Semi Crunchy Mama Podcast

It's hard enough to feed ourselves well, but add kids to the mix? Suddenly dinnertime can feel like the finals of American Ninja Warrior gone horribly awry. Luckily, Amy Vig went through culinary training for the rest of us to help parents become kitchen ninjas themselves. In this episode we talk about the challenges of cooking for a family, some tips and time saving tricks, and why a lot of us need to shift how we think about "healthy food."  Show notes with recipe links at semicrunchymama.com/ep12

You're keeping your kid alive! Good job! How often does the phrase "good job" come out of your mouth? Why do we say it? Do we need to? Is it actually that bad? What's wrong with praising your kid? Parenting Path's Aki Raymer helps break it down for us. She explains why we may be doing the wrong things with good intentions, and what to do instead from a positive, but productive, approach. Get more resources and show notes at semicrunchymama.com/ep11

What do you do when your children start asking how babies are made? When do you have the "birds and the bees" talk? When should you tell your kids about menstruation? How do you even Google this stuff without regretting it? Luckily, Melissa Carnagey from Sex Positive Families is here to tell us. We discuss how to foster a family environment to promote open communication around sexual education and health from an early age - and how to catch up. semicrunchymama.com/ep10

Did having kids affect your life pretty much as you imagined? Did it change everything for you? Or something in between? For Beryl Young, her path had changed a few times, but her first pregnancy and then loss brought her somewhere she didn't expect. Creativity played a huge part in that, and that's what we're talking about in this episode. How can you fit creativity into your life, and what can that even look like with kids? semicrunchymama.com/ep9

So many priorities can change after you have kids - some of them surprising. Depending on your own childhood, you may not have a solid financial background to start, then suddenly you're worried about college savings plans on top of paying all your bills this month. What should you prioritize, and how? Certified Financial Planner Bobbi Rebell is here to help demystify some of those things on this week's episode. semicrunchymama.com/ep8

In the first year of your baby's life the only constant is change. It's a period of rapid development, and we all want our babies to get the best start possible. But what is that? How do we communicate with our babies to teach them new skills? What's normal, what's delayed, and when should we worry? Speech language pathologist, parenting educator, author, and mom Ayelet Marinovich fills us on what we need to know about connecting and communicating with our newest family members. 

You've probably heard of Montessori in some context or another, but do you know what it really IS? Montessori expert RB Fast gives me a brief history and summary of Maria Montessori's educational philosophy, what to look for in a Montessori care setting, and how to incorporate some basics at home for as free as possible. Since we talked I've had a few successes at home! 

In the United States, "getting back" to our pre-baby selves seems like a competitive sport. But it doesn't have to be, nor should it! I talk to birth and postpartum doula Lynsey Haynes about the importance of postpartum care, traditional approaches to recovery from birth, and why she started Ansei Postpartum Center, the only dedicated postpartum center in California. Hope you enjoy it! 

The transition to starting school can seem daunting for parents and kids, and it seems like it should come with a handbook! What should your preschooler know to be kindergarten-ready? What academic and emotional skills are most important? How do you find the right environment for your child? What if your options are limited? Mom, educator, and former teacher Lily Jones gives me the low-down on what's really important for school success. 

There's so much pressure on new moms to "bounce back," whether getting back to work, the gym, or just carrying on like having children didn't impact your life. What if you don't bounce? Graeme Seabrook and I talk about her experience with postpartum depression and how it brought her to supporting moms through these transitional phases of life, her Mothers Bill of Rights, and her #truthinmotherhood project that encourages moms to be honest on social media about their parenting experiences.

I always tell my clients, "You'll never love or hate your partner as much as you will after you have a baby." Emotions are high. Sleep is low. It's a big change. So what goes wrong and what can we do to be good parents AND good partners? Whether or not you're actually married, relationship coach Janna Denton-Howes walks us through some of the traps that can befall new parents, and strategies to stay connected during those stressful first years of parenthood. Find the show notes at semicrunchymama.com/ep002

Desiree Adaway is a business owner, educator, and changemaker. She's also a mother. How has her lived experience informed her parenting, and what does she mean when she says that "parenting is a radical act"? In this discussion we cover what she prioritized for her kids, reasonable expectations for our kids and ourselves, what makes a "good mom," what patriarchy has to do with that, and setting boundaries with our families. 

What's this podcast about? Who are you? What can we expect? In this short introductory episode, I'll tell you about my path to becoming a Semi Crunchy Mama, and why this podcast is the next step. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I do making it.