Parenting is a Joke

Parenting is a Joke

You know when you talk to your friends about your childhood and end it by saying, "But look at us, we're fine!" Here's my question: Are we fine? Because we're sitting here doused in CBD oil under a weighted blanket recording a podcast called Parenting is a Joke. Each week, host and standup Ophira Eisenberg talks to a different comedian about their career and their kids. Conversations tackle the tooth fairy, eating sticks, summer camp anxiety, the hidden horrors of childbirth, and the obvious horrors of our own childhoods. We celebrate the absurdity of shuffling a career with raising a kid, and highlight less traditional parenthood journeys, all while relishing in the fact that no one knows what they're doing, but we're all trying! Sometimes even our best. New episodes every Tuesday. New Season October 1st.

Episodes

June 12, 2025 30 mins
In this snack episode of Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg catches up with comedian and dad Mike Cannon, who's juggling life with a kindergartener and a new baby. Mike talks honestly about how parenting the second time around comes with fewer toys, more perspective, and the realization that kids’ interests change faster than you can declutter. He recounts the chaotic beauty of raising a son who alphabetizes his dinosaurs, break...
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This week on Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg welcomes comedian Mike Cannon for a Father’s Day–timed conversation packed with raw insight, humor, and real talk about parenting sensitive kids while holding onto your sanity and creative drive. Mike opens up about life with a kindergartner and a seven-month-old, reflecting on how jujitsu helped his son build emotional resilience—and how parenting has forced him to confront his ow...
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In this quick-hit snack episode, Parenting is a Joke host Ophira Eisenberg reconnects with Deborah Goldstein, creator and host of the kids’ podcast The Big Fib, for a sharp and funny follow-up conversation about parenting, lying, and letting go. Deborah shares her experience raising two sons through the awkward "dumb liar" phase—like when one claimed he “found” a cow magnet stuck to a stranger’s car—and reflects on how surprisingly...
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June 3, 2025 50 mins
In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg welcomes Deborah Goldstein, co-host of the hit kids' podcast The Big Fib and producer of the nationwide storytelling series Listen to Your Mother. Deborah shares what it’s like raising two "man children" with her wife in a North Jersey suburb full of fellow Brooklyn expats, where being a cis, lesbian, monogamous couple is almost boring by local standards. The conversation spa...
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May 29, 2025 25 mins
In this snack-sized episode of Parenting Is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg chats with comedy writer Rob Kutner about parenting teens, creative careers, and why his daughter called him and his wife “hippies.” Rob opens up about raising a 16-year-old navigating academic pressure, social anxiety, and her first heartbreak—with plenty of Gilmore Girls marathons to get through it. He shares how his 12-year-old son, who’s gearing up for his bar...
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In this episode of Parenting Is a Joke, comedian and late-night writer Rob Kutner (The Daily Show, Conan, The Tonight Show) joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk parenting while producing comedy—and building epic Lego cities. Rob shares how his son’s rediscovered passion for Lego led to an IKEA-based organizing hack courtesy of his wife, complete with color-coded bins and DIY design books. He reflects on raising a sophisticated 12-year-ol...
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In this snack-sized episode, Denver comic Janae Burris returns to talk to Ophira about parenting logistics, chaos management, and the sticker shock of daycare in Colorado. She opens up about choosing to keep her toddler home with her—despite everyone around her insisting she needs a break—and how that decision slowly unraveled once the “fast and sticky” two-year-old phase kicked in. Janae shares the sticker price of a Montessori to...
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In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, comedian and Denver arts staple Janae Burris joins Ophira Eisenberg to talk about becoming a mom at 41 after thinking parenthood had passed her by. She recounts the surreal moment she realized she was pregnant—just after performing at a comedy show—and how fear and humor carried her through a high-risk pregnancy. Janae reflects on her path from dropping out of high school to earning an avant-...
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In this Parenting is a Joke Snack Episode, singer-songwriter Amy Millan shares hilarious and heartfelt stories about parenting a 14-year-old aspiring musical theater star and an 8-year-old who’s always one snack away from bedtime stalling. Amy reveals that her daughter's only use for a smartphone is belting out songs for hours, but that didn’t stop the teen from hitting her with a brutal “You didn’t live your dreams” when Amy sugge...
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In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, singer-songwriter Amy Millan of Stars and Broken Social Scene opens up about the wild logistics of parenting on the road, from breastfeeding backstage to taking her toddlers on European tour buses. Amy shares what it was like to return to the stage just 12 weeks postpartum, how a Canadian grant system once forced her to pretend her childcare provider was a photographer, and the creative lengt...
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In this snack-sized episode, Tara Clark of Modern Mom Probs returns to chat with Ophira Eisenberg about saying no (or more often, yes) to their kids, why the tween years might actually be the sweet spot of parenting, and how a learner-led school changed everything for her 12-year-old son. Tara opens up about resisting the urge to fast-forward conversations with her son—even when he's explaining every last Marvel Rivals stat—and the...
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May 6, 2025 54 mins
In this episode of Parenting is a Joke, host Ophira Eisenberg sits down with parenting content creator, meme queen, and Modern Mom Probs founder Tara Clark for a dynamic, deeply relatable conversation about the evolution of modern motherhood. From Tara’s early days running Nickelodeon’s social media and literally being the voice of Dora the Explorer on Facebook, to launching a meme empire built on honest parenting humor, this episo...
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In this heartfelt and funny episode of Parenting is a Joke, Ophira Eisenberg sits down with legendary stand-up comedian Jake Johannsen, whose record 45 appearances on Letterman only scratch the surface of his storytelling chops. Jake opens up about raising his daughter while balancing a touring career, how the pandemic and his wife's multiple myeloma diagnosis reshaped their family dynamic, and the surprising parenting wisdom he pi...
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Recorded live from PodJam in Henderson, Nevada, this special episode of Parenting is a Joke features Ophira Eisenberg hosting a lively panel of working moms—Desiree Goble, Rachel Spitz, Kim Nyborg, and Ty Vosslership—who bring real-world parenting tales from all corners of the U.S. They swap stories about managing chaotic departures to attend PodJam, mean girl drama in middle school, sleep training regrets, the challenges of potty ...
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In this special return episode, David Cross and Amber Tamblyn join Ophira Eisenberg for a lively conversation about their creative household, balancing big careers with raising their daughter, and the unexpected side effects of school lunch anxiety. David talks about his hands-on parenting style and the limits of “gentle parenting” when a 4-year-old starts giving ultimatums, while Amber shares the surreal moment of explaining her t...
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Recorded live in Austin at the Moontower Comedy Festival, this episode features married comics and new parents Andy Haynes and Rosebud Baker getting real about parenting with a comic’s sensibility. They talk about welcoming their daughter into the world just five months ago and how that's affected everything from their marriage to their material. Rosebud shares the moment she realized her baby might have her same savage comedic ins...
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Comedians Erin Judge and Jenny Chalikian join the show to talk about the unexpected lessons of parenting, from the comedy gold in toddler tantrums to the bizarrely specific fears kids develop (spoiler: escalators are a menace). Erin shares the surreal experience of their child explaining emotions with unsettling accuracy, while Jenny recounts a grocery store meltdown that ended in a surprise life lesson. They also discuss the strug...
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Comedians Erin Judge and Jenny Chalikian join the conversation to share the realities of balancing comedy and parenting. Erin recounts a surreal moment of performing stand-up while baby-wearing, proving that the show really must go on—even with a newborn attached. Jenny talks about the unexpected ways her toddler has influenced her comedic timing, from interrupting punchlines to unknowingly delivering some of the best material. The...
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April 8, 2025 47 mins
Comedian and writer Robby Slowik joins the show to talk about balancing stand-up with parenting, as he and his wife, comedian Casey Balsham, prepare for baby number two. Robby shares how he went from being ambivalent about having kids to navigating the chaos of IVF, all while working unpredictable gigs and writing for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He recalls the moment a fertility doctor ruthlessly critiqued his sperm under a...
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