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Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast

Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast is a show that’s for imperfect parents by imperfect parents. Hosted by humorist and imperfect parent of three Chris Cate, every episode breaks down a topic that causes parents to break down, such as putting kids to bed, potty training, the terrible twos, homework, family communication, clothing, discipline, cleaning up, cooking for kids, etc. The mission of the show is to help parents laugh when they want to cry. By the end of each topic breakdown, parents will hopefully realize they aren’t alone in their struggles and that the craziness all parents go through is actually quite funny when it’s looked at in the right light. Longtime listeners will know the show began as The ParentNormal Podcast. For nearly 100 episodes, it featured celebrity interviews, parenting fails and even a few skits. All of those episodes are still available, but the best is yet to come. Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast is diving deeper than ever into the crazy realities of parenthood with more stories and hilarious confessions from real parents all over the world.
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Now displaying: Page 4
Jul 14, 2016

Sarah Maizes is the featured guest this week. Sarah is a mother of three who has authored children’s books and humor books. She’s also a regular contributor to TODAY Parents, the parenting website for NBC’s Today Show.

We’ll talk about her work for TODAY Parents, which involves curating the funniest parenting posts on Facebook every week. She’ll even share how you can improve your chances to make the list of funniest parenting posts and perhaps get the attention of the Today Show.

I’ll also talk to her about being a literary agent early in her career and how it helped her develop her children’s book series. And I’ll ask her about her book Got Milf? The Modern Mom's Guide to Feeling Fabulous, Looking Great and Rocking a Minivan.

If you happened to find this show because you did a word search for "milf," this episode isn’t going to be anything like you hoped. But I still hope you listen because you'll probably benefit from hearing real conversations about parenthood.

Jul 6, 2016

Every parent has parenting fails - many, many parenting fails. It's a fact that we don't hide on the ParentNormal Comedy Podcast. This episode is the third collection of parenting fails shared on the show. The storytellers in this episode include:

Beau Coffron from episode 23: Beau is known as Lunchbox Dad. He’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Steve Harvey Show and several other top shows. He’s also appeared on ABCNews.com, Yahoo.com and he’s even been in People Magazine, all because he makes the most creative lunches for his kids.

Sarah Turner from episode 25: Sarah is best known to her fans as the Unmumsy Mum. She recently released a book called The Unmumsy Mum, which is already a Sunday Times bestseller in England. The book has its roots in her very popular parenting blog of the same name – The Unmumsy Mum – which was named Best Baby Blog at the 2015 MAD Blog Awards.

Bianca Jamotte from episode 26: Bianca is a mom, an actress and the creator of the webseries Real Mommy Confessions. If that wasn’t enough, she also owns a specialty mac and cheese restaurant and a coffee shop in Brooklyn, New York.

Charlie Capen from episode 28: Charlie is the co-creator of the How to Be a Dad website and co-author of The Guide to Baby Sleep Positions: Survival Tips for Co-Sleeping Parents.

Brian Gordon from episode 29: Brian is the creator of the Fowl Language webcomic. He has a new book out titled Fowl Language: Welcome to Parenting, which is full of cartoons that perfectly poke fun at the daily struggles parents face.

Jun 22, 2016

No matter how much we love our kids or how hard we try to be perfect, parenting fails are inevitable, which is why it’s important to tell our stories - so nobody gets fooled into thinking any parent is as perfect as they pretend to be on Facebook.

This is the second time I’ve done an episode dedicated to parenting fails. You can go back and listen to episode 11 of the podcast, which features the parenting fails from the first 10 guests on the show. Now, for this episode, I’ve compiled the parenting fails from guests 11 through 15.

Jun 15, 2016

Jeannie Gaffigan, the wife and writing partner of Jim Gaffigan, one of the most popular comedians in the world, is the featured guest on the podcast this week.

In addition to co-writing Jim’s standup material, Jeannie co-writes the Jim Gaffigan Show with Jim. They also have five kids together and raise them in New York City, which is the basis for the Jim Gaffigan Show.

In our conversation, Jeannie and I talk about her writing process with Jim, what it’s like to raise kids in New York City, what their family does for entertainment and why Father’s Day was the perfect day for the new season of the Jim Gaffigan Show to premiere.

Jun 8, 2016

If you aren’t familiar with McSweeney’s, it features some of the smartest and most original humor online. It’s not a parenting website by any means, but one of the many things I appreciate about the site is that it doesn’t shy away from good parenting humor. As long as an essay is original and funny, no topic is off limits on McSweeney’s and I think that is a credit to Chris as the editor.

In our conversation, Chris and I will talk about what separates good parenting humor from tacky parenting jokes, how often he gets submissions about parenthood and what topics he’s tired of reading about. (Can you guess what topic everyone is writing about right now?)

Chris works out of his home, so we also talk about being a work-at-home dad and how he stays on schedule. And finally, I’ll ask him about working with some of the celebrity authors who contribute to McSweeney’s.

May 31, 2016

Mike Spohr, editor of BuzzFeed Parents, is this week's featured guest. If you’re a writer or even if you’re just an aspiring writer, you are really going to enjoy this conversation.

Mike and I talk about the characteristics of a viral article and what it means to go viral. We talk about some of Mike’s favorite articles for BuzzFeed Parents and what kind of articles parents tend to gravitate towards. We also discuss Mike’s own family blog and what it takes to build an online fan base of readers.

May 17, 2016

Mary Elizabeth Williams was diagnosed with a rapidly fatal form of cancer while her kids were only 6 and 10 years old. In this episode, we talk about how she responded to her diagnosis and how she told her kids. We also talk about new treatments and what advice she has for parents struggling with a terminal illness.

Mary Elizabeth’s story has a happy ending. She is healthy and has a new book that tells her complete story titled A Series of Catastrophes and Miracles: A True Story of Love, Science and Cancer. But there are many parents with young children who still don’t know how their story will end. If you want to help them in some way, Mary Elizabeth suggests donating to Gilda’s Club, which provided tremendous support to her and her family. As Mary Elizabeth puts it, cancer is not a one person disease. It impacts everyone in your life.

May 12, 2016

Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor in chief of the Huffington Post, is my featured guest this week. Arianna is a mom who has been on Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world and Forbes’ list of the world’s 100 most powerful women.

Arianna has just released a new book called The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time. In the book, she describes the crucial role that sleep plays in our every waking moment—and how we can harness its power to improve every aspect of our lives.

One of my favorite subjects happens to be sleep, even though I’m usually talking about how little sleep I get, so it was great to talk to Arianna and learn what advice she has for parents who struggle to find the time to sleep.

May 3, 2016

Adam Mansbach, author of #1 New York Times Bestseller Go the F**k to Sleep and You Have to F**king Eat, is the featured guest this week.

If you’ve never heard of these books, you must not have an internet connection. Go the F**k to Sleep has been translated into 40 languages and Time Magazine named it the “Thing of the Year.” Even though the book came out a few years ago, it is still on the New York Times Bestseller List. If you search YouTube, you’ll find it hilariously narrated by people like Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Garner.

Apr 28, 2016

Mike Sacks, a comedy writer, podcaster and editor at Vanity Fair, is this week's featured guest.

Mike has published two books that I consider to be required reading for anyone who loves great comedy writing:

Apr 20, 2016

Rosie Pope, star of Bravo's Pregnant in Heels, is the featured guest this week. In addition to her work on Pregnant in Heels, a show in which Rosie guided soon-to-be mothers and fathers through the joys and perils of preparing for parenthood, Rosie is the author of Mommy IQ: The Complete Guide to Pregnancy. She is also a contributing editor at Parents Magazine and the creative force behind MomPrep, her prenatal, postpardum and parenting education studio and Rosie Pope Maternity and Rosie Pope Baby, her maternity and baby clothing and accessories lines.

In this episode, we talk about what was it like for Rosie to be going through her own pregnancy while helping other new moms, all while on national television. She also shares how she got started helping other parents, what concerns she hears the most from new parents and what advice she has for them.

Apr 19, 2016

Karen Alpert is the New York Times bestselling author of I Heart My Little A-Holes: A bunch of holy-crap moments no one ever told you about parenting. Her new book is I Want My Epidural Back: Adventures in Mediocre Parenting and it's already getting rave reviews.

In this week's episode, I talk to Karen about how she became such an open book about parenting, how she launched a kickstarter to complete her first book and what her writing process is like to be able to do everything she accomplishes. We also talk about her new book and she lists some of her favorite authors.

Apr 6, 2016

Fowl Language webcomic creator Brian Gordon is the guest this week. He has a brand new book out called Fowl Language: Welcome to Parenting, which is full of cartoons that perfectly poke fun at the daily struggles parents face.

In this episode, we talk about how much of Brian's comics are based on his real life, how he makes his cartoons, how his site grew in popularity and much more.

Apr 1, 2016

This week's guest is Charlie Capen, co-creator of the How to Be a Dad website and co-author of The Guide to Baby Sleep Positions: Survival Tips for Co-Sleeping Parents.

In our conversation, we’ll talk about how his website How to Be a Dad was started and grew into a site and community with a worldwide audience. We will also talk about the dad stereotype that’s often portrayed in the media and why that perspective needs to change.

Mar 15, 2016

It’s the week of Spring Break for our family, so the theme of this episode, naturally, is Spring Break-down. In the episode, I'll cover what's in the ParentNormal News about spring breakdowns. I'll also touch on springbreakdowns in the ParentNormal Mailbag segment while also covering other calendar events this week like Daylight Savings Time and St. Patrick's Day.

ParentNormal Questions Answered in this Episode:

  • Do you have any parenting tips for St. Patrick’s Day?
  • How do you survive the daylight savings time change with kids when every parent knows that keeping kids on a schedule is so important?
  • Am I the only parent who feels like they are being mocked when they hear the term “spring break?” Isn’t there a better name that doesn’t imply spring break is actually a break for parents?
Mar 10, 2016

Bianca Jamotte is a mom, an actress and the creator of the webseries Real Mommy Confessions. If that wasn't enough, she also owns a specialty mac and cheese restaurant and a coffee shop in Brooklyn, New York.

In this interview, we chat about how she comes up with ideas for her show, how her team puts them together and whether her experience working in soap operas like One Life to Live makes her think parenting is pretty much a real-life soap opera.

Mar 3, 2016

Sarah Turner, known to her fans as the Unmumsy Mum, is the featured guest this week. Sarah has just released a book called The Unmumsy Mum, which is already a Sunday Times bestseller in England. The book has its roots in her very popular parenting blog of the same name - The Unmumsy Mum - which was named Best Baby Blog at the 2015 MAD Blog Awards. Sarah also won the award for Best Writer.

Feb 28, 2016

My 6-year-old daughter Ava is the featured guest this week. She is the first non-parent to be a guest on the show, but she still offers valuable and amusing insight from a kid's perspective.

We talk about what's so great about being six-years-old and what she thinks are the best lunch foods. We also talk about what the tooth fairy looks like, what she does with all of the teeth she collects and why she comes at night.

Feb 18, 2016

Beau Coffron, also known as Lunchbox Dad, is the featured guest this week. He’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Steve Harvey Show and several other top shows. He’s also appeared on ABCNews.com, Yahoo.com and he’s even been in People Magazine, all because he makes the most creative lunches for his kids that you just have to see.

I realize this is a podcast, so you will need to go to his website, LunchboxDad.com to see exactly what I’m talking about, but I think you’ll enjoy our conversation about what made him want to turn something most parents think of as a chore into an art, what foods work the best for his designs and how he went from being a dad making cool lunches for his kids to doing it on the national news.

Feb 16, 2016

It's ParentNormal Mailbag day. Last Tuesday I shared what was scary good in the ParentNormal News and on Thursday I interviewed Jill Smokler, the creator of the hugely popular parenting website Scary Mommy. So now, I'm answering your scary good questions.

ParentNormal Questions Answered in this Episode:

  • I always liked scary stories when I was a kid, but I’m afraid to tell my kids scary stories that might give them nightmares. Do you have a scary story that might find the right balance for kids under 5?
  • I don’t understand why my kids are afraid of the dark. Why can’t I explain to them there’s nothing to be afraid of?
  • My son asked me if Frankenstein was real and if so who was his daddy? What should I tell my son?
  • What are the 10 scariest experiences every parent will face?
Feb 11, 2016

Scary Mommy Jill Smokler is the featured guest this week. She is the creator of the very popular parenting website Scary Mommy. Jill is also the New York Times bestselling author of Confessions of A Scary Mommy and Motherhood Comes Naturally (And Other Vicious Lies). Her honest take on parenting has appeared in countless publications and on television programs including The Today Show, Good Morning America, Nightline and Fox and Friends. And now she can add The ParentNormal Comedy Podcast to her resume.

The theme this week has been Scary Good, so Jill is a perfect fit.

Feb 9, 2016

The theme for this week is Scary Good, which means the ParentNormal News will feature what's scary good about parenting. In this episode, I also preview Thursday's upcoming interview with Scary Mommy creator Jill Smokler.

Feb 7, 2016

Here is this week's ParentNormal Mailbag. Since the theme is Time After Time, I answer questions related to time.

ParentNormal Questions Answered in this Episode:

  • Now that I’m a parent, will I ever get any time off?
  • My toddler always wakes me up really early, before it’s appropriate to get up out of bed. How do you know what time you should get out of bed?
  • I always have trouble getting my kids to school on time or anywhere for that matter. Do you have any suggestions?
  • I feel like I waste so much time during the day waiting for my toddler to finish going potty. Do you have any suggestions for making the most of that time?
Feb 4, 2016

Hillary Frank, host of The Longest Shortest Time podcast, is the featured guest this week. Her work has aired on a variety of public radio programs including  This American LifeMorning EditionAll Things ConsideredStudio 360Marketplace, and Weekend America.

I am thrilled to have Hillary on my show because her show helped pave the way for family podcasts like mine. The Longest Shortest Time is the top ranked Kids and Family podcast in all of iTunes, and it has just become a part of the Earwolf Network.

Feb 2, 2016

The theme for the three episodes being released this week is Time After Time. So if you're lost, you can look, and you will find… well, I don’t know what you’ll find but I’m sure if you’re a parent it’s going to be sticky, gross and old…Time After Time.

Alright, has everyone who is going to get the Cyndi Lauper reference shown their True Colors? Okay, good. Now let’s see what’s in the ParentNormal News about Time.

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