April 30, 2025 • 39 mins
As parents, we need to have answers for everything, and author and YouTuber Myriam Sandler is here to help guide Zoe and her listeners on what to include in their parenting toolboxes. They talk about everything from sensory therapy to giving your kids the right amount of space and how to avoid being the helicopter parent on the playground everyone wants to avoid.
Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @whatinthewinklerpod
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
You are listening to What in the Winkler and iHeartRadio podcast. Hi,
welcome back to another episode of What in the Winkler.
Today we have Miriam Sandler, who's the creator of mother Cloud,
a kid's activity and family lifestyle community. Born in Venezuela
and raised in Miami, Florida, the bilingual mother of three
offers parents, educators, and care givers simple and accessible play
(00:24):
solutions and parenting hacks and more. I am so excited
to talk to her. Let's let her in.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hello.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Hi, it's so nice to meet you.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
To thank you so much for having me on.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for coming on.
I was looking at your book, which.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Is when is it?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
When does your book come out?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
It comes out May thirteenth, so so simple weeks away.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I'm so nervous.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I was looking It's called Playful by Design and the
first thing it says is your stress free guide to
raising comp didn't creative kids through independent play, which I
wish I had this book when I was having. My
kids are thirteen, nine and seven.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
It's never too late. We never too late that you
can get into it. Yes, as a parent, like what
could you want more? And exactly what you're telling us. Yes,
I think we all crave independent play at whatever age,
even when they're like seventeen.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Totally. You tell me a little bit about mother Cloud
and how it all started and about you.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yes, So I started in twenty sixteen. I had my
first baby and she didn't want to eat anything, which
was really funny because she was in the ninetieth percentile
of height and weight.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
So the doctor literally thought I was losing my mind
when I was like, she doesn't eat.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
I was like, no, I don't think you understand. She
actually doesn't eat anything.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Right.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
She was breastfeeding, so that's like count right. So I
noticed that she had a texture sensitivity. We live in Miami, Florida,
so we would go to the beach a lot, and
she would like curl up her legs in the sand
and like cry. So I started creating all of these
sensory play recipes that were edible, and I would expose
(02:19):
her to different textures through play, and I swear to you,
in six months, it was like a night and day difference.
It was like zero food crying at her high chair
to like happily running to her high chair eating salmon
and quinoa.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
And like broccoli it was.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I mean, it just sounds like that's like the ultimate.
I mean, I'm going to do this with my seven
year old. I'm gonna yes, I'm fourteen. He has some
sensory stuff and I always am like, you know, and
I live in LA so there's a lot of you know,
OT and stuff like that, which is occupational therapy. But
how amazing to have a guide, you know, So how
(02:56):
did you even go to do that?
Speaker 3 (02:58):
So that moment was my mother could moment like I
did this, Like I could make this like shitty situation
into something, And so I started sharing it on social
media and I got a lot of feedback, and six
months later I turned to my husband and I was like,
I don't.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Want to do this anymore.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
You know what, it takes a lot of effort to
make social media look effortless, I trust me.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I know, yeah exactly.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
So I was like, I'm not doing this anywhere. In
twenty nineteen, I had a second baby. I was still
doing a lot of sensory play, and I came back,
but I came back with videos and that's when mother
could really started. But the reason I knew to do
senturyplay was because I had worked with kids that had.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Add and ADHD.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Interesting, so my entire college career work at the Center
for Children and Families, and I noticed that the one
thing that helped every single child, because there's it's a
big spectrum, right, so I noticed that sensory play was
the one thing that helped every single child. And so
(04:06):
I was like, Okay, I knew how to seek out
that sensory adversary and then what to do about it.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
And does your book have it for all ages or
is it mainly for younger kids? Like, tell me about that.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
It's for kids of all ages.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
It's for kids of all ages, for families with all
sizes of homes, whether they have a playroom, whether they
don't have a playroom, where they have a little area,
big giant area. It's made for everybody. One of those
things that I didn't play people by design was instead
of being like if you do this, this, this, and this,
you're going to get this, I did a lot of
(04:46):
lists that have questions so that you can answer ABCD,
and from those answers, really tailor the experience to you
and your family dynamics. And this whole idea came from
because when I came back in twenty nineteen, I started
doing showing playroom rotations toy rotations, which is basically.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Like storing three forts of my toys and only displaying
one forths of the toys.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
And once a month or once every two months, I
would kind of like switch out all of the toys
or not even switch out, like move them from side
to side. And my karents, my parents, my kids thought
it was like Haniga all over again.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
They were like, oh my god, you're saying too much
with this.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Yeah, I know best not ever, And I was like,
you're welcome.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
I didn't spend a single dollar and it made such
part big difference. And so I started sharing this on
social media and I had like a few thousand followers,
and I was able to answer questions and like really
connect with my community. But as my community grew, I
got inundated with questions that I didn't so I didn't
know how to I didn't have time to answer, so
(05:58):
I felt like I was doing a disservice to my career.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
I noticed on your instagram on mother, could you have
two point one million followers? I mean, you have like
a crazy amount of followers, and people are so invested
in you, which I think is such a which is
a testament to you because you make people feel like
you can you can also do it, you know, which
is sometimes when your kid is having sensory stuff, it
(06:22):
feels maybe a little lonely or a little bit scary,
and then you just make it seem so.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
One hundred percent. And I feel like when I realized
that I didn't have the time to answer.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Everybody, it kind of broke me a little bit.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
It was because I joined social media to connect with people,
and I joined I created this platform to really be
in touch, and I didn't mean it to be a business,
and I didn't mean it to reach so many people.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
I'm so glad it did right. This is incredible, But
it was my moment of like, I.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Have to stop sharing this particular type of content because
I can't serve my communit unity the way that I
really want to.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
And that's when playful by Design. It's a beautiful.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
And I heard you're coming to La. You're going to
do by.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
I'm gonna do uh three events in La. I'm going
to do Zibby's, I'm going to go to uh.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Wolfshire Temple Boulevard and about Chevalier's book story.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Yes, that's gonna be so great.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
I'm so excited.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
I know, it's funny. I just saw that I llowed
Wilsha of Boulevard and they just had doctor Becky. So
you're gonna be that's going to be great.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
That is so exciting.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
It's exciting. Yeah. So after when you this book is
like your way of kind of like responding to everybody.
What are like the three are there's three things that
every parent should have like in their sort of like
(07:59):
cabinet that at work.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
I absolutely love that question, and that is going to
change for everybody.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
But if you're thinking about a cabinet, you are you
have a child that is a little bit older because
if you want independent play, you need it to be
accessible to your child. So in order for to be accessible,
like my three year old, it's very hard for her
to open up a cabinet pull out something without hurting
herself in right, No, No, I meant I meant like
(08:28):
it's your parenting toolbox.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Yes, your toolbox, yes, okay, okay, okay, not an actual cabinet,
like three things that you know you should have in
your toolbox that will help you know your kids that
will foster independence.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Yeah, okay, So I always say it's a it's a
three three.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Tiers visibility, accessibility, and freedom. So a lot of times
like I've been there. I watched the design shows that've
gone to the container store and I have all of
the beautiful thing and I turned to my husband and
I'm like, look ready, and he's like, that is so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Where is everything? And I'm like, oh, I guess I
miss the point.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
And the thing is that we gatekeep everything right. We're
like so stuck in this like pinterest perfect era, which
don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
My house still looks like this, but it's accessible to everybody.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
So I think one of those things that we do
not think about enough is how do we take ourselves
out of the equation as much as possible. And the
way to do that is to literally remove yourself from
being the gatekeeper. So if you are setting up a space,
no matter what it is or how old your kids are,
(09:49):
you need to think about access to that. So people
always laugh when they see my art table because I
leave Sharpie's on there all the time, and they're like, what.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
You're doing girls?
Speaker 3 (10:02):
The recipe for disaster And I'm like guys, my kids
think that this is like a washable marker.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
To my kids, the art table has tools that.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Are made to be respected and for certain things, So
they're not going to take a marker and scribble all
over the wall.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
So that's not where we color. We color on the paper.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
But all of that took creating boundaries, creating space, giving access,
and giving the freedom. So again, if you're going back
to that space and it looks absolutely stunning and you're like,
my kids won't leave me alone, or your husband can't
find the scissors, then you're like, okay, all right, I
need to rethink this.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
So rethink your space is really important. Playful by design
making things age appropriate. Like I have a ten to
seven and a three year old.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
There's a seven age gap between my oldest and my youngest.
That's that's a pretty big age cap when it comes
to play. If my ten year old is very interested
in small pieces of legos and my three year old
can choke on it, those items don't go in the playroom.
Those items go in her bedroom. So in a play space,
I want it to also be a peace of mind
(11:17):
for me, right, I don't want it to be something
that I'm worried about in the back of my mind
where while I'm cooking, I'm like, no legos.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Wait, my god, jazy.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
I literally like my one. That was amazing. While I'm cooking,
I don't want to have a.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Moment of like, oh my god, it is the baby.
Does the three year old have a lego in her mouth?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Exactly? Exactly?
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And actually yesterday I got cupping on my back and
my child, my children told me I looked like a lego.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
It is actually like a lego, which is really cue.
That's a playful mindset. I love that. I love that,
all right, go on tell me.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
But yeah, that's important, that.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Is really important. I always give this example.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
But like, I am a night owl. I am not
a morning person whatsoever. My third child came to challenge me.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
She also, oh my god, and it's supposed to be.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
I thought the third was supposed to be like the
one that's like they get along gang.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Like, yeah, they lied to us, one hundred percent. They
lied to us.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Yeah, thank god, it's my third by the way.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Exactly, I'd be like, what is this. You wouldn't have anyone?
I know.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
The first one always comes so nice, you know, because
then you're like, oh, I could have fifty.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah, the second one's a little crazy.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Honestly though, even after my third I wish I mean,
I'm forty four, but I wish I had two more.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
I know, like, I love it so much, me too, clearly.
So anyways, she came to challenge me. She would wake
up so early.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
When she was like a little baby, it was okay,
but like once she turned one years old, at like
five in the morning, she was like, what's up, mom,
I'm like, no, girl, no. So I set up a
little like shelf in my room and it had like
four toys that were age appropriate and that weren't going
to harm her, and that I could give me peace
of mind. So in the morning that I would give
(13:18):
her her milk, sit her by the shelf, and I
would go back to sleep. So you can have independent
play at a really, really young age. You just need
to set it up in ways that will give you
peace of mind, will keep them entertained for long periods
of time, and mutually beneficial relationship.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
It's an amazing quality for any child to have. You know,
my kids are always my husband always says to me, like,
what did we do wrong? Because they'll be like play
with me, play with me, and it's like you guys,
first of all, we have three of you, so you
guys can play together each other, like what you know,
like you can play by yourself.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
You know.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
And I think parents, especially now, are so we're like
at that weird place where there's a lot of like
gentle parenting and there's a lot of stations and there's
like a lot of like you're getting on the.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Floor, and my god, I hate that.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
I think that people like don't give their kids, you know,
there's like it's like a helicopter mentality instead, you know,
and way yeah, And what that means to the kids
to have space, you know, and to feel they have
some agency over what they're playing and what they're choosing.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
I do think, though it's going to sound crazy, but
I think it's our fault, right, I have not given
them the space to understand what the in between time means.
They need to have every space. But what we do too,
We cannot sit and chill, right. We feel like we're
(14:48):
not productive, we feel like we're not achieving enough.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Wel like like we're losers if we're literally just sitting
there enjoying life. Oh my god. Imagine.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Our kids too, though, like we fill up their schedules
so much, and so they have no idea what it
is to be bored. So even that when they do
feel that little bit of boredom, it's it's like fight
or flight, right, it's like how do I get out
of this? And that can happen from a baby all
the way to a teen. So a lot of times
(15:21):
I always say this, I'm like, guys, screens are not
the enemy, right, this is not the opportunity to be
like no screens.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Technology is the horrible thing, right.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
But I do think that as parents, a lot of
times we use it as a clutch to be like, Okay,
I feel really uncomfortable in this moment of you're just
like staring at me. I think you should go watch
some TV. And so when they're like, do you think
you can watch them TV when they have some downtime,
then you're like, all you want to do is watch TV?
Speaker 2 (15:52):
You know what I mean? Yeah, it's like this endless
cycle that we've created.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
And now it's also like, you know, everyone's like, well,
what's your what's your technology plan, what's your what's your screen?
You know, like what's Everyone's like, what's your screen rules?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
You know, and you're just like, oh my.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
God, I'm just trying to make it through the day.
But yeah, and I think also, like, you know, we
had COVID where screens were sort of like that would
and we were all home, so it was such a
different it just like it created like this different space
where now parents are having to learn how to give
(16:26):
their kids the space that they need and other options.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
You know, yeah, see aesthetic correct, that's it right, it's options. YEA.
A lot of families ask.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Me, they're like, how do I get them from being
addicted to screens or just wanting to play more in generally,
even if.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
It has nothing to do with screens, And I always say,
it's options, giving them options.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
And it's not like you going to target, walking the
toy aisle and being like this one looks good and
this one looks good and this No, it's actually like
listening to your child being what they're interested in. And
I love this example because my ten year old for
her birthday, she asked for a makeup vanity and I
was like, okay, so I got so I got her
(17:10):
a makeup vanity, but she also asked for face paint,
which made me feel a little bit better. Yeah, and
I was like, I was like, Okay, I want to
see where this goes. I have to make an Instagram
video about this. She loves to create costume makeup. Looks
like she will create like a cut on her face
with like blood coming down and it.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Looks so real.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
That's so cool.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
And she learned that if she mixes food coloring with honey,
it like stays and looks like it was blood.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Like she what.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
She became so creative with this outlet that at the
beginning I was very inclined to say no, but I
gave her the opportunity. I listened to her, I listened
to her interests, and I gave her an opportunity to
explore and create. So a lot of time she comes
from from from school, she's in fourth grade, and she
goes straight into her play space and that's what she does.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
My seven year old loves magnetic chiles.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
She comes home from school, she makes all these beautiful creations.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Out of magnet house. It's giving them options, but options.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
That they are interested in, not that you think that
they will interested in, not that the good in your
house exactly. But I also am a big believer that
you could still have a really beautiful organized house that
everyone respects if you just have less crap.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
You know, you know, if you just have less of
that stuff, you'll be so much better. Everything has a
home and everyone knows where it goes back. So now
you're not always cleaning up after your euse.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
It's not part of it. Like the kids then clean
up their space.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
That's correct. The kids also learn to clean up their
space and respect their surroundings. So it's not a deep
bin my arch. This is a junk beent the.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Worst because then it all just comes out, yeah, is correct.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
And her part behind me, Yes, I love our cards.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Yeah yeah, and it weeps around so they like, yeah,
you see you got a down pack. I was a teacher.
I was a teacher for Okay, it's so different when
it's your own kids. But I wanted to ask you, like,
you know, you said you started this kind of like
just as an outlet and to and for you know,
(19:31):
it's kind of social interaction, and now it's grown into
this you know, huge sort of following, Like what what
does that feel like for you? Was that like was
that your goal from the I know what wasn't your goal,
but but was it your goal to once you saw
that this was sort of like a place where people
(19:51):
were feeling comfortable, did it feel like, Okay, I want to,
I want to I want to go with this.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
When I started to really grow was actually right before COVID,
which was really interesting. A lot of my videos took
off a lot, and if you've seen my century play videos,
it's very like simple recipes everything that you have in
your house.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
And that is why I grew during.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
COVID so much, because I didn't have to send you
to Michael's or the food store or anywhere. Really you
could just use the ingredients that you have, and there
recycled materials that you have. So when I started to
really grow, there was like a moment of grief, and
there was also a moment of happiness grief because I
remember the time where I was sitting on my couch
(20:36):
spending three hours, but I was able to answer every
single direct message, comments, everything that came towards me. And
then there was that moment where I was like, I
can't do that anymore, and I also don't want to
hire anyone.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
To do that.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
A lot of people in my position have social media
teams and people to help them create, edit comments, share links,
and all that stuff, which I at that part I understand,
but like, why did I start this?
Speaker 2 (21:04):
I started this to connect with people.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
So if I have other people that I pay to
connect with the people that I'm there to connect with,
then that defeats the whole purpose. But there was a
moment of grief there, and there was a moment of like,
I can't do it all, but I can do my best,
and I can also put my best content out there.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
And sometimes that is a century Player recipees.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Sometimes that is my baby having trouble because she's teating,
or helping parents give ideas of what it looks like
to travel with three children across the country. There's so
many different things that mother could have become.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
So I am really proud of that.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
I'm really proud that I stay true to my instincts,
stay true to myself, stay true to my brand and
my family and we are genuinely who we are and
that's never changed from day one, unfiltered, unedited, and it's great,
And so it.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Feels good when you are being like authentically yourself. It
doesn't even feel like work.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
It doesn't feel like work, It's just something.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
It has a very weird reality because my husband, he
was an investment banker for fifteen years and a year
into COVID twenty twenty one, I turned to him and
I was like, Babe, I know we have this whole
amazing career, but I have two options. You come on
to Mother could as my partner and help me either
grow or create all of these things that I want
(22:32):
to do that I'm not able to because it's just me.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Or I have to hire somebody like a CEO position
and he quit his job.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
What's it like working with your husband?
Speaker 3 (22:42):
Oh my god, that is a whole book that is
a part two weeks like by Design, Marriage by Design, Marriage.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
By People by Design. When he said he would quit,
I was like, what about our health insurance? Like there
were so many things that came.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Through my mind that I was like, you guys took
a leap as a family.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
We took a leap of a family, and it's worked out.
I wouldn't have written this book. I wouldn't have Mother
Cut in your Pocket or any of our physical products
digital products without him, because I don't have the bandwidth
to do so and he's like an extension of me, right.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Right, the same values you have, the same core, that's.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Right, that's right. And it's been amazing.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
It's been giving you more time actually with your kids.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Yes, yes, before he would see our children maybe an
hour a day, and just when banker, you don't have hours, right,
He traveled like crazy. He was an investment maker for
hotels in Latin America, so he would travel so much
all the time. And not only did it give me
more time with my kids, but it gave him a
(23:49):
real life with our kids. So there's many things I'm
grateful for before for mother could but one of the
things that it has brought our family closer together and
it has shown us that working together and trying to
build this dream is really our dream.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
What an incredible you know model for your kids to
see you, you know, doing what you love and and
and growing it in this way and it's like kind of,
I don't know, it's a beautiful thing. It's it's it's
so nice. And then to see the two of you
working together, it's just like that such a gift for
(24:25):
your kids.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Thank you, And I really love that it's in this
space that it's in family, that it's in connection and
it's and it's doing things with each other, right, it's
not sometimes it's us dancing in the in the living room,
but it's not dancing videos.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
And it's not fashion, so I don't have to put
myself together all the time. And it's not beauty, and
it's just wholesome. It's really wholesome, right, And it's.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Really just like kid based, yes, right, which is a
wonderful thing. What would you say is like the number
one takeaway that if you could tell a parent like
this is what there's one lesson or you know, one
(25:15):
one thing that I've really really like held so close
to for all these years of motherhood.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
What would it be that no matter where you are
in the world, what you look like, you are doing
an amazing job. You're doing your best job. And that
we are more more alike than we are different. And
I've learned that because if I'm sharing a struggle that
(25:43):
I'm going through, a person in India and a person
in Australia both send the same message to me, and
that to me is like WHOA.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
That was like a huge part.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Of when I realized motherhood is really universal and we
all crave the same things, and we're all innately really
really really good parents, and I think in order to
realize that, I think we need to give ourselves the
credit that we deserve, and it's to give ourselves the
(26:17):
space and the time to enjoy it. And they also
really think that it's important to be proactive with our kids.
So instead of our kids always coming to us and
being like, do you want to play this board game?
Speaker 2 (26:31):
And we have to turn them down because we're working,
or we're cooking, or.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
We're doing laundry, I think it's really important to be
proactive and taking time when you have to go to
your child and.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
Say, honey, would you like to play a board game?
Speaker 3 (26:46):
And so they're not always craving that connection, but you're
already giving it to them. It doesn't have to be
three hours a day. It could be five to ten
minutes every other day.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
People just get like overwhelmed, but you really, it literally
means like reading a book, Yes, play a game. It
doesn't have to be going out and buying something. It
could be and yes, just like all they care about
is that your phone is down and that you are,
you know, just responding to them, and yeah, whatever they
want to.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Play really yeah, and that you care about what they
care about.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
And that's another thing that I it's a huge takeaway
from mother could and what I've learned is that it's
important to show our kids that you care about what
they care about.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
It's their teens.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Their most important thing that they care about at that
time is their friendships, right, So to show them that
you care about their friendships could mean, Hey, invite Melissa
over for dinner on Tuesday. It doesn't have to be fancy,
could be paper plates and you order pizza. Like it's
just showing them that you care about what they care about.
(27:52):
Is play is connection.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
It's really it's interesting because all I have three kids
and they're so different, and my oldest is super into cooking,
my middle is super into baseball and football, and my
youngest is super into like musical theater and dancing. So
it's like all over the map, you know, so we'll
do we'll go to you know. It's really I try
(28:16):
to make an effort that we all go to the game,
we all go to the dance performance. My oldest son
will cook dinner for the family and invite friends over.
So it's really likes it's it's more just like we
do this because we love supporting each other and we're
interested in your interest as a family, you know, even
if they're not yours. You get to watch somebody else
(28:37):
loving their interest, which is such a yeah. With the
name mother Could, it's such a good name.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
I called it mother.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Dyslexic.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
You're not the only one.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Actually, sometimes when I hear it, it's part of part
of the name.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
I was like, but how did you come up with
mother Could? Because it's such a great name.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Actually, my husband, it was my husband when I had
that moment of like I did this with my with
my toddler when she finally ate my I tried. I
was having a conversation with my husband and I was like,
I really want to start sharing with on social media.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Helped me come up with a name, and we were like, well,
it has to be about mothers and he was like,
what about mother could? Like you you could do this.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
And it was a time where Scary Mommy was like
a big you remember that and as the new mom,
Scary Bomby was not funny.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
No, it was like you mean him never going to
sleep again? Like it was like, you know, what I
mean now, it's hilarious, right, three kids in?
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Yeah, one kid in.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
When you haven't slept for three months, you're like, oh,
it was horrible.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Yeah. I felt like the transition from zero to one
was way harder than the TRANSI into.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
It with the worst, with the worst.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
What it's going to look like, you know? And are
they ever going to sleep?
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Like? Are you know? No?
Speaker 3 (30:09):
I literally came home from the hospital, I took my
first shower, and in my head, I was like, what
the hell did I just do? Like I actually, yeah,
I was also twenty three, so let's gosh, I was
a baby.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
I was a baby, Okay.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
I was thirty, and I still felt like, I'm.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
Telling you, motherhood it's universal. It doesn't matter how old
you are, where you are in the world, what you look,
it doesn't matter if we all feel.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
The same thing.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Oh my gosh, you are a baby, baby a baby.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
I was a baby, okay, and you built this whole life.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
I mean, that's so impressive.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Thank you, no matter what exactly cool, thank you. But yeah,
I was twenty three and I was like, what the
heck did I just do? Did I just ruin my
entire life? And now she tells me.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
She's like, Mom, I really think I should go on
your book because if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't
have a book tour.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
It was like, excuse me, You're like, you're not wrong.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Excuse me, you're not wrong. But if you're last two
weeks of school, you're going to school, do you ever.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Worry about showing your kids on social media?
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Or no?
Speaker 3 (31:18):
Yes and no, yes because I hear all of these
things from other parenting accounts that get absolutely like obliterated,
and then no because.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
I don't know how. I think it was like God's will.
I don't get any hate. None.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Well, you're very likable.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
I think I appreciate that. I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
But like parenting accounts that I very much think that
they're like very likable. They get death threats right, like
show off at their kids' school.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Right.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
I'm like, I don't understand. I thank god I'm in
I don't know if I'm like in a little bubble
or what it is, but I don't get any hate.
The majority of the majority. The only type of like
hate that I get. It's like, oh my god, she
travels too much, but that's like, okay, I'll take it right, Yeah, totally, Okay,
I'll take it exactly. So it's showing my kids on
social media as they have gotten older, I show them
(32:12):
less than I do my little ones because the one
they are with me less right, my little ones attached
to my hip, the ten year old not so much.
And two I always ask for their permission as they
get older. Always, always, I think it's really important to ask.
If it was up to my oldest she would it
would be all about her.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
She would be I'm the only person on the cover.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
She would be the only person.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
Actually, she's the only one who's smiling. Okay, out of
all my three children, she's the only one who's smiling.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
I'm like, Nikki, act natural and.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
She's like, she's like, thank you, She's like, this is
my best side.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
She's like, you want me on the table, I'll go
on the table.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
That's amazing. She's so sweet, so sweet, so sweet. But
what are some of the favorite things. I Mean, you've
talked about how in the community that you've created, there's
like people all over having the same experience. Yeah, that
was another thing that you have gotten from this community
that you didn't know, you know was even possible. When
(33:17):
you began.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
Connection was number one. First when I shared.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
When I started sharing on social media, I was like,
oh my god, I'm not talking to myself Like I
was twenty three when I had my first child. I
had maybe one friend who had a baby, and that
baby ate perfectly, So I didn't have many friends to
talk about my struggles with.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
So connection was number one, And number two.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
Was how far of a reach that could go a
lot of the things that I learned to do with
my with my first like toy rotation, all of that
open ended toys, was actually connecting with mothers in Australia
and in other countries because we don't have the same
play principles in our country as we do as they
(34:04):
do in others. I'm from Venezuela, so for me, I
grew up making Plato, making slime textures and not slim
that's a new thing, but slime texture sand I grew
up making all of these things because we didn't get
shipments of Plato to Venezuela different right, it.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Was just different.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
So being able to kind of like reconnect with myself
and my childhood through connecting with other mothers in other
countries was a huge It's a huge thing for me.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
Even now.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Sometimes I'll be talking to someone like a normal conversation
and then they're like, by the way, is your book
going to be shipped to South Africa? And I was like,
you're in South Africa, what can you send it a picture?
I want to see your backyard.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
So but that's amazing and it just shows that so
many people are creating connection. And I always say that,
like everyone talks about the pregnancy, and there's so many
books on pregnancy, yes, and nobody talks about like after
when maybe you know, you go to like a baby group,
like I when I was thirty, so a lot of
the people around me were having kids and I would
(35:19):
go to a baby group and my first would cry
in the car, like hysterically cry, but everybody else was
like very sleep and he does this. And I remember
I was talking to my husband yesterday. We were driving
downtown and it was like the longest drive, and I
was like, do you remember when we would drive. We
would drive Ace for his nap because I was convinced
he needed to nap, but I was so scared wouldn't
(35:39):
nap that I would drive rob. I drove all the
way to Malibu.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
You know, yes, you're correct.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Things that were like that. I wish if I had
had somebody that was like, oh I feel that too,
I wouldn't have felt so alone.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
You know.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
Yeah that was years ago.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
Wow, that's incredible.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
Yeah, I imagine having an online community then where not
only did what you shared your shared experience made them
feel safe, but them also speaking to you and being
like that happens to me.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
Too, This is not weird. I also have Yeah, that's right,
and it's so it's mutually beneficial. And I say that
all the time.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
I'm like, if it wasn't for you, I don't know
if I would have made I would have made it through,
but it would have been worse, much worse.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
It would have been much worse. And your guidance helps
me a lot.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Sometimes my kids will like, I can't figure out what
it is, but since my three year old have started preschool,
she gets this is like allergic reaction only at school.
So I was like, and I did all the allergy tests,
I did all the things, and everything comes back to negative.
So I was like, guys, I need your help. I
need your help. We're gonna put on investigative hats. So
(36:51):
I shared this online and literally got like fifteen hundred
responses as to that happened to my child too. It
was this that happens to me, and it was just
try this, try that, like so many different ways, and
now sure can get the allergy anymore.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Like you have two point one million friends literally but
ideas off.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
But it looked But to me, it feels like I'm
facetiming with my one best friend right right, and that
is really cool.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
That is really cool.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
I try as much as I can to not curate,
especially my stories. My feet is a different animal, you
know what That's like. Takes a lot of editing to
make a look after listen, But your story gives a
direct connection to people.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
So I try for it to be.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
Kind of like day in the life every day, and
that brings me closer to people every single day, every single.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Day in a different way.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Your home, which is like you know, yes, exactly, you
can see my homi and see that right now. My
garage is a slime factory.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
It's I don't but it is. My youngest is obsessed
with making slime and then he sells it.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
He's a business man.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
But there's some everywhere in the I just like it's
the garage. That's okay, but that's amazing.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
One of the topics that I talked about in Playful
by Design, it's specifically that it's like, hey, if.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Your kid is interested in something messy, you can do
two things.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Take it outside or take it to the bath. Yeah,
just put it in areas where it's.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
An easy yes. You don't have to say no.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
It's like, sure, you want to play with the money,
go ahead, do it in the bathtub. Or if it's
a beautiful day outside, take it outside and you can
hose everybody down. So and also on balconies. I used
to live in an apartment with the one child. Trust me,
is possible. They'll come to me.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
I live in an apartment. I can't do that. I
know you can't.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
I did it.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
I have the pictures to prove it.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
I'm really so glad that we got to talk, and
I'm so grateful that you took the time. Thank you
so much, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
This is so wonderful.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
May thirteen, Yeah, thank you so much. Oh by Design.
And I'm gonna call I'm gonna I know that Zippy's
is sold out, but I'm going to try to come
to me.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Yes, I would love to see you. I love that.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Thank you, and have the most exciting new chapter in
your life with this book. I'm I'm rooting for you.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Thank you so much. I hope I get to hug
you in real life. That gell me too. Thank you
all right, Thank you guye.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Thank you so much for listening to What in the
Winkler Join us next week and follow us on Instagram
at What in the Winkler Pod and on TikTok What
in the Winkler Pod, And make sure to buy Miriam
Sandler's new book, Playful by Design, comes aut May thirteenth.
Thank you,
You are listening to What in the Winkler and iHeartRadio podcast. Hi,
welcome back to another episode of What in the Winkler.
Today we have Miriam Sandler, who's the creator of mother Cloud,
a kid's activity and family lifestyle community. Born in Venezuela
and raised in Miami, Florida, the bilingual mother of three
offers parents, educators, and care givers simple and accessible play
(00:24):
solutions and parenting hacks and more. I am so excited
to talk to her. Let's let her in.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hello.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Hi, it's so nice to meet you.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
To thank you so much for having me on.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for coming on.
I was looking at your book, which.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Is when is it?
Speaker 1 (00:46):
When does your book come out?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
It comes out May thirteenth, so so simple weeks away.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I'm so nervous.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I was looking It's called Playful by Design and the
first thing it says is your stress free guide to
raising comp didn't creative kids through independent play, which I
wish I had this book when I was having. My
kids are thirteen, nine and seven.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
It's never too late. We never too late that you
can get into it. Yes, as a parent, like what
could you want more? And exactly what you're telling us. Yes,
I think we all crave independent play at whatever age,
even when they're like seventeen.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Totally. You tell me a little bit about mother Cloud
and how it all started and about you.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yes, So I started in twenty sixteen. I had my
first baby and she didn't want to eat anything, which
was really funny because she was in the ninetieth percentile
of height and weight.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
So the doctor literally thought I was losing my mind
when I was like, she doesn't eat.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
I was like, no, I don't think you understand. She
actually doesn't eat anything.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Right.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
She was breastfeeding, so that's like count right. So I
noticed that she had a texture sensitivity. We live in Miami, Florida,
so we would go to the beach a lot, and
she would like curl up her legs in the sand
and like cry. So I started creating all of these
sensory play recipes that were edible, and I would expose
(02:19):
her to different textures through play, and I swear to you,
in six months, it was like a night and day difference.
It was like zero food crying at her high chair
to like happily running to her high chair eating salmon
and quinoa.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
And like broccoli it was.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
I mean, it just sounds like that's like the ultimate.
I mean, I'm going to do this with my seven
year old. I'm gonna yes, I'm fourteen. He has some
sensory stuff and I always am like, you know, and
I live in LA so there's a lot of you know,
OT and stuff like that, which is occupational therapy. But
how amazing to have a guide, you know, So how
(02:56):
did you even go to do that?
Speaker 3 (02:58):
So that moment was my mother could moment like I
did this, Like I could make this like shitty situation
into something, And so I started sharing it on social
media and I got a lot of feedback, and six
months later I turned to my husband and I was like,
I don't.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Want to do this anymore.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
You know what, it takes a lot of effort to
make social media look effortless, I trust me.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
I know, yeah exactly.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
So I was like, I'm not doing this anywhere. In
twenty nineteen, I had a second baby. I was still
doing a lot of sensory play, and I came back,
but I came back with videos and that's when mother
could really started. But the reason I knew to do
senturyplay was because I had worked with kids that had.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Add and ADHD.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Interesting, so my entire college career work at the Center
for Children and Families, and I noticed that the one
thing that helped every single child, because there's it's a
big spectrum, right, so I noticed that sensory play was
the one thing that helped every single child. And so
(04:06):
I was like, Okay, I knew how to seek out
that sensory adversary and then what to do about it.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
And does your book have it for all ages or
is it mainly for younger kids? Like, tell me about that.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
It's for kids of all ages.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
It's for kids of all ages, for families with all
sizes of homes, whether they have a playroom, whether they
don't have a playroom, where they have a little area,
big giant area. It's made for everybody. One of those
things that I didn't play people by design was instead
of being like if you do this, this, this, and this,
you're going to get this, I did a lot of
(04:46):
lists that have questions so that you can answer ABCD,
and from those answers, really tailor the experience to you
and your family dynamics. And this whole idea came from
because when I came back in twenty nineteen, I started
doing showing playroom rotations toy rotations, which is basically.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Like storing three forts of my toys and only displaying
one forths of the toys.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
And once a month or once every two months, I
would kind of like switch out all of the toys
or not even switch out, like move them from side
to side. And my karents, my parents, my kids thought
it was like Haniga all over again.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
They were like, oh my god, you're saying too much
with this.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Yeah, I know best not ever, And I was like,
you're welcome.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
I didn't spend a single dollar and it made such
part big difference. And so I started sharing this on
social media and I had like a few thousand followers,
and I was able to answer questions and like really
connect with my community. But as my community grew, I
got inundated with questions that I didn't so I didn't
know how to I didn't have time to answer, so
(05:58):
I felt like I was doing a disservice to my career.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
I noticed on your instagram on mother, could you have
two point one million followers? I mean, you have like
a crazy amount of followers, and people are so invested
in you, which I think is such a which is
a testament to you because you make people feel like
you can you can also do it, you know, which
is sometimes when your kid is having sensory stuff, it
(06:22):
feels maybe a little lonely or a little bit scary,
and then you just make it seem so.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
One hundred percent. And I feel like when I realized
that I didn't have the time to answer.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Everybody, it kind of broke me a little bit.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
It was because I joined social media to connect with people,
and I joined I created this platform to really be
in touch, and I didn't mean it to be a business,
and I didn't mean it to reach so many people.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
I'm so glad it did right. This is incredible, But
it was my moment of like, I.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Have to stop sharing this particular type of content because
I can't serve my communit unity the way that I
really want to.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
And that's when playful by Design. It's a beautiful.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
And I heard you're coming to La. You're going to
do by.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
I'm gonna do uh three events in La. I'm going
to do Zibby's, I'm going to go to uh.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Wolfshire Temple Boulevard and about Chevalier's book story.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Yes, that's gonna be so great.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
I'm so excited.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
I know, it's funny. I just saw that I llowed
Wilsha of Boulevard and they just had doctor Becky. So
you're gonna be that's going to be great.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
That is so exciting.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
It's exciting. Yeah. So after when you this book is
like your way of kind of like responding to everybody.
What are like the three are there's three things that
every parent should have like in their sort of like
(07:59):
cabinet that at work.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
I absolutely love that question, and that is going to
change for everybody.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
But if you're thinking about a cabinet, you are you
have a child that is a little bit older because
if you want independent play, you need it to be
accessible to your child. So in order for to be accessible,
like my three year old, it's very hard for her
to open up a cabinet pull out something without hurting
herself in right, No, No, I meant I meant like
(08:28):
it's your parenting toolbox.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Yes, your toolbox, yes, okay, okay, okay, not an actual cabinet,
like three things that you know you should have in
your toolbox that will help you know your kids that
will foster independence.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Yeah, okay, So I always say it's a it's a
three three.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Tiers visibility, accessibility, and freedom. So a lot of times
like I've been there. I watched the design shows that've
gone to the container store and I have all of
the beautiful thing and I turned to my husband and
I'm like, look ready, and he's like, that is so beautiful.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Where is everything? And I'm like, oh, I guess I
miss the point.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
And the thing is that we gatekeep everything right. We're
like so stuck in this like pinterest perfect era, which
don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
My house still looks like this, but it's accessible to everybody.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
So I think one of those things that we do
not think about enough is how do we take ourselves
out of the equation as much as possible. And the
way to do that is to literally remove yourself from
being the gatekeeper. So if you are setting up a space,
no matter what it is or how old your kids are,
(09:49):
you need to think about access to that. So people
always laugh when they see my art table because I
leave Sharpie's on there all the time, and they're like, what.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
You're doing girls?
Speaker 3 (10:02):
The recipe for disaster And I'm like guys, my kids
think that this is like a washable marker.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
To my kids, the art table has tools that.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Are made to be respected and for certain things, So
they're not going to take a marker and scribble all
over the wall.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
So that's not where we color. We color on the paper.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
But all of that took creating boundaries, creating space, giving access,
and giving the freedom. So again, if you're going back
to that space and it looks absolutely stunning and you're like,
my kids won't leave me alone, or your husband can't
find the scissors, then you're like, okay, all right, I
need to rethink this.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
So rethink your space is really important. Playful by design
making things age appropriate. Like I have a ten to
seven and a three year old.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
There's a seven age gap between my oldest and my youngest.
That's that's a pretty big age cap when it comes
to play. If my ten year old is very interested
in small pieces of legos and my three year old
can choke on it, those items don't go in the playroom.
Those items go in her bedroom. So in a play space,
I want it to also be a peace of mind
(11:17):
for me, right, I don't want it to be something
that I'm worried about in the back of my mind
where while I'm cooking, I'm like, no legos.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Wait, my god, jazy.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
I literally like my one. That was amazing. While I'm cooking,
I don't want to have a.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Moment of like, oh my god, it is the baby.
Does the three year old have a lego in her mouth?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Exactly? Exactly?
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And actually yesterday I got cupping on my back and
my child, my children told me I looked like a lego.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
It is actually like a lego, which is really cue.
That's a playful mindset. I love that. I love that,
all right, go on tell me.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
But yeah, that's important, that.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Is really important. I always give this example.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
But like, I am a night owl. I am not
a morning person whatsoever. My third child came to challenge me.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
She also, oh my god, and it's supposed to be.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
I thought the third was supposed to be like the
one that's like they get along gang.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Like, yeah, they lied to us, one hundred percent. They
lied to us.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Yeah, thank god, it's my third by the way.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Exactly, I'd be like, what is this. You wouldn't have anyone?
I know.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
The first one always comes so nice, you know, because
then you're like, oh, I could have fifty.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah, the second one's a little crazy.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Honestly though, even after my third I wish I mean,
I'm forty four, but I wish I had two more.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
I know, like, I love it so much, me too, clearly.
So anyways, she came to challenge me. She would wake
up so early.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
When she was like a little baby, it was okay,
but like once she turned one years old, at like
five in the morning, she was like, what's up, mom,
I'm like, no, girl, no. So I set up a
little like shelf in my room and it had like
four toys that were age appropriate and that weren't going
to harm her, and that I could give me peace
of mind. So in the morning that I would give
(13:18):
her her milk, sit her by the shelf, and I
would go back to sleep. So you can have independent
play at a really, really young age. You just need
to set it up in ways that will give you
peace of mind, will keep them entertained for long periods
of time, and mutually beneficial relationship.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
It's an amazing quality for any child to have. You know,
my kids are always my husband always says to me, like,
what did we do wrong? Because they'll be like play
with me, play with me, and it's like you guys,
first of all, we have three of you, so you
guys can play together each other, like what you know,
like you can play by yourself.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
You know.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
And I think parents, especially now, are so we're like
at that weird place where there's a lot of like
gentle parenting and there's a lot of stations and there's
like a lot of like you're getting on the.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Floor, and my god, I hate that.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
I think that people like don't give their kids, you know,
there's like it's like a helicopter mentality instead, you know,
and way yeah, And what that means to the kids
to have space, you know, and to feel they have
some agency over what they're playing and what they're choosing.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
I do think, though it's going to sound crazy, but
I think it's our fault, right, I have not given
them the space to understand what the in between time means.
They need to have every space. But what we do too,
We cannot sit and chill, right. We feel like we're
(14:48):
not productive, we feel like we're not achieving enough.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Wel like like we're losers if we're literally just sitting
there enjoying life. Oh my god. Imagine.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Our kids too, though, like we fill up their schedules
so much, and so they have no idea what it
is to be bored. So even that when they do
feel that little bit of boredom, it's it's like fight
or flight, right, it's like how do I get out
of this? And that can happen from a baby all
the way to a teen. So a lot of times
(15:21):
I always say this, I'm like, guys, screens are not
the enemy, right, this is not the opportunity to be
like no screens.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Technology is the horrible thing, right.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
But I do think that as parents, a lot of
times we use it as a clutch to be like, Okay,
I feel really uncomfortable in this moment of you're just
like staring at me. I think you should go watch
some TV. And so when they're like, do you think
you can watch them TV when they have some downtime,
then you're like, all you want to do is watch TV?
Speaker 2 (15:52):
You know what I mean? Yeah, it's like this endless
cycle that we've created.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
And now it's also like, you know, everyone's like, well,
what's your what's your technology plan, what's your what's your screen?
You know, like what's Everyone's like, what's your screen rules?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
You know, and you're just like, oh my.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
God, I'm just trying to make it through the day.
But yeah, and I think also, like, you know, we
had COVID where screens were sort of like that would
and we were all home, so it was such a
different it just like it created like this different space
where now parents are having to learn how to give
(16:26):
their kids the space that they need and other options.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
You know, yeah, see aesthetic correct, that's it right, it's options. YEA.
A lot of families ask.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Me, they're like, how do I get them from being
addicted to screens or just wanting to play more in generally,
even if.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
It has nothing to do with screens, And I always say,
it's options, giving them options.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
And it's not like you going to target, walking the
toy aisle and being like this one looks good and
this one looks good and this No, it's actually like
listening to your child being what they're interested in. And
I love this example because my ten year old for
her birthday, she asked for a makeup vanity and I
was like, okay, so I got so I got her
(17:10):
a makeup vanity, but she also asked for face paint,
which made me feel a little bit better. Yeah, and
I was like, I was like, Okay, I want to
see where this goes. I have to make an Instagram
video about this. She loves to create costume makeup. Looks
like she will create like a cut on her face
with like blood coming down and it.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Looks so real.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
That's so cool.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
And she learned that if she mixes food coloring with honey,
it like stays and looks like it was blood.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Like she what.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
She became so creative with this outlet that at the
beginning I was very inclined to say no, but I
gave her the opportunity. I listened to her, I listened
to her interests, and I gave her an opportunity to
explore and create. So a lot of time she comes
from from from school, she's in fourth grade, and she
goes straight into her play space and that's what she does.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
My seven year old loves magnetic chiles.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
She comes home from school, she makes all these beautiful creations.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Out of magnet house. It's giving them options, but options.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
That they are interested in, not that you think that
they will interested in, not that the good in your
house exactly. But I also am a big believer that
you could still have a really beautiful organized house that
everyone respects if you just have less crap.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
You know, you know, if you just have less of
that stuff, you'll be so much better. Everything has a
home and everyone knows where it goes back. So now
you're not always cleaning up after your euse.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
It's not part of it. Like the kids then clean
up their space.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
That's correct. The kids also learn to clean up their
space and respect their surroundings. So it's not a deep
bin my arch. This is a junk beent the.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Worst because then it all just comes out, yeah, is correct.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
And her part behind me, Yes, I love our cards.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Yeah yeah, and it weeps around so they like, yeah,
you see you got a down pack. I was a teacher.
I was a teacher for Okay, it's so different when
it's your own kids. But I wanted to ask you, like,
you know, you said you started this kind of like
just as an outlet and to and for you know,
(19:31):
it's kind of social interaction, and now it's grown into
this you know, huge sort of following, Like what what
does that feel like for you? Was that like was
that your goal from the I know what wasn't your goal,
but but was it your goal to once you saw
that this was sort of like a place where people
(19:51):
were feeling comfortable, did it feel like, Okay, I want to,
I want to I want to go with this.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
When I started to really grow was actually right before COVID,
which was really interesting. A lot of my videos took
off a lot, and if you've seen my century play videos,
it's very like simple recipes everything that you have in
your house.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
And that is why I grew during.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
COVID so much, because I didn't have to send you
to Michael's or the food store or anywhere. Really you
could just use the ingredients that you have, and there
recycled materials that you have. So when I started to
really grow, there was like a moment of grief, and
there was also a moment of happiness grief because I
remember the time where I was sitting on my couch
(20:36):
spending three hours, but I was able to answer every
single direct message, comments, everything that came towards me. And
then there was that moment where I was like, I
can't do that anymore, and I also don't want to
hire anyone.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
To do that.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
A lot of people in my position have social media
teams and people to help them create, edit comments, share links,
and all that stuff, which I at that part I understand,
but like, why did I start this?
Speaker 2 (21:04):
I started this to connect with people.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
So if I have other people that I pay to
connect with the people that I'm there to connect with,
then that defeats the whole purpose. But there was a
moment of grief there, and there was a moment of like,
I can't do it all, but I can do my best,
and I can also put my best content out there.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
And sometimes that is a century Player recipees.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
Sometimes that is my baby having trouble because she's teating,
or helping parents give ideas of what it looks like
to travel with three children across the country. There's so
many different things that mother could have become.
Speaker 2 (21:44):
So I am really proud of that.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
I'm really proud that I stay true to my instincts,
stay true to myself, stay true to my brand and
my family and we are genuinely who we are and
that's never changed from day one, unfiltered, unedited, and it's great,
And so it.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
Feels good when you are being like authentically yourself. It
doesn't even feel like work.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
It doesn't feel like work, It's just something.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
It has a very weird reality because my husband, he
was an investment banker for fifteen years and a year
into COVID twenty twenty one, I turned to him and
I was like, Babe, I know we have this whole
amazing career, but I have two options. You come on
to Mother could as my partner and help me either
grow or create all of these things that I want
(22:32):
to do that I'm not able to because it's just me.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Or I have to hire somebody like a CEO position
and he quit his job.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
What's it like working with your husband?
Speaker 3 (22:42):
Oh my god, that is a whole book that is
a part two weeks like by Design, Marriage by Design, Marriage.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
By People by Design. When he said he would quit,
I was like, what about our health insurance? Like there
were so many things that came.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Through my mind that I was like, you guys took
a leap as a family.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
We took a leap of a family, and it's worked out.
I wouldn't have written this book. I wouldn't have Mother
Cut in your Pocket or any of our physical products
digital products without him, because I don't have the bandwidth
to do so and he's like an extension of me, right.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
Right, the same values you have, the same core, that's.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Right, that's right. And it's been amazing.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
It's been giving you more time actually with your kids.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Yes, yes, before he would see our children maybe an
hour a day, and just when banker, you don't have hours, right,
He traveled like crazy. He was an investment maker for
hotels in Latin America, so he would travel so much
all the time. And not only did it give me
more time with my kids, but it gave him a
(23:49):
real life with our kids. So there's many things I'm
grateful for before for mother could but one of the
things that it has brought our family closer together and
it has shown us that working together and trying to
build this dream is really our dream.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
What an incredible you know model for your kids to
see you, you know, doing what you love and and
and growing it in this way and it's like kind of,
I don't know, it's a beautiful thing. It's it's it's
so nice. And then to see the two of you
working together, it's just like that such a gift for
(24:25):
your kids.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
Thank you, And I really love that it's in this
space that it's in family, that it's in connection and
it's and it's doing things with each other, right, it's
not sometimes it's us dancing in the in the living room,
but it's not dancing videos.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
And it's not fashion, so I don't have to put
myself together all the time. And it's not beauty, and
it's just wholesome. It's really wholesome, right, And it's.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Really just like kid based, yes, right, which is a
wonderful thing. What would you say is like the number
one takeaway that if you could tell a parent like
this is what there's one lesson or you know, one
(25:15):
one thing that I've really really like held so close
to for all these years of motherhood.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
What would it be that no matter where you are
in the world, what you look like, you are doing
an amazing job. You're doing your best job. And that
we are more more alike than we are different. And
I've learned that because if I'm sharing a struggle that
(25:43):
I'm going through, a person in India and a person
in Australia both send the same message to me, and
that to me is like WHOA.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
That was like a huge part.
Speaker 3 (25:57):
Of when I realized motherhood is really universal and we
all crave the same things, and we're all innately really
really really good parents, and I think in order to
realize that, I think we need to give ourselves the
credit that we deserve, and it's to give ourselves the
(26:17):
space and the time to enjoy it. And they also
really think that it's important to be proactive with our kids.
So instead of our kids always coming to us and
being like, do you want to play this board game?
Speaker 2 (26:31):
And we have to turn them down because we're working,
or we're cooking, or.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
We're doing laundry, I think it's really important to be
proactive and taking time when you have to go to
your child and.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
Say, honey, would you like to play a board game?
Speaker 3 (26:46):
And so they're not always craving that connection, but you're
already giving it to them. It doesn't have to be
three hours a day. It could be five to ten
minutes every other day.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
People just get like overwhelmed, but you really, it literally
means like reading a book, Yes, play a game. It
doesn't have to be going out and buying something. It
could be and yes, just like all they care about
is that your phone is down and that you are,
you know, just responding to them, and yeah, whatever they
want to.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Play really yeah, and that you care about what they
care about.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
And that's another thing that I it's a huge takeaway
from mother could and what I've learned is that it's
important to show our kids that you care about what
they care about.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
It's their teens.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Their most important thing that they care about at that
time is their friendships, right, So to show them that
you care about their friendships could mean, Hey, invite Melissa
over for dinner on Tuesday. It doesn't have to be fancy,
could be paper plates and you order pizza. Like it's
just showing them that you care about what they care about.
(27:52):
Is play is connection.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
It's really it's interesting because all I have three kids
and they're so different, and my oldest is super into cooking,
my middle is super into baseball and football, and my
youngest is super into like musical theater and dancing. So
it's like all over the map, you know, so we'll
do we'll go to you know. It's really I try
(28:16):
to make an effort that we all go to the game,
we all go to the dance performance. My oldest son
will cook dinner for the family and invite friends over.
So it's really likes it's it's more just like we
do this because we love supporting each other and we're
interested in your interest as a family, you know, even
if they're not yours. You get to watch somebody else
(28:37):
loving their interest, which is such a yeah. With the
name mother Could, it's such a good name.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
I called it mother.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Dyslexic.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
You're not the only one.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
Actually, sometimes when I hear it, it's part of part
of the name.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
I was like, but how did you come up with
mother Could? Because it's such a great name.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Actually, my husband, it was my husband when I had
that moment of like I did this with my with
my toddler when she finally ate my I tried. I
was having a conversation with my husband and I was like,
I really want to start sharing with on social media.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Helped me come up with a name, and we were like, well,
it has to be about mothers and he was like,
what about mother could? Like you you could do this.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
And it was a time where Scary Mommy was like
a big you remember that and as the new mom,
Scary Bomby was not funny.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
No, it was like you mean him never going to
sleep again? Like it was like, you know, what I
mean now, it's hilarious, right, three kids in?
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Yeah, one kid in.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
When you haven't slept for three months, you're like, oh,
it was horrible.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Yeah. I felt like the transition from zero to one
was way harder than the TRANSI into.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
It with the worst, with the worst.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
What it's going to look like, you know? And are
they ever going to sleep?
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Like? Are you know? No?
Speaker 3 (30:09):
I literally came home from the hospital, I took my
first shower, and in my head, I was like, what
the hell did I just do? Like I actually, yeah,
I was also twenty three, so let's gosh, I was
a baby.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
I was a baby, Okay.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
I was thirty, and I still felt like, I'm.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
Telling you, motherhood it's universal. It doesn't matter how old
you are, where you are in the world, what you look,
it doesn't matter if we all feel.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
The same thing.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Oh my gosh, you are a baby, baby a baby.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
I was a baby, okay, and you built this whole life.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
I mean, that's so impressive.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
Thank you, no matter what exactly cool, thank you. But yeah,
I was twenty three and I was like, what the
heck did I just do? Did I just ruin my
entire life? And now she tells me.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
She's like, Mom, I really think I should go on
your book because if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't
have a book tour.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
It was like, excuse me, You're like, you're not wrong.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Excuse me, you're not wrong. But if you're last two
weeks of school, you're going to school, do you ever.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Worry about showing your kids on social media?
Speaker 2 (31:15):
Or no?
Speaker 3 (31:18):
Yes and no, yes because I hear all of these
things from other parenting accounts that get absolutely like obliterated,
and then no because.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
I don't know how. I think it was like God's will.
I don't get any hate. None.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Well, you're very likable.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
I think I appreciate that. I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
But like parenting accounts that I very much think that
they're like very likable. They get death threats right, like
show off at their kids' school.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Right.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
I'm like, I don't understand. I thank god I'm in
I don't know if I'm like in a little bubble
or what it is, but I don't get any hate.
The majority of the majority. The only type of like
hate that I get. It's like, oh my god, she
travels too much, but that's like, okay, I'll take it right, Yeah, totally, Okay,
I'll take it exactly. So it's showing my kids on
social media as they have gotten older, I show them
(32:12):
less than I do my little ones because the one
they are with me less right, my little ones attached
to my hip, the ten year old not so much.
And two I always ask for their permission as they
get older. Always, always, I think it's really important to ask.
If it was up to my oldest she would it
would be all about her.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
She would be I'm the only person on the cover.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
She would be the only person.
Speaker 3 (32:35):
Actually, she's the only one who's smiling. Okay, out of
all my three children, she's the only one who's smiling.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
I'm like, Nikki, act natural and.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
She's like, she's like, thank you, She's like, this is
my best side.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
She's like, you want me on the table, I'll go
on the table.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
That's amazing. She's so sweet, so sweet, so sweet. But
what are some of the favorite things. I Mean, you've
talked about how in the community that you've created, there's
like people all over having the same experience. Yeah, that
was another thing that you have gotten from this community
that you didn't know, you know was even possible. When
(33:17):
you began.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
Connection was number one. First when I shared.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
When I started sharing on social media, I was like,
oh my god, I'm not talking to myself Like I
was twenty three when I had my first child. I
had maybe one friend who had a baby, and that
baby ate perfectly, So I didn't have many friends to
talk about my struggles with.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
So connection was number one, And number two.
Speaker 3 (33:42):
Was how far of a reach that could go a
lot of the things that I learned to do with
my with my first like toy rotation, all of that
open ended toys, was actually connecting with mothers in Australia
and in other countries because we don't have the same
play principles in our country as we do as they
(34:04):
do in others. I'm from Venezuela, so for me, I
grew up making Plato, making slime textures and not slim
that's a new thing, but slime texture sand I grew
up making all of these things because we didn't get
shipments of Plato to Venezuela different right, it.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
Was just different.
Speaker 3 (34:23):
So being able to kind of like reconnect with myself
and my childhood through connecting with other mothers in other
countries was a huge It's a huge thing for me.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
Even now.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Sometimes I'll be talking to someone like a normal conversation
and then they're like, by the way, is your book
going to be shipped to South Africa? And I was like,
you're in South Africa, what can you send it a picture?
I want to see your backyard.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
So but that's amazing and it just shows that so
many people are creating connection. And I always say that,
like everyone talks about the pregnancy, and there's so many
books on pregnancy, yes, and nobody talks about like after
when maybe you know, you go to like a baby group,
like I when I was thirty, so a lot of
the people around me were having kids and I would
(35:19):
go to a baby group and my first would cry
in the car, like hysterically cry, but everybody else was
like very sleep and he does this. And I remember
I was talking to my husband yesterday. We were driving
downtown and it was like the longest drive, and I
was like, do you remember when we would drive. We
would drive Ace for his nap because I was convinced
he needed to nap, but I was so scared wouldn't
(35:39):
nap that I would drive rob. I drove all the
way to Malibu.
Speaker 2 (35:42):
You know, yes, you're correct.
Speaker 1 (35:44):
Things that were like that. I wish if I had
had somebody that was like, oh I feel that too,
I wouldn't have felt so alone.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
You know.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
Yeah that was years ago.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
Wow, that's incredible.
Speaker 3 (35:56):
Yeah, I imagine having an online community then where not
only did what you shared your shared experience made them
feel safe, but them also speaking to you and being
like that happens to me.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
Too, This is not weird. I also have Yeah, that's right,
and it's so it's mutually beneficial. And I say that
all the time.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
I'm like, if it wasn't for you, I don't know
if I would have made I would have made it through,
but it would have been worse, much worse.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
It would have been much worse. And your guidance helps
me a lot.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Sometimes my kids will like, I can't figure out what
it is, but since my three year old have started preschool,
she gets this is like allergic reaction only at school.
So I was like, and I did all the allergy tests,
I did all the things, and everything comes back to negative.
So I was like, guys, I need your help. I
need your help. We're gonna put on investigative hats. So
(36:51):
I shared this online and literally got like fifteen hundred
responses as to that happened to my child too. It
was this that happens to me, and it was just
try this, try that, like so many different ways, and
now sure can get the allergy anymore.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Like you have two point one million friends literally but
ideas off.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
But it looked But to me, it feels like I'm
facetiming with my one best friend right right, and that
is really cool.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
That is really cool.
Speaker 3 (37:18):
I try as much as I can to not curate,
especially my stories. My feet is a different animal, you
know what That's like. Takes a lot of editing to
make a look after listen, But your story gives a
direct connection to people.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
So I try for it to be.
Speaker 3 (37:31):
Kind of like day in the life every day, and
that brings me closer to people every single day, every single.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Day in a different way.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Your home, which is like you know, yes, exactly, you
can see my homi and see that right now. My
garage is a slime factory.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (37:48):
It's I don't but it is. My youngest is obsessed
with making slime and then he sells it.
Speaker 2 (37:56):
He's a business man.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
But there's some everywhere in the I just like it's
the garage. That's okay, but that's amazing.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
One of the topics that I talked about in Playful
by Design, it's specifically that it's like, hey, if.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Your kid is interested in something messy, you can do
two things.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Take it outside or take it to the bath. Yeah,
just put it in areas where it's.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
An easy yes. You don't have to say no.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
It's like, sure, you want to play with the money,
go ahead, do it in the bathtub. Or if it's
a beautiful day outside, take it outside and you can
hose everybody down. So and also on balconies. I used
to live in an apartment with the one child. Trust me,
is possible. They'll come to me.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
I live in an apartment. I can't do that. I
know you can't.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
I did it.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
I have the pictures to prove it.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
I'm really so glad that we got to talk, and
I'm so grateful that you took the time. Thank you
so much, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
This is so wonderful.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
May thirteen, Yeah, thank you so much. Oh by Design.
And I'm gonna call I'm gonna I know that Zippy's
is sold out, but I'm going to try to come
to me.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Yes, I would love to see you. I love that.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
Thank you, and have the most exciting new chapter in
your life with this book. I'm I'm rooting for you.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Thank you so much. I hope I get to hug
you in real life. That gell me too. Thank you
all right, Thank you guye.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Thank you so much for listening to What in the
Winkler Join us next week and follow us on Instagram
at What in the Winkler Pod and on TikTok What
in the Winkler Pod, And make sure to buy Miriam
Sandler's new book, Playful by Design, comes aut May thirteenth.
Thank you,
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com