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A podcast for working parents who are trying to balance it all while caring for the people they love — including themselves.
Brought to you by Care.com, Equal Parts is a podcast for working parents who are trying to balance it all while caring for the people they love — including themselves.
Being a working parent is hard. But you do it for the ones you care for, because they're the ones you care most about. You can never be prepared for everything that is thrown your way — whether at work or at home. But, the Equal Parts podcast will try to make this a little easier for you. We will talk to experts, authors, and parents who will share their insights, advice, and tips on how to navigate parenthood and professionalism — at the same time.
THE LATEST
Teaching kids to use technology for good
We all want our kids to have a healthy relationship with technology. But sometimes our most well-intentioned efforts, like limiting screen time, don't work. So what are the most effective ways to put our kids on the right digital path? Richard Culatta has plenty of ideas. Richard is the CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), a nonprofit that serves education leaders in more than 100 countries across the globe, and was appointed by President Obama as the Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the US Department of Education. "Technology is like a hammer," he says. "You can use it to build great things or to smash things apart." Richard joins us to share ideas from his new book, Digital for Good: Raising Kids to Thrive in an Online World, on how to encourage kids to unleash their creativity, learn new skills, and use tech for good. He shares actionable steps parents and children can take to create healthy digital cultures in our families, practice good digital citizenship, and make our online — and physical — world a better place.
Listen to this episode to learn:
- The problem with the concept with "screen time" and why we need to realize that not all screen time is created equal
- Common mistakes parents make when teaching kids responsible tech use, and steps you can take to correct them (Pro tip: Relax...don't beat yourself up over it!)
- The "digital dysfunctions" threatening kids and society, and how we can prepare kids now to combat them
- Why you should involve your kids in drafting a family "device use agreement"
- Why giving kids a list of online don'ts only reinforces negative behaviors more
- Physical strategies to help kids stay alert and ensure that their privacy, identities, and personal data are being protected (Ask, "How is this app or website being paid for?")
- Why it's imperative that we take responsible digital citizenship seriously, and the risks we face if we don't
For more information, visit https://www.innovativelearning.com/
PAST EPISODES
College admissions 101 for students and families
Vinay Bhaskara, Co-Founder, CollegeVine
Listen to this episode to learn the right time for students to start looking at colleges, and how to guide them in figuring out what they want and don't want in a school.
Creating a culture of care
Amy Henderson, CEO & Co-Founder, TendLab, and author of Tending: Parenthood and the Future of Work
Listen to this episode to learn how and why caring cultures are a competitive business advantage (and what's at stake for those that don't have them) and advice for business leaders and managers on how to hold themselves — and the business — accountable for building trust with and supporting caregiving employees.
How to succeed at "workparenting"
Daisy Dowling, Founder & CEO of Workparent and author of Workparent: The Complete Guide to Succeeding on the Job, Staying True to Yourself, and Raising Happy Kids
Listen to this episode to learn why you shouldn't beat yourself up over feelings of guilt as a working parent and to learn simple, practical tips to get a better handle on your busy days.
An HR leader's plans for the flexible future of work
Melanie Foley, Executive Vice President and Chief Talent and Enterprise Services Officer at Liberty Mutual Insurance
Listen to this episode to learn ways that employers are de-stigmatizing employee mental health ad wellness issues and offering support and how to stay connected and listen to employees to maintain a thriving culture in a virtual work environment.
Gen Z's Pledge to Create an Inclusive and Equitable Future of Work
Pilar McDonald & Lola McAllister, Co-Founders of Project Matriarchs
Listen to this episode to learn what Gen Z values (and expects) when it comes to the culture, benefits, and policies of their future employers and how you can get involved with and support Project Matriarchs and The Pledge.
How to make change in your life — for good
Katy Milkman, behavioral scientist and professor at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
Listen to this episode to learn how to use "temptation bundling" to coax yourself into making change feel easier and techniques for turning laziness and procrastination into assets that will help you meet your goals.
Generation Thrivers
Dr. Michele Borba, Educational psychologist, speaker, and author of Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine
Listen to this episode to learn about even character strengths you can teach kids to help them thrive in any situation and why it's always better to celebrate progress rather than getting the A (the importance of teaching a growth mindset).
Wiley's Chief People Officer: Speaking up for change in the new hybrid workplace
Danielle McMahan, Chief People Officer at Wiley
Listen to this episode to learn about the must-have benefits HR leaders say employees need (including care, expanded mental health and wellness support, and flexibility on when and where work gets done).
A family caregiver's story
Kate Washington, Author of Already Toast: Caregiving and Burnout in America
Listen to this episode to learn why national policies like paid family and medical leave and tax credits are critical to giving family caregivers the help and support they need.
Understanding (and combatting) burnout
Jennifer Moss, Expert on burnout and workplace well-being, journalist, speaker, columnist, and author of Unlocking Happiness at Work, and The Burnout Epidemic
Listen to this episode to learn why "self-care" and wellness apps are great for employee well-being, but they aren't sufficient burnout prevention strategies and differences in how people are affected by burnout according to gender, race, and age.
Evaluating your relationship with alcohol
Aaron White, Senior Scientific Advisor to the Director at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Listen to this episode to learn what science says about the long- and short-term effects of alcohol on our mood and mental health and why it's never too early to model responsible behavior and talk to your kids about alcohol, no matter their age.
We need a parent movement
Elliot Haspel, early childhood and K-12 education policy expert and author of Crawling Behind: America's Childcare Crisis and How to Fix It
Listen to this episode to learn the role government, business, and parents can play in fixing our child care crisis and how companies can't solve the child care crisis on their own, but they can offer more flexible child care options to employees and help change the system for the greater good.
Child care plans, distrupted
Haley Swenson, Deputy Director, the Better Life Lab at New America
Listen to this episode to learn what businesses, government, and policy makers can do to make child care more accessible and affordable to American families — immediately and in the future.
Ending Mad Men-era stigmas about working dads
Josh Levs, Diversity and inclusion consultant, former NPR and CNN journalist, and author of All In: How Our Work-First Culture Fails Dads, Families, and Businesses, — and How We Can Fix It
Listen to this episode to learn why backward thinking about gender is the reason why the United States doesn't have a national paid family leave policy (the only industrialized nation in the world not to) and actions business leaders can take to create dad-friendly work cultures where men no longer fear punishment, retribution, or shame for putting their family first.
How 2020 changed life for working mothers
Blessing Adesiyan, Founder & CEO of Mother Honestly
Listen to this episode to learn about the disconnect between what working parents need and what employers think they need — and why conversations are critical to finding solutions that work.
Finding mindfulness and meaning in a year of burnout
Lisa Abramson, Executive coach, author, keynote speaker, and mindfulness teacher
Listen to this episode to learn the difference between the pressure to succeed and ambition and advice on making the time and space to focus on YOU.
Supporting your differently wired student
Debbie Reber, Parenting activist, New York Times bestselling author, founder of TiLT Parenting
Listen to this episode to learn the warning signs that your differently wired child is struggling emotionally, academically, and socially, and advice on how to address these challenges.
The pandemic's impact on working moms
Dr. Marianne Cooper, Sociologist at the Stanford VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab, affiliate at the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality, and lead researcher for Sheryl Sandberg's NYT best-seller, Lean In
Listen to this episode to learn why one in four women are considering "downshifting" their careers or leaving the workforce due to Covid-19 and how the increase in remote work has created greater bias against working mothers.
Talking to kids about politics and the election
Dr. Christia Spears Brown, Author, researcher, professor of Developmental Psychology, and director of the Center for Equality and Social Justice at the University of Kentucky
Listen to this episode to learn how our values and our communities play central roles in shaping a child's political thinking and age-appropriate ways to start conversations with kids about race and gender using concepts like fairness and respect .
Staying sane and self-compassionate during a stressful year
Dr. Ali Mattu, Clinical psychologist and host of The Psych Show
Listen to this episode to learn why being a "good parent" during a pandemic starts by taking care of yourself and why the challenge of this moment presents a rare opportunity to teach ourselves and our children resilience and strength.
The science behind how babies and toddlers sleep
Erin Flynn-Evans, Sleep scientist and co-founder of Baby Sleep Science
Listen to this episode to learn how to optimize your baby or toddler's sleep environment and the signs to look out for signaling that your baby isn't getting enough sleep.
Staying motivated and focused in the virtual classroom
Kristen DiCerbo, Chief Learning Officer at Khan Academy
Listen to this episode to learn ideas on how to set age-appropriate goals for online learners, from pre-K to 12th grade and the right way to use rewards as a motivation tactic for at-home learning.
Advice from an expert: What parents need to know about Covid-19
William Haseltine, PhD, scientist, entrepreneur, President and Chair of ACCESS Health International, and author of A Family Guide to Covid and A Covid Back to School Guide
Listen to this episode to learn how to assess your "hierarchy of risk" when deciding what's best for your family's health and safety and the importance of monitoring Covid-19 infection data in our local communities.
Helping your kids deal with stress and anxiety
Katie Hurley, child and adolescent psychotherapist, speaker, and award-winning author of No More Mean Girls and The Happy Kid Handbook
Listen to this episode to learn why we need to be hyper-aware (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic) of how easily our kids absorb our own fears, worries, and stress.
Raising actively anti-racist children
Reverend Dr. Jennifer Harvey, Professor at Drake University, award-winning educator, racial justice activist, and best-selling author of Raising White Kids: Bringing up Children in a Racially Unjust America
Listen to this episode to learn tools to teach kids to embrace and celebrate the "language of difference" and ideas for getting kids proactively involved in fighting against racism and injustice.
Teaching kids empathy
Dr. Michele Borba, Internationally recognized educator, speaker, and best-selling author of 24 books including Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me-World
Listen to this episode to learn tips for teaching kids how to hone their emotional literacy (the "gateway to empathy") and enrich their emotional vocabulary.
Back-to-school in the era of COVID-19: what the data says
Emily Oster, American economist, professor at Brown University, bestselling author of Expecting Better and Cribsheet, and contributor at COVID Explained
Listen to this episode to learn about the top factors - based on data - to consider when deciding whether to send your child to school or day care in-person versus have them participate in distance learning.
Raising confident and ambitious girls
Dr. Marisa Porges, Head of The Baldwin School, former Naval Flight Officer and senior advisor in the Obama White House, and author of What Girls Need: How to Raise Bold, Courageous, and Resilient Women
Listen to this episode to learn what you can do to help girls practice "the art of the ask" and become skilled negotiators and advice for raising sons to be female allies and advocates.
What's "too much screen time" for kids in the era of COVID-19
Devorah Heitner, Digital citizenship expert, consultant, founder of Raising Digital Natives, and author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World
Listen to this episode to learn about tips for teaching kids how to self-regulate their screen time and how to empower kids to use technology and digital media for social good.
Talking to kids about race and racism
Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, President emerita of Spelman College, award-winning psychologist, educator, and author of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations about Race
Listen to this episode to learn about how to teach kids how to be actively anti-racis and why you should feel empowered to ask teachers and caregivers questions about how they're communicating fairness and difference.
How to talk to your parents about their finances
Cameron Huddleston, Award-winning journalist and author of Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk: How to Have Essential Conversations with Your Parents About Their Finances
Listen to this episode to learn what legal documents that your parents should have in place and how COVID-19 has changed the way we approach this conversation with our parents.
Gen X women's midlife crisis
Ada Calhoun, New York Times bestselling author of Why We Can't Sleep: Women's Midlife Crisis
Listen to this episode to learn about lessons and stories from Gen X women from around the country and ways employers can step up and better support middle-aged working moms.
Ideas for summer camp at home
Catherine Newman, Writer, Real Simple etiquette columnist, and author of Stitch Camp and How to Be a Person
Listen to this episode to learn about how to talk openly with your child about their sense of loss this summer and how to get started building the camp-at-home experience.
Supporting your teen during COVID-19
Lisa Heffernan, Co-founder of Grown & Flown, writer, and co-author of Grown and Flown: How to Support Your Teen, Stay Close as a Family, and Raise Independent Adults
Listen to this episode to learn the importance of modeling and suggesting constructive solutions to teens' problems.
Raising a resilient child
Jessica Lahey, Teacher, writer, #AmWriting podcast co-host, and author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed
Listen to this episode to learn how to teach your kids (and yourself) how to push through failure and frustration as they learn, live, and play in the age of coronavirus and beyond.
Parenting plans — and strategies — to deal with kids' behavioral challenges
Ross Greene, PhD, NYT bestselling Author and Founding Director of Lives in the Balance
Listen to this episode to learn about plans A, B, and C — the three primary ways in which caregivers can solve problems with kids.
Meditation for working parents
Matthias Brik, Mediation and leadership expert, and adjunct professor at NYU's Graduate School of Public Service and Columbia Business School
Listen to this episode to learn how mindfulness meditation helps us see things more objectively and form deeper relationships with our children, partners and coworkers.
New COVID-19 Legislation: What families and caregivers need to know
Eva MacCleery, Director of Client Services, Care.com HomePay
Listen to this episode to learn about two new pieces of federal legislation — the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the CARES Act — can grant relief to families and their caregivers during this difficult time.
Pre-teens and quarantines
Phyllis Fagell, Licensed clinical professional counselor, journalist and author of Middle School Matters
Listen to this episode for advice on how middle schoolers can cope with — and take command of — this unprecedented situation.
Homeschooling lessons for parents
Ana Homayoun, Author, Educational Consultant, and Educator
Listen to this episode for helpful homeschooling tips parents can put into practice amid coronavirus school closures.
Parenting during a pandemic
Anya Kamenetz, NPR Education Correspondent, co-host of NPR's Life Kit: Parenting podcast, and author
Listen to this episode for tips on how to manage new schedules, homeschooling, and for advice on how to talk to your kids in an age-appropriate way about the coronavirus.
Staying in sync with your partner during COVID-19
Eve Rodsky, Author of the New York Times Bestseller, Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live)
Listen to this episode to hear how couples can divide and conquer domestic duties fairly, equally, and without arguments or resentment while quarantined.
A leadership framework for Working Parents
Stew Friedman and Alyssa Westring, Authors of Parents Who Lead: The Leadership Approach You Need to Parent with Purpose, Fuel Your Career, and Create a Richer Life
Listen to this episode to learn about the importance of defining your values, deciding what you care about most, and setting your vision as a leader in your life.
Navigating the Middle School Years
Phyllis Fagell, Licensed clinical professional counselor, journalist and author
Listen to this episode to learn about the big changes middle schoolers experience, and hear practical advice on how to love and support your children through them.
The Do's and Don'ts of "Sharenting"
Leah Plunkett, Author and Associate Dean and Professor at UNH Law
Listen to this episode for practical guidance on how to make values-based decisions that protect our children's privacy, autonomy, and sense of self in the digital age.
Raising Kind and Caring Kids
Richard Weisssbourd, Child & Family Psychologist, Researcher & Author of The Parents We Mean To Be
Listen to this episode to hear advice on how to raise kind, caring, grateful children and why this should be every parent's goal.
Data-Driven Parenting
Emily Oster, PhD, Professor, Researcher & Author of Cribsheet
Listen to this episode to hear from award-wining economist and author, Emily Oster, on what data says about many of the big questions and topics parents face.
Diversity at Work
Jackie Glenn, Author, Diversity & Inclusion Leader
Listen to this episode to hear Jackie talk about the obstacles, sacrifices, and successes she's experienced throughout her journey as a working mom, an immigrant, a woman of color, a wife, a daughter, and a C-suite executive.
Embrace the Imperfections of Parenthood
Lisa Sugarman, Author, Parenting Expert, Columnist
Listen to this episode to hear about the importance of celebrating our kids for who they are, the path they're on, and the goals they have.
Deconstructing "The New Dad" and Expanding Paid Leave
Brad Harrington, Associate Research Professor & Executive Director, Center for Work and Family, Boston College
Listen to this episode to learn about modern working dads, and the complexities they grapple with when it comes to caring for their families while advancing their careers.
Teaching Your Child Healthy Eating Habits
Jill Castle, MS, RDN, Childhood Nutrition Expert
Listen to this episode for advice on how parents can establish healthy eating habits for their kids.
Dual-Career Couples
Jennifer Petriglieri, PhD, Professor, Researcher & Author of Couples That Work
Listen to this episode to hear about the different stages working couples move through together and advice on how to manage life, family and both careers.
Feeling Sandwiched?
Jody Gastfriend, LICSW, author, and Vice President of Senior Care at Care.com
Listen to this episode to hear about how to deal with the challenges of working, raising kids, and caring for an aging parent.
All Things Toddler
Jennifer Gillette, Founder & Owner, The Loved Family Child Center
Listen to this episode to hear about some of the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social changes that happen during toddlerhood.
Positive Parenting Pro-Tips
Gigi Schweikert, Childhood Expert, Author, President & COO of Lightbridge Academy
Listen to this episode to learn about what Positive Parenting is and helpful techniques and tips you can start using with your kids today.