UNrattled: A Podcast for Parents

Episode Description

Vaccinations have become one of parenting’s most complicated conversations. But what changed?

In this episode of UNrattled, Jessica and Venay sit down with pediatrician Dr. Jonathan Holmes to explore how social media, COVID, changing trust in institutions, and our relationships with healthcare providers have reshaped the vaccination conversation.

This isn’t about telling parents what to ...

Becoming a parent changes everything—but so much of that change goes unspoken. While we spend months preparing for labor, baby gear, and nursery colors, few parents are prepared for the emotional, relational, and identity shifts that come with bringing home a baby.

In this episode, author Katie O'Toole joins us to explore the honest realities of new parenthood inspired by her book Mayday on the Mothership. Together, we discuss...

It's easy to read a headline about a young person in trouble and wonder, What's wrong with kids today? But what happens when we ask a different question: Who was this child before the headline?

In this episode of UNrattled, Jessica and Venay are joined by Joshua Jones, Director of the HALO Program at USA Health, for a deeply personal conversation about childhood, community, and the adults who can change the trajectory of a young per...

What does it take to keep choosing one another through trauma, grief, medical uncertainty, and the demands of raising a family? In this candid conversation, Ronnie and Venus Thomas reflect on childhood experiences that shaped their parenting, the health scares and pregnancy losses that tested their marriage, and the years they spent simply trying to survive. They share how therapy, honest apologies, emotional safety, and intentiona...

Season 4 is here, and we're kicking things off with a conversation about where we've been, what we've learned, and where we're headed next!

In this special season premiere, Venay and Jessica sit down to reflect on some of the most impactful moments from previous seasons of Unrattled, the conversations that stayed with them long after recording ended, and the lessons they've carried into their own lives as parents, educators, and adv...

"I'm bored." It's one of the most frustrating phrases parents hear—but what if boredom is actually a good thing?

In this episode, we unpack why boredom plays a critical role in building creativity, independence, and problem-solving skills in young children. We explore what independent play really looks like across different ages and why it's often harder for kids (and parents) than we expect.

Parent-teacher conferences can feel intimidating for many families—but they don't have to. In this special Cross Talk episode with our sister show Tiny Talks on Early Learning, we talk with Dr. Tricia Shelton and Paula Reese about how parents and educators can work together to better support children. Drawing from Dr. Shelton's new book, Partnering for ...

This episode explores how attachment styles show up in parenting and why certain child behaviors can feel especially triggering. We'll briefly define attachment styles, then focus on how a parent's own upbringing and experiences shape their reactions to things like defiance, clinginess, and big emotions. We'll unpack why these responses can feel automatic, touch on the brain science behind stress in parenting, and shift into practi...

Episode 6 of 6 - A Limited Podcast Series

In this final episode of Voices of Alabama Families, we look ahead—exploring the hopes, values, and changes families across Alabama want for the next generation. Through heartfelt reflections, contributors share a vision of a future where children feel safe, seen, and free to be who they are, while also emphasizing the importance of protecting what m...

Episode 5 of 6 - A Limited Podcast Series

Some of the most important things children need to understand are also the hardest to explain. In this episode, Voices of Alabama Families explores how families across Alabama navigate conversations about difficult history—stories of segregation, integration, and racial injustice that are not just part of the past, but lived experiences that continu...

Episode 4 of 6 - A Limited Podcast Series

Raising children has never been something families were meant to do alone, and in communities across Alabama, it hasn't been. In this episode, Voices of Alabama Families explores what it truly means to "raise a child in a village"—through the neighbors, educators, family m...

Episode 3 of 6 - A Limited Podcast Series

Long before children can explain what they believe, they are already learning what matters—through the patterns, relationships, and traditions that surround them every day. In this episode, Voices of Alabama Families explores how faith, family, and cultural values shape ea...

Episode 2 of 6 - A Limited Podcast Series

Long before children ever step into a classroom, they are already learning—through stories shared in everyday moments. Around kitchen tables, on front porches, and in passing conversations, children begin to understand who they are and where they belong. In this episode, Voices of Alabama Families explores storytelling not as something imagined, but a...

Episode 1 of 6 - A Limited Podcast Series

What we inherit shapes how we raise our children.

In this opening episode of Voices of Alabama Families, we explore how history lives on through families, communities, and everyday experiences—and how those stories become a child's first lessons in identity, belonging, and resilience.

Public libraries are more than shelves of books—they are community anchors. In this episode of UNrattled, we sit down with the team from Foley Public Library, to talk about the powerful role libraries play in supporting families, early learners, and lifelong curiosity. This conversation shines a light on the programs, partnerships, and everyday moments that make community libraries safe, welcoming spaces for connection, learn...

Supporting children on the autism spectrum takes collaboration between families, educators, healthcare providers, and communities.

In this special crossover episode of Tiny Talks on Early Learning and UNrattled: A Podcast for Parents, we sit down with Michelle McDaniel, Director of the USA Regional Autism Network, to explore what autism support looks like across the places children live, learn, and grow.

In this episode of UNrattled, we explore how parents can help children set meaningful goals, develop perseverance, and build the resilience to stick with hard things—without pushing too hard or tying worth to achievement. Drawing on research about grit, executive function, motivation, and social-emotional development, we break down what goal-setting looks like at different ages and how pare...

Transitions—ending playtime, getting out the door, moving from one activity to the next—can feel like small moments to adults but huge emotional events for young children. In this episode, we unpack why transitions so often trigger meltdowns, especially for children under five. Through simple brain science, real-life examples, and practical strategies, we explore what's really happening beneath the tears an...

Parents today aren't just busy—we're exhausted. The days move fast, the mental load is constant, and even when everything gets done, it can still feel like you're behind.

In this honest and candid conversation, we unpack why time feels so scarce for families—not because parents are failing, but because the load is genuinely heavy. From invisible labor...