Spawned Parenting Podcast with Kristen and Liz of CoolMomPicks
Hi, we're Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase of CoolMomPicks.com and parents to six kids between us, that we know of. We've got a microphone and more than the two minutes the Today Show gives us, and we're not afraid to use them. Join us (and some awesome celebrity guests) for candid parenting culture discussions, non-judgy (mostly) tips, and a good dose of humor, if we've had enough coffee. Which is always. Named a top podcast by The Washington Post, Mental Floss, Business Insider and Fatherly; 2016 Iris Award winner for best parenting podcast.
Episodes
March 14, 2023 • 43 min
We all want to raise kind, generous, caring, empathetic kids -- who turn into great adults. So we turned to the perfect guide: Parenting author, science columnist and researcher Melinda Wenner Moyer. She shares so much science-backed data and turns it into parenting strategies, we can all put to use in our own families immediately. We think you'll love this episode! - Liz + Kristen
Graciously brought to you by Camp Tuku, a stunning...
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Prioritizing and organizing your life, your family schedule, and especially your time is something a lot of moms (like, uh me!) can use help with. Take a listen for some terrific tips from Sarah Hart-Unger, host of Best Laid Plans podcast and co-host of Best of Both Worlds. She shares her genius "nested goals" approach, offers advice for list-making, talks organization vs prioritization, gender imbalances in time management -- and ...
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January 22, 2023 • 36 min
As a mixed-race Chinese American, I've struggled to feel a sense of belonging. I grew up feeling more accepted by the German (white) side of my family. Then, as I got older, I learned more about the Chinese side of my family and felt a connection to the experiences of Asian Americans. Just recently, especially as I was editing my book, A Thousand Miles to Graceland, I've found myself somewhere in the middle; not necessarily feeling...
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January 10, 2023 • 25 min
With the invention of smartphones (and tablets), keeping track of our digital memories (think photos, videos, scans), has become more difficult than we might have expected. In this episode, David Vaskevitch, CEO of Mylio Photos, shares the challenges that he experienced with digital memory preservation, and how families can make it a whole lot easier.
Find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, along with our show notes at CoolMo...
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December 29, 2022 • 35 min
We've talked to so many incredible guests in 2022 -- film directors, authors, journalists, political pundits, activists. So we thought we'd share some of our favorite quotes and thoughtful advice in this fun look back at what we've learned over the past year here. If there's one you want to hear more about, you're already on your podcast app! Just click through to the Spawned library, scroll down, and take a listen!
Thanks so much ...
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December 20, 2022 • 27 min
Moms are so busy trying to make fun for everyone over the holidays, sometimes we forget that we're supposed to be having fun too! How do we do that without adding "have more fun" to our to-do lists? Margaret Ables, co-host of the fabulous What Fresh Hell parenting podcast is joining me to offer smart tips, sweet stories, a lot of laughter, and a lot of compassion for moms Going Through It right now. - Liz
Thanks to our sponsor Myli...
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December 13, 2022 • 37 min
We've discussed the sex talk on Spawned a few times, however, if your school district is like mine (and many across the country), they are making sex education an optional, home-taught module. That means, we need to be more invested than ever in ensuring our kids are getting comprehensive sex education. That's what Andrea Brand's new book, “Stop Sweating & Start Talking," can help with, and a lot more.
*Note, while this episode is...
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December 6, 2022 • 39 min
Just when I thought I was pretty aware of what I needed to know about teens and sleep, I got my hands on Lisa L. Lewis's book The Sleep-Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, And How Parents And Schools Can Help Them Thrive and I realized there was so much I didn't know. That was all solidified during this episode.
Whether you have teens or not, Lisa's research for this book uncovered why sleep is so important for teens (hi...
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November 16, 2022 • 30 min
What's been the impact of Covid on kids? On mothers? How about on education? On class division? On our careers? On healthcare? Today I'm welcoming back author and NPR Education Reporter Anya Kamenetz who researched it all and put it into the must-read book The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Kids' Lives....and Where We Go Now.
Her fascinating point: The systems that failed our families, especially the most vulnerable, have been in ...
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November 2, 2022 • 32 min
If you're like Kristen and in the throes of perimenopause, then you're probably wondering why no one talks about it. Well, that's about to change as Kristen chats with Dr. Makeba Williams, a physician who specializes in the healthcare needs of midlife and menopausal women. She answers all of Kristen's burning questions, which might just be yours too. Make sure you're following us on social media: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. A...
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I will never think about yoga, supplements, activated charcoal or bath salts the same way after speaking with Rina Raphael, author of the utterly fascinating new book The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care.
How did wellness go from a legitimate health need to a $4.4 trillion industry? What's the role of wellness influencers in all this? Why are we so desperate to find salvation in a fancy (pro...
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October 4, 2022 • 37 min
We don't want our kids to fall for false news, rumors, or disinformation. But how do we teach our kids media literacy when we can't even keep up with all the social media apps? Journalist, professor, and UCLA/Stanford professor Dr. Seema Yasmin joins Liz to talk about her incredibly engaging, very important new YA Handbook, "What the Fact?!: Finding Truth in All the Noise."
She not only discusses how we help our kids separate fact ...
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As parents, one of the most challenging parts of raising kids is feeding them. It's especially hard if you have your own issues with body image and food, like many Gen X parents do. Thankfully, experts like Nicole Cruz, a registered dietitian nutritionist, and mom of three can really help. Her intuitive eating and non-diet approach to food felt revolutionary to me, and it's completely changed how I approach food with my kids. And a...
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July 20, 2022 • 35 min
You wouldn't think in 2022 that an author would have to fight to keep a female protagonist in a book, and yet that's just what happened to award-winning humorist Wendi Aarons when she first pitched her middle-grade book, Ginger Mancino: Kid Comedian. (Spoiler: It got published, Ginger is indeed a girl, and it's wonderful.) Wendi joins Liz to talk about the importance of funny girls in books, funny women in life, teaching kids comed...
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Since I got my first smartphone back in 2006, my relationship with my phone has certainly changed my life. It's also changed how I function as a person in this world, for better and for worse. Turns out, I'm not the only one, which is why I was so excited to chat with Emmy-award-winning journalist, and host of the new Mobile Diaries podcast from T-Mobile Stories, Shawna Ryan, which also happens to be today's sponsor.
We chat about ...
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Author, educator, and Prep Matters founder Ned Johnson joins Liz once again to talk us through -- or talk us down from -- the college application process. And yes, I mean parents! You'll appreciate his thoughtful insight on the whole process, "test optional" schools, financial aid, the pitfalls and benefits of stress, the impact of Covid, how Black students need to approach things differently, and why we need to reframe the concept...
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We often forget that social skills are taught, which seems especially important after two years in a pandemic. We're so grateful for authors, like Catherine Newman, who help make our lives as parents easier. Her new book "What Can I Say?" is a super helpful, illustrated book aimed at tweens and young teens, to help them navigate life's awkward situations, from learning how to apologize, to standing up to bullies, and pretty much ev...
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Our guest Roo Powell is the co-founder of SOSA (Safe from Online Sexual Abuse) and has put her child advocacy and deep knowledge to use by...disguising herself as a young girl and working with police to trap predators. That work is part of the Discovery Plus docuseries Undercover Underage. Roo's story is nothing short of fascinating -- and actually more encouraging than you might imagine. Take a listen for an honest, surprisingly ...
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May 10, 2022 • 33 min
I've been wondering: are moms okay right now? And are we going to be okay? Is anything okay for anyone these days? So I invited one guest I knew would have an incredible perspective, Jessica Grose, author and Parenting Editor of the New York Times. Take a listen for an honest, terrific discussion about the state of modern motherhood including childcare issues, burnout, lingering pandemic issues, the evolving role of parents on soci...
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If you've got thousands of photos on your phone, you know how painful it can be to find the ones you need when you need them, not to mention create any sort of memory or photo book. Well, get ready, because professional photo organizer Casey von Stein (aka Miss Freddy) whipped Kristen into shape (no guilt or judgment, either), and will do the same for you. Seriously, these tips are life-changing (and we don't say that lightly).
Th...
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