Shows / Parenting, apparently
Parenting, apparently
Parenthood doesn't come with instructions, and neither does building a company. Melissa and Esther are figuring out both on opposite sides of the world, as friends and founders of award-winning kids’ media brand Pok Pok.
Since 2021, running Pok Pok has been a front-row seat to the inner world of parents: the real wins that don’t make it to Instagram, as well as the unspoken fears and questions that everyone is waiting for someone else to say first.
Parenting, apparently, is a space to come…
Episodes
Parenting, apparentlyBest Of: Honest Founder-Mom Talk — The Motherhood Penalty & Parent Guilt
What does ambition cost a working mom, and what does it give back? This best-of brings back two conversations between Melissa and Esther about being mothers…
Parenting, apparentlyBest Of: Letting Kids Lead with Elan Lee & Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek
What happens when you stop just playing with your kids and start letting them lead? This best-of brings back two conversations on what kids can teach adults…
Parenting, apparentlyThe Art of Motherhood: Creativity, Ambition and Identity with Madeline Donahue
What if motherhood doesn’t diminish creativity, but gives it new urgency, meaning and material? Brooklyn painter Madeline Donahue joins Melissa and Esther to…
Parenting, apparentlyWhy Adults Need Play, Daydreaming & Wonder — Creative Health with Katina Bajaj
What happens when adults stop playing, and what does that mean for parents? In this episode of Parenting, Apparently, Melissa chats with Katina Bajaj, a…
Parenting, apparentlyParenting Expectations vs. Reality: Snacks, Bedtimes, and Behaviour
Before you have kids, you picture the parent you’ll be and the kid you’ll have. But what happens when kids grow into humans that don’t match the ones we…
Parenting, apparentlyTwo Founder Moms On Career Guilt and the Real Cost of Ambition
This week it's just Melissa and Esther — no guest, just the two of them, picking up a thread left over from last week's conversation about ambition: what were…
Parenting, apparentlyAmbition, Motherhood, and the Millennial "Do It All" Script with Amil Niazi
In this episode of "Parenting, apparently," Esther and Melissa sit down with Amil Niazi — whose viral essays and national bestselling memoir have made her one…
Parenting, apparentlyYour kid has 8 senses, not 5! With Laura Petix
Melissa and Esther welcome back pediatric occupational therapist Laura Petix (the pod’s first return guest!) who arrives with a new book: The Sensory Code, out…
Parenting, apparentlyRethinking What School Offers Kids
In this episode of “Parenting, apparently,” Esther and Melissa rethink what school really offers kids. From exploring the differences between the Belgian and…
Parenting, apparentlySurviving Your First Back-to-School Season
It’s back-to-school season, and Melissa’s son is starting kindergarten for the first time, while Esther is six years in with her two boys. Together, they chat…
Parenting, apparentlyThe Motherhood Penalty: Our Take as Moms & Employers
In this episode of “Parenting, apparently”, Melissa and Esther unpack the “motherhood penalty”: the bias mothers can face in hiring, pay, promotions, and how…
Parenting, apparentlyWhat Can Millennial Childhood Teach Us About Parenting?
Melissa and Esther were 90s kids with very different upbringings. Growing up in Canada and Belgium, they compare notes on their millennial childhoods—from…
Parenting, apparentlyRaising Feminist Boys & Growing Up in a Matriarchy with Edith (Esther’s Sister)
This week on “Parenting, apparently”, Esther is joined by her sister Edith for a conversation about childhood, motherhood, feminism, and the lessons we carry…
Parenting, apparentlyThe Artist Parents Revolutionizing Kids’ Screen Time
Melissa Cash and Esther Huybreghts, hosts of Parenting, Apparently, share the story behind Pok Pok—their award-winning kids’ app built to rethink screen time…
Parenting, apparentlyCan We Build Safer Social Media for Kids? With Leah Ringelstein
Is there such a thing as safe social media for kids? If so, what does it actually take to build it? This week, Melissa and Esther are joined by Leah…
Parenting, apparentlyAI Slop and the Future of Healthier Kids’ Media
This week, Esther and Melissa dive into the world of YouTube, AI slop, and the challenge of finding healthier media for kids. After creating their own…
Parenting, apparentlyIdentity After Kids, Birth Stories, and Redesigning Maternity Clothes with Sam Doll
Sam Doll is a musician, writer, filmmaker, and creator with over a million followers online. In this episode about finding yourself after kids, Sam joins…
Parenting, apparentlyFinding Calm in Summer Parenting with Courtney Phillips Spoehr
Courtney Phillips Spoehr, senior creative executive at Calm, joins Melissa and Esther to talk about summer parenting stress and the pressure of the “18…
Parenting, apparentlyDonor Conception & Answering Kids Honestly with Freya Lyon
Freya Lyon — known online as The Queer Mama — joins Melissa for a chat about queer parenting, donor conception, and how to answer kids’ questions honestly…
Parenting, apparentlyHow Boredom Led to a Global Line of Family Games with Elan Lee
This week on Parenting, apparently, Esther and Melissa sit down with Elan Lee, the award-winning game designer, storyteller, co-creator of Exploding Kittens…
Parenting, apparentlyWhy play is key for child development with Dr. Kathy Hirsch-Pasek
In this episode of Parenting, Apparently, Esther and Melissa sit down with developmental psychologist Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek to talk about why play is one of…
Parenting, apparentlyBuilding More Intentional Kids’ Tech with Ben Drury of Yoto
This week on Parenting, Apparently, Esther and Melissa speak with Ben Drury, co-founder and CEO of Yoto, the screen-free audio platform for kids designed to…
Parenting, apparentlyKids Are Weird: Why That's a Good Thing and the Unlock to Curiosity
This week on Parenting, apparently, Esther and Melissa explore how parenting can make the world feel big again. From dinosaurs, outer space, and gemstones, to…
Parenting, apparentlyTrading “Bounce-Back” Culture for Maternal Well-being with Marlie Cohen
What happens when we reject “bounce-back” culture and bounce forward into who we’re actually becoming? Marlie Cohen, founder of Bounce Forward, has joined…
Parenting, apparentlyLightening The Parental Weight of Wills, Work, and Future Worries with Erin Bury
Melissa and Esther sit down with Willful co-founder Erin Bury for a conversation that softens the heaviness of parenting responsibilities nobody wants to think…
Parenting, apparentlyMother’s Day: Who Were You Before Parenthood?
Have you ever felt like the thing you really want for Mother’s Day is not flowers or macaroni art but… a break from your parental duties? Melissa Cash and…
- Parenting, apparently
Raising Creative Kids through Play
What happens when you stop directing your child's play and simply let them lead? In this episode, Esther sits down solo with multidisciplinary artist and mom…
- Parenting, apparently
BTS: The Truth Behind Parent Media
How much of your parenting anxiety is influenced by what you read and see online? Melissa Cash and Esther Huybreghts sit down with Vanessa Grant to explore how…
- Parenting, apparently
Is the Mental Load a Badge of Honor?
Are you carrying invisible responsibilities that no one else even realizes exist? If your brain feels like it has forty tabs open at once, this episode will…
- Parenting, apparently
The Question Parents Are Afraid To Ask
Can you love your kids deeply and still wonder what life without them would have looked like? This episode is an honest, funny, and unexpectedly deep…
- Parenting, apparently
The Evolution of Parenting With Three Generations of Mothers - From 1958-2026
Are you parenting with confidence, or parenting with commentary from the entire internet in your head? What happens when you put a 90-year-old…
- Parenting, apparently
How to Be A Stronger Ally in Autism Awareness with Sara Southard
Could the limits we place on neurodiverse kids, like screen time or alternative learning, actually be the very tools helping neurodiverse children thrive? When…
- Parenting, apparently
The Power of Playful Parenting with Devon Kuntzman
How can connection lead to more cooperation from your toddlers? Toddlerhood can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be a constant battle. In this…
- Parenting, apparently
The Neuroscience Behind Kids, Screens, and Real Connection with Dr. Cindy Hovington
As parents, how can you tell if screen time is *actually* harmful for your child’s brain? And how can you even parent properly without a neuroscience degree?!…
- Parenting, apparently
What "Good Sleep" Really Looks Like for Kids with Rachael Shepard-Ohta
Is the "barometer" you use to measure a successful night of sleep actually just a social construct that is making you more stressed? Sleep can feel…
- Parenting, apparently
Navigating the Emotional Weight of Feeding Your Baby with Mallory, The Formula Mom
When deciding upon how to feed your baby, how can you trust your instincts when advice feels overwhelming? Feeding a baby often becomes one of the most…
- Parenting, apparently
Raising Inclusive Kids Without Fear or Perfection with Beth Leipholtz
When parenting doesn’t go as expected, how do you move forward? Parenting rarely goes according to plan, and this episode will remind you that unexpected turns…
- Parenting, apparently
Managing Meltdowns and Understanding Sensory Needs with Laura Petix
What is actually happening in your child’s brain during a meltdown? And, what can you do during a meltdown when nothing seems to help? When your child is…
- Parenting, apparently
What Every Parent Needs to Know About Screens and Technology, With Ash Brandin
You’re navigating parenting in a world where screens are unavoidable, and this episode will help you release the guilt that often comes with that reality. In…
- Parenting, apparently
Evidence-Based Ways to Keep Kids Healthy This Season with Dr. Mona
Which hygiene routines actually matter for preventing illness in your home? In this episode, Melissa and Esther chat with beloved pediatrician Dr. Mona about…
- Parenting, apparently
The Ultimate Guide to Parenting Kids with ADHD with Dr. Carrie Jackson
How can you tell if your child’s struggles are normal or a sign of ADHD? And, how do you decide whether to pursue a formal ADHD diagnosis? In this episode…
- Parenting, apparently
Where Is The Instruction Manual For Being A Mother?! With Shawna Lander
What changes when you stop performing “good parenting” for others and focus on what works for your family? In this episode, Melissa and Esther talk with…
- Parenting, apparently
The Loneliest Generation: Why Modern Parents Need a Village with Michelle Kennedy
As a parent, how can you build real in-person connections when you feel overwhelmed or isolated? In this episode, you’ll dive into why raising kids today often…
- Parenting, apparently
Imperfect Parenting, Real Talk, and Why We Started This Podcast
What is Melissa and Esther’s mission behind creating a podcast that focuses on imperfect parenting? In this first episode, you’ll meet Melissa and Esther as…
- Parenting, apparently
Welcome to We're Doing Great! A Podcast for Imperfect Parents.
Welcome to We’re Doing Great, a podcast for imperfect parents. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube to make sure you never miss an episode…