Two thirty-something dads explore poopy diapers and the meaning of life.
The anticipation! The excitement! The 'womp, womp.'
Vacationing with kids is a whole new experience, loaded with emotions and expectations spanning the full spectrum. Patrick and John reflect on past trips with their young families, touching on the wonder and the crazy that comes with long car rides, amusement parks, and sleeping away from home.
Whether you're planning or attending a birthday party for the kiddos, the experience can be more than a tad overwhelming. Celebrating these significant milestones while not getting carried away is a challenge—especially when you're hosting. Who gets invited? What's the theme? And where the heck are all these kids going to fit?
John and Patrick chat about hosting their kids' birthday celebrations and what they think makes for a successful party.
But first! They spend a half hour talking about robes, how their balancing time these days, a food update, coyotes, Angela Lansbury, and more.
Introducing your children to movies is yet another awesome responsibility. After all, nobody wants their kids to grow up having awful taste in cinema. So how do you start their motion picture journey?
Patrick and John think back to the magical experiences they had watching some of their favorite movies, talk about why the art form has been so important to them, and walk through how they intend to share that passion with their kids.
IT'S JUDGMENT DAY, WINGLETS.
It doesn't take long for new parents to start getting relentlessly judged. Before we leave the hospital, we find out we aren't swaddling the baby with the latest, hottest technique. Or we aren't breastfeeding her properly. Or we're putting too many layers of hats on her and now she looks too much like a snowman.
But just as we find ourselves being judged, we find ourselves judging others as well. And suddenly we find ourselves wondering: what's with all the judging? Is there something useful at the heart of this? Are we all just spite-filled monsters?
John and Patrick have no idea, but they had a lot of fun talking about it.
Judge for yourselves.
These days it seems screens are like cigarettes for kids. Are they the health-hazard we’re hearing about all the time in the news or a new technology for us to embrace? Let’s get real on what it means to parent kids with 21st century technology.
John and Patrick share their experiences with their kids’ screen time, distinguishing between the wide spectrum of media and technology—and exploring how the heck to deal with it all in a sensible way.
Some further listening/reading on the subject:
Can You Balance Screen Time And Family Time? On Point, WBUR
‘Screen Time’ For Kids Is Probably Fine FiveThirtyEight
Remember that person we used to be good friends with who had no kids, no commitments, and seemingly endless supplies of free time? Things have changed, and our sense of self can feel pretty much non-existent amidst the balancing act that parenting brings.
Patrick and John work through how they attempt (and mostly fail) to find balance with a bit of self-care.
The article by NPR mentioned in the episode: The Millennial Obsession with Self-Care.
Bonus! Keep listening after the end music for Doug the Physicist's amazing (12 minutes!) response to the episode 11 question of whether or not it's possible for someone to levitate.
Just when we think we have a handle on things, that second baby enters the scene to shake things up. On one hand, we feel more prepared—we already kept one alive for this long. On the other hand, the idea of twice as much of everything is... overwhelming.
Patrick and John reflect on what that transition looked like for them: inviting a new little one into their family, the impact it had on their first, and the juggling act that comes with having more than one child.
