Toddler Purgatory

Does it seem like all of your arguments with your kids end in tears and slamming doors rather than solutions? We can't rid our lives of disagreements and conflicts with our little ones, but we can "fight" constructively, aka, with the gloves on. 

Blaire and Molly discuss:

Waiting until everyone's big feelings have subsided a little is key to making progress in conflict resolution. Then it's time to give your child the tools to describe their feelings, as they likely have very little practice doing so thus far.

Links!

Juliann Garey for Child Mind Institute: "Teaching Kids How to Deal With Conflict"

Katie Hurley for PBS Kids for Parents: "5 Strategies to Help Kids Resolve Conflict"

Child Mind Institute: "Complete Guide to Managing Behavior Problems"

Special thanks to our sponsors for this month:

DockAtot is the premium lifestyle brand made for the modern parent, with elegant cushions, swaddlers, and more. Get 15% off at dockatot.com with the code LAUGHING.

Honeylove shapewear is the secret sauce you need for your everyday wardrobe. Get 20% off at honeylove.com with the code LAUGHING. 

Misfits Market is an affordable online grocery service that makes shopping easy, quick, and fun. Visit get.misfitsmarket.com/LAUGHING30 by Dec. 31st to get 30% off your first order.

Ready, Set, Food! helps prevent food allergies in children. Go to readysetfood.com/todpurgs & use code TODPURGS for 15% off your first order. 

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

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Kids today only spend half as much time playing outside as we did. It can be a hassle to get them bundled up and to the playground on a drizzly spring afternoon – or to clean half the floors in your house after a trip to your own snowy backyard. But there are many skills that kids gain both from self-directed and “purposeful play,” and experts say that's particularly true when that play happens outdoors.

Our guest Meghan Fitzgerald is the co-founder of Tinkergarten, which offers purposeful play opportunities for children and families that gets them away from screens and outdoors together in nature. Meghan tells us her favorite get-them-outside activities - and why even the coldest or rainiest days offer rewards that really are worth bundling everyone up. 

Links! 

Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan for The New York Times: "Yes, Your Kids Can Play Outside All Winter"

Helen Russell for Grazia: "He can’t read yet, but he can build a campfire: welcome to Viking parenting"

Claire McCarthy, MD, for Harvard Health Blog: "6 reasons children need to play outside"

And our episode Danger Babies

Special thanks to our sponsors for this month:

DockAtot is the premium lifestyle brand made for the modern parent, with elegant cushions, swaddlers, and more. Get 15% off at dockatot.com with the code LAUGHING.

Honeylove shapewear is the secret sauce you need for your everyday wardrobe. Get 20% off at honeylove.com with the code LAUGHING. 

Misfits Market is an affordable online grocery service that makes shopping easy, quick, and fun. Visit get.misfitsmarket.com/LAUGHING30 by Dec. 31st to get 30% off your first order.

Ready, Set, Food! helps prevent food allergies in children. Go to readysetfood.com/todpurgs & use code TODPURGS for 15% off your first order. 

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

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

What does it mean to have "happy motherhood?" And is it even a realistic goal to have, given the ups and downs of being a parent? We asked our listeners about their tips to help new parents have a "happier" first year.

Molly and Blaire discuss:

Managing your expectations was a key theme in the answers we got - so many moms want everything to be perfect, so they are inevitably disappointed when they don't get their twins out the door in matching outfits every single morning! But guess what? No one is perfect, even though it may seem every other mom on Earth has it more together than you.

Join our Facebook group for more advice, laughs, and support: www.facebook.com/groups/whatfreshhellcast

Special thanks to our sponsors for this month:

DockAtot is the premium lifestyle brand made for the modern parent, with elegant cushions, swaddlers, and more. Get 15% off at dockatot.com with the code LAUGHING.

Honeylove shapewear is the secret sauce you need for your everyday wardrobe. Get 20% off at honeylove.com with the code LAUGHING. 

Misfits Market is an affordable online grocery service that makes shopping easy, quick, and fun. Visit get.misfitsmarket.com/LAUGHING30 by Dec. 31st to get 30% off your first order.

Ready, Set, Food! helps prevent food allergies in children. Go to readysetfood.com/todpurgs & use code TODPURGS for 15% off your first order. 

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

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

Does your child consistently wake you up in the middle of the night because they're deathly afraid of the dark or the monsters under the bed? You may think that chasing "the monster" away or just leaving the lights on are the right course of action, but it's actually more complicated than that.

Molly and Blaire discuss:

The most important thing you can do is validate your child's fear without shaming or judging them. Explain that you have your own fears, and start an open conversation about the root causes of their fears in order to address them.

Links!

Daryl Austin for USA Today: "More Americans than ever are afraid of the dark, experts say. Here's why."

Nama Winston for ABC Everyday: "I've made my child afraid of the dark. How do I fix it?"

Parenting.com: "Ask Dr. Sears: Mashing Monster Fears"

"Bedtime Stories - Superheroes!" podcast

Special thanks to our sponsors for this month:

DockAtot is the premium lifestyle brand made for the modern parent, with elegant cushions, swaddlers, and more. Get 15% off at dockatot.com with the code LAUGHING.

Honeylove shapewear is the secret sauce you need for your everyday wardrobe. Get 20% off at honeylove.com with the code LAUGHING. 

Misfits Market is an affordable online grocery service that makes shopping easy, quick, and fun. Visit get.misfitsmarket.com/LAUGHING30 by Dec. 31st to get 30% off your first order.

Ready, Set, Food! helps prevent food allergies in children. Go to readysetfood.com/todpurgs & use code TODPURGS for 15% off your first order. 

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

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

Is your child learning values or lessons at school that are not in line with your own? Do they discipline in a way that you don't agree with? It's not unusual for teachers and parents to butt heads over a child's learning. Here's how to address the problem without coming in too hot.

Blaire and Molly discuss:

Coming in with facts, not feelings, is key. When our kids are involved, it's easy to get emotional and heavily invested in a situation. But it's important to remember that both you and your child's teacher want what's best for your kid.

Links!

Sherri Gordon for Verywell Family: "What to Do If You Disagree With Your Child's Teacher"

Lisa Van Gemert: "6 Steps to Take When School Isn’t Meeting the Needs of Your Child"

Special thanks to our sponsors for this month:

DockAtot is the premium lifestyle brand made for the modern parent, with elegant cushions, swaddlers, and more. Get 15% off at dockatot.com with the code LAUGHING.

Honeylove shapewear is the secret sauce you need for your everyday wardrobe. Get 20% off at honeylove.com with the code LAUGHING. 

Misfits Market is an affordable online grocery service that makes shopping easy, quick, and fun. Visit get.misfitsmarket.com/LAUGHING30 by Dec. 31st to get 30% off your first order.

Ready, Set, Food! helps prevent food allergies in children. Go to readysetfood.com/todpurgs & use code TODPURGS for 15% off your first order. 

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

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

What do we do when our kid lies to our face? At a certain age, kids start discovering that they can just, well, not tell the truth about things. This can range from innocent fibs to whopping lies of grandiose proportions. Though this be mini madness, there is mini method in it.

Molly and Blaire discuss:

Doing "truth checks" with your kid is a great way to encourage them to be honest with you without making them feel as if they've been caught with their hand in the proverbial (or literal) cookie jar.

Links!

Beth Arky for Child Mind Institute: "Why Kids Lie and What Parents Can Do About It"

Connie Chang for The Washington Post: "All kids lie: How to handle it, and when you should worry"

Special thanks to our sponsors for this month:

DockAtot is the premium lifestyle brand made for the modern parent, with elegant cushions, swaddlers, and more. Get 15% off at dockatot.com with the code LAUGHING.

Honeylove shapewear is the secret sauce you need for your everyday wardrobe. Get 20% off at honeylove.com with the code LAUGHING. 

Misfits Market is an affordable online grocery service that makes shopping easy, quick, and fun. Visit get.misfitsmarket.com/LAUGHING30 by Dec. 31st to get 30% off your first order.

Ready, Set, Food! helps prevent food allergies in children. Go to readysetfood.com/todpurgs & use code TODPURGS for 15% off your first order. 

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

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

How do we form a strong bond with our kids when we're struggling with our own issues, when we've just been through a worldwide pandemic, when we used to have that bond but have lost it somewhere along the way? It's not easy, but there are some tried-and-true methods *ahem, therapy* for forming or reforming a close bond with your child.

Molly and Blaire discuss:

Resist the urge to blame yourself if you feel your bond is suffering or has deteriorated. There are many factors that contribute to the problem that are outside your control.

Links!

Ella Glover for Metro UK: "Asking For A Friend: Why can’t I bond with my child?"

PsychCentral: "Tips to Heal After Growing Up with a Dismissive Mother"

PsychCentral: "4 Habits that Disconnect You from Your Kids"

Special thanks to our sponsors for this month:

DockAtot is the premium lifestyle brand made for the modern parent, with elegant cushions, swaddlers, and more. Get 15% off at dockatot.com with the code LAUGHING.

Honeylove shapewear is the secret sauce you need for your everyday wardrobe. Get 20% off at honeylove.com with the code LAUGHING. 

Misfits Market is an affordable online grocery service that makes shopping easy, quick, and fun. Visit get.misfitsmarket.com/LAUGHING30 by Dec. 31st to get 30% off your first order.

Ready, Set, Food! helps prevent food allergies in children. Go to readysetfood.com/todpurgs & use code TODPURGS for 15% off your first order. 

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

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

Do you feel overwhelmed when you're parenting solo, even if it's just for a few days? You're not alone. Solo parenting (not to be confused with single parenting) is tough, but there are small ways you can make a big impact on the experience, bringing down your blood pressure and your DEFCON level at the same time.

Blaire and Molly discuss:

Links!

Special thanks to our sponsors for this month:

DockAtot is the premium lifestyle brand made for the modern parent, with elegant cushions, swaddlers, and more. Get 15% off at dockatot.com with the code LAUGHING.

Honeylove shapewear is the secret sauce you need for your everyday wardrobe. Get 20% off at honeylove.com with the code LAUGHING. 

Misfits Market is an affordable online grocery service that makes shopping easy, quick, and fun.Visit get.misfitsmarket.com/LAUGHING30 by Dec. 31st to get 30% off your first order.

Ready, Set, Food! helps prevent food allergies in children. Go to readysetfood.com/todpurgs & use code TODPURGS for 15% off your first order. 

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

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

We asked our listeners what they would pay good money for if it made their lives just a touch easier. The answers....will probably not surprise you.

In this episode, Molly and Blaire plot to patent:

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with their excellent ideas for these inventions!

Special thanks to our sponsors for this month:

AprilAire is Healthy Air, with professional-grade solutions filling millions of homes. To find out more about the AprilAire Healthy Air System®, visit www.aprilaire.com/laughing

DockAtot is the premium lifestyle brand made for the modern parent, with elegant cushions, swaddlers, and more. Get 15% off at dockatot.com with the code LAUGHING.

Honeylove shapewear is the secret sauce you need for your everyday wardrobe. Get 20% off at honeylove.com with the code LAUGHING. 

Metabolic Reds is a delicious superfood blend. Go to getreds.com/toddler to get a FREE bottle of Metabolic Greens with your first order. 

Misfits Market is an affordable online grocery service that makes shopping easy, quick, and fun.Visit get.misfitsmarket.com/LAUGHING30 by Dec. 31st to get 30% off your first order.

Ready, Set, Food! helps prevent food allergies in children. Go to readysetfood.com/todpurgs & use code TODPURGS for 30% off your first order. 

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

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

What do you do when you and your partner disagree about parenting styles? How does it affect your kids, and how do you manage to get on the same page as your co-parent?

A listener wrote in to say:

"I'm an expat mom in Europe with a husband from another European country. And sometimes it's really hard to find my bearings when there are so many styles and ways to parent. I wanted to ask if you could maybe do an episode about what to do when your co-parent has a different parenting style...We have so may disagreements and we seem to always get to the point where each of us is convinced the other one is wrong and it is the OTHER parenting style that is disrupting the children's behavior. It's hard on the kids and the marriage when all I want is the very best for my very spirited, trilingual two- and five-year-old boys."

Natural differences between spouses can be a source of strength, but the scale can tip too far in one direction. Blaire and Molly discuss why it's important to co-parent as a united team, helpful rules for disciplining effectively as a unit in the moment, and how to genuinely empathize with both your child and partner without undermining anyone.

Being honest and vulnerable with our parenting partner is key, and remember: it's never too late to start parenting more harmoniously.

Here links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

Debbie Pincus for EmpoweringParents.com: "When Parents Disagree: How to Parent as a Team"

Caroline Silver for Parents: "How to Parent with a Partner When You Can't Agree on a Parenting Style"

Special thanks to our sponsors for this month:

AprilAire is Healthy Air, with professional-grade solutions filling millions of homes. To find out more about the AprilAire Healthy Air System®, visit www.aprilaire.com/laughing

DockAtot is the premium lifestyle brand made for the modern parent, with elegant cushions, swaddlers, and more. Get 15% off at dockatot.com with the code LAUGHING.

Honeylove shapewear is the secret sauce you need for your everyday wardrobe. Get 20% off at honeylove.com with the code LAUGHING. 

Metabolic Reds is a delicious superfood blend. Go to getreds.com/toddler to get a FREE bottle of Metabolic Greens with your first order. 

Misfits Market is an affordable online grocery service that makes shopping easy, quick, and fun.Visit get.misfitsmarket.com/LAUGHING30 by Dec. 31st to get 30% off your first order.

Ready, Set, Food! helps prevent food allergies in children. Go to readysetfood.com/todpurgs & use code TODPURGS for 30% off your first order. 

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

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