We Are The Family Room

Families with one child are far more common in the United States today than ever before, outnumbering two-child families for several decades. Yet, stereotypes and pressure still persist. 

On the podcast to talk with Karen about their families' decision to have one child is Cara Purgason and Snow Lau. Cara and Snow attended the same Parent & Me group with their sons years ago and have stayed really good friends.  While Cara ...

Mommy wine culture is pervasive and drinking while parenting has been normalized in recent years.  For many people, having a drink at night can feel like a reward for a hard day of parenting. Some parents find their alcohol consumption actually increases after kids as a way to not only reward themselves, but to reconnect with their relaxed and carefree past. There is a debate about how mom wine culture could be a troubling trend an...

We do want to share a trigger warning, as the content of the episode may be emotionally challenging. We always encourage listeners to check in with themselves and listen to how you are feeling.

Birth trauma is described as any physical or emotional distress you may experience during childbirth. According to the National Institutes of Health, up to 45% of new mothers experience birth trauma—and the repercussions of the expe...

Karen often talks about her husband James on the show, so she decided to bring him for a special episode! Karen was a single mom when she met James and they discuss the early days of dating, who said I love you first, what it is like parenting three girls, what he thought when Karen told him she wanted to open The Family Room, and so much more. 

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Today on the podcast we are talking all about acupuncture and herbal medicine with Dr. Beck Hoehn.  Acupuncture can help with things from pain management to illness and infertility.  Living in Los Angeles, acupuncture feels very accessible and prevalent in our communities, yet there are somethings you may still be surprised to learn!

Dr. Hoehn is a neighbor of ours in Toluca Lake and specializes in women’s health. She is board certi...

Nature can be restorative and healing. On this episode, Karen chats with her friend Daniela Ray about her decision to move out of Los Angeles to connect with nature and where that decision has led her -- from homeschooling her two children, to running a nature school, becoming an herbalist, and starting her own business, Growing Up Rooted. 

Daniela shares:

- why her family decided to move from Pasadena to Wrightwo...

Where we decide to raise our children is a fascinating topic, as many families today are raising their children in different places than their own childhood. 

Karen explores this topic with Bill Sy, a dad in our community and team member at The Family Room.  Karen met Bill almost ten years ago at playgroup in San Marino. Through chatting, she learned that Bill attended a boarding school not far from where she grew up.  Bill is now o...

Cancer is not common in kids, but when it happens to your family it can be the most terrifying experience of your life. The good news is that many childhood cancers are highly treatable. Here today to share her daughter’s story is Elsa Saldana. Many of you may know Elsa from our Toddler & Me program where she supports Gia or from playgroup in San Marino. 

It’s a story of an unbelievably scary diagnosis, but also one of...

Brandi Andrews reached a point in her life when she was ready to have a baby. She was not in a romantic relationship and knew her path would be a bit less traditional as a lesbian woman. Her gay best friend Lawrence was  also ready to have a baby, too.  So after a lot of talking and a parental contract laying the foundation for a co-parenting framework, they decided to start the journey as parents together.  Their journey was filme...

Many parents consider a career change after having a baby and going back to school can be the stepping stone to a new professional path.  While it can feel daunting to return to school as a parent, it does not mean it's impossible. 

On the podcast to share her story is Jaci Dial, a mom of two and former Family Room employee. Jaci always considered nursing school and decided to make the leap and start taking classes on...

In this episode, Karen talks with Jen McLellan, founder of Plus Size Birth and host of the Plus Mommy Podcast about plus size pregnancy, weight bias, body love, and so much more. 

Jen is a certified childbirth educator, published author, advocate and mother. Her work has been featured everywhere from Good Morning America and the Today Show, to People and Glamour magazines and publications like The Bump and the National Institute of ...

Family traditions are something Karen loves to talk about! She has done  solo episodes touching on her own family traditions including special times of the year like Christmas  and why she loves the Rose Parade.  From old traditions that are passed down through generations and connect us to relatives to fun and silly ones you create new with your own family, Denise and Karen chat about why they are important and ones they love.  

L...

Talking about dying and death with our children is something we will all eventually have to do, from a loved one to a pet, it is the natural course of life. What is overwhelming for parents is often confusing to kids and navigating how to manage grief with our children can be hard.  

On the podcast to talk about this very topic is Lacey Holmquist. Lacey has a masters in Child Life and has been a Certified Child Life Specialist for a...

About 1 and 5 women struggle with infertility. If you haven’t personally struggled with infertility yourself, you likely know someone who has. Infertility can feel all consuming, stressful, and lonely.  

Joining Karen on the podcast to talk about her story of infertility and IVF is Marielle Skouras.  Marielle is a mom in our community, a licensed marriage and family therapist and we are so excited to announce will be leading our vir...

Preparing to leave your job for maternity leave can feel daunting with so many loose ends to tie up for a smooth transition.  But what happens when you are let go from your job when you are 39 weeks pregnant?  That is exactly what happened to our guest  Erin Walnut.  

Erin shares:
- what was available to her through state benefits and how she navigated the complicated system
- managing the emotional rollercoster of...

Mom influencers are part of a multibillion dollar industry. Many of us have complicated feelings about social media, yet we can’t look away. Most of us follow influencers and learn about new products and tools to help win at motherhood. Making money on Instagram is a way for many moms to make money working flexible hours while still spending time with their young children.  

In this episode, we are going behind the scenes and having...

Self-care has become a buzzword that is often associated with two things many new parents don’t have a lot of right now: time and money. It is relentlessly marketed to parents, especially moms as the answer for burnout, yet can often feel like yet another burden mothers are failing at. 

An article in Motherly described the double edge sword of self-care like this:

“At its best, self-care reminds mothers that they matter, to...

An article in the Washington Post in October 2023 described homeschooling as America’s fastest-growing form of education-- by a wide margin. There is no doubt, that more and more families are embarking on non-traditional learning options. On the podcast to discuss her homeschooling journey with her three children is Damore Jensen. 

Karen met Damore when they were both new mothers in Boston and instantly became close friends.  Damore...

Los Angeles is the epicenter of the movie and entertainment world. Right in our backyard we have movie studios, production companies, actors, and various industries that support Hollywood. 

Being a parent in the entertainment industry brings with it its own unique challenges and that is exactly what we are talking about in this episode. 

Joining Karen is Emily Bolt, an LA based Actor, Teacher, Improviser and Mom.  She is th...