This week, the air quality is apocalyptic, parents everywhere are staring down the summer childcare cliff, and Kate is feeling pro-tantrum.. What starts as a meditation on the summers of yore turns into one on modern parenting and why we never stood a chance. Through a mix of personal stories and listener submissions, this episode gets into the Nature Valley bars of motherhood (things that are structurally designed to crumble no matter what you do), and Kate unpacks why the U.S. treats raising the next generation of taxpayers as a private, elective hobby, and why calling motherhood "natural" is the exact trick that lets everyone avoid paying for it, among other things. If you've ever felt like you're losing your mind trying to balance the demands of work and modern society with the realities of parenting, you aren't crazy. Take a deep breath (indoors), and let's vent. Enjoy!

Want to help build a follow-up about how we can stand a chance? Send your childcare life hacks, workarounds, and unconventional setups to [email protected], text 775-HEY-BETH or leave a voicemail.

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