Spawned With Kristen And Liz Of Coolmompicks

This week we're talking to Jenny Lawson. and we can't even believe we hadn't done it before! The best-selling author, humorist, new indie bookstore owner, and all around amazing human is joining us in time for National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month for a candid discussion about...well depression. And anxiety. And other mental health issues that so many of us experience but are sometimes scared to talk about. If you know Jenny, you know that you'll laugh, you'll learn, you'll get info that may truly help you or someone you love....and then you'll laugh some more. And of course stick around for all of our cool picks of the week. Thanks for your awesome reviews! Keep them coming, we're so grateful!! You can find all our links and more at CoolMomPicks.com, and be sure to say hi to us on social media: IG, FB, TW. We like to say hi back! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For ages, we've wanted to cover the topic of raising LGBTQ+ kids with kindness, compassion, understanding... and we have the absolute perfect guest for that: Kristin Russo, the honest, hilarious and incredibly helpful author of This is a Book for for Parents of Gay Kids. So basically the 3 H's. We know you'll love this chat, which is like an entertaining audio FAQ for parents -- or anyone who wants to be more supportive (and less awkward) with the LGBTQ+ kids in your own life. And as always, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of the Week so stick around til the end for some good ones! Yay for our sponsors: This is the perfect time to sign up for Giftster, the original, free two-way family gift registry that helps eliminate gift anxiety and helps you give (and get!) the perfect gifts every time. Thanks for your awesome reviews! Keep them coming, we're so grateful!! You can find all our links and more at CoolMompicks.com and be sure to follow us on social media: IG, FB, TW. Learn more about your ad choi

It's a big Spawned milestone as we welcome our first ever aerospace engineer, Keji Sojobi, who chats about her work with the new Netflix show, Ada Twist, Scientist. She shares how she's working hard to make STEM more accessible to girls, particularly girls of color. And of course, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of the Week. You can find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Let us know what you thought of the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We parents feel the pressure of social media, so it's no surprise that our kids are feeling it too. And according to a recent Wall Street Journal article, it's young women and the effect of Instagram on their body image that's a huge problem that Facebook is not talking about. So... we are! We chat about the problem, but better, offer possible solutions for parents. And as always, we share our cool picks of the week (which is now an email, which you can subscribe to right here). Follow us on social media! We're on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. We'd love to hear from you. And huge thanks to our sponsor Entangled Publishing. Did you stick around for our very special Spawned Extra? We hope you enjoyed our chat with author Christina Hovland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we watched the York Central School District make national news with their recent book ban, we thought it was important to reshare this fantastic episode with author Meena Harris, who chats with Liz about the importance of diverse books for kids. Even though YCSD overturned the ruling, many school districts around the country are following suit. SPONSORS: Sign up for a free 7-day trial plus save 20% off with code CMP21 at ParentEducate.com. And don't miss saving over $150 off an ECOVACS Deebot N7 at Amazon.com with code CLM300. Find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. We'd love to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We get some of our best topic ideas from YOU -- like this week's episode on how to manage step-parenting, divorce, and welcoming new kids into your heart We're so happy to chat about this with dynamic Certified Parenting Coach, author and educator, Naja Hall. She's the founder of the popular community Blended and Black as well as the force behind VIP Stepmom and we know you'll love her frank, often hilarious wisdom. As always, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of the Week -- let's just say we all have beauty on the brain this week! Yay for our sponsors: Save 20% off your ParentEducate.com subscription with CMP21. And this is the perfect time to sign up for Giftster, the original, free two-way family gift registry that helps eliminate gift anxiety. Thanks for your awesome reviews! Keep them coming, we're so grateful!! You can find all our links and more at CoolMompicks.com and be sure to follow us on social media: IG, FB, TW. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Especially during these challenging times, we're finding that what matters to us when it comes success with our kids has changed vastly. And we're not the only ones. Author Madeline Levine spoke with everyone from CEOs to military leaders to discover what they're looking for in candidates, and what they said might surprise you! As always, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of the Week, and be sure to stick around after the show; we've got a fun little surprise for you! Madeline's book, Ready or Not: Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain and Rapidly Changing World, is available everywhere you get your books. Our sponsors: Save 20% off your ParentEducate subscription with CMP21. And save $10 off your own Vitapod machine at VitapodWorld.com Thanks for your awesome reviews! Keep them coming! You can find all our links and more at CoolMompicks.com and be sure to follow us on social media: IG, FB, TW. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sibling conflict has ramped up a lot over the past year. And don't we know it. So when several listeners asked for help, we invited back family therapist, psychologist, and best-selling parenting author Dr. Sheryl Ziegler to help us figure out how to break up the sibling fights, manage behavior we don't like, and create some rules to foster better sibling relationships int he first place. Yay for peace and love! And for being less miserable at home! We also share our Cool Picks of the Week, of course. Our sponsors are awesome, please support them! Save $10 off your very own Vitapod with code CMP10. Shownotes here. Find us on social media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We'd love to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often ask ourselves what it takes to raise strong, wonderful kids who are kind, empathic (aka not assholes), which is why we were so excited to chat with Melinda Wenner Moyer, author of the new book How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes. She's a science journalist (and parent herself), and looked to the science of character and research to share insights into what works and what doesn't. Yay science! We also share our Cool Picks of the Week, of course. Our sponsors are awesome: Save $10 off your very own Vitapod with code CMP10. And use code COOLMOMPICKS for 10% off and free shipping (always) at Mabel's Labels. Find us on social media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We'd love to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just when you thought that back to school 2021 would be easier than 2020... here we are, trying to figure out, once again, what to do with our kids as many school districts are mask optional and the Delta variant is greatly affecting kids. Liz and Kristen chat about their own experiences, as well as offer advice on what actions you can take, from advocacy to talking to your kids. And as always, we share our Cool Picks of the Week. Huge thanks to our sponsors: Vitapod, a healthy way to keep your family hydrated. And Mabel's Labels, making back to school a lot easier Find links and more information on our podcast page, as well as on our social media. We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Kristen wrote a viral post last week about wearing crop tops in response to a conversation with her daughter, the comments from our readers were so inspiring, we knew we wanted to discuss body positivity further on Spawned. Please join us for a very honest, and probably very relatable conversation about owing our shapes (especially as we age), why we think we "can't" wear certain things, words we're trying to avoid around our kids, and why we might want to lose the word "flattering." Plus, we have some expert tips on how to talk about bodies and clothes with our kids, so we can model healthy thinking for them too. // SUPPORT OUR AMAZING SPONSORS: Notes from the Backpack is a new parenting podcast from the National PTA, hosted by Helen Westmoreland and LaWanda Toney, and it covers your child’s learning, development and success in and out of school. // The Last Kids on Earth book series is like Diary of a Wimpy Kid meeds Walking Dead (ooh!) and it's perfect to keep your 8-12 year olds reading this summer

If you need a laugh as much as we need a laugh, you'll appreciate this vintage Spawned episode with author and Twitter superstar James Breakwell. And hey, maybe his parenting tips will help us survive this summer! Meet our sponsor: Notes from the Backpack, a parenting podcast from the PTA. Subscribe now while you're listening to Spawned. You can find all the links from the show over on our podcast page on CoolMomPicks.com. Follow us on social: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's one of our all-time favorite, most-listened-to episodes, which isn't that surprising considering how much Dr. Ken Ginsburg has changed the way we approach parenting our teenagers. In this vintage Spawned episode, Liz asks him some of your (and our) tough questions about parenting teenagers. It's an episode we bet you'll keep listening to over and over again. Thanks to our sponsors: Notes from the Backpack, a parenting podcast from the PTA. Subscribe now while you're listening to Spawned. And Prisma, an alternative educational option for parents looking to homeschool for the coming school year. You can find all the links from the show over on our podcast page on CoolMomPicks.com. Follow us on social: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On our very special Father's Day episode, we're thrilled to welcome Christopher and Camilla "Pepper" Persley. You may have heard about Pepper, who at just 10-years old is making her mark in the world of professional women's sports as a podcaster and journalist. We chat with them both about Pepper's exciting journey, as well as how to parent your kids towards their passions. And as always, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of the Week, and wow, this week, we have LOTS! Meet our sponsors: TilePix, a fantastic gift for Father's Day, Graduation, or any day, which turns your photos into cool art. Use code COOLMOMS to save 60% + free FedEx shipping (or pick them up at your local Walgreens. And Prisma, a very cool alternative schooling idea for those families looking to continue school at home for the 2021-2022 school year. Make sure to visit our site for all the links from the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We read a fair amount of parenting books, and lately we've seen the idea of "influence" popping up when it comes to the role we play with our children. That's why we were so excited to welcome author Kelly Rippon as a guest on Spawned with Kristen and Liz this week. You may recognize her as the mom of Olympic medalist Adam Rippon, but as a single mom of six kids, along with being a corporate speaker and college instructor, she's taken everything she's learned and turned it into a fantastic new parenting book: Parent Up: Inspire Your Child to Be Their Best Self.  Meet our sponsor Prisma, who's disrupting the school game and offering alternatives to families for fall. Follow us on social: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook + visit CoolMomPicks.com for our show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The issue of division of labor and mental load are not new problems in relationships, but the pandemic has certainly exacerbated them. On this episode, we chat with author Eve Rodsky about her book Fair Play, which addresses these exact challenges with a helpful system that actually saved her marriage. Hooray for advice that really works! And as always, we close out our show with our Cool Picks of the Week. **Language warning** Yes, we curse in this episode! Earmuffs! Follow us on social! We're on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Plus, head over to Cool Mom Picks for more show notes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we talk about inclusion and representation, the 1 in 5 people with disabilities are often left out of the discussion. Especially kids. So it's a thrill to get some thoughtful insight from Broadway star and disability advocate Ali Stroker, who is best known as the first Tony-winning actor who uses a wheelchair for mobility. (Her Ado Annie was perfection!) We chat about how she came to be proud of her community, ways to create more opportunities for kids with disabilities, and her wonderful new middle grade novel The Chance to Fly, about a musical theater-obsessed teen who also uses a wheelchair; it's going to be meaningful for so many kids. // Please support our amazing sponsors! Use code COOLMOMS at TilePix to save 60% on 12 or more of their cool photo tiles that help you hang a gallery wall like a pro. // Visit Prisma to learn more about their innovative online school to help 4th-8th graders be their best selves. Fall seats are filling up now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic

Overcoming the Mom-Life Crisis: Ditch the Guilt, Put Yourself on the To-Do List, and Create A Life You Love, by entrepreneur and MomAgenda founder Nina Restieri is not the book I thought it would be. At all. Nina reveals some really personal, difficult details about seeming like you have it all together when you don't, and "hitting bottom" before she could rebuild and get to a better place. In our chat, she's sharing so much helpful advice to help us re-center ourselves in our own lives, including how to say no, why the word "should" can be harmful, and why manicures don't count as self-care. Plus, Nina offers a fascinating take on whether the term "mom entrepreneur" is good...or not so much. // Thanks so much for listening, subscribing, and taking a moment to give us a sweet, sweet 5-star review! // Shownotes: CoolMomPicks.com // Extra-special thanks to our sponsor, The Great Courses Plus, offering you 30 days unlimited, on-demand video courses free through this link! Learn more about your ad choices. Vis

Should your 8th grader be taking PSATs? Will your high schooler fail life if they don't take 12 AP classes? Are you even thinking about college too late -- or too early? ACK! We know the college application process can be stressful, so we're thrilled to be joined by Betsy Cadel, a member of the NY State Association for College Admissions Counseling and founder of College Essay Helpers to talk us down and give us really solid, actionable tips. You'll want to take notes on this one! // Thanks so much for listening and subscribing. // And hey! Can we ask you a favor? A tiny, teeny one? If you are one of the thousands of listeners who enjoy Spawned, we'd be grateful for your 5-star reviews and kind reviews, which really help support us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Particularly if you're non-Black, it can be hard to know the "right way" to speak up about racism -- or what we can do at all, when the idea of dismantling racist system seems so overwhelming. So we're grateful for the time, guidance, and incredible insight of author, veteran broadcast journalist, and Black mom of two, Rene Syler. // Thank you so much for listening and subscribing. Your kind reviews really help support us. // Brought to you with the gracious sponsorship of Trade Coffee, whose coffee subscription gifts supports the best indie, local roasters around the country; and Soul Riders: Darkness Falling, the third book in the Soul Riders series of books for tweens and teens from Star Stable Entertainment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices