The podcast industry continues to skyrocket. From on-demand sports and comedy content to business and technology discussions, podcasts are a unique and varied medium. Globally, there are more than 700,000 active podcasts currently available, in more than 100 languages. In this article, we look at some of the most informative and entertaining podcasts in the realm of parenting.
One of our favourites is ‘Happy Mum, Happy Baby’, where Giovanna Fletcher continues the conversation about motherhood she began in her bestselling book of the same title. This podcast is friendly but doesn’t pull any punches, with Giovanna discussing all aspects of parenthood, including the highs and lows, and the challenges and rewards. There is one episode a week, and the address you need is giovannafletcher.com/podcasts.
Los Angeles-based ‘Janet Lansbury Unruffled’ gives parenting lessons for elevating a child’s personality. Janet’s work informs, inspires and supports parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers across the world, helping to create relationships of trust, love and respect. There are three episodes a month at janetlansbury.com/tag/podcasts.
Want a little humour to lighten the parenting load? Why not try ‘Scrummy Mummies’,a comedy chat show for less-than-perfect parents. Hosted by comedians Ellie Gibson and Helen Thorn, and featuring guest parenting experts, comedians and authors, this podcast covers the big issues affecting modern parents – from fish fingers to play-dates. Expect frank and funny chat as well as a large dollop of laughter. Three episodes a month are produced and can be found at scrummymummies.com/podcast.
Providing more of a serious bent is ‘Practically Perfect Parenting’, where professor, researcher and author John Sommers-Flanagan, Ph.D., teams up with parenting, child and intimate relationship expert Sara Polanchek, Ed.D. Children do not come with instruction manuals, and this bi-weekly podcast tackles some of the most significant issues parents face, with humour and wit. This podcast pairs cuttingedge research and proven techniques to help make you a practically perfect parent. Visit practicallyperfectparenting.libsyn.com.
Meanwhile, the ‘Parenting Survival’ podcast, presented by child therapist Natasha Daniels, offers parents support and guidance through the minefield of parenting kids with childhood anxiety and OCD. There is one episode a week at anxioustoddlers.com/category/podcast.
On a similar theme, ‘TILT Parenting’, an Amsterdam-based podcast, sees parenting activist, speaker and author Debbie Reber preside over transformational interviews and conversations with authors, parenting experts, educators and other parents. The podcast inspires, informs and supports parents raising differently-wired kids: giftedness, ADHD, Asperger’s syndrome, 2e, learning differences, sensory processing issues, anxiety, and more. You will find one new episode a week at tiltparenting.com/podcast.
‘Coffee and Crumbs’ is a wildly popular storytelling podcast about motherhood, covering everything from kitchen cleanups to stroller walks. Join hosts Indiana Adams, Ashlee Gadd and April Hoss as they chat about the beautifully hard work of raising children. There are 23 episodes a year to be found at coffeeandcrumbs.net/podcast.
Fathers haven’t been forgotten either, with ‘Further Fathering Radio’ featuring current issues that men deal with daily relating to the family structure as a husband, father and mentor. There are also a variety of special guests on this weekly podcast at blogtalkradio.com/furtheringfathering.
Finally, we all know how challenging the teenage years can be, and sometimes how challenging it is to get through to a teenager, so the‘Talking to Teens’ podcast is a genuinely useful tool. Join parent-teen researcher Andy Earle on a quest to uncover the best techniques for getting through to teenagers about the toughest topics. Podcasts are once a week and can be found at talkingtoteens.com/podcast.
The format of podcasts allows a deeper dive into many subjects and creates the possibility of long-term investigations in a very accessible medium. It is information and entertainment, in bit-size chunks, right at our fingertips. So why not give the podcasts mentioned in this article a listen; you’re sure to find at least one that’s right up your street!