Care and Feeding | Slate's parenting show
Jamilah Lemieux, Zak Rosen, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Lucy Lopez share triumphs and fails and offer advice on parenting kids from toddler to teens. Want more Care and Feeding? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes with exclusive advice. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Care and Feeding show page. Or, visit slate.com/careplus to get access wherever you listen.
Episodes
August 21, 2025 • 38 mins
This week on Care and Feeding, Zak, Lucy, and Elizabeth tackle a letter from a parent whose mornings are a nonstop battleground. What do you do when your kid just isn’t a morning person, and every transition out the door spirals into crankiness and chaos? The hosts share strategies for smoother starts to the day, and in triumphs and fails: a birthday party pulled off without a hitch, the joys (and wobbles) of re-learning to ride a ...
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August 18, 2025 • 34 mins
Elizabeth and Zak talk with Ash Brandin, author of Power On, about managing screen time without guilt or panic. They discuss realistic strategies and why screen time doesn’t define parenting quality. Then, a listener’s question about school tech mandates gets some thoughtful answers. Plus, Slate Plus offers kid-friendly tech picks.
If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope you’ll consider joining! Keep reading to lea...
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August 14, 2025 • 27 mins
On this episode: Zak sits down with Dr. Parga Belinkie, pediatrician and new parent whisperer, to talk about those intense, often foggy first months with a newborn. They get into what matters most in a pediatrician-parent relationship, what’s actually worth worrying about (and what isn’t), and how to navigate the early avalanche of advice, anxiety, and sleep deprivation. It’s a conversation that grounds you in the basics—without ma...
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August 11, 2025 • 31 mins
Elizabeth, Zak, and Lucy respond to a parent whose 7-year-old has developed intense separation anxiety—panicking anytime they’re apart, even with another parent nearby. The fears center around monsters the kid hasn’t seen, but hears about at school. So what do you do when reassurance stops working and fear takes over the routine?
But first, we’ll circle up for a round of check-ins: Elizabeth recounts a fireworks fiasco, Lucy faces...
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August 7, 2025 • 27 mins
On this episode: Lucy, Zak, and Elizabeth respond to a letter from a parent who wants their six-year-old to be more helpful, but every small request turns into a debate. How can caregivers encourage a spirit of contribution without forcing it?
But first, we’ll circle up for a round of check-ins—bras, birthdays, and babysitter drama. And on Slate Plus, we’re talking about what to do when a child’s nature rubs up against a parent’s ...
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August 4, 2025 • 22 mins
On this episode: Elizabeth, Zak, and Jamilah respond to a listener's question about how families handle the growing demands on kids’ time—and how working parents try to protect space for rest, school, and family connection.
Then, they’ll circle up for a round of check-ins, sharing wins, struggles, and the everyday chaos of balancing life.
If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope you’ll consider joining! Keep readin...
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July 31, 2025 • 35 mins
On this episode: Elizabeth, Zak, and Jamilah respond to a letter from a parent of young kids who’s worried that when it really matters—her children just won’t listen. How do you teach safety, boundaries, and urgency to kids under 5... without fear or yelling? The hosts talk about authority, instinct, and what actually works in high-stakes parenting moments.
But first, we’ll circle up for a round of triumphs and fails: Zak’s week o...
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July 28, 2025 • 31 mins
On this episode: Zak shares a surprising lesson from his kid about being the family comedian. Elizabeth reflects on traveling in places that clearly weren’t built with kids in mind. And Lucy’s become a pickleball obsessive—thanks to a wholesome family showdown.
Then: A listener's question about toxic positivity opens up a conversation on how to create space for kids to feel what they feel, without trying to fix or reframe everythi...
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July 24, 2025 • 39 mins
This week, a listener faces an agonizing parenting dilemma: Their beloved dog is old and undergoing risky surgery—and they’re not sure how honest to be with their child about what might happen. Should you keep things upbeat and hopeful? Or give your kid a soft landing pad in case the worst comes true? The hosts unpack how to talk about death when it’s still a maybe, not a certainty.
Then in triumphs and fails, Lucy dives a little ...
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July 21, 2025 • 33 mins
This week on Care & Feeding, a listener writes in with a question that tugs at the heart: Their five-year-old daughter—an only child, growing up in a rural area—is asking for a sibling. But more than that, she’s asking for connection, companionship, someone to play with. The hosts unpack the emotional weight behind the ask, and explore how parents can foster deep social bonds for solo kids—especially when playdates, cousins, and ne...
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July 17, 2025 • 40 mins
This week on Care & Feeding, Elizabeth and Lucy respond to a listener wondering how to help their child—and themselves—prepare for the leap to middle school. The hosts share practical tips and emotional insights on everything from shifting friendships to growing independence, academic pressure, and those moments when your once-chatty kid starts speaking in shrugs.
They unpack how to build trust without hovering, how to guide witho...
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July 14, 2025 • 35 mins
On this episode: Elizabeth Newcamp, Zak Rosen, and Lucy Lopez dive into a letter from a parent who’s stuck in the food fight crossfire between their college-aged child—who has both celiac and ARFID—and a preschooler who’s suddenly mimicking the restrictive eating. Is this a passing phase? A red flag? Or just one of those strange sibling mirrors? The hosts unpack family dynamics, poop accidents, and how to keep everyone’s plate (and...
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July 10, 2025 • 42 mins
On this episode: Zak Rosen, Elizabeth Newcamp, and Lucy Lopez dive into a letter from a parent with three kids spanning college to preschool — and two of them are acting like they run the nursery. What do you do when your teens become self-appointed disciplinarians for your four-year-old? And how do you re-establish the line between “big sibling” and “co-parent” without sparking a family feud?
After that, of course, we’ll circle u...
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July 7, 2025 • 42 mins
On this episode: Slate’s own Aymann Ismail is with us to talk about his new book, Becoming Baba – which is out TOMORROW!
We’ll talk about the book. But first, Aymann, Jamilah, Zak and Elizabeth take a question from a listener who’s hoping to reclaim the time that she feels like she lost during the newborn phase.
And on Slate Plus: Elizabeth has a dilemma, and Aymann sticks around to help.
If you’re not part of the Slate Plus co...
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July 3, 2025 • 39 mins
On this episode: Zak, Elizabeth and Jamilah talk about summer boredom. We get questions about this every year — so we’re coming in early this year with some ideas for how to handle that classic, but dreaded, complaint… that no, really, there’s nothing to do.
And after that, of course, we’re sharing a round of triumphs and fails.
Join us on Facebook and email us at careandfeedingpod@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us wha...
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June 30, 2025 • 38 mins
On this episode: Zak, Lucy and Elizabeth chat about screentime. We’ve got two great questions that are variations on the theme: are podcasts screentime? And you missing out on something if your little ones don’t get to watch a certain children’s YouTuber? We’ll discuss.
After that, we’re circling up for a round of triumphs and fails, because why not? And if you stick around for the Slate Plus Playground, we’re talking about water ...
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June 26, 2025 • 46 mins
On this episode: Zak, Elizabeth and Jamilah help a listener who’s just lost her job due to DOGE cuts – and now, she’s trying to figure out how to explain what’s happening to her elementary schooler. And, they’re getting ready to move back to the States after working and living overseas. There’s a lot to unpack, and we’ll do what we can to help.
And after that, of course, we’re sharing a round of triumphs and fails.
Join us on F...
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June 23, 2025 • 54 mins
On this episode: Zak, Lucy and Elizabeth chat about sibling spats. Our question is from the mom of three tween girls who are jealous of each other — so we’ll talk about dealing with unfairness, and keeping the peace.
We’ll also check in and share what’s on our minds this week. And if you stick around for the Slate Plus Playground, we’re talking about our parenting “shoulds.”
If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope...
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June 19, 2025 • 86 mins
First, an announcement: we’re excited to show you our new best-of playlist. Let us know if we’ve done an expert interview that you think is missing from the list.
In this episode from 2020, where Elizabeth, Jamilah, and Rebecca Lavoie were joined by Trina Greene Brown, the founder of Parenting for Liberation, to answer questions about race and police violence.
We’ve also unlocked the Slate Plus bonus segment from this episod...
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June 16, 2025 • 54 mins
On this episode: Elizabeth and Lucy sit down with Meagan Francis – she’s a parenting writer and the author of the new book, The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read. It’s all about embracing the teen years and your impending empty nest.
And if you stick around for the Slate Plus Playground, Zak and Jamilah join Elizabeth to talk about what they hope an empty nest looks like.
If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we ho...
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