10th Annual Back to School Bonanza! EP 472

In today's episode, Sarah and Laura open by discussing their go-to sources for parenting advice, and then Sarah is joined by certified behavioral analyst and autism expert Stephenie Mueller for a discussion of effective behavioral tactics (for all kids!) and navigating a new autism spectrum diagnosis. Stephanie is informed by her years of experience working with kids with different needs and challenges as well as her personal experience parenting 4 children.In the Q&A, Laura and Sarah answer a question about selecting age-appropriate content - how do decide which media is 'okay' for each child at their current age and stage?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Laura and Sarah take on a concept Laura heard about recently known as "easy child privilege" -- the phenomenon where parents might experience an unearned advantage with kids who are naturally compliant, neurotypical, healthy, or easy to sooth, and then attribute these features to superior parenting. They discuss how this might apply in various realms from eating to sleep to academic milestones.In the Q&A, a listener asks about backup layers of child care -- how did the hosts build their "babysitter bench"?Mentioned in the episode: Laura & Sarah's Patreon! A fun and supportive environment with threads 3-4x/week and monthly meetups. Check it out at patreon.com/bestofbothworldspod!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Laura and Sarah discuss their own current situations with respect to parental health and independence, and then board-certified geriatrician Dr. Anita Chandra joins Sarah to discuss the challenges of living in the 'sandwich generation' -- a scenario where you have both older and younger relatives or relations that require help or caregiving. An important topic that impacts so many!Find more from Dr. Anita Chandra at www.anitachandramd.com or her IG, @itsdoctoranita. She also co-hosts The Millennial Sandwich (@themillennialsandwich), a podcast about the generation raising kids while watching their parents get older.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Sarah and Laura (hanging out together in Philadelphia) share some life updates and then focus on the positive with a list of current favorites.Some are fall themed, and some are just of the moment!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First a disclaimer: everyone's idea of frugality is relative! And many people have real struggles making ends meet from day to day. This episode unfortunately doesn't solve this issue, but instead provides interesting perspective on ways one might choose to spend strategically, saving money without any real sacrifice on your part.Ideas include grocery store shopping vs restaurants, the joy of cheap hobbies, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Laura and Sarah chat about all things meal planning! They open with takes on recent food trends (protein + fiber, anyone?) and then move to a detailed discussion of their current meal planning practices, struggles, and victories. They cover shopping, non-dinner meals, school lunches and more.In the Q&A, a listener asks for tips getting tiny humans (think toddlers and below!) out the door.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Sarah and Laura share their thoughts on whether they'd ever be up for long-haul travel with kids, and share memories of longer trips in the past.Then, Elisabeth Frost joins Sarah to provide her fascinating perspective on a months-long European adventure she recently completed with her 2 school-aged children, including an entire semester out of 'regular' school and visiting over 10 countries!Find more from Elisabeth at optimisticmusings.com!Additional resources from Elisabeth:Her website/blog: optimisticmusings.comPatreon Community: patreon.com/LighthouseKeeperPlanning summary post we chatted about during the podcast episode: https://optimisticmusings.com/how-to-plan-a-europe-trip/And this category link contains all the travel posts from the full 110 days in Europe (87 and counting)! https://optimisticmusings.com/category/travel/euro-adventure/In the Q&A, a listener wonders about how to set household policies on swearing. What do Laura and Sarah do?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it possible that there have been NINE previous back to school episodes? 2017's version may have featured preschoolers (and multiple children not yet born!) -- back to school has definitely been a journey, and the adventure looks different every time!This year, Laura and Sarah have kids ranging from 1st grade to college sophomore. They share notes on re-entry, from anticipated morning schedules to trepidations about new levels.In the Q&A, a listener asks for tips on NOT forgetting about things you'd like to think about in the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the intro, Laura and Sarah open with a discussion of resilience. Then, psychotherapist and resilience expert Amy Morin joins Laura to share all about the top things (13 in her book!) that mentally strong people DON'T do.In the Q&A, a listener asks for ideas to support a friend going through an especially tough time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Laura and Sarah chat about their own feelings around Mom Guilt (should it even . . . BE a thing?) and then Sarah interviews psychologist Dr. Jennifer Reid on the topic.Dr. Reid is a clinical psychologist with expertise in the areas of guilt and shame, and her book, Guilt Free: Reclaiming Your Life from Unreasonable Expectations, is out now.In the Q&A, a listener wonders exactly WHEN the moment in parenting occurs when you can sleep until you feel like waking up?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.