Sometimes as parents we need shortcuts to get all the things done in a busy day. Some of us feel guilty taking shortcuts because we think they might short-change our children. Turns out some of the best parenting shortcuts can save time and come with big benefits for you and your kids.

Joe and Anea take their popular ‘United Front’ episode to the next level. How can you still be a united front as parents after divorce AND once new partners are in the mix? Tune in to find out.

Joe sets the stage for a great show when he calls himself out for having big expectations for his family...the kind that frequently leave him feeling like a failure. Turns out most of us carry impossible expectations that leave us feeling disappointed. If you’re ready to move from disappointment to gratitude this one’s for you.

We want our children to feel like they could come to us with anything from the time they are tiny thru their teen years. In the Age of Me Too, it is especially important that our kids come to us if they find themselves in trouble. Anea and Joe take you through 5 Steps to becoming the ‘Askable Adult’ your kids actually want you to be. 

We all deal with the daily challenge of trying to be great parents in the face of limited time, energy, and resources. Cue the ‘Life Hacks’! Shelli Wright, Life Hacker Extraordinaire, joins Joe and Anea to share some of her best Life Hacks - the ones that help her save time, money, AND the environment.

As if we don’t have enough challenges as parents, now we have to re-learn math so we can help our kids do their homework?! Educational Consultant and Math Geek Chase Orton joins Joe and Anea to explain what Common Core is all about, its value to our children and tips parents can start using immediately to inspire a love of math in our kids.

A Buzzfeed survey showed that 73% of parents judge other parents. Why do so many of us judge and how might this be detrimental to us all, including our kids? Joe and Anea challenge us to consider how we might all benefit from dropping the judgment because other parents in our communities are "co-parents," whether we like it or not.

Our relationship with our partner plays an important role in parenting. It is, after all, not only the foundation for our family, but the model for relationships with others that our kids see every day of their young lives. How do we know if we are modeling a healthy relationship? What can we do if we're not? Tune in to find out. 

 Sooner or later, our children start making it very clear that they are their own person and when that includes holding values that are different from our own it can feel like a gut punch. What can we do to navigate the big emotions and fears that come up for us when this happens? Whether you have a young child or you're in the throws of adolescence you don't want to miss this one.

Relationships with our children are every bit as important and demand all the same efforts as a relationship with the adults in our life. Remember, “what you water grows.” Quality time invested in becoming a calm, grounded parent with whom your kids want to communicate will create strong relationships and keep your kids talking to you from the early years throughout their adolescent years. Of course doing all this in a balanced, equitable way with your co-parent will yield the best results...

As Joe ponders what might possibly make his son jump off a 12 foot wall into their pool Anea sheds light on the impact of Nature and Nurture when it comes to the way boys (and girls) tend to move through the world. Tune in to find out why you might be seeing some big differences between your son’s and daughter’s behavior.

Raising kids is already super challenging but what do we do when we're at odds with our co-parent on HOW to parent them. If you have differing opinions on how to raise your kids when it comes to things like education, religion, discipline and more it doesn't have to be world war three. Tune in to find out what you can do to put your heads and hearts together to raise a great human even in the face of your differences. 

When a swim teacher wrote a letter to parents asking them to get off their phones and watch their kids, it got our attention. How important is it to be super focused on your child when they are participating in activities? What do kids want and what do they need? 

In response to listener emails about the recent tragic shooting in Florida, Joe and Anea tackle the first of two episodes on how to talk to your children after a school shooting.

Among the biggest challenges we face with toddlers is the dreaded tantrum. Why do tantrums happen and what can we do when they happen? Joe and Anea offer tips you can use that will help you in the moment and can actually give your kids tools for life.

Sometimes saying 'no' becomes a knee jerk reaction with our kids and we need to take a beat and offer a few more 'yes's'. Inspired by the story of a mom who realized the importance of saying yes after her daughter almost died in a fire, this episode may just nudge you to seize the moment in your own life and allow your kids to do the same.

One of the most common mistakes we make as parents is inserting our own fear, biases, and opinions into responses we give to our children's questions. Joe and Anea explore how this can limit our children's healthy development, their experience of the world, and in some cases even subject them to the very danger we are trying to prevent. Join us for another analogy filled episode!

No matter how strong our commitment is to being conscious, present parents who leave their egos at the door, we can get quickly derailed if we have to deal with a challenging parenting moment in the face of seemingly judgmental eyes of friends, family members, and even strangers. What can we do to stay on track? It's not easy but it IS possible.

 Losing our identity when we become parents often feels inevitable, especially for those of us who are stay at home parents. What can you do to hold on to your identity and why is this important even in your (marital) partnership? Tune in to find out.

While we all want our children to feel good about themselves is there ever a time when we are doing them a disservice by applauding every little outcome even when they haven't fully completed a job or truly done their best? Find out what Joe and Anea have to say about the sometimes overly used "Good Job!"

Wondering about the value of having your kids do chores around the house? Wishing you would have started chore responsibilities with your child and think it's too late? Joe and Anea chat about their own childhood and parenting experiences along side what research tells us. 

The word "selfish" has been used as a criticism and a shaming word for generations. But how much better might we be as humans and as parents if our most important job was to actually BE "selfish" in terms of our commitment to being our best self? Tune in to find out. 

Most parents living in two-parent homes still frequently settle into a consistent separation of kid duties they are primarily responsible for (whether balanced or not). So what happens when one parent has to be away for an extended period of time for work or to take care of sick parents? What can we do to ensure that the ship still sails smoothly and important balls aren't dropped and no one loses their mind? Tune in to hear some basic tips to help you survive unplanned single parenthood on...

Many of us freak out when we have those "What was I thinking when I decided to have this kid?!" moments. But as it turns out, whether you're dealing with a newborn, the 'Terrible Two's' or the adolescent years, it's perfectly normal to feel complete overwhelm to the point of regret. Instead of beating yourself up or sitting in shame, tune in to find out how you can move through these moments and allow them to make you an even better parent.