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Parenting through family conflict feels like walking a tightrope. On one side sit your values and a strong urge to protect your child. On the other side lives your love for relatives who see the world differently. And all the while, your kid is watching—not for perfect talking points, but for how you handle the tension.

Today we're sharing what to say to kids before, during, and after disagreements with relatives—how to model respect, clear boundaries, and steady courage when the room gets loud—because tense moments around the table are powerful classrooms.

Build confidence for family gatherings where politics come up—hit subscribe and get scripts for what to say to your kids before, during, and after disagreements with relatives.

• Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.
• Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!

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Who Should Listen

This episode is for parents navigating family gatherings where politics come up, anyone who needs scripts for managing disagreements in front of kids, and caregivers who want to model being brave and kind at the same time.

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What You Get In This Episode

• Scripts for before family gatherings: setting expectations, teaching values, and creating code words for when kids feel uncomfortable
• What to say in the moment when disagreements happen (and when relatives try to pull your kid in)
• How to debrief after arguments: validating feelings, normalizing disagreement, clarifying your stance
• What to do when you mess up: scripts for when you lose your temper, freeze, or are too harsh
• The meta-lesson: modeling reflection, apology, and trying again

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Bios

Caitlin is a former middle school teacher, current parent, and someone navigating these messy family dynamics alongside you. She's here to remind you that you can be imperfect while still showing up and being the best mom for your kids.

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Sources & Mentions

Organizations like All In Together and the Vote Mama Foundation offer tools for civic engagement while parenting, reminding us that advocacy and family life can coexist.

Important reminder: Your kid is watching how you act when things get tense way more than they're memorizing your talking points. You're not trying to raise a political clone—you're modeling values.

The best support is a rating and a share.

Love,
CK & GK

Support the show

View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on
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Thanks, y'all!

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Life hasn't stopped, even though it feels like the world is falling apart. You're still doing laundry, packing lunches, dealing with broken freezers. And your kids are picking up on your tension—the tone in your voice, the headlines they overhear, the things their friends are saying at school. You don't have all the answers, and that's okay. But staying silent isn't the answer either. Today we're breaking down how to talk to your kids about scary news—with scripts for every age, permission to mess up, and the reminder that you don't need perfect words. You just need to show up.

You don’t have to feel paralyzed about how to talk to your kids—hit subscribe and get age-appropriate scripts that help them feel safe, heard, and empowered to ask questions (even when you don't have all the answers).

• Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.
• Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!

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Who Should Listen

This episode is for parents feeling overwhelmed by current events, anyone who doesn't know how to talk to their kids about scary news, and caregivers who want scripts that actually work without downloading trauma into their children's brains.

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What You Get In This Episode

• Why talking with kids matters—even when you don't have all the answers
• Ground rules: honesty, boundaries, and emotional safety
• Scripts by age band (4-8, 9-12, 13+) for different scenarios: protests, scary headlines, "are we going to be okay?"
• A simple 3-step conversation framework you can remember and reuse: Ask what they know, name the feeling + basic facts, offer safety + one action
• What to do when conversations go wrong: oversharing, shutdowns, and the "I messed up" script

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Bios

Caitlin is a former middle school teacher. Jenny is a current middle school assistant principal. Both are current parents, and people navigating these scary times alongside you. They’re here to normalize feeling overwhelmed and offer practical scripts that work—because you don't need perfect words. You just need to show up.

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Sources & Mentions

• What to say to kids when the news is scary : Life Kit | NPR
• How to talk to kids about scary news | Parents | Nat Geo Kids
• A Parent’s Guide to Comforting Kids When News Is Frightening: Age-Appropriate Tips For Parents | Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Blog
• Great resource list: Helping Children Cope: Talking to Kids About Violence and Tragedy in the News | Minnesota Children's Museum

Remember: Kids benefit more from a slightly messy, honest conversation than fr

The best support is a rating and a share.

Love,
CK & GK

Support the show

View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on
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Thanks, y'all!

Send us a Text!

The holidays are over. The decorations are packed away, the laundry pile is bigger than ever, and the calendar just got serious again. You're staring down that jarring shift from holiday magic to alarm clocks, packed lunches, and after-school meltdowns. The post-holiday blues are real—and they hit parents just as hard as kids. We're sharing practical strategies to ease back into routine without the whiplash, plus ways to keep a little magic alive in the everyday chaos of January.

We totally understand dreading the return to normal life—hit subscribe and learn how to beat post-holiday blues with routines that actually stick (and tiny sparks of joy that make January feel less like a comedown).

• Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.
• Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!

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Who Should Listen

This episode is for parents feeling that post-holiday letdown, anyone struggling to get back into routine after winter break, and families who need practical tips for making the transition smoother without losing all the holiday joy, connection, and warmth.

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What You Get In This Episode

• The school supply reset: what to restock, check, and replace before chaos hits
• Why restraint collapse hits harder after breaks—and the decompression rule that actually works
• How to build anticipation in everyday life (hint: visible calendar + tiny "yeses")
• Quick, cheap ways to keep connection alive without adding to your to-do list
• Permission to feel the post-holiday letdown, too (even if you did all the work to create the magic)

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Bios

Caitlin and Jenny are moms and besties in Austin, Texas. Jenny is a middle school assistant principal and Caitlin is a former middle school teacher turned EdTech marketer. They understand the post-holiday transition from both the parent and educator perspectives—and they're here to help you survive it.

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Sources & Mentions

• Tips to Help Families Get Back Into the School Routine After Winter Break | Sallie B Howard School
• Printable scavenger hunts for errands: Grocery Store, Target, Costco (links on blog)
• Thanks to CK's friend Joey for the hilarious New Year's resolution!
• Special shoutout to Karen, CK's mother-in-law, for restoring her cherished baby blanket

Note: This is a re-aired episode that's incredibly timely every January. Whether you're heading back to school, work, or just regular life—these tips help ease the transition without losing all the holiday warmth.

The best support is a rating and a share.

Love,
CK & GK

Support the show

View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on
- Instagram
- Facebook
- TikTok
Thanks, y'all!