Toddler Purgatory
Toddler Purgatory is a comedy parenting podcast by and for moms of kids under six. Hosted by hilarious moms Molly Lloyd and Blaire Brooks, each episode of Toddler Purgatory digs deep on a different parenting topic, providing some real talk, some expert advice, and a ton of laughs. Parenting little kids might feel like you're stuck in purgatory sometimes, but with Blaire and Molly as your guides, you'll have a lot more fun along the way. New episodes every Tuesday! Thanks for subscribing and listening! Find out more at toddlerpurgatory.com and on social media #toddlerpurgatory.
Episodes
March 21, 2023 • 39 min
How do you find an authentic mom group that lets you be yourself, especially when you're the only mother of color there? Helena Andrews-Dyer discusses learnings from mothers with different lived experiences with Molly and Blaire.
Helena Andrews-Dyer is an award-winning culture reporter for The Washington Post, covering the intersection of popular culture, race, politics and art in the nation’s capital. Her third book, “The Mamas: W...
Mark as Played
March 14, 2023 • 40 min
How do we make time for our partners when all of our time is taken up with work and kids? We asked our listeners for date night ideas ranging from fancy to simple - and how to work those special times into your regular schedule.
Molly and Blaire discuss:
How to schedule and stick with regular date nights
Why regular dates are beneficial for you, your partner, and your kids
Cheddar Bay biscuits
The secret to date night is it do...
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March 7, 2023 • 45 min
How can we tell what our babies need from the sound of their cries? Here's how to play detective when your baby is upset - and how to try and problem-solve when it seems like nothing is working.
Molly and Blaire discuss:
The different sounds babies make when they are hungry, tired/uncomfortable, bored, or sick
Crying spells
Jetsons thermometers
Sometimes your baby is hungry, sometimes they have a hair wrapped around their toe,...
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February 28, 2023 • 44 min
How do we instill a love of reading in our kids from a young age? Author and educator Maya Smart shares simple strategies for developing language skills in young kids.
Maya Payne Smart is a parent educator, literacy advocate, and the author of Reading for Our Lives: A Literacy Action Plan from Birth to Six. Her website, MayaSmart.com, publishes new book lists, literacy activities, and other free family resources weekly to help pare...
Mark as Played
February 21, 2023 • 45 min
This just in: violence in play is normal behavior. But today parents tend to take it more seriously. Here's why it's natural for kids to incorporate play-fighting with guns and swords into their games– and when to let it go versus intervene.
If something doesn't sit right with you, it's good to check in with kids about it later – but remember that kids use play as a way of processing the world.
Links!
Virginia Sole-Smith for Paren...
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February 14, 2023 • 40 min
Feeling exhausted from keeping up with all of your responsibilities as a mother, partner, and professional? You may be experiencing mom burnout. Here's how to spot the signs and take baby steps towards climbing back out of the emotional, physical, and mental pit we sometimes find ourselves in.
Blaire and Molly discuss:
The differences between depression and burnout
The right way to make garlic bread
Key symptoms of burnout
The ...
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February 7, 2023 • 43 min
It's easy to blame and shame ourselves when we make parenting mistakes, no matter how big or how small, especially as moms. Here's how to break the blame/shame/guilt cycle for yourself and how to model self-forgiveness for your kids.
Molly and Blaire discuss:
Santa's naughty kid hotline
How to sincerely apologize
What our childhood patterns around mistake-making can teach us
How you treat yourself after your own mistakes becom...
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January 31, 2023 • 42 min
Wish someone would give you a pat on the back for keeping track of all the water bottles or knowing which dishes are dishwasher-safe? Grace Farris, author of "Mom Milestones," is here to give us moms the credit we deserve for the little things that no one else notices.
Grace Farris is a mom, doctor, and illustrator. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Vogue, BuzzFeed, and Cup of Jo. The New York Times' Wirecutter called he...
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January 24, 2023 • 43 min
Do you look in your bank account and wonder where all your money has gone? We asked our listeners for the small ways they save and and budget every month to make money less of a mystery.
Molly and Blaire discuss:
Blaire's amazing Poshmark selling skills
Why it's important to pay yourself first
Sinking funds
Investing a little bit of time in some of these solutions reaps big rewards budget-wise, so seriously, start eensy teensy...
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January 17, 2023 • 39 min
Are we creating unrealistic expectations when we praise our kid just for waking up in the morning? Turns out there is too much of a good thing, but we can also reframe how, when, and why we praise our kids.
Molly and Blaire discuss:
Praising process over achievements
The three s's of praise
Praise inflation
Kids can sense when praise isn't genuine. Instead of congratulating them on their every action and creating an unrealisti...
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January 10, 2023 • 45 min
Sharing is caring, right? We were all raised to believe that sharing is an important part of polite social interactions. But as adults, we would be taken aback if abruptly asked to share something we were using, like our phone. So why do we insist that our kids share toys with complete strangers at a moment's notice? Here's when– and why– it's ok NOT to share.
Molly and Blaire discuss:
The difference between making kids share and ...
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January 3, 2023 • 41 min
How do we get our kids away from screens without breaking the bank or planning elaborate outings? Erica Domesek's new book "P.S. - We Made This!" has plenty of ideas for kids' crafts that require zero shopping, zero traveling, and zero (okay, minimal) stress.
Erica Domesek is a social media maven, and an extremely cool + crafty parent! She is the founder of the innovative DIY lifestyle brand P.S.–I Made This, which launched in 2009...
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December 27, 2022 • 43 min
As we look back on 2022, it's easy to focus on the things we didn't do or should have done. But today Molly and Blaire give themselves permission - and you too, dear listeners - to revel in all you and your kids have accomplished this year.
Molly and Blaire discuss:
Why teachers are so amazing
What is 8 + 8
How to give ourselves credit rather than focus on the negative
It's so rewarding to see others recognize in your kids wha...
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December 20, 2022 • 46 min
Does it seem like all of your arguments with your kids end in tears and slamming doors rather than solutions? We can't rid our lives of disagreements and conflicts with our little ones, but we can "fight" constructively, aka, with the gloves on.
Blaire and Molly discuss:
Blaire's cap on gentle parenting
Methods for helping your child describe their problems
Problem-solving baseball
Waiting until everyone's big feelings have s...
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December 13, 2022 • 51 min
Kids today only spend half as much time playing outside as we did. It can be a hassle to get them bundled up and to the playground on a drizzly spring afternoon – or to clean half the floors in your house after a trip to your own snowy backyard. But there are many skills that kids gain both from self-directed and “purposeful play,” and experts say that's particularly true when that play happens outdoors.
Our guest Meghan Fitzgerald...
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December 6, 2022 • 43 min
What does it mean to have "happy motherhood?" And is it even a realistic goal to have, given the ups and downs of being a parent? We asked our listeners about their tips to help new parents have a "happier" first year.
Molly and Blaire discuss:
The perils of Mom Instagram
Ways to make extra room for joy in your early motherhood
How to sit in discomfort
Managing your expectations was a key theme in the answers we got - so many ...
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November 29, 2022 • 45 min
Does your child consistently wake you up in the middle of the night because they're deathly afraid of the dark or the monsters under the bed? You may think that chasing "the monster" away or just leaving the lights on are the right course of action, but it's actually more complicated than that.
Molly and Blaire discuss:
Why so many people (adults and kids!) are scared of the dark
The true secret to banishing your child's fears
W...
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November 22, 2022 • 45 min
Is your child learning values or lessons at school that are not in line with your own? Do they discipline in a way that you don't agree with? It's not unusual for teachers and parents to butt heads over a child's learning. Here's how to address the problem without coming in too hot.
Blaire and Molly discuss:
The importance of finding (and staying) calm before starting a discussion
How to find common ground with your child's teach...
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November 15, 2022 • 35 min
What do we do when our kid lies to our face? At a certain age, kids start discovering that they can just, well, not tell the truth about things. This can range from innocent fibs to whopping lies of grandiose proportions. Though this be mini madness, there is mini method in it.
Molly and Blaire discuss:
The various reasons kids lie
How to gently approach your kid about their lies
When it may be time to seek professional help for...
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November 8, 2022 • 50 min
How do we form a strong bond with our kids when we're struggling with our own issues, when we've just been through a worldwide pandemic, when we used to have that bond but have lost it somewhere along the way? It's not easy, but there are some tried-and-true methods *ahem, therapy* for forming or reforming a close bond with your child.
Molly and Blaire discuss:
Things that can get in the way of the parent-child bond
Small yet mea...
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