We Knows Parenting

The dreaded daycare meeting about Bryn’s listening skills happens and it’s...fine. The whole family spends the weekend actually doing family stuff, first going to a pumpkin “blaze” and later to the aquarium with Nana and Grandad. Peter and Beth talk about the pros and cons (but mostly the cons) of only one parent learning the gender of a baby in utero and then answer some listener mail. Peter then messes up the recording and debates whether he should complete the episode on his own or wake up Beth, who is still recovering from a cold, to re-record a segment. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After daycare raises some concerns about Bryn’s “listening” skills, Peter and Beth start to realize that maybe not everyone thinks their kids are as great as they do. They then give Bryn a crash course on the concept of selfishness, realizes they’ve neglected to teach Maeven numbers, and then ultimately (and perhaps too quickly) decide to forgive themselves for their failures as parents. Peter and Beth then discuss a study about the effects of praising kids for their intelligence vs. effort and read some listeners mail about the appropriate amount of time and temperature in which it is acceptable to leave your kids in the car. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, while Beth is out of town, Peter celebrates his birthday by staying home with a vomiting Maeven.  Bryn has his first play date without his parents and is later praised for his bilingual skills.  Beth unpacks a Would You Knows scenario about discovering something scandalous in a teenaged Maeven’s diary.  Peter and Beth answer some listener mail about a toddler’s preference for mom over dad. And Finally, Bryn creates the perfect joke... about butts. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, SCANDAL!!! While Peter is out of town, Beth throws all the podcast rules out the window and decides to record her half of the podcast without Peter. The single topic she decides to discuss, inspired by a listener email, just happens to be one of Peter’s biggest flaws. Peter, not knowing that any of this has happened, returns home just as Beth is leaving town on her own work trip to find half a podcast awaiting his response. This one gets personal.  It’s our very first dual solo episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Beth and Peter go back to school for pre-k parents night and quickly revert to their school-aged selves; Peter gets competitive with the other parents about who can draw the best picture and Beth stresses about following the rules. Later, at a family trip to a local farm, Peter and Beth’s individual bad habits combine to maximize their parenting ineffectiveness in the face of a Bryn mud puddle melt down. Meanwhile, Maeven starts making up words, Peter learns some tips about healthy eating and Beth discusses how she would handle coming home to find that Bryn and Peter had switched bodies in a Freaky Friday “Would you Knows” scenario. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just when Peter and Beth start to feel like things are settling down, for no discernible reason Bryn decides to make tantrums a daily, morning and evening, routine. Book throwing, TV banishment and tactless attempts to pit Mommy and Daddy against each other then ensures.  Peter and Beth unpack a study about how kids have twice as many neural pathways in their brain that fade away if not utilized before age 10 and then answer listener questions about biracial dating, paying kids for chores and whether asking your kids to keep secrets is ok. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After returning home from a long weekend without kids Beth takes Bryn and his best friend out to dinner where they proceed to walk around the restaurant telling strangers that they are beautiful. Peter shares an article that connects bilingual education with stronger empathy skills. Peter and Beth jump into the mail bag to catch up and some listener mail about being a non-parent listener, intrinsic vs. extrinsic rewards, and the effects a mourning parent has on their children. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After returning home from a fun-filled Labor Day weekend getaway, both the kids decide to contract Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease putting Bryn’s attendance to his first day of PreK in jeopardy. Beth records her half of the podcast via iPhone while having the time of her life in beautiful Portland, Oregon, while back home, Peter interviews the podcast’s very first guest, John DIxon, about his and his wife’s ongoing journey to adopt a baby. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Beth’s birthday Peter exceeds her expectations by setting them super low. He is inspired to buy Maeven hair clips after binge watching, side-by-side, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and RuPaul’s Drag Race.  Peter and Beth assure a listener that their oldest child will never not have attention, discuss a study that finds men are doing more housework than ever before but not nearly as much as they think, and spitball a movie idea in which their kids are turned into bats. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Things get rowdy at Bryn’s 4th birthday party after an oinking pig toy is repurposed as a fart machine. Beth gets emotional after receiving a letter from PreK addressed to “The Parents of Bryn McNerney.” Peter shares an article about the chores pay gap between daughters and sons. Beth and Peter decide how they would handle having a baby with a few extra fingers and then catch up on some listener mail. Oh yeah, and Maeven barfs. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Peter and Beth reveal how the notorious Brown Cow Birthday Cake turned out. Peter wonders if explaining the concept of death to Bryn was a good idea. Beth shares an article about how dads are more likely to seek advice on the internet anonymously. As a result, Peter definitely does NOT get super defensive about the implications and what follows ISN’T the the most intense and genuinely emotional debate that Beth and Peter have ever had on the podcast.  I don’t care what you’ve heard.  That’s simply NOT true. I’m NOT… I mean PETER... is NOT defensive. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While at the Newell family reunion Bryn learns to swim (his own way) and then gives Beth and Peter a taste of their own parenting medicine.  Back home Beth and Peter prepare for Bryn’s upcoming fourth birthday,  Peter has a contentious exchange with a cake designer about the existence of brown spotted cows, Beth shares a study that challenges the validity of parenting styles and a listener ‘Would You Knows?’ asks Peter and Beth to debates who gets the last two seats on an alien rescue ship. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bryn decides to be “sick” on the last morning that Peter and Beth have available to record before heading out on vacation.  The result... is a disaster.  In between his monkey screams, demands for milk and occasional tears Peter and Beth attempt to explore the science behind why kids love sugar, explain their love languages and discuss what they would do if Bryn returned from the future to criticize their parenting.  In the end, does Bryn ruin the episode or does he improve it?  You be the judge.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beth and Peter finally get into the birth story – the good one. In early 2016 Beth and Peter find themselves in financial trouble, with a broken down minivan and 2nd baby due at any minute. Do they make it to the hospital? Does Beth’s sister’s Honda Fit come out unscathed? And what is so special about the parking lot of the local School of Rock? Answers to these questions and more. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter drives the kids across the country alone and is very proud of himself. We wonder how to appropriately acknowledge and discuss race with a three-year-old. Peter shares a study about driving while distracted by children. Beth unpacks this week’s ‘Would You Knows?’ to figure out how she would handle Maeven being recruited by Yale at age 4 and we read some listener mail about deceiving your kids. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Peter misses the the application deadline Bryn finally gets into Pre-K. Peter shares statistics about how kids’ ability to wait has improved over the past 50 years. We play another round of “Did You Knows What He Said?”,  find out who Bryn’s favorite daddy is and read some listener mail. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beth has time alone. Peter doesn’t sleep. We confirm that clowns are scary, discuss what to do when your child believes they have mind powers, speculate why the birth rate is dropping and gush over how much we love our new couch and the company that made it: Joybird.  We love Joybird. Joybird did not sponsor this episode, we actually just love Joybird. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beth is working more. Peter jams with another Dad. Bryn’s tantrums get physical. We discuss the story of 13-year-old frozen embryo and play a game of “You Knows What He Said?” Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Beth accidentally locks Maeven in the apartment. Peter goes on a playdate. We discuss a study of kid’s reactions to breaking their toys, play a game of real or fake Bryn quotes, and hypothesize what to do with a leaky diaper on a rush hour train.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maeven turns two, Bryn wishes he was turning four, and everyone gets cupcakes. Peter and Beth discuss what to do when your kids threaten your life, the benefits of putting dirty pacifiers in your mouth, and how to discipline your kids when experienced caregivers are watching. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.