Embracing the Messiness of Life

In our final episode of the series, we're looking at how you can take the messiness of the last few months and embrace it to have a more creative and resilient life. To do so, we're joined by Tim Harford from the podcast Cautionary Tales. He's also the author of Messy: How to Be Creative and Resilient in a Tidy-Minded World.Plus, we do a little bit of therapy … movie therapy. On Kristen Meinzer's Movie Therapy podcast, listeners submit questions, and the hosts offer advice through movie and TV recommendations. In our episode, host Ann Marie Baldonado shares her own personal queries: Is there a movie to help her fall asleep? Is there a movie to help her cope with feelings of uncertainty about the future? What movie could help her two girls bond as sisters? This is our last episode of the show for now. Stay subscribed to this feed to hear about future projects from Common Sense Media. To stay in touch with our host, you can find Ann Marie on Twitter (@annmarieb) or on Instagram (abaldonado). After the show:Listen to Tim Harford's podcast, Cautionary Tales. On the show, he tells true stories about mistakes and what we should learn from them.Read Tim's book Messy: How to Be Creative and Resilient in a Tidy-Minded World.Watch Tim's Ted Talk, "How frustration can make us more creative."Kristen Meinzer co-hosts the Movie Therapy podcast with Rafer Guzman. She also hosts the shows By the Book and Innovation Uncovered.Read Kristen's new book, How to Be Fine: What We Learned from Living by the Rules of 50 Self-Help Books, and So You Want to Start a Podcast.For our movie therapy segment, Kristen recommended a ton of things to watch. For help falling asleep, she suggests watching all the close-ups of leaves blowing in the wind during Tree of Life (age 14+, 5 stars) or the soothing lull of the Home Shopping Network.For dealing with uncertainty, try Grey's Anatomy (age 15+, 4 stars), Law & Order (age 15+, 4 stars), or The Martian (12+, 4 stars). For difficult decisions involving family members, she recommends The Farewell (age 11+, 4 stars).For helping siblings bond, check out Daedra and Laini Rob a Train (age 14+, 3 stars) or The Parent Trap (age 6+, 4 stars).For breakups and any other time you want to sing "They had it coming!," Kristen suggests watching Chicago (age 14+, 4 stars).Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com..

Since the pandemic started, kids have been spending more time online. So how do we keep them from chatting with strangers, sharing passwords, and discovering adult content? Anya Kamenetz, author of The Art of Screen Time, gives us strategies for making sure your kids are safe and responsible on the internet even when you're not watching. We'll also hear from listener Megan in Austin, who has a tip for getting her kids to open up and talk about who they've been texting. Plus, we'll hear from listener Damon in Atlanta about a weekly adventure game that's keeping his three kids busy and curious.After the show:Read Anya Kamenetz's book The Art of Screen Time: How Your Family Can Balance Digital Media and Real Life.Watch Anya moderate a panel for Common Sense in May called "Conversations with Common Sense: A National Town Hall for Parents."Since any conversation about internet safety needs to address the fact that not all information sources are reliable, we have advice for finding credible sources for kids on our News and Media Literacy resource page.There's a wide array of parental control solutions out there, from OS settings to monitoring apps to network hardware. Read the Parents' Ultimate Guide to Parental Controls from Common Sense.And we want to hear your tips and suggestions! Are you reading your kids' text messages? Send your stories to [email protected] Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com.

Feeling angry lately? Overwhelmed? How about your kids? Author and illustrator Christian Robinson has created a tool to help young people process powerful emotions through art. In this episode he'll talk about his video series Making Space, and how childhood struggles can be spun into stories. After the show:Watch Making Space with artist Christian Robinson on YouTube.Grab a kid and read some of Christian Robinson's books. We love You Matter (4+), Another (4+), Carmela Full of Wishes (4+), and Last Stop on Market Street (3+), which won the 2016 Newbery Medal. A full list of his books, reviewed by Common Sense, is available here.Follow Christian Robinson on Instagram @artoffun.Preorder his next collaboration with Matt de la Peña, Milo Imagines the World. It's the story of Milo, who's riding the subway with his big sister to visit their mother, who's incarcerated.And we want to hear your tips and suggestions! What videos or resources have you found online to help your kids process their emotions? Send your stories to [email protected], and we might invite you on the show.Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com.

With our nation in turmoil over COVID-19 and protests against systemic racism, the idea of talking about chores may seem frivolous. But most American families are still at home, overwhelmed by laundry, dishes, and dust piling up at unprecedented rates. How do we get our kids to help? Asha Dornfest has some ideas. She's the author of the books Parent Hacks and Minimalist Parenting.Plus, comedian W. Kamau Bell shares the surprising messages his kids are finding in the shows they're watching on TV. After the show:Read our review of the preschool series Doc McStuffins (4+).W. Kamau Bell's family is also spending a lot of time in Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (3+).Asha Dornfest hosts a podcast called Edit Your Life.Check out this list of 100 Life Skills You Can Teach Your Kids in 5 Minutes or LessAfter the kids go to sleep, grown-ups can enjoy W. Kamau Bell's 2018 comedy special Private School Negro on Netflix.The new season of W. Kamau Bell's award-winning United Shades of America comes back to CNN on June 28.And we want to hear your tips and suggestions! What are you watching with your kids? Send your stories to [email protected], and we might invite you on the show.Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com.

Racism has a profound impact on the health and well-being of our kids. This week, racism against the Black community is being laid bare for all families to see—from the pandemic's disproportionate impact to police brutality and other racist violence. For this week's show, child psychologist Allison Briscoe-Smith will share her advice for talking with your kids about big, important topics like racism, ways to promote resilience, and committing to action.Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith is a clinical psychologist and professor at the Wright Institute, where she's director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Allison's recent article for Common Sense is How to Talk with Kids About Racism and Racial Violence. In it, she suggests talking to kids about racism in the context of all the other foundational conversations you're already having, about things like fairness, kindness, working hard, and who we are as people and communities. After the show:Read Allison's full article, "How to Talk with Kids About Racism and Racial Violence."Allison was also a panelist on a recent hour-long webinar about helping kids process racism and violence: "Helping Kids Process Violence, Trauma, and Race in a World of Nonstop News."And here's where we've collected Common Sense's race and racism resources. Sign your kids up to be the next Beyoncé or Beethoven! QuaranTunes are online music and art lessons for young people age 4 to 14.And we want to hear your tips and suggestions! How are these conversations playing out in your family? Send your stories to [email protected], and we might invite you on the show.Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com.

Reading, writing, and storytelling can be a creative first aid kit for families stuck at home during the pandemic. But where do you begin if your kid says they don't want to read or write? Today we've got some strategies for making reading and writing exciting. First, we'll hear some games dreamed up by the one and only Julie Andrews. She and her daughter, children's author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, have started a new project to spark kids' imaginations: It's a podcast we adore called Julie's Library.Then, Sierra Filucci from Common Sense Media joins us to discuss how to get your kid busy reading this summer, even if they're reluctant. Is any reading better than no reading?Plus, a parenting win: We'll hear the story of how a college soccer star turned a kid who hates writing ... into a kid who likes it.After the show:Subscribe to the Julie's Library podcast! On the show, Julie Andrews invites you into her library to read her favorite children's books. Every story comes to life with sound, music, and activities. Need more books without going to the library this summer? Common Sense compiled some resources to help you find some free ebooks from home.Check out more great parenting advice from Common Sense Media's editorial director, Sierra Filucci.And we want to hear your tips and suggestions! Send your questions and tips—especially the strange ones—to [email protected], and we might invite you on the show.Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com.

With the school year coming to an end, parents and caregivers might be feeling a mix of relief and worry: relief that they no longer have to play makeshift teacher … and worry that they didn't do enough to help their kids learn this year. In today's episode, Amanda Morin from Understood shares tips on how to support your kids in these last few weeks of whatever school is now … and whatever summer is going to be. Understood is an organization that provides support for children with disabilities and learning and attention issues like dyslexia and ADHD. Plus award-winning children's book author Grace Lin joins us to spice up learning at home -- by giving kids a chance to speak to their favorite writers.And comedian Rob Huebel has some tricks for getting through the monotony of spending every freakin' day with your kids.After the show:Read over these important developmental milestones from the folks at Understood.Grace Lin is the author of the Ling and Ting series (age 5+) and middle-grade novels like Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (age 10+), which received a Newbery Honor. Grace Lin's podcast is called Kids Ask Authors. To find out how your kids can submit their questions or get their own work featured on the show, visit kidsaskauthors.com.Follow Rob Huebel on Instagram for more of his parody videos like "Crafts for Kids!" (Heads up! These videos are actually for adults.)And we want to hear your tips and suggestions! Send your questions and tips—especially the strange ones—to [email protected], and we might invite you on the show.Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com.

During a pandemic, there's so much to be stressed about. Dr. Dave Anderson of the Child Mind Institute has some strategies for keeping your anxiety in check—including one that involves eating a sandwich! Plus, some de-stressy family TV suggestions from Polly Conway from Common Sense Media. And then the director of the Icelandic Forest Service Þröstur Eysteinsson shares his tips on using trees to your advantage.After the show:Read our review of The Good Place (age 12+).For quirky animated shows that deal with really big stuff, check out Adventure Time (10+) or Steven Universe (10+). For fantasy shows where the natural world gives you superpowers, we love Avatar (13+), Legend of Korra (8+), and Dragon Prince (10+).And for older kids who love animated shows, Polly suggests some classics like Bob's Burgers (13+), The Simpsons (12+), and King of the Hill (13+).Read the BBC report "Icelanders urged to hug trees to overcome isolation."And we want to hear your tips and suggestions! Do you have a special way to deal with anxiety? What are YOU watching with your kids? Send your questions and tips—especially the strange ones—to [email protected], and we might invite you on the show.Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com.

What happens when the invisible work of mothers becomes visible during a pandemic? Better Life Lab director Brigid Schulte says now is the perfect time for couples to dream up better ways to share responsibilities at home. Then, Common Sense's Editor-in-Chief Jill Murphy recommends some great content for Mom that is not about being a mom. Plus, the perfect recipe for the parent who claims they can't cook: All you need is a hotdog and six raw sticks of spaghetti. After the show:Read Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time by Brigid Schulte.Subscribe to Brigid's podcast, Better Life Lab.Need a new TV Show? Jill Murphy from Common Sense recommends Working Moms on Netflix and I'm Sorry from TruTV.Who are your favorite TV moms? Tweet them at us with the hashtag #ParentTrapped.Do you have an equivalent of Spaghetti Hot Dog Surprise? Or maybe a new way to keep your kids busy while you cook? Send your tips and questions to [email protected] and we might invite you on the show.Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com

Ever since schools closed due to social-distancing requirements, a lot of kids have been spending most of their time online. Today we'll find out whether all that screen time is harmful—and we'll get some drawing lessons from author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka and some weird parenting wins from the Longest Shortest Time podcast's Hillary Frank.After the show:Read Common Sense Media's review of Jarret Krosoczka's incredible book Hey, Kiddo.Watch "Draw Every Day with JJK" on his website.Even more insights from Common Sense's research director, Mike Robb: "Screen Time in the Age of the Coronavirus." Read all the "weird parenting wins" Hillary Frank has collected.And we want to hear your tips and suggestions! What questions do you have right now? How are you getting through this? Send your questions and tips—especially the strange ones—to [email protected], and we might invite you on the show.Parent Trapped was brought to you by founding sponsor First Republic Bank. To learn more about their services, visit http://firstrepublic.com.