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8. Donor Conception & Answering Kids Honestly with Freya Lyon
45:37||Season 2, Ep. 8Freya Lyon — known online as The Queer Mama — joins Melissa for a chat about queer parenting, donor conception, and how to answer kids’ questions honestly about identity, death, and their bodies.Freya grew up donor-conceived in a two-mom family and is now raising her own two donor-conceived children with her wife, offering a second-generation perspective on queer family building.In this episode, the pair explore raising children when the world outside the home doesn’t always reflect their values — inspired by Freya’s personal example of her daughter’s school potentially pulling back LGBTQ+ inclusion.Freya shares how she’s navigating advocating for her family while not wanting to become “that parent at the school gates,” or intrude on her child’s safe space and autonomy.They also cover topics like:Does being honest with kids help or confuse them more?Why Freya’s post about donor conception honesty went viralThe intentionality that comes with creating queer familiesBook recommendations for talking to kids about diversity and inclusionFollow Freya at:https://www.instagram.com/thequeermama/?hl=enAnd check out her book recommendations:Mai Story Book Library - https://www.instagram.com/maistorybooklibrary/Lucy Catchpole - https://thecatchpoles.net/books-by-lucy-and-james-catchpole/Nosy Crow - https://nosycrow.us/Julia Donaldson - https://www.juliadonaldson.co.uk/
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7. How Boredom Led to a Global Line of Family Games with Elan Lee
50:49||Season 2, Ep. 7This week on Parenting, apparently, Esther and Melissa sit down with Elan Lee, the award-winning game designer, storyteller, co-creator of Exploding Kittens, and, most importantly, a dad. Elan shares how becoming a parent changed the way he thinks about play, creativity, and game design—including how his 4-year-old daughter helped him create a successful line of preschool games.Together, they explore what makes a games fun for both kids and adults, why children are often the best collaborators in creative game design, and how play can help kids build confidence, executive function, problem-solving skills, and emotional resilience. From board games and puzzles to pizza-making, boundaries, and the joy of watching your child get better at something, this episode is a thoughtful conversation about family play, child-led creativity, play-based learning, and designing experiences that respect our kids’ intelligence.To learn more about Elan Lee:https://www.elanlee.com/And follow his Youtube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@ElanLeeAnd find his games:https://www.explodingkittens.com/
6. Why play is key for child development with Dr. Kathy Hirsch-Pasek
44:39||Season 2, Ep. 6In 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 the most powerful ways children learn. From everyday moments like walking to daycare or waiting at a restaurant, to bigger questions about screen time, school readiness, and achievement pressure, they explore how parents can bring more curiosity, connection, and play into daily life without added stress.Dr. Kathy shares why kids do not need perfect parents, flashcards, or constant milestone tracking to thrive. Instead, she makes the case for open-ended play, human interaction, and child-friendly environments that support creativity, language, problem-solving, and emotional development. For parents wondering how to help their kids learn without turning childhood into a race, this episode offers a grounded, science-backed reminder: play is not extra. Play is the work.Learn more about Dr. Kathy's work:https://kathyhirshpasek.com/And find her book: Einstein Never Used FlashcardsCheck out the study she mentions on human excellence and world class performance by Barth and Güllich:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41411418/And her book recommendation "Raising Humans" by Dana Suskind:https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/811792/human-raised-by-dana-suskind-md/
5. Building More Intentional Kids’ Tech with Ben Drury of Yoto
43:29||Season 2, Ep. 5This 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 support independence, imagination, and choice in what children listen to.Together, they explore what it means to design intentional media for kids, how their own parenting experiences shape their views on children’s technology, and reflecting on growing up with different forms of media.The conversation moves beyond business into the real parenting questions behind products like Yoto and Pok Pok: how kids develop taste, why audio can support autonomy, and how families navigate screen time in a world of AI-generated content and addictive algorithms. Ben also shares how Montessori thinking and his experience as a parent shaped his approach to building for children.For parents thinking about balancing calm screen time for kids, screen-free activities, and more thoughtful children’s media, this episode explores how different types of technology can support a healthier relationship with tech as kids grow.To learn more about Yoto;https://www.yotoplay.com
4. Kids Are Weird: Why That's a Good Thing and the Unlock to Curiosity
30:55||Season 2, Ep. 4This week on Parenting, apparently, Esther and Melissa explore how parenting can make the world feel big again. From dinosaurs, outer space, and gemstones, to basketball, poisonous plants, and library deep dives, they talk about the strange and joyful ways kids’ niche interests reignite curiosity in adults, too. The conversation unpacks learning alongside our children, supporting open-ended play, respecting kids’ obsessions as meaningful, and finding ways to nurture curiosity without turning every moment into a lesson. It is a warm, funny episode about parenting, child development, fostering creativity, and the lifelong value of asking “why?”.
3. Trading “Bounce-Back” Culture for Maternal Well-being with Marlie Cohen
50:30||Season 2, Ep. 3What happens when we reject “bounce-back” culture and bounce forward into who we’re actually becoming?Marlie Cohen, founder of Bounce Forward, has joined Esther and Melissa for a chat that celebrates the postpartum transformation and eases the pressure of getting back to our former selves. Marlie shares how postpartum anxiety, physical injury, COVID, and two young children pushed her to reject the “bounce back” narrative and create a more realistic fitness platform for moms.This isn’t just about exercise—It’s about designing supportive habits that respect the actual conditions of motherhood.For more about Marlie and her company Bounce Forward Co;https://www.instagram.com/kale_and_krunches/https://www.bounceforwardco.com/
2. Lightening The Parental Weight of Wills, Work, and Future Worries with Erin Bury
47:20||Season 2, Ep. 2Melissa and Esther sit down with Willful co-founder Erin Bury for a conversation that softens the heaviness of parenting responsibilities nobody wants to think about, but eventually has to. What starts with wills, guardianship, and estate planning opens into a bigger discussion about responsibility, money, work, death, privilege, and how becoming a parent changes the way you plan for the future.The episode weaves practical advice in with honest founder-parent reflections, touching on what kids understand about work, how families talk about death, and how parents try to raise grounded children while still giving them the best life possible.For more about Erin and her company Willful;https://www.erinbury.com/https://www.willful.co/