The Mom Hour

From picky eaters to snacking tweens, independent lunch-packers to dinner woes, this month’s Voices interview episode is packed with tips for feeding your family nutritious meals without the guilt. Hosts of the popular podcast Didn’t I Just Feed You? Stacie Billis and Meghan Splawn join Sarah to talk about their measured, nonjudgmental, and totally do-able approaches to family meals. This is a can’t-miss episode–join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Didn’tIJustFeedYou.com@DidntIJustFeedYou on InstagramStacieBillis.comStacie’s book: Make It Easy: 120 Mix-and-Match Recipes to Cook from Scratch–with Smart Store-Bought Shortcuts When You Need ThemMeghan Splawn’s articles and recipes for TheKitchn.com@meagan_splawn and @staciebillis on InstagramEpisodes of Didn’t I Just Feed You mentioned in our conversation:3-part series on Picky Eaters (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)Episode 36: The Invisible Work of Feeding a FamilyEpisode 7: Chop, Chop, Om — Real Life Meal Prep Tips as Self CareEpisode 13: Wh

A listener wonders if she’s raising a mini-hoarder and we talk about kids who have a hard time parting with their stuff; a mom of elementary-aged kids asks us to talk about after-school grumpiness; a new mom of twins helps us reminisce about infant nap schedules; and a longtime listener asks about mass violence in the media and how we talk to our kids about it. It’s another episode inspired by your parenting challenges, and we’ve got stuff to say–join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Amber’s question was in response to a discussion about donating used items that happened in Episode 220Got advice for new twin mom Victoria? Email us at hello@themomhour.com and we’ll pass it along!You can find all of our listener questions episodes hereWe love when you record your questions using Speakpipe!MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Priva

Preschoolers and violent pretend play, navigating changing relationships with grown children, advice for a mom whose 15-month-old is starting a preschool program, and thoughts on talking to our kids about inclusiveness and representation: We’re taking your questions and offering our advice in this week’s episode. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:You can find all of our listener questions episodes hereWe love when you record your questions using Speakpipe!Episode 62: Things We Shouldn’t Have Freaked Out About (Starting School Edition)Jayme referenced Episode 09: Two White Moms Talk Awkwardly About RaceMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It happens every year: Meagan and Sarah get to the end of summer and just feel the need to take a pause and check in. Today’s More Than Mom episode gives us that space to catch up about our summer travels, share some highlights (and also commiserate about end-of-summer woes), and reflect on the last couple months. We also respond to a listener suggestion to discuss procrastination and how it affects our work lives, personal lives, and kids’ lives. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Kaylee and Jayme both made their episode suggestions via Instagram. If you’re not following us there, what are you waiting for?MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

That feeling when summer has all but killed your morning mojo and you’re BEGGING for a fresh start? Yep, we’re there. Sarah’s kids are newly back in school and Meagan’s are gearing up, so this episode is all about resetting our mornings. We talk about what has worked in the past, what needs a reset this year or will be changing completely, and offer our best tips for getting out the door on time, feeding yourself and your kids, and how to fit exercise in with it all. (Kidding. We haven’t figured that part out yet, but we have much to say about the challenge!) Join us for Episode 222!LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah’s smoothies usually include: banana, kale OR spinach, assorted leftover fresh fruits/veggies that the kids won’t eat, Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Organic Açaí Purée Pack, assorted frozen fruit (berries, mango), flax seed OR hemp seed OR chia seeds, a scoop of almond butter OR half an avocado (for protein and smoothness), and as much almond milk as necessary to liquify it allWe also talk about morning r

Encouraging literacy and reading aloud to kids is something we all know we “should” do, and most of us do our best. But depending on your stage of motherhood and the age of your kids, this is easier said than done. In this special episode of The Mom Hour, Meagan and Sarah offer specific been-there-done-that tips for incorporating reading and literacy into home life for moms of kids at specific ages, including addressing specific challenges that come up during motherhood’s many seasons.We talk about making time for reading when you have a new baby and a toddler, dealing with little kids who don’t like to sit still for a story, tips for the managing bedtime reading with kids of different ages, encouraging reluctant readers, keeping up with voracious readers’ book consumption, and how family culture around literacy changes as kids grow up. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Save The Children’s #ChangeTheirStory campaignThe Enchanted Hour by Meghan Cox GourdonSarah’s babies loved this particular board book: My Fir

Sarah has a new middle schooler and needs all the tips, which Meagan is happy to share. And many of you are launching new kinders or early elementary kids this year, something the two of us have done a combined eight times (!!). In Episode 221 Sarah leads a pep talk with tips for parents with kids starting elementary school and Meagan takes a turn with advice about middle and high school. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:All our back to school related episodes can be found hereSpecifically we talked about last year’s Episode 174, How To Be The Parent That Schools (& Teachers) Love MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you remember the libraries of your past? We do. In fact, we have enough to say about the transformative power of libraries to fill an entire More Than Mom episode! From our earliest library memories (grouchy Mrs. Young!), to junior high school library adventures (that book was NOT appropriate for 11-year-old Meagan), to an accidental nap in dreary old England, we look back at our lives through the stacks. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah read–and LOVED–The Library Book by Susan OrleanOther episodes of The Mom Hour that are reading-related:Katie Addiss joins Sarah for a Books Talk every few monthsAll our episodes and blog posts about books!Sarah’s childhood library photos below–enjoy!MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-n

Donating used items, keeping track of library books, getting kids to put their own clean clothes away, and staying on top of the monthly budget: These are a few of the home management / life / adulting systems that are working well in our homes right now. In this episode we talk about what’s working and why, how these systems necessarily change (and how nothing works well forever), and which areas of our home lives are due for a system overhaul. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Sarah uses pickupplease.org for donationsMeagan mentioned our recent episodes on family finance: Family Finance & Personal Budgets: Episode 205 and Spending, Saving, and Living Your Values with Natalie Taylor: Voices 36Meagan talked about You Need A Budget (YNAB), a popular option but not ultimately the one that worked for her; she’s currently using EveryDollarIn the laundry discussion we mentioned this episode: Loads & Loads (& Loads) Of Laundry: Episode 167Meagan still uses Shipt&n

Imagine you’re a mom of two, successful entrepreneur, and self-confessed Type A personality…and then you find out that you have a chronic condition that will cause you to be in pain and sap your energy–daily–possibly for the rest of your life. How would you react? What would you let go of? And how would you re-adjust expectations of yourself and the world around you in order to continue to thrive in your new reality?That’s the journey that today’s guest, Amy Clark, faced. The founder of MomAdvice.com, Amy is a 16-year veteran of digital publishing, and for years really seemed to Do All The Things. Two and a half years ago, she was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a chronic condition that affects the connective tissue in her body, and everything changed. In this inspiring episode Amy shares how she’s dealt with her diagnosis and her “new normal” and how her condition has forced her to let go of things that don’t really matter and instead focus on her priorities – which include being a “good mom” in a tot

The fear of missing out is real, and it preys on new moms in particular. Whether your FOMO flares up when you see other moms’ lives play out on Instagram, or you feel it most when it seems like everyone else’s kid is on a path to greatness, we can relate (and we’ve been there). In this episode, Meagan and Sarah look at the types of FOMO that come with motherhood, how we’ve personally experienced them, and how we’ve learned to manage the fear of missing out. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Meagan mentioned our episode on personality types as a momNew listeners to the podcast can start hereFind The Mom Hour on Facebook, Instagram, and TwitterMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Remember Sliding Doors? Today’s episode asks the question: “Where would we be if…”. Meagan and Sarah talk about the points in our lives where different decisions might have led us down dramatically different paths, and imagine what life would be like in these hypothetical alternate realities. Buckle up, friends!LINKS MENTIONED:Like learning more about us, our personalities, and our pasts? Check out the time we interviewed each other.MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Concerns over safety and privacy are one thing (and worth discussing), but what about the broader implications of kids growing up with a digital identity shaped by their parents long before they were old enough to have a say? This week Meagan and Sarah talk about how we make decisions about what to share online (and on the podcast) about our own kids and how things shift as kids get older and technology evolves; we also tackle a few listener questions on the topic of “sharenting” from moms of younger kids. Join us! LINKS MENTIONED:One Day, All of This Will Be Embarrassing (Gabriel Snyder for The Atlantic)‘Sharenting’: Can Parents Post Too Much About Their Kids Online? (WBUR interview with Stacey Steinberg, associate director of the Center on Children and Families at the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law)MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions

On this day in history, where were we? One year Sarah was stuck inside with littles in 115-degree Arizona heat; another year Meagan was directing her kids in a play. One July day many years ago, Meagan’s four boys all fit on the same park swing; on another, more recent one Sarah sent a nervous kindergartener off to a full day of summer camp. Looking back at photos from the past, we reflect on the phases of motherhood we’ve survived through a series of ordinary July days. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:See all the photos we discussed in today’s episode on our Instagram pageMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today is pure fun–a game of Would You Rather…?, in which Meagan and Sarah challenge each other with choices between wildly impossible scenarios. Which one of us would rather have a permanent three-year-old and which would rather have a permanent 18-month old? You’ll have to listen to find out!LINKS MENTIONED:Last summer’s episode where we also played Would You Rather…Follow us on Instagram @TheMomHour and play along!MORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Now that our kids are getting older, we have the opportunity to ooh and ahh over other people’s babies, and we’re here to talk about it. From how we are with our nieces and nephews to whether holding babies really makes our ovaries twinge, we look at the role of auntie, experienced/helpful friend, and even future grandparent (!!) and how they differ from the way we were with our own babies. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:Episode 126 is For The Love Of CousinsEpisode 146 is about Other Adults in Our Kids’ LivesMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When starting a family didn’t go as planned and money was tight, singer-songwriter K.C. Clifford felt like she had no choice but to surrender to the devastating possibility that she would never become a mom. Then, just days after finding this acceptance, she got a phone call that changed her life. Join Sarah and K.C. for a real and raw conversation about the heartbreak of infertility, the hope that followed, and the kids who were worth the wait.You’ll also hear the debut of K.C.’s brand new single “Worth The Wait”, as well as an excerpt from the beautiful “Broken Things” , songs written about her journey to becoming a mom via IUI and IVF.LINKS MENTIONED:Visit www.kcclifford.com for more about K.C. and her musicFind her on Spotify, Instagram, and FacebookMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Po

We’re known by many as fun-haters (see Episode 10 for the backstory!), but does this still hold true four years later? We revisit the fun-list today–everything from pushing kids on the swings, to parades and carnivals, to craft projects–to see whether our opinions have changed. PLUS Katie Addiss joins Sarah to talk about what we’ve been reading, what makes for a great beach read, and what’s on our book list for this summer. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:This episode is a throwback to one of our earliest and most popular episodes, We Hate FunInspired by the blog post written by Meagan, For The Mom Who Hates The SwingsGet all the book recommendations from Sarah’s Books Talk with Katie hereMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/priv

We’ve been to the beach and the pool with little kids…and survived! From what to take with you to how to carry it, from how to sit comfortably to the best ways to stay entertained, we’ve got you covered. Episode 214 is full of practical tips and our favorite products for beach days and pool trips with kids. Join us!LINKS MENTIONED:What To Sit OnMeagan loves this beach chair and beach blanketSarah likes this JJ Cole Outdoor BlanketThese Summer and Rose towels from a FabFitFun box Meagan and Sarah got last yearSarah’s kids all have personalized towels from Pottery Barn Kids (which are also great for pool parties where kids get their towels mixed up!)What To Put All The Stuff InSarah uses this LL Bean Tote for the beach, storage, and weekend tripsSarah has this mesh tote bag for the beach and pool Meagan has a bag similar to this market basketA listener reminded Sarah about her love for these easy-to-pack and fast-drying Nylon rip stop re

Meagan opens up about dating as a divorced mom after being partnered up for the better part of two decades, and Sarah has many questions. If you’ve ever wondered about dating apps, dating as a single parent, or starting a relationship with someone you’ve already Googled, this More Than Mom episode takes us all behind the scenes. Enjoy!LINKS MENTIONED:I Swiped Right For Your Dog: Adventures In Dating Apps (Meagan’s PechaKucha talk from 2017)Bumble and TinderWe mentioned Enneagram personality tests, which we’ve discussed recently in Episode 203 and also in Episodes 57 and 58If you want to take the Enneagram test, we like this free one from eccelecticenergies.com and we prefer the 9 Type Descriptions found at enneagraminstitute.comMORE HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at htt