The Mom Hour

What does loving your children actually feel like? Is it a split-second, life-altering love like we hear about, or is it a deep background hum that builds over time? Is there a difference between loving our kids and loving the motherhood experience? Today Meagan and Sarah unpack motherly love, including our specific styles of showing love to – and receiving it from – our kids. Enjoy!HELPFUL LINKS:Episodes From The Archives That Pair Well With This One:Speaking Our Kids’ Love Languages (And Knowing Our Own): Episode 29610 Things We Love About Teenagers: Episode 449Have an episode idea? Email us!OTHER 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.

Let’s check in about clothes! As work-from-home moms in our forties, winter “fashion” is mostly about cozy comfort. Join Meagan and Sarah as we share what we’re wearing lately, including a surprising headache-related accessory, a total 180 on long-sleeved pajamas, and a bralette misfire. We also look to you, dear listener, to help us source some wardrobe pieces we’re in need of. Help us out!HELPFUL LINKS:Meagan mentioned…the Bliss Triangle Bralette from Harper Wilde (we both have this bra, as well as the original Bliss)Wool leggings from WoolxLands’ End Pajama SetsSarah mentioned…Cloudsurfer shoes from On RunningTheraICE Headache Relief Cap paired with a heat neck wrap for headachesleaning into secondhand cashmere and wool sweaters (we discussed Quince as a source for affordable cashmere)Sarah’s looking for sleep tank recommendations and a quick-dry sporty hat. Meagan wants a whole new look. Email us to help us out!More episodes on style and product recom

You’ve been warned: raising teens can actually be…sort of wonderful. And also hard (but what season of motherhood isn’t?). Today Meagan and Sarah share what specific things we love about teenagers, from their thoughtful conversations to their little-kid-selves peeking out around every corner of their nearly-adult bodies. Along the way we share some recent stories about our own teenagers and what makes them great. Join us!HELPFUL LINKS:10 Things We Love…Episodes from the archives!10 Things We Love About The 4th Trimester: Episode 28010 Things We Love About Raising Siblings: Episode 24810 Things We Love About Toddlers: Episode 243You can view the many reasons our listeners love teenagers in this post on our Mom Hour Listener Facebook Page.OTHER 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 Cal

Overwhelmed? Tired of people suggesting you “just relax!” or “go easy on yourself!”? Wondering if you should be playing with your kids more? This episode is for you. In this classic replay from 2016, Meagan and Sarah answer a question from Sheena (mom to a four-year-old, a two-year-old, and an infant!) about how to make time for things that need to be done around the house AND still connect with her kids. We normalize feeling overwhelmed, offer concrete tips for staying reasonably caught up, and share our experience balancing expectations, reality, and good-enough productivity. Join us!“Hi Sarah and Meagan, this is Sheena from Oregon, and I have two questions that both relate to time management. I have a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old and I’m finding that I’m always behind, and I’m wondering if you have any tips for how to get ahead? Also, how do you find time in the day to play? I find that I’m always just trying to get the kids busy so I can get on to my next task, and I neve

Sarah’s family (with kids ages 15, 13, and 10) recently returned from their first big overseas travel adventure, and today we’re reflecting on her lessons learned. Taking the family across multiple time zones and out of the comforts of routine comes with challenges, to be sure, but also with opportunities for clarifying and crystalizing family culture in a way that’s harder to do at home. Join us to get all of Meagan’s questions answered and hear Sarah’s takeaways on the parenting lessons she’ll carry forward even after returning home.HELPFUL LINKS:Call for Listener Questions! Do you have a question you’d like answered on the podcast? Email us or leave us a voicemail!Episodes That Pair Nicely With This One:Tips For Traveling With Teens (Meagan’s Florida Family Vacation)Family Travel Mishaps & Why We Go Anyway: Voices 76Real Moms Share Their Best Family Travel Advice: Episode 356House Rules For Travel And Vacation: Episode 319OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our

Keeping schedules aligned, staying on top of basic tidying, and managing endless loads of laundry are just a few of the household systems facing modern parents. In today’s episode, regular contributors Joanna and Sarah share their best hacks for keeping the household afloat during the little years. They talk everything from calendar systems to smart speakers, laundry shortcuts to robot vacuums – plus how to get kids to help around the house and where their systems could use a New Year reset. Enjoy!HELPFUL LINKSFollow Joanna Martin on InstagramFollow Sarah Limberg on InstagramKate Strickler, The Home Reset is a 14-part audio course to help guide you to reset different spaces in your home.Sarah and Joanna both love their Roborock vacuum.Sarah uses Todoist to organize tasks and reminders.A few episodes that pair nicely with this one:A Week Of Real-Life Housework (Part One): Episode 370A Week Of Real-Life Housework (Part Two): Episode 371Chores & Househol

It’s a buzzword, and it’s not going anywhere, but what does “sustainability” even MEAN? Meagan and Sarah are here to discuss their personal interpretations, as well as the ways in which we’ve each moved toward more mindful consumption. We talk shopping, cleaner cleaning products, reducing consumables, simplifying how we eat, and more. We’re also very honest about the many ways we’re just not that sustainable – yet (or ever!). Happy New Year!HELPFUL LINKS:Shout-out to Sarah’s local zero-waste boutique, Sunkissed Pantry!Meagan uses Beeswax Cloth in lieu of plastic wrapSarah loves ThredUp and Lululemon Like New for online secondhand shoppingYou can find a Zero Waste Shop near you for household and personal items.We’d love to hear from you, on ways you plan to be sustainable in 2024OTHER 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 quest

Grab a warm beverage and settle in for an end-of-year books chat! Meagan and Sarah look back over our reading in 2023 to share what we’ve read, what stuck with us, and how our reading habits have continued to evolve. Meagan also shares an update about Paper Mill Books, the independent bookstore in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan that she helped open earlier this year. Join us – you may just find a new book or two to throw on your TBR pile for 2024!HELPFUL LINKS:Meagan opened a bookstore in July 2023.Episodes from the archives about books and readingSarah uses Goodreads to keep track of the books she reads (we hear great things about and The StoryGraph, too!)Sarah mentioned:Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (highly recommend this interview with Kingsolver on The Ezra Klein Show after you finish the book!)Honor by Thrity Umrigar (Sarah previously loved The Space Between Us by the same author)We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman (whose wri

Is new parenthood better or worse today than it was 10 years ago? Meagan and Sarah dive deep into this question today, unpacking nuanced issues like tech solutions for age-old problems, the availability of information and solutions for every struggle, and the benefits and drawbacks of connecting online. The consensus? It’s complicted. Join us!HELPFUL LINKSWe referenced your comments in this Facebook Post throughout the episodeSarah mentioned The Girl Next Door Podcast episode Online Behavior For Grown UpsYou might also like What’s New In Baby Gear & Baby Shower Registries: Voices 77 with Kia Hammond and Katherine DeVriesEpisodes from the archives about New Motherhood:Things We Shouldn’t Have Freaked Out About (As New Moms): Episode 19When Will This Get Easier?: Episode 435Things We Shouldn’t Have Freaked Out About (Breastfeeding Edition): Episode 114OTHER HELPFUL LINKSVisit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener g

Tis’ the season to….feel the insane amount of pressure to be the “perfect” holiday mom. In this classic from the archives, Meagan and Sarah offer ever-relevant gut checks on some of the biggest pressures moms feel during the holiday season, and offer concrete tips for releasing yourself from expectations of perfection to enjoy what’s left of this holiday season. Join us!Our holiday episodes often make brief mention of magical night visitors. If you have curious ears about, you’ve been warned!HELPFUL LINKSMeagan referenced her embroidery hobby. Here are her tips for getting started.If making homemade teacher gifts really matter to you, check out How To Incorporate Handmade Gifts Into Your Holiday Giving and 6 Easy (We Promise!) Homemade Holiday Gifts You Can Make With Your Kids blogs are great for inspiration!The “What if I don’t?” question comes from Sarah’s conversation with Whitney Hawthorne in Time Management & Productivity Tips For Working MomsMeagan talked about her inte

There’s no time like bedtime to institute a few house rules that help diffuse power struggles, ease negotiation tensions, and shorten that long list of stalling techniques we’ve all come to know and fear. Today’s latest House Rules episode brings together our community’s best shortcuts and hacks for easier bedtimes, along with Meagan’s and Sarah’s personal experiences with evening shenanigans at every age and stage. Enjoy!Helpful LinksClick to see the Facebook Thread with all of your wonderful bedtime advice!Meagan uses her Hatch Clock to dim the lights before bed, helping to cue her to get sleepy.Did you enjoy this House Rules episode? Here are a few more from the archives:House Rules For Tidying Up: Episode 413House Rules For Gifting & Giving: Episode 393House Rules For After School: Episode 380House Rules for Playdates: Episode 340For more on bedtimes check out Bedtime Routines at Every Stage: Episode 80Other Helpful LinksVisit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow

Feeling overwhelmed, or like the season is passing too quickly? Let today’s episode – a classic from the archives – help you pause, reflect, and reset. Meagan and Sarah offer our thoughts on how memories really “get made,” why simply changing what we notice around us can shift our mood, and what busy moms can do to capture the fleeting season to look back upon later. Join us!This conversation originally aired as three separate mini-episodes, so you’ll hear us reference “yesterday” and “tomorrow” a few times – rest assured, that whole series has been edited into one full-length experience, all here for you today!HELPFUL LINKS:Sarah’s essay about noticing holiday decorations with little kids: Comet, The Red-Nosed MinivanMeagan mentioned dating in this episode. For an update on her love life check out More Than Mom: WeddingsSarah’s calendar planning essay referenced in this episode.How To Take Better Photos of Your Kids: Episode 81 and Family Photography & Capturing Moments with

It feels good to complain once in a while – especially during the holidays. Today Meagan and Sarah laugh our way through a “vent sesh,” sharing mostly inconsequential gripes about what’s bugging us this year. While we often appreciate a positive reframe, we also know the cathartic power of airing a petty vent (or six). Plus, we share what’s new this holiday season for each of us. Join us!Helpful Links:Here’s a post on Meagan’s instagram more about holiday decorating in her new home.If you are struggling to find a decent store-bought pumpkin pie like Sarah is this season, check out Meagan’s pie-from-scratch Substack article.Email Sarah if you have advice for managing mice habitants in your holiday stuff!Episodes you may enjoy from the archives:Honoring Cultural & Faith Traditions At The Holidays: Voices 82Home For The Holidays With Little Kids & Big Kids: Episode 341A Charcuterie Of Holiday EmotionsWe both welcome your petty holiday gripes at any time. Promise we will read

Who came before us, and what can we learn from them? We think there’s a reason that ancestry research, genealogy, and discovering family stories holds a special interest for midlife women, and we’re here to talk about it. Meagan shares her journey back through time (and up to the UP!) to better understand her family’s roots. She shares what resources she used, her process for uncovering the unknowns, and what she’s discovered so far. Sarah has less direct experience but lots of curiosity. Join us!Helpful LinksMeagan is utilizing 23andme and Ancestry for filling in some unknowns about her family.Megan mentioned the start of her ancestry journey over the summer in this episode.www.Newspapers.com is helpful to learn about homes, buildings, and other historical data.Sarah had her parents preserve meaningful stories and memories in a keepsake book for her children.Meagan wrote a few posts about her Genealogy Journey: I Found My Biological Grandfather. Now What? Fami

While we try not to kick ourselves when we’re down and generally avoid second-guessing our parenting choices, we are human. And sometimes that means we experience regret. Today Meagan and Sarah reflect on some big and small choices we’ve made (or not made) throughout our parenting journeys, and why we’d do things differently if given the chance. We also reflect on regret as an emotion, and why sharing regrets can bring about connection with others. Join us!(You may not want to listen to this episode with little ears close by as we touch on some magic making topics.)Helpful LinksThe Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Dan Pink (affiliate link.)Sarah listened to this Dan Pink episode of Armchair Expert and loved it.This article summarizes the book and some of the research we mentioned: What Is the Power of Regret? A Conversation with Daniel PinkOur Worst #MomFail Moments: Episode 157Other Helpful Links:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow u

Do you have to identify as a musical person to nurture a love of music in your family? We think not. Meagan and Sarah look back at parenting babies, small kids, big kids and teens, reflecting on the role music has played in everything from bedtime to playtime, nurturing kids’ passions and finding shared interests as a family. We talk about what it means to “be musical,” how we thought our kids’ music learning would happen vs. how it actually played out, and what we’ve learned from our kids as their tastes and appreciation develop. Join us!HELPFUL LINKS:Sarah loved Music Together classes when her kids were babies through preschoolersMusical Episodes From The ArchivesMore Than Mom: Musical TheaterMore Than Mom: Movie MusicalsStepping Into Your True Self with Musician Sarah Sample: Voices 24OTHER 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

Kassidi wants to become a more confident home cook and asks us where to begin. Natalie needs strategies for easing the long wind-down at bedtime for her co-sleeping toddler. Joy is considering traveling with young kids on her own but wonders what age is best to go for it, what activities to partake in and what to avoid when you’re on a mom-only trip with kids. In Episode 439, Meagan and Sarah take these questions from our community and offer tips and validation. Enjoy!HELPFUL LINKS:Listener Question episodes from the archivesThe Laundry Awards: Episode 398 was mentioned by listener KassidyCookbooks/Kitchen Books/ Podcasts mentioned (Bookshop.org links are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you purchase AND your purchases help support independent booksellers):The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (10th Anniversary Edition)Meagan and Sarah share foundational cookbooks they remember from growing up and young adulthood, which have pros and cons for the modern beginner:&n

Spending time with extended family can bring on parenting challenges that don’t come up as often in our day-to-day routines. If you’re anticipating some uncomfortable situations this holiday season, don’t fret! Meagan and Sarah have your back with this episode’s round-up of some of your best listener questions and our advice, focused on traveling for the holidays (or not), surviving group events with different parenting styles, handling criticism (and unwanted advice) and much more. Enjoy!HELPFUL LINKS:Listener question episodes from the archivesIf we shared your listener question today, we’d love to hear from you about how things turned out!Meagan mentioned this episode about handling judgement.OTHER 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:

At what age are kids ready for team sports? How do kids respond when parents volunteer to coach? (And what about the other parents?) How much is too much and what’s the deal with travel teams? The Mom Hour contributors Jayme and Jennifer share their experience as one-time competitive athletes who now have sporty kids. Listen to find out what they love, what gives them pause, and what they look forward to in the realm of youth sports. Enjoy!HELPFUL LINKS:Follow Jayme Sherrod from The Mom Hour team on InstagramFollow Jennifer Carrol from The Mom Hour team on InstagramJennifer wrote the blog post Yes, YOU Can Coach Youth Sports! which inspired this episode.Listen to the Stuff, Junk & Things, an episode from the archives featuring Jayme and Jennifer in July 2023.Here are more episodes about Sports from the archives:Sports Fandom & Family Culture: Episode 225How To Be A Happier Sports Parent: Episode 117Let’s Discuss “Sports Parenting”: Episode 18Here is the Facebook

It’s that time–the run-up to winter holidays is officially HERE! While we’re still early in the season, Meagan and Sarah offer practical, do-able ideas for taking action now to relieve stress and pressure later in the year. We also share tips from The Mom Hour listener community on everything from making holiday meals easier to getting ahead on gift ideas for kids. Join us!HELPFUL LINKS:Our Facebook Community shared lots of great ideas for “Do This Now, Enjoy The Holidays Later” in this facebook postThe Mom Hour Holiday Headquarters is live for 2023! Check back often for updates and additions.Episodes similar to this one:Do This Now; Enjoy Summer Later (Part One): Episode 411Do This Now; Enjoy Summer Later (Part Two): Episode 412Sarah listened to the audiobook Calm Christmas And A Happy New Year by Beth Kempton that includes a pdf for reflecting on the past year. There’s also a Calm Christmas Podcast if you want to take a listen. Beth’s motivational style is very gentle and cozy.