Spawned Parenting Podcast: Latest Episodes
The latest from Spawned, our award-winning parenting podcast
Why the sex talk with your kids is more important than ever | Spawned Ep 287
It's not the first time we've talked about the sex talk on Spawned, but if your school district is like mine (and many across the country), they are making sex education an optional, home-taught module. That means, we need to be more invested than ever in ensuring our...
Why our teens are so darn tired, with author Lisa L. Lewis | Spawned Episode 286
Just when I thought I was pretty aware of what I needed to know about teens and sleep, I got my hands on Lisa L. Lewis's book The Sleep-Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, And How Parents And Schools Can Help Them Thrive and I realized there was so much I...
The impact of Covid on kids: Anya Kamenetz on what we know and what we don’t yet | Spawned Ep 285
This week on Spawned, I have the honor of welcoming back the wonderful Anya Kamenetz, NPR Education reporter and author, to talk about her new book, The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Kids' Lives...and Where We Go Now. I will tell you this: From the title alone, this...
More coolness from recent weeks…
How to Make a Burn List: My New Year’s tradition helps me manifest good things for next year – and get rid of a little petty. (Okay, a lot.)
When Ibi shared her New Year's Eve tradition with me, I was like...this is genius. How have I never done this? I need to do this! Whatever I can do to be out with the old and focusing on better things in the year to come sounds good to me. I'm sure I'm not alone, so I...
New Year’s Eve home with the kids: 12 ideas to make it fun for adults too!
New Year's Eve at home with the kids isn't exactly like New Year's Eve home without them. New Year's Eve parties for parents are more about trying our very best to stay up till midnight (though 10 p.m. is more like it) and drinking fun cocktails with our kids as we...
Tons of the best last-minute gift ideas that you can still get in time. You’ve got this! | Holiday Gift Guide
For all you out there needing last-minute Christmas gifts (or ahem, New Year's gifts), we got you! Check out this thoughtful list of last-minute gifts that don't feel last-minute at all. We've got subscriptions, books, experience gifts, gift cards, treats, and ideas...
Our big list of more than 200+ homemade holiday gift ideas: DIY gifts for moms, dads, kids, grandparents, neighbors, teachers…
While of course our holiday gift guide is always full of wonderful gifts you can buy, we adore homemade holiday gifts of all kinds. It's not just that homemade gifts allow us to save some money (well, depending on the gift of course!), but they allow us to give an...
More than 50 amazing holiday gifts for kids under $15: Like, GOOD gifts. Not stocking stuffers.
Each year, we love putting together a list of affordable holiday gifts for kids under $15 to go with our list of 60+ holiday gifts for adults under $15. It's nice to know there are plenty of affordable gifts that still seem like big deals to kids, tweens, and even...
8 of the coolest modern nativity sets that belong on your own mantel, not your grandma’s.
I love nativity sets, but I've never really gone for the Jesus-as-a-Precious-Moments-cherub style. So I've rounded up 8 modern nativity sets that skip the uber-traditional but still deliver on all the festive Christmas vibes. If you're looking for cool graphic design,...
Fitness gift idea: This celeb-favorite athletic wear brand gives back to kids in a meaningful way
We're always fans of finding gifts that give back to meaningful causes during the holiday season (or all year long, really) and one of my favorite new finds is a woman-run businesses that's also supporting one of my favorite causes: helping us raising the next...
A personalized letter from Santa generating donations to Girls Who Code? That’s the spirit!
If your kids are the age to write letters to Santa---a pretty cute age, we admit---they'll be floored to get a personalized letter from the big guy himself before he heads out on his annual trip around the world. Instead of using elves this year (they're busy making...
How moms can find more holiday joy for themselves: Margaret Ables | Spawned Ep 300
It's been some year. To say the least. With the holiday season in full swing, it can be tough to find the joys in a tough world, let alone trying to make happy holiday memories for our kids. And in doing so, moms often put ourselves last. How can moms be part of the...
Why the ultimate gift for Disney-loving kids is a hit with parents who are fond of saying “can you just put down your phone for a minute?”
When my young kids dressed up and played imaginary games, they often fought over who got to be "the bad guy" -- Hook over Peter Pan, Maleficent over Sleeping Beauty, and literally anyone over "The Prince," should he have actually had a name of his own. So when I got a...
18 very cool personalized gifts for adults – all with fast shipping! | Holiday Gift Guide
It can be hard to find gifts that really make an impression, which is why we love personalized gifts so much: They let the receiver know that this was picked specifically for them. And like our 20 unique personalized gifts for kids, this list covers personalized gifts...
24 thoughtful gifts for your mother-in-law (or stepmother or aunt or cool grandma) | Holiday Gifts 2023
No matter how long you've had a mother-in-law in your life, finding a perfect gift for your mother-in-law can be so hard. Especially when she's a VIP member of your family. While some mothers-in-law are verrrrry specific with the kinds of gifts they like, others make...
10 of my favorite holiday gifts from Oprah’s favorite things list 2023: For men, women, kids and teens
Over the last two years, I've browsed Oprah's Favorite Things List of holiday gifts so thoroughly that I started a tradition here of sharing my favorites from her favorites. And you liked them! So much so, it can even be hard to get your hands on some of these holiday...
Amazing gifts under $15 for adults: More than 60 VERY cool finds for everyone on your list
Each year, we love sharing our favorite affordable gift ideas for everyone on your list, and this year, we've gone back to one of our most popular guides and updated it fresh for 2023. Behold: 60+ incredible gift ideas under $15 for adults -- none of them stocking...
12 cool DIY holiday gifts from the kids . . .For parents, grandparents, teachers and friends
Every year, we love to find the best handmade, DIY holiday gifts for the kids to make for all the VIPs in their lives. Even if we're not the craftiest people on the block, we love to give out DIY holiday gifts that feel more personal. (Not that our Holiday Gift Guide...
20 special gifts that give back to great causes. | Holiday Gift Guide + Giving Tuesday
This Giving Tuesday, there is no shortage of worthy organizations to support. From Veterans charities, to those trying to help civilians in need in Israel and Gaza, to the organizations pushing back against the ongoing threat of gun violence in our local...
Our top Black Friday Deals of 2023: From the big stores to small shops and indie makers
Each year we share the best Black Friday deals online to help you manage your time, your budget, and get back to family faster. Here, find the big brands we can't resist along with the small businesses we love. (And tomorrow for Small Business Saturday, we'll be back...
Sale alert: Save up to 30% off our readers’ most-loved handbag ever, and a lot more from ABLE
I first discovered ABLE on a trip to Ethiopia 11 years ago and was so taken with their mission to help lift women out of poverty with dignity by teaching them a trade crafting beautiful items for fair wages, health care, and educational opportunities. Fun fact: Since...
20 unique personalized gifts for kids from toddlers to teens | Holiday Gift Guide
If you're looking for some cool, truly unique personalized gifts for kids this year, we totally understand. Personalized gifts for kids are easy way to make a holiday gift extra special -- and it doesn't have to cost a lot either. That extra touch of personalization...
20 wonderful Hanukkah gifts for kids from toddlers to teens | Holiday Gift Guide
With Hanukkah coming up early on December 8, it's time to share some of the best Hanukkah gifts for kids in 2023 -- that actually are Hanukkah gifts. Because for the past year, and especially right now, a lot of us are really thinking about what it means to be Jewish...
Research shows this app can help kids become kinder, more generous, and possibly more willing to pick their clothes off the floor?
We all want to raise kind, caring, empathic kids, and there's certainly a lot of discussion about whether technology is helping -- or can do more to help. That's why our team has always worked hard to share those apps that make screen time meaningful, help kids learn,...