Are we bad parents for leaving our 2-year-old and 4-month-old with their grandparents so we can fly overseas? In this episode of @JonesFamilyPlaybook , we get brutally honest about the guilt, the doubts, and the moment one of us asked, "So why don't we cancel the trip?"

We've never spent a single night away from our boys. Holly has a physical reaction just talking about it, Keith thinks a strong marriage has to come first, and neither of us can fully convince the other.

We break down our plan for leaving the kids with grandparents, the "call me at 3 a.m." rule, and whether we'll be checking the baby cameras the whole time. We look at what the research says about separation anxiety, hear what our pediatrician said, and explain why bringing the boys on this trip was never an option.

Then we play "Haunted House, But It's Parenting," from 3 a.m. screaming to stepping on a rogue Hot Wheel.

Would YOU leave your kids for a trip like this? Tell us in the comments on YouTube. 👇

In this episode:

-Leaving young kids for the first time

-Mom guilt and parent guilt

-Leaving kids with grandparents

-First night away from your baby

-Traveling without kids

-Separation anxiety in toddlers and babies

-Should your marriage come first?

-Do couples need time alone after kids?

-Why we can't fly internationally with a toddler and a baby

-Missing holidays like Halloween

-Haunted House, But It's Parenting

Have an episode idea? Share it in the comments or email us at jonesfamilyplaybook@gmail.com

❤️ WATCH, LIKE & SUBSCRIBE — we're working toward our first 1,000 YouTube subscribers, and every subscription helps us keep growing The Jones Family Playbook.

OUR LINKS

https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilyplaybook

👋🏻 ABOUT US

The Jones Family Playbook is a weekly parenting and marriage podcast hosted by Keith and Holly Jones, two broadcast journalists and working parents raising two young boys.

It's where real love, laughter, and parenthood meet — with honest conversations about marriage, parenting, family life, work, and everything that comes with raising a family.

Follow Holly!

www.instagram.com/HollyHarrarTV

Follow Keith!

www.instagram.com/KeithJonesNews

#MomGuilt #ParentingTwoKids #Parenting #SeparationAnxiety #FamilyPodcast #DadLife #marriageafterkids #parenthood #motherhood #TheJonesFamilyPlaybook

What happens when Mom isn't just tired… but completely tapped out?

In this episode of The Jones Family Playbook, Holly opens up about something many moms experience but don't always talk about: mom rage, mental overload, and the feeling of being completely overwhelmed and overstimulated by the end of the day.

After a long day caring for two young boys, Holly reaches her breaking point when bedtime doesn't go according to plan. What follows is an honest conversation about postpartum emotions, the mental load of motherhood, parenting two children with very different needs, and what it feels like when your nervous system is simply done.

Keith also shares what it's like to watch the person you love struggle and instinctively want to fix the problem - only to realize that sometimes she doesn't need a solution. She needs space.

We talk about:

• Mom rage and the emotional overload of motherhood

• Why small frustrations can become overwhelming

• The mental load of raising two children

• Postpartum emotions and breastfeeding

• Why dads sometimes want to “fix” what moms need to feel

• Giving your partner space when they're completely tapped out

• The importance of communication and daily “touch points” in marriage

• Therapy, mental health, and asking for help

• Feeling like you're accomplishing nothing while raising your kids

• The reality of parenting two young children

And, of course, we eventually discover the unlikely cure for a terrible day: peanut butter, tiramisu, and Dancing With the Stars.

❤️ WATCH, LIKE & SUBSCRIBE — we're working toward our first 1,000 YouTube subscribers, and every subscription helps us keep growing The Jones Family Playbook.

OUR LINKS

https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilyplaybook

👋🏻 ABOUT US

The Jones Family Playbook is a weekly parenting and marriage podcast hosted by Keith and Holly Jones, two broadcast journalists and working parents raising two young boys.

It's where real love, laughter, and parenthood meet — with honest conversations about marriage, parenting, family life, work, and everything that comes with raising a family.

Follow Holly!

www.instagram.com/HollyHarrarTV

Follow Keith!

www.instagram.com/KeithJonesNews

#Parenting #Parenthood #MarriageAfterKids #Fatherhood #Motherhood #MomRage #Overstimulation #DadLife #MomLife #TheJonesFamilyPlaybook

Having kids changes almost everything, including who you are, how you spend your time, and how you experience your marriage.

In this episode of @JonesFamilyPlaybook , we get honest about something parents don't always say out loud: we love being parents, but we also miss parts of the lives we had before kids.

We talk about losing our freedom, struggling to find time for each other, date nights that feel rushed, and the challenge of making time for ourselves while raising two young boys.

We also look back at who we were when we first met, how becoming parents changed our identities, and whether it's possible to miss your old life while still loving the life you've built.

And then Holly shares the story of the first time she saw Keith at NBC10 in Philadelphia, a moment she says she'll never forget. ❤️

If you're a parent who's ever wondered, “Where did the old me go?” or “How do we find our way back to each other?” this conversation is for you.

Watch the full episode, then LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE The Jones Family Playbook with another parent who needs to hear this.

OUR LINKS

https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilyplaybook

👋🏻 ABOUT US

The Jones Family Playbook is a weekly parenting and marriage podcast hosted by Keith and Holly Jones, two broadcast journalists and working parents raising two young boys.

It's where real love, laughter, and parenthood meet — with honest conversations about marriage, parenting, family life, work, and everything that comes with raising a family.

Follow Holly!

www.instagram.com/HollyHarrarTV

Follow Keith!

www.instagram.com/KeithJonesNews

#Parenting #Parenthood #MarriageAfterKids #parenthoodgoals #Fatherhood #Motherhood #DadLife #MomLife #TheJonesFamilyPlaybook

Going back to work after parental leave sounds simple… until you come home and your toddler stops running to you.

Keith is back at work after 16 weeks of paternity leave, trying to balance fatherhood, marriage, and a demanding career... all while wondering if going back to work is changing his relationship with his toddler and 4-month-old.

In this episode of The Jones Family Playbook, Keith opens up about the guilt of going back to work and what it felt like when his two-year-old stopped rushing to the door to greet him.

Then, after their toddler falls off the bed and reaches for Dad for comfort, something changes. That moment gives Keith the reassurance he desperately needed: going back to work didn’t mean his boys loved him any less.

Keith and Holly also talk honestly about sharing the mental load, staying connected as husband and wife, why dads sometimes feel pressure to “just deal with it,” and whether work can actually be a healthy escape from parenting.

And as two journalists and parents, they discuss how becoming parents has completely changed the way they experience and report the news.

In this episode:

• Returning to work after parental leave

• Returning to work after paternity leave

• Dad guilt and working-parent guilt

• Parenting two young boys

• What happens when your toddler stops running to you

• Balancing marriage, parenting, and a demanding career

• The pressure fathers feel to provide

• Work-life balance for working parents

• How becoming parents changes your identity

• How parenthood changes the way journalists see the news

• Why communication matters when both parents are overwhelmed

OUR LINKS

https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilyplaybook

👋🏻 ABOUT US

The Jones Family Playbook is a weekly parenting and marriage podcast hosted by Keith and Holly Jones, two broadcast journalists and working parents raising two young boys.

It's where real love, laughter, and parenthood meet — with honest conversations about marriage, parenting, family life, work, and everything that comes with raising a family.

Follow Holly!

www.instagram.com/HollyHarrarTV

Follow Keith!

www.instagram.com/KeithJonesNews

#Parenting #DadLife #WorkingDad #ParentalLeave #Fatherhood #ToddlerParenting #Marriage #FamilyPodcast

Having a second baby can bring a marriage closer together, but it can also leave you completely exhausted. In this episode of The Jones Family Playbook, we get honest about what life is really like with two boys under two.

And there's a special guest joining us the entire time: our infant son, Callan!

We also play Red Flag or Green Flag, debating everything from going to bed angry and opposite-sex friends to separate vacations, splitting household chores, and whether couples who never argue are actually a red flag.

Then we get into one of our biggest parenting conversations yet: Are the "terrible twos" really terrible? We talk toddler tantrums, boundaries, discipline, independence, and why parents may be too quick to label normal learning behavior as "bad behavior."

In this episode:

Life with two boys under two

How baby #2 has changed our marriage

Marriage, exhaustion and finding time for each other

Red Flag or Green Flag: relationships and parenting

Going to bed angry

Opposite-sex friendships in marriage

Separate vacations and separate bedrooms

Splitting household chores

The mental load and who does more at home

Using AI for parenting advice

Toddler tantrums and boundaries

The "terrible twos" debate

Gentle parenting vs. firm discipline

Toddler independence and stranger danger

Why normal learning behavior isn't necessarily "bad behavior"

Parenting two very different boys

And, of course, plenty of Callan 🥰

OUR LINKS

https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilyplaybook

👋🏻 ABOUT US

The Jones Family Playbook is where real love, laughter, and parenthood meet. Hosted by Holly and Keith, two broadcast journalists and working parents, this weekly podcast brings a blend of humor, honesty, and heart to every conversation, creating a trusted space that feels like a growing family.

Follow Holly!

www.instagram.com/HollyHarrarTV

Follow Keith!

www.instagram.com/KeithJonesNews

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2026.

#Parenting #Marriage #ParentingTwoKids #ToddlerParenting #MomAndDad #FamilyPodcast #TerribleTwos

Going back to work after having a baby is hard. But after spending 16 weeks at home with our two boys, Keith wasn't prepared for just how emotional it would be.

In this episode of The Jones Family Playbook, Keith opens up about the end of his 16 weeks of parental leave and what it feels like to leave his family and return to work. We talk honestly about dad guilt, working-parent guilt, motherhood, raising two kids under two, and why parents, especially fathers, shouldn't feel ashamed for being emotional.

Then, Holly surprises Keith with something she had been secretly writing for days: a letter about the 16 weeks he chose to spend at home with his family. ❤️

This episode is for every parent who has struggled with the push and pull between work and family, and for anyone trying to make the most of the little moments before they become memories.

In this episode:

• Going back to work after parental leave

• Why dads should take paternity leave

• Dad guilt and working-parent guilt

• The emotional reality of leaving your kids

• Raising two boys under two

• Holly's anxiety about parenting alone in the mornings

• Why men should feel comfortable showing emotion

• An emotional letter from wife to husband

• Giving yourself grace as a parent

• Finding gratitude in the chaos of family life

OUR LINKS

https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilyplaybook

👋🏻 ABOUT US

The Jones Family Playbook is where real love, laughter, and parenthood meet. Hosted by Holly and Keith, two broadcast journalists and working parents, this weekly podcast brings a blend of humor, honesty, and heart to every conversation, creating a trusted space that feels like a growing family.

Follow Holly!

www.instagram.com/HollyHarrarTV

Follow Keith!

www.instagram.com/KeithJonesNews

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2026.

#Parenting #ParenalLeave #MaternityLeave #PaternityLeave #WorkingParents #DadLife #Parenthood #Marriage #FamilyPodcast

Holly and Keith get very honest about the emotional side of parenting two young kids: moving Callen into his own room, feeling guilty about dividing your attention between two children, breastfeeding and postpartum body image, and the strange feeling of watching your babies become more independent.

We also talk about Holly's experience as Miss Philadelphia 2016, how that chapter shaped her identity, Keith's early days in television, and why the hardest moments in our lives can sometimes lead us exactly where we're supposed to be.

And, naturally, Keith considers shaving his entire face.

It's another very real conversation about parenting, marriage, identity, and trying to figure out what the heck we're doing along the way.

If you're a parent who's ever felt guilty, nostalgic, overwhelmed, or completely unprepared for how quickly your kids grow up… you'll probably relate.

OUR LINKS

https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilyplaybook

👋🏻 ABOUT US

The Jones Family Playbook is where real love, laughter, and parenthood meet. Hosted by Holly and Keith, two broadcast journalists and working parents, this weekly podcast brings a blend of humor, honesty, and heart to every conversation, creating a trusted space that feels like a growing family.

Follow Holly!

www.instagram.com/HollyHarrarTV

Follow Keith!

www.instagram.com/KeithJonesNews

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2026.

#Parenting #ParentingPodcast #Marriage #MomGuilt #TheJonesFamilyPlaybook

Is our 2-year-old actually ready for potty training... or are we about to make a huge mistake?

In this episode of The Jones Family Playbook, we talk about the next big parenting milestone: getting Keith III out of diapers. He’s starting to show some signs of readiness, but we debate whether parents should simply wait until their kids are ready or actually push them to learn new skills.

We also get unexpectedly emotional talking about something every parent eventually faces: your baby growing up. Keith doesn't fall asleep in our arms anymore. He doesn't want Dad to sing to him anymore. And even though he's still affectionate, those little baby moments are starting to disappear.

We talk about raising two boys, Holly becoming the "queen" of a house full of boys, the example Keith sees in his mother, and the pride that comes with watching your son start to look up to you.

And then there's the question that somehow becomes a full-blown debate: If you hold the door open for someone at Chipotle, do they have to let you go ahead of them in line? We have very different opinions.

Plus: Keith's dentist appointment, the pressure parents feel when their child gets their teeth checked, an unfortunate incident involving our dog, and what it's really like trying to record a podcast while raising two little boys.

This is The Jones Family Playbook: an honest, unscripted conversation about parenting, marriage, family, and figuring it out as we go.

If you enjoy the show, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who would relate.

OUR LINKS

https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilyplaybook

👋🏻 ABOUT US

The Jones Family Playbook is where real love, laughter, and parenthood meet. Hosted by Holly and Keith, two broadcast journalists and working parents, this weekly podcast brings a blend of humor, honesty, and heart to every conversation, creating a trusted space that feels like a growing family.

Follow Holly!

www.instagram.com/HollyHarrarTV

Follow Keith!

www.instagram.com/KeithJonesNews

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2026.

#Parenting #ParentingLife #MomLife #DadLife #FamilyLife #ToddlerLife #Marriage #TheJonesFamilyPlaybook