I have to be honest, my capacity for reading books at this point in my life is slim (although I was able to finish one this month.) I’m just too tired to read more than a page or two at night. How much longer until I sleep again? That being said, apps like Audible or Apple and Spotify Podcasts have been lifesavers! I’ve found some of the best parenting podcasts have really helped me in those moments when I need some advice, guidance, or relatable insight.
Like most moms surviving this thing called motherhood/parenting, I’ll be the first to admit I don’t have it all figured out, and just when I get the hang of one phase, my children step into the next.
Trust me this isn’t limited to the toddler stage either. From babies to young adults, most of us are looking for parenting advice, philosophies, strategies, and anything that will give us a leg up—hey, we’re all just trying to figure it out together! So, earlier this year I asked the parents in my circle to share their go-to parenting podcasts that they listen to time and again. There were so many suggestions, and I was excited to listen to as many as I could. Although spare time is slim, I’ve found it’s easier to pop on headphones while doing the laundry or cleaning up dinner, even if I get just 20 minutes of information.
Keep reading for some of the best parenting podcasts I regularly turn to. As with everything I share, take what you like and leave what you don’t. I hope you enjoy them, and please share your favorites in the comments.
Good Inside
I originally found Dr. Becky via Instagram and it’s one of the best parenting podcasts. She had a pandemic start bringing sanity to parents trying to navigate all this time at home. As a clinical psychologist, she uses her platform and podcast to give you tools to embody your authority and enhance your parent-child connection. From power struggles to tantrums she gives you the scripts on how to track behavior, set boundaries, and help your child self-regulate.
Raising Good Humans
This was a recommendation from several of my mom’s groups. Dr. Aliza Pressman is a developmental psychologist, parent educator, asst. clinical professor, and co-founder of both Mount Sinai Parenting Center and Seedlings Group. With the help of experts and parents, she helps share tools and talks to get to the root of looking at the bigger picture and raising good humans.
Evolutionary Parenting
Tracy Cassels, Ph.D. uses research-based evidence of developmental psychology, biology, anthropology, and evolution as a basis for all discussion. She covers everything from sleep training (all types), education methods, breastfeeding, and so much more.
Parenting After Trauma
If you’re a therapy and healing type like I am you’re going to love this podcast. Robyn Gobbel is a writer, trainer, speaker, and educator dedicated to understanding why humans behave the way they do. She gives parents the tools to help respond to their children’s behavior while healing the trauma. The month of June was all about attachments and I had to star several of those episodes so I could come back to them later.
Peds Doc Talk
Dr. Mona is a pediatrician and mother who focuses on answering hot topic questions that apply to the first year of a child’s life through evidence and experience-based research. People call in and pose their questions and she answers as many as she can in an episode. You can also find more information on topics that often come up on her youtube channel PedsDocTalk TV.
Rose and Rosie Parental Guidance
Rose and Rosie are YouTube sensations turned Podcasters. They are a comedy duo, a same-sex couple, and have British accents. A+++ if you ask me! They talk through everything from finding a sperm donor, IVF, adoption, and birth. What I love about this podcast is that they tackle difficult situations with light hearted humor.
Talking to Teens
This podcast features interviews and experts to tackle teen-focused issues. I feel like teens get left out of the parenting conversation a lot and this phase can be just as challenging as the toddler phase. Talking to Teens tackles issues from anxiety, puberty, and college admissions. Each expert offers advice in their field with compassion, research, and open-minded parenting tools. What stands out about this podcast is the effort it makes in showing you how to better communicate with your teen.
Respectfully Parenting
Janet Lansbury is the author of No Bad Kids and Elevating Childcare. You might remember her from your Seventeen magazine or as an actress. She focuses on the philosophies of RIE the non-profit organization at Magda Gerber. Her work informs, inspires, and supports caregivers of infants and toddlers across the globe, helping to create relationships of respect, trust, and love.
Their Own Devices
Since we’re some of the first parents to navigate parenting with devices, I thought it important to include this podcast in my round-up. Their Own Devices is brought to you by Marc Groman, an Obama White House tech and privacy adviser, and David Reitman, an adolescent medical doctor and it tackles the challenge of parenting kids and teens around… you guessed it, devices. What I found most useful is how they break down what is appropriate for what age and the honest fact that your kids are probably going to know more than you about some of these devices. Internet addiction, fortnight, and sexting are all covered here. From a mom, with a two-year-old (me) that loves chatting and FaceTiming on her phone, I can say this is for all ages.
Tilt Parenting
I’m not a fan of labeling, I feel everything is just gliding from one side of the scale to the other. This podcast touches base with parents who may be parenting with a child on either end of a scale and supporting parents raising differently-wired kids (giftedness, ADHD, autism, 2e, learning differences, sensory processing issues, anxiety, and more). Host Debbie Reber—parenting activist, speaker, and author—interviews experts to help parents feel empowered by choice as they advocate for their children.
Just Say This
The most awkward conversation you have as a parent with your kids doesn’t have to be. I’m talking about the famous “birds and the bees” chat. Host, Amy Lang gives you scripts to talk to your kids about sex and everything surrounding it. Warning: this is a podcast for adults. Amy is casual and she might drop a few curse words and she will talk about grown-up sex too. She gives you the age she’s using the script on and empowers you to change it so it works for your family. What I got from this is if you tackle it little by little, age by age, by the time your kids are having sex it won’t be so awkward.
