On this episode: Zak and Elizabeth are joined by Rachel Riskind, a longtime listener and mom to three Jewish kids. Together, they’ll commemorate Rosh Hashanah by reflecting on how to raise Jewish kids in the complicated world of 2024. Our community had a ton of questions and stories to share on everything from Gaza to fasting to how to explain to teachers that Hanukkah isn't that important. We’re excited to do more interfaith conversations soon, and we want to know what you think: so, email...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy and Zak help a member of the Slate Parenting Facebook group who’s struggling with wrangling her new baby… and the baby’s very clingy new grandma. Grandma’s struggled with loneliness and is-over-the-moon about the baby. But is it time to set some boundaries? And how many photos is too many? We also check in on what’s happening in the hosts’ lives right now. And then, if you’re joining us for the Plus Playground — out now in your podcast feed — we’re sharing...

On this episode: Lucy, Zak and Elizabeth answer a question from a listener who’s worried that her preschooler has already encountered a lot of bullying and cliques… so what is kindergarten going to be like? And why are these little kids already capable of being so mean? We’ll also circle up for a round of triumphs and fails — including an update on Zak’s talking-about-the-Holocaust dilemma. Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what...

On this episode: it’s Friendship Week at Slate, and we’re hopping aboard the friendship train to talk about the beauty, and challenges, of making friends in the parenting world… with special guest host Rebecca Onion, a senior editor for Slate. We also check in on what’s happening in Elizabeth, Zak, and Rebecca’s lives right now. And then, if you’re joining us for the Plus Playground — out now in your podcast feed — we’re talking about what happens when a friendship dies. If you’re not part...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Zak and Lucy help a listener who left us a voicemail about their little athlete who’s just not great at baseball… and he also gets upset when the game doesn’t go his way. If this kid were an adult, it’d be time to have an honest conversation about knowing your strengths. But how does that conversation work with a kid? And after that conversation, of course, we’ll also debrief on our week in parenting with a round of triumphs and fails.  Join us on Facebook and...

Thanks to the listeners who caught a technical error in today's upload. It's now been fixed. On this episode: Elizabeth sits down with Dr. Jennifer Freed to talk about how astrology can help us parent… even if you’re a skeptic about the whole star sign thing. It’s all about figuring out how to communicate with people who see the world differently than you do, right? We also check in on what’s happening in Elizabeth, Zak, and Jamilah’s lives right now. And then, if you’re joining us for the...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Zak and Jamilah are joined by Allison Price of the Care & Feeding text column to talk through one of her most recent columns. This dad lets his wife lean into her Type A tendencies… and as a result, he’s been pushed out of parenting decisions. Who’s to blame here? And why was Allison worried about commenter clapbacks? And after that, of course, we’ll also debrief on our week in parenting with a round of triumphs and fails.  Join us on Facebook and email us at...

On this episode: helping a little guy with some big changes. A member of our Slate Parenting Facebook Group is getting ready to move with a three-year-old (and another kid on the way) — and between the disruption, the feelings, and the impending newness, this parent wants to know how to help smooth things out for her kid. Luckily, Elizabeth and Zak are seasoned experts. We also check in on what’s happening in the hosts’ lives right now. And then, if you’re joining us for the Plus Playground...

On this episode: Elizabeth and Zak debrief on your reactions to last week’s special episode about Gus Walz — and we’ll touch on some elements of this story that our audience thinks we might’ve missed the first time around.  And, of course, we also debrief on our week in parenting with a round of triumphs and fails.  Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk...

The Care & Feeding team is off for Labor Day — but we won't let that stop you from hearing something great from elsewhere in the Slateiverse. So: we're handing the mic over to our friends at Decoder Ring! Axolotls. Narwhals. Llamas. Sloths. Every few years, it seems like American kids and parents collectively decide they cannot get enough of a creature that makes teddy bears seem impossibly quaint. In today’s episode we’re going to swim after the axolotl, as it takes us to some far-flung...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy, and guest host Maribel Quezada-Smith circle up to talk about the viral moment surrounding Gus Walz’s appearance at the DNC last week — and what it meant to us, and our community, as parents of neurodivergent kids, and especially of boys.  We’ll also tackle a round of Triumphs & Fails — including a story about a very special language lesson.  Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought...

On this episode: Elizabeth, Lucy and Zak offer tips for a kid who’s really, really good at losing library books and incurring the dreaded fees. How can parents help keep track of library books… and, more broadly, do communal school supplies mean we don’t have to worry about labeling anymore? We also check in on what’s happening in the hosts’ lives right now. And then, if you’re joining us for the Plus Playground — out now in your podcast feed — we’re sharing strategies for the after-school...

On this episode: Lucy sits down with actress and author Mandy Gonzalez for a wide-ranging conversation about parenting, building a creative mom group, and enduring cancer treatment with your head held high. Mandy also answers questions from our own budding Broadway stars. Then: Lucy, Zak, and Elizabeth debrief with a round of parenting Triumphs & Fails — including an update on the Rosen family’s move overseas.  Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us...

We’re excited to share an episode with you that we think you’ll love that comes from Didn’t I Just Feed You - a weekly podcast hosted by two long time food editors, Stacie Billis and Meghan Splawn. If you like what you hear, make sure to subscribe to Didn’t I Just Feed You wherever you get your podcasts. It's a practical companion to our show, giving you easy meal ideas every other week in their What We’re Cooking and Eating Now series while covering everything from picky eating to how to...

On this episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth, and Dillon Michael White help a listener whose kid is struggling hard to enjoy the summer break… and complaining about everything in the process. How can this parent nip the negativity in the bud and prevent a bad attitude from ruining everyone’s break? We also check in on what’s happening in the hosts’ lives right now. And then, if you’re joining us for the Plus Playground — out now in your podcast feed — we’re talking about how to handle sharing kid...

On this episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth and special guest host Dillon White of DadChats and ChatsFam help a listener whose kid really, really struggles with losing. The smallest not-wins send this boy into hysterics… even though he knows all that sportsmanship stuff. So what might help — and what might this parent be missing? We’ll also debrief with a round of parenting Triumphs & Fails — including an update on Naima’s first day of middle school. Join us on Facebook and email us at...

On this episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth and special guest host Dillon White of DadChats and ChatsFam help a listener whose kid really, really struggles with losing. The smallest not-wins send this boy into hysterics… even though he knows all that sportsmanship stuff. So what might help — and what might this parent be missing? We’ll also debrief with a round of parenting Triumphs & Fails — including an update on Naima’s first day of middle school. Join us on Facebook and email us at...

On this episode: Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth answer a listener question about a kid who seems dedicated to making family hikes suck. He’s energetic and capable during other activities, but long walks are full of whining and fussing. What could this listener do to get him excited about family walks… and are there any options that aren’t making every walk a treasure hunt? We also check in on what’s happening in the hosts’ lives right now. And then, on the Slate Plus Playground, we’re sharing a...

On this episode: Jamilah, Elizabeth and Zak help a listener who’s wondering why her friend is bodyshaming her own toddler so intensely — not to mention our listener’s kid, too — and what to do about it. These kids are still little enough to avoid lifelong damage to their relationships with food, and their bodies… but where’s the line when it comes to telling this friend to shut it and let the kids eat cake? We’ll also debrief with a round of parenting Triumphs & Fails — and we'll share...

On this episode: Lucy, Zak, and Elizabeth answer a tricky question from a listener who’s struggling to feel love for her daughter. Mismatched neurodivergence might be to blame… but what is a parent to do when they don’t feel connected with their kids? How can they work on translating irritation into love — and grappling with the guilt of not feeling like a good parent?  We also check in on what’s happening in the hosts’ lives right now... And then, on the Slate Plus Playground, we’re venting...

On this episode: Lucy, Elizabeth and Zak help a listener who’s grappling with whether it’s worth trying to keep up a friendship with a family that is just not reliable. It’s only started recently, but they show up to events and hangouts hours late… if at all… with very scant communication. The flakiness disappoints our listener’s kid, but is this worth cutting out friends? We’ll also debrief with a round of parenting Triumphs & Fails — including a quick update about the Newcamp family’s...

On this episode: Lucy, Zak, and Chris Duffy answer a question from the Slate Parenting Facebook group about what to do when dinner rolls around. This member of the group would be perfectly happy with toast or popcorn, but also wants to make sure their toddler grows up with a healthy relationship to food. We’ll share some low-effort, high-tastiness ideas for the weeknight dinner rush. We’ll also try out a new segment called Just Checking In — where we’ll share what’s on our mind this week....

On this episode: Lucy and Zak are joined by special guest host Chris Duffy to talk about the power of a painting. Our listener has a piece of art hanging on her wall that features some nudity — and it recently startled a crew of kids over for a playdate. Should the painting be moved, or taken down? Or is our listener just becoming the fabled Cool Art House? We’ll also debrief with a round of parenting Triumphs & Fails, and share an update about the parent who sparked the great shorts...

On this episode: Lucy, Jamilah, and Dan Kois help a member of the Slate Parenting Facebook community who’s wondering how to help her teenage son through the rite of passage that is shaving. We’ll also help out a listener whose six-year-old is an overzealous shaver, and talk through whether it’s a real problem. We also dole out a round of recommendations. Then, for Slate Plus listeners – we’re relaunching our Plus offerings and welcoming you to the Plus Playground. This week, we’re offering...