Matthew's just days away from becoming a parent, while Mandy and Pete navigate the complex world of sharing beloved films and shows with their teens. From handling commercials and consent messaging in Bluey to the heartbreak of watching your kid zone out during your favorite childhood classic, this episode tackles the emotional minefield of introducing kids to the media you love—and accepting when they just don't care.

Questions we discussed:

• When should you start intentionally watching shows and movies with your children?
• How do streaming services change parenting by eliminating commercial messaging?
• Watching problematic favorites (like John Hughes movies)
• Why do kids reject movies their parents love, and how should you handle it?
• How does context and first-viewing experience shape our relationship with movies?

Bonus PSA: No popcorn for kids under five—it's a choking hazard.

What happens when your carefully crafted birth plan collides with medical reality—and your family's overwhelming enthusiasm? This episode explores the gap between Hollywood's dramatic 10-minute labor scenes and the actual days-long delivery process, while navigating the beautiful chaos of well-meaning relatives who can't contain their excitement.

Matthew, Mandy, and Pete tackle the complexities of modern childbirth: How do you balance trusting medical professionals while still advocating for your preferences? What's it really like compared to what we see in movies? And how do you manage family support that becomes more overwhelming than helpful?

In This Episode:

Matthew reflects on the performative pressure to be the "perfect supportive partner" and introduces the "circles of care" model—where support flows inward while emotional processing happens with people further from the center. Pete shares how his performance anxiety vanished the moment actual labor began.

The conversation also covers the medicalization of childbirth and political pressures around birth choices, post-birth food cravings you dream about for months, coordination tools like MealTrain for postpartum support, traveling with babies while managing family expectations, and the realities of C-sections versus natural birth.

Plus, the hosts address a listener question about managing an 18-year-old camp counselor's inappropriate texts to a 14-year-old camper.

Whether you're weeks away from delivery or years from considering kids, this episode captures the beautiful chaos of preparing for parenthood. Sometimes the best-laid birth plans are just the starting point for the real adventure.

Navigating screen time as a parent feels like walking through a minefield – every choice comes with judgment, guilt, and conflicting expert advice. In this candid conversation, hosts Matthew Fox and Mandy Kaplan sit down with voice actor and dad Will Collier to tackle the daily battles of raising kids in our screen-saturated world.

Topics Covered

• When should parents start worrying about their own screen habits around babies and toddlers?
• What's the difference between "good" and "bad" screen time? We examine the spectrum from educational content like Wild Kratts to algorithm-driven platforms like TikTok.
• How do you handle screen time in a community where every family has different rules? The conversation revealed the judgment and awkwardness that comes with navigating other parents' choices – from kids watching violent movies at age 4 to families who use screens as 24/7 babysitters. Finding your own boundaries while respecting community relationships requires constant negotiation.

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