RAISING DIGITAL KIDS
— by Mike Daugherty
Podcasts for Parents
(and Kids, too!)
bring a great depth of knowledge and
creativity to the table to this weekly
show. One is a writer for major outlets
like The Washington Post and the other
is the CEO of the Life, Listened family
of podcasts. Together they have eight
kids between them, ranging in age from
four to nineteen. This podcast stands out
through the show’s choices in practical
topics. Recent episodes include “Help-
ing Kids with Doctor Visits” and “Holi-
day Travel & Visiting Relatives.” The
Mom Hour is a mix of common sense
advice coupled with years of experience
from two down to earth hosts.
THE LONGEST SHORTEST TIME
U
ntil a few years ago, I had
never bothered to listen to
a podcast. I assumed pod-
casts were similar to National Public
Radio, but for hipsters and nerds. This
assumption couldn’t have been farther
from the truth.
According to a Nielsen report from
March 2018, approximately 28% of the
U.S. population listens to podcasts, and
the average listener consumes seven
shows per week. Podcasts have become
a mainstay media.
For those of you who were like me
and have never tried a podcast, think of
them as a unique combination of both
entertainment and information that fo-
cus on a particular niche. Amateurs host
some podcasts, while others are the cre-
ation of well-known celebrities.
What makes these shows unique is
that the conversations almost always feel
intimate. It’s like the host or hosts are
talking to you one on one directly. They
are the perfect way to add some color
to drab activities like jogging, commut-
ing, cleaning, or running errands around
town.
There are thousands of options
when it comes to choosing a show. Six
hundred thirty thousand options to be
exact. To help you get started, let’s take
a look at some of my favorite podcasts
dedicated to parenting.
28 WNY Family February 2019
ADULTS ONLY
This section is for podcast specifi-
cally for parents that focus on adult is-
sues. There’s another section below that
lists shows that are kid-friendly.
MOM AND DAD ARE FIGHTING
From Slate.com, Mom and Dad Are
Fighting is a thought-provoking podcast
that is a favorite of parents and non-
parents alike. Hosts Gabe, Rebecca, and
Carvell provide a diverse perspective on
parenting in the 21st century. One de-
scription from a typical weekly episode
states the hosts discuss “YELLING! and
other subjects including kids mocking the
weight of their teachers, the privilege con-
versation, stolen cell phones, and making
sick days fun.” I would highly recom-
mend this podcast to just about anyone.
SPAWNED
Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase
of CoolMomPicks.com host this candid
and humorous show on the daily chal-
lenges of being a parent. This show has
found quite a bit of success because the
hosts are highly relatable. When you
first start listening, you tend to believe
they’ve got it all figured out, but you
soon realize they make the same mis-
takes like everyone else. This podcast is
a realistic approach to parenting.
THE MOM HOUR
The hosts of “The Mom Hour”
This award-winning podcast spans
the gambit when it comes to parent-
ing. Host Andrea Silenzi takes listeners
on a different journey each week. Epi-
sode topics range from common themes
such as dealing with infertility issues to
the less traditional material including
women who have given birth in a car
and polyamorous couples. A recent host
change has upset some longtime listen-
ers, while others find the new content
enthralling. This poignant, sometimes
crazy show is worth a try, especially for
expectant or first-time mothers.
BRING YOUR KIDS!
Podcasts can be fun for kids, too!
They offer parents a much-needed break
from the daily music rotation of the
same twenty songs on the radio. Here
are three great shows to listen to with
your children.
IMAGINED LIFE
Imagined Life takes a unique ap-
proach, unlike anything you’ve listened
to before. The show is part guessing
game, part history lesson, and part fan-
tastic storytelling, all intertwined into a
weekly adventure. Listeners are taken on
an exploration through the joys, the sad-
ness, and moments that defined an indi-
vidual on their journey to the public eye.
Clues are provided along the way to help
you guess the identity of each week’s
mystery persona. Imagined Life is hard to
put into words. You need to listen to this
one to genuinely understand. The show is
phenomenal for both kids and adults!