com or on the socials at #toddlerpurgatory.

New episodes every other Tuesday!

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Welcome to Toddler Purgatory. Parenting little kids isn't awful. It's just... intense. With Blaire Brooks and Molly Lloyd as your guides, raising little ones just became a lot more fun.

Molly's the mom of a 4-year-old. Blaire has 2 and 4-year-olds. They're both hilarious, smart, and ready to tackle new parenting topics in every episode with some real talk, some expert advice, and a ton of laughs.

If you're a fan of What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood and have kids six and under– or have just been wondering where to find another fun, funny, and helpful podcast–you're going to love Toddler Purgatory.

New episodes every other Tuesday. Thanks for following, subscribing, and listening!

You can also find us at toddlerpurgatory.com, and on social media #toddlerpurgatory

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