Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast

Anna Macfarlane, a mom of four kids and an online marketing and branding expert, joins me to break down how to build a fanbase on Instagram and TikTok: family style. Anna manages the @kidsaretheworst parenting humor account on Instagram, which has more than 500,000 followers. She also manages several other successful accounts and teaches social media marketing courses for families, businesses and bloggers. In our conversation, we talk about how to get started on Instagram and TikTok and how to grow a healthy fanbase. We also discuss the benefits of being on social media and why TikTok is growing faster than most people realize. (It’s not just for teenagers.) Other topics we cover include how to manage your time on social media, talk to your kids about social media and post responsibly.

Mike Julianelle, a dad of two who writes online as Dad and Buried, joins me this week to break down the cost of parenthood. In our conversation, we cover expenses every parent faces such as child care, transportation, vacation, food, medical expenses, diapers and more. We also cover the emotional cost of parenthood, such as stress and the loss of sanity. Learn more about Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast at www.ParentNormal.com. 

Sara Buckley, a comedian, podcaster, social media pro and most importantly, a mom of 3, is this week’s guest. In our conversation, Sara opens up about her experience as a teenage mother and how it changed her life in high school and beyond. Sara explains how she felt when she learned she was pregnant and how friends and family responded to the news. Sara also shares her strong opinion about MTV’s Teen Mom “reality” show and how we don’t support teen moms enough. We also talk about when Sara gave the birds and the bees talk to her kids, how her marriage has remained strong after 15 years and how she started doing standup comedy.

Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series, is this week’s guest. It’s an interview from the archive that took place a couple of years ago while Jeff was on the set of the movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, which many of you have probably read or watched with your kids by now. We’ll be back with new interviews next week. Learn more about Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast on www.parentnormal.com. 

My guest this week is one of my favorite all-time comedians Nick Thune. Now this isn’t a typical Breaking Down Parenting interview because this interview dates back to 2015 when this podcast was called The ParentNormal Comedy Podcast. I wanted to share it again not just because I’m a fan of Nick Thune and he tells a couple of funny stories, but because it was the very first podcast interview I ever did, which makes it perhaps the most memorable podcast interview I’ve ever done. And if you’re a fan of this show, I thought you’d enjoy hearing how this show all started. You can hear I’m a little bit nervous in the interview. That’s partly because it’s the first podcast interview I’ve done. But it’s mainly because we’re talking 15 minutes before Nick’s about to go on stage and I wasn’t sure how cool he was going to be about answering my questions and opening up about his family. But as it turned out, he was very cool about it and I’ll always be grateful for it.

This week’s guest is James Breakwell, a father of four daughters and a comedy writer known to many as @XplodingUnicorn. In our conversation, we break down the parts of parenthood that send us into parent survival mode, how to survive with the stress and crazy parenting moments that James has had to survive however he can. We also talk about James’ new book How to Save Your Child from Ostrich Attacks, Accidental Time Travel, and Anything Else that Might Happen on an Average Tuesday. This is James’ third appearance on the podcast, dating back to the early version of the show when it was called the ParentNormal Comedy Podcast. We reminiscence on how James’ popularity has grown and how his writing life has changed. Find more at www.parentnormal.com. 

This episode is a must-listen for parents of twins. My guest is Macgill Frutchey, a mom of three, including twins. She’s also the funny mom behind the social media account Macgyvering My Way Through Motherhood. In our conversation, we talk about how Macgill literally had dreams of having twins come true and the excitement that brought her family. We also cover recognizing different baby cries, how to tell baby twins apart, best baby shower gifts for moms of twins, synchronized milestones of twins, being parent-trapped, how to carry two babies, getting creative like Macgyver and much more. Find every episode of Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast and more at www.parentnormal.com. 

This week’s guest is Jenna Kim Jones, a mom of two, comedian and co-host of the podcast Couple Friends. In our conversation, we break down parent friendships. Specifically, we talk about how to find friends when you're a parent, what to expect from parent friends, why parent friendships are important, what to do with parent friends and much more. Find every episode of Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast on www.ParentNormal.com. 

This week’s guest is Jennifer Douglas, a mom of two and the creative mind behind Goldfish and Chicken Nuggets (the website and social media accounts, not the foods). After reading Jen’s blog post on The Hot Mess Mom’s Guide to Throwing Your Kid A Solid Birthday Party, I knew she would be a great guest to help break down pro tips for birthday party planning. In our conversation, we talk about when kids should start having birthday parties with friends, how long the parties should last, good locations for a party, what to eat, party gift ideas for guests and much more. I also ask Jen about her time as team captain for UCLA swimming and representing Canada on the National swim team. Isn’t that so cool?

This week, Tara Clark, the mom behind the popular social media account Modern Mom Problems, joins me to break down modern parent problems. In our conversation, we talk about how parenting today is both harder and easier than it was for previous generations of parents. We discuss technology, safety, television, helicopter parents, evolving roles for moms and dads and much more.   To learn more about Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast, visit www.parentnormal.com. 

This week, Andy Herald, a father of three from How to Be a Dad, joins me to break down bath time. In our conversation, we talk about how kids hate to get in the bathtub as much as they hate to get out of a bathtub. We also talk about the floods kids make while in the bath, bath toys, how often most parents bathe kids and much more. You can even hear how Andy compares bathing a baby to mountain climbing. To learn more about Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast, visit www.parentnormal.com.  

This week, Stephanie Jankowski, a teacher and mom of three, joins me to break down what teachers really think of their students. In our conversation, we talk about what parents might not realize about the job of a teacher, how teaching goes beyond what’s in a textbook, memorable stories from the classroom, parent/teacher conferences and much more. Stephanie’s new book Schooled: A Love Letter to the Exhausting, Infuriating, Occasionally Excruciating Yet Somehow Completely Wonderful Profession of Teaching is now available. To learn more about Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast, visit www.ParentNormal.com.

This week’s guest is Amanda Pacovsky, a mom of one, which is perfect because we break down one and done parenting in this episode. Specifically, we discuss the pros and cons of one and done parenting, how to know if being one and done is right for you, how to avoid spoiling an only child and much more. To learn more about Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast, visit www.ParentNormal.com.

This week’s guest is Rachel Sobel, a mom of two and the writer of Whine and Cheez(its). She joins me to break down clingy kids. In our conversation, we talk about when kids are the clingiest, how to be patient with clingy kids and where parents can go (or not go) to escape clingy kids.   To learn more about Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast, visit www.ParentNormal.com.

This week’s guest is Clint Edwards, a father of three and author of the new book Silence is a Scary Sound: And Other Stories on Living Through the Terrible Twos and Threes. In our conversation, we break down Toddler Dangers: How to keep toddlers from injuring themselves and you.

This week, my guest is Serena Dorman, a mom of two and the hilarious voice behind the Mommy Cusses social media accounts. She joins me to break down the WTF moments of parenthood. In our conversation, we talk about memorable WTF moments, reactions to WTF moments and when the most WTF moments occur for parents. Serena also shares her advice for parents who may face a WTF moment today. Serena also shares the stories behind some of her most popular memes, which have helped her build an audience of hundreds of thousands of parents online.

This week, Lisa Munn, a mom of four boys known to hundreds of thousands of followers on social media as Sarcastic Mommy, joins me to talk about the art of raising teenage boys. In our conversation, we discuss how to talk to teen boys about relationships, acceptable social media use for teens, teen driving, disciplining teen boys, searching for colleges and much more. Lisa also shares how she got her start on social media and built a huge following of parents online. To learn more about Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast, visit www.ParentNormal.com.

This week Simon Holland, who I consider the funniest dad on social media, joins me to break down dad stereotypes versus reality. In our conversation, we talk about rival dads, how the role of a dad has progressed since the 1950’s and what happens when dads try to be cool. We also break down some of Simon’s (@simoncholland) most popular tweets, such as: I accidentally said skrt when I meant to say yeet in front of my daughter’s friends and they went sicko mode making fun of me. I’m afraid I’m out of the squad.   Accidentally played dad instead of dead when I encountered a bear and now it can ride a bike without training wheels. To learn more about Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast, visit ParentNormal.com

This week we’re talking about (cough, cough) sick kids. Just when you think kids can’t be worse to clean up after, they start sneezing in your face and throwing up in you lap. Yet, somehow their sicknesses make us want to hold them closer. Joining me to break down the topic of sick kids is Gila Pfeffer, a mom of four teenagers who has dealt with all kinds of sicknesses. In our conversation, we talk about daycare germs, kids vomiting in public, how sicknesses change as kids get older, how parents have no fear of getting sick and much more. Gila also talks about moving her family from the United States to London and about some of the differences in health care. This is also a special episode for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Gila is a breast cancer pre-vivor and survivor. Gila talks about her unique story and how it impacted her family. She also shares the advice she gives to other families impacted by breast cancer.

This week, I’m joined by Adrian Kulp, to break down first year milestones. In our conversation, we talk about underrated baby milestones, favorite milestones, milestones for parents and how our perceptions of milestones change when we have more kids. Adrian is a father of four and author of the new book We're Parents: The New Dad Book for Baby's First Year: Everything You Need to Know to Survive and Thrive Together. We're Parents is the follow up to Adrian's first book, We're Pregnant: The First Time Dad's Pregnancy Handbook. The book offers quick and actionable advice month-to-month for the first year as well as charts to help you track your baby's development and important milestones.

Clark Kent is Superman. Bruce Wayne is Batman. Parents are Santa and the Tooth Fairy. Our secret identities may not be as cool as superheroes, but our kids think we’re pretty super (and rich). The problem with our secret identities is that the instructions for playing these roles is apparently secret too. In this episode, Julie Burton, a hilarious writer, blogger and mother of two, joins me to try and break down tooth fairy duty. In our conversation, we talk about what happens when a kid loses a tooth, how (not) to pull a tooth, how much money to (not) leave under a pillow, what to do with lost teeth and much more. Julie Burton is a columnist and contributing writer for Simply KC magazine. She has written for The Good Men Project, Mock Moms, Sammiches and Psych Meds, That’s Inappropriate, and Perfection Pending. She is also frequently mentioned on The Today Show, HuffPost, Momtastic and Scary Mommy as one of the Funniest Parents on social media. Julie is a contributing writer in the NYT Bestselling “I Just Want to Pee Alone” series titled “But Did You Die?” by A Bunch of Know-It-Alls (2017). She is also a contributing writer to “The Unofficial Guide to Surviving Pregnancy Without Losing Your Mind” (2018).

The wait is over! The first official episode of Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast has been released. Joining me on the episode is Lauren Lodder to break down the mess kids make. Lauren’s hilarious thoughts on parenthood are shared all over the internet from Scary Mommy to HuffPost to BuzzFeed. You may know her on social media as MommyOwl. There are so many different types of messes kids make. The only consistency is that kids are constantly making messes. In our break down of messes, we cover messes in the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and beyond. We also discuss the messy job of cleaning up.

If you’re a longtime listener, you know this show began as The ParentNormal Podcast. For nearly 100 episodes, we featured celebrity interviews, parenting fails and even a few skits. All of those episodes are still available, but the best is yet to come. We have a new look, a new format and a new name. I want to introduce you to Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast. This is a show that’s for imperfect parents by imperfect parents. We are diving deeper than ever into the crazy realities of parenthood with more stories and hilarious confessions from real parents all over the world. In each episode, a different guest host and I will break down a topic that causes parents to break down… like putting kids to bed, potty training, the terrible twos, homework, discipline, cleaning up, cooking for kids and so on. By the end of each breakdown, you’ll hopefully realize that you aren’t alone in your struggles and that the craziness all parents go through is actually quite funny when it’s looked at in the right light. For more info about the show, go to www.parentnormal.com. You can also connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter where we share plenty more parenting humor.

  Phil Rosenthal, creator of Everybody Loves Raymond and host of the new Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil, is this week's featured guest. During our conversation, we talk about how Phil’s love for food and travel led to Somebody Feed Phil and how he’s involved family members on the show. We also talk about creating a family sitcom like Everybody Loves Raymond and how his own family influenced the writing on the show.

Tommy Riles, co-founder of the Life of Dad social network for dads, is this week's featured guest. Tommy is also the audience warm-up comedian for the Ellen DeGeneres Show and has done warm up for dozens of others shows such as American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. In our conversation, we talk about how Tommy became an audience warmup comic and how that has actually helped him as a parent. We also talk about how he started Life of Dad and what it means to help lead a community of fathers.

Nicole Johnson, the lead baby sleep consultant and owner of The Baby Sleep Site, is this week's featured guest. In our conversation, we talk about how to get your baby to sleep better and how to make bedtime easier for you and your kids. We also discuss common mistakes parents make at bedtime, about the impact of naps and food on sleep, and how much sleep you and your kids actually need.

We've reached the end of the countdown of the best parenting fails shared on the ParentNormal Podcast in 2017.  This episode features the five most memorable stories of the year. Keep in mind, we're not celebrating parenting fails. We're just recognizing every parent fails sometimes. Parenting is stressful enough without beating yourself up for past mistakes. The best thing we can do is just acknowledge our mistakes, apologize and try not to make the same mistakes again. Parents Featured in this Episode: #5 Chris Pegula, author and creator of Diaper Dude, who was interviewed in episode 81 of the podcast. #4 Lev Grossman, the New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians, who was interviewed in episode 65 of the podcast. #3 Jenna von Oy, who played Blossom’s fast-talking best friend Six on the show Blossom, who was interviewed in episode 72 of the podcast. #2 Jay Papasan, author of multiple bestselling books including The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, who was interviewed in episode 77 of the podcast. #1 Heather Haupt, author of Knights in Training: Ten Principles for Raising Honorable, Courageous, and Compassionate Boys, who was interviewed in episode 80 of the podcast.

We're continuing our countdown of the best parenting fails shared on the ParentNormal Podcast in 2017.  Parenting is stressful enough without beating yourself up for past mistakes. And that's what this countdown is all about. Every parent makes mistakes. The best thing we can do is just say sorry and try not to make the same mistakes again.

2017 is coming to a close, and like every other year, it was a year full of parenting fails. But if you're feeling guilty about all the things you've done wrong, take comfort knowing you aren't alone. Every parent makes mistakes. The best thing we can do is just say sorry and try not to make the same mistakes again. Parenting is stressful enough without beating yourself up for past mistakes. And that's what this episode is all about. This week we’re starting our countdown of the best parenting fail stories shared on the show in 2017. (Obviously, one parenting fail isn’t better than another. This countdown is just for fun.) Five stories will be shared in this episode and we'll continue the countdown from 10-6 next week.

Devorah Blachor, who has a brand new book out titled The Feminist’s Guide to Raising a Little Princess: How to Raise a Girl Who’s Authentic, Joyful and Fearless ­– Even if She Refuses to Wear Anything But a Pink Tutu, is this week's featured guest. In our conversation, we talk about how Devorah, as a committed feminist, reacted to having a daughter who loved everything pink, princess-related and classicly girlish. We also talk about how her daughter’s interests have changed her own and given her a new perspective on feminism.

Doug Moe, a longtime teacher and performer at the legendary Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, is this week's featured guest. In our conversation, we talk about his new book Man vs. Child: One Dad's Guide to the Weirdness of Parenting. We also talk about fellow parents he's performed improv with such as Amy Poehler, Rob Corddry, Bobby Moynihan and Rob Huebel, about the similarities between improv acting and parenting, about writing parenting humor and about the general weirdness of parenting.

James Breakwell, who Buzzfeed says might be the funniest dad on Twitter, is this week's featured guest. He was actually an early guest on this podcast in episode 12 when we talked about how his parenting humor helped him build a following of nearly 200,000 followers on Twitter. Well, now he has nearly 1 million followers on Twitter alone and a brand new book called Only Dead on the Inside: A Parent’s Guide to Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse. In our conversation, we talk about many of the interesting things that have happened to him since our last interview, including the book deal and adding a pet pig to his family that already included four daughters. I also ask him about his writing process and what piece of advice he has that could apply to kids and zombies both.

How can you improve your child’s behavior and attention span without drugs, labels or coercion? Dr. Thomas Armstrong, author of The Myth of the ADHD Child: 101 Ways to Improve Your Child’s Behavior and Attention Span without Drugs, Labels, or Coercion, attempts to answer this question on this week's episode of the podcast. Now, I want to point out that Dr. Armstrong has opinions on ADHD that many doctors don’t share, but I think it’s important to ask questions and he does a good job of asking questions about a disorder that confuses many parents. In our conversation, we talk about the rise in ADHD diagnoses, what schools are doing right and wrong to help kids who have short attention spans, and about tips to improve your child’s behavior and attention without drugs.

Family coach, Dr. Catherine Pearlman, is this week's featured guest. She is the author of the new book Ignore It! How Selectively Looking the Other Way Can Decrease Behavioral Problems and Increase Parenting Satisfaction. In our conversation, we talk about common concerns parents have when they seek help and about how ignoring some problems is actually a smart thing to do. We also talk about the proper way to manage a time-out, whether it’s too late to help a spoiled child and much more.

Husband and wife writing team Mike and Heather Spohr are the featured guests this week. Mike, who is the parents editor for Buzzfeed, has actually been on the show once before in episode 36. So if you want to hear about his work at Buzzfeed and the secrets of going viral, you should definitely check out that episode. But this week we’re welcoming him back with his wife Heather because they have a brand new book coming out together called The Toddler Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Whiny Unfed. In our conversation, we talk about how they came up with the idea for their book, how they landed a book deal, what the process was like to get it published and what it’s like being a husband and wife team writing a book.

Diaper Dude Chris Pegula is this week's featured guest. Chris created the company Diaper Dude after noticing most diaper bags and accessories were designed for moms.  So instead of carrying his baby-stuff around in a gym bag or backpack, Chris created The Diaper Dude for dads. In our conversation, we talk about how he created a company that makes diaper bags that even celebrity dads like Brad Pitt, Ben Stiller, David Arquette and Matthew Broderick are using. We also talk about Chris’ new book, Diaper Dude: The Ultimate Dad's Guide to Surviving the First Two Years. He even shares a great parenting hack that involves turning clothes around backward.

Heather Haupt, author of Knights in Training: Ten Principles for Raising Honorable, Courageous, and Compassionate Boys, is this week's featured guest. In our conversation, we talk about the differences between raising boys and girls and how about to raise boys who grow into motivated, courageous and kind adults. We also talk about homeschooling and how to know whether you are qualified to be a homeschool teacher.

Nicola Yoon, the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of two books Everything Everything and The Sun is Also a Star, is this week's featured guest. Everything Everything has been adapted into a movie, which is in theaters right now, and I had a chance to talk to Nicola about the book and the movie at the Mom 2.0 Summit. One of the things I thought was so interesting about Everything Everything is that even though it is a Young Adult book, it was inspired by a very common feeling parents have after having a baby. Nicola shares what that feeling was in our conversation. We also talk about the movie reflecting the book and about her new book The Sun is Also a Star, which was influenced by her Jamaican roots.

7th Heaven star Barry Watson is this week's featured guest. Barry has a brand new show premiering June 2 on UP TV called Date My Dad, a dramedy about a great dad who is a few years removed from having his wife pass away and is re-entering the dating scene at the encouragement of his daughters. In our conversation, which took place at the Mom 2.0 Summit in Orlando just a couple of weeks ago, we talk about Date My Dad as well as 7th Heaven. We also talk about how to play an authentic and funny dad on TV without making him goofy - like so often happens to dads on TV. And we also talk about how he researched his new role and how his father-in-law Robert Wagner helped him prepare.

Jay Papasan, author of multiple bestselling books including The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, is the featured guest this week. In our conversation, we talk about how he and co-author Gary Keller came up with the One Thing concept and how it can help parents. We also talk about why creating lists might be a bad idea and about the right time for parents to try and launch a new business.

Platinum-selling singer-songwriter and mother of two kids Lisa Loeb is this week's featured guest. In addition to her radio hits, she has multiple children’s albums, specials and books, she's also created The Camp Lisa Foundation to allow kids, who wouldn't normally have the opportunity, go to summer camp. In our conversation, we talk about her work for adults and children and about why she wants to help more kids attend summer camps. We’ll also talk about how she talked Steve Martin and Ed Helms into playing on her children's albums, about the music industry for modern artists and, of course, about her #1 hit song, a song I absolutely love, called Stay (I Missed You).

This is the second of two parenting fail episodes I'm releasing this week in honor of my new book Perfect Parenting: A Complete History. (Spoiler Alert) There is no history of raising kids perfectly. Thus, every one of my new book’s 40 chapters are empty. It is the parenting book with the fewest words but most important lesson: You aren’t going to be a perfect parent. Get Perfect Parenting: A Complete History now on Amazon for only $5.

This week, I'm releasing two editions of parenting fails in honor of my new book Perfect Parenting: A Complete History. I did the research and (Spoiler Alert) there is no history of raising kids perfectly. Thus, every one of the book’s 40 chapters are empty. It is the parenting book with the fewest words but most important lesson: You aren’t going to be a perfect parent. If you want lessons on how to be a perfect parent, DON’T buy this book. But if you or a friend needs a funny reminder on your coffee table, nightstand or both that perfect parenting is impossible, this book could be the almost-perfect book for you. At the very least, it will be the easiest book for you to finish reading this year. It’s only $5 right now on Amazon, and again it’s called Perfect Parenting: A Complete History.

Pinkalicious author and illustrator Victoria Kann is this week's featured guest. In our conversation, we talk about how she got started writing children’s books, the cool technique she uses to create her signature Pinkalicious illustrations and about the Pinkalicious musical. We also talk about her writing process and about her new book, Peteriffic, which follows the adventures of Pinkalicious’ brother Peter.

Jenna von Oy who played Blossom’s fast-talking best friend Six on the show Blossom is this week's featured guest. She’s also starred in The Parkers and made several guest appearances on shows like Cold Case, 7th Heaven, Chicago Hope and Martin. She’s even voiced characters on animated shows and movies like Family Guy, The Goofy Movie and Hercules. But now she’s playing the real life role of a mom and she’s just released her second book called Situation Momedy: A Very Special Episode in Toddlerdom. In our conversation, we’ll talk about how she started acting at an early age and what advice she has for parents with kids who want to act. We’ll talk about how the fast-talking skill she developed on Blossom has helped her as a parent. And we’ll talk about how real world parenthood compares to the family sitcom.

Julie Clark, the creator of Baby Einstein, CEO of WeeSchool and author of more than 30 bestselling children’s books, is this week's featured guest. In our conversation, Julie tells her awesome story of how she turned her idea for a baby video into a company that Disney would eventually buy. We also talk about how she balances the roles of entrepreneur and stay-at-home mom. She even gives advice to other parents about how to start their own company. And finally, we talk about her new innovative company, WeeSchool, which features an all-in-one app for parents and babies.

Super Troopers director Jay Chandrasakhar is this week's featured guest. In addition to Super Troopers, Jay has directed the movies Beerfest, Club Dread and Dukes of Hazard. He's also directed some amazing TV shows like Arrested Development, Community, Chuck, New Girl, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Human Giant, Psych and others. Jay has a brand new book out called Mustache Shenanigans: Making Super Troopers and other Adventures in Comedy. So I ask him about the book, Super Troopers and his work with the Broken Lizard Comedy Troupe. We also talk about being a dad and the upcoming Super Troopers 2 movie.

City Dads Group co-founder Matt Schneider is the featured podcast guest this week. In our conversation, Matt and I talk about how he and Lance Somerfeld started City Dads Group in New York City after finding a lack of opportunities for dads to hang out together and learn from each other. We also talk about how quickly City Dads Group has grown across the country and how to be a part of the group. Because City Dads Group was started by two stay-at-home dads, I also ask Matt about being a stay-at-home dad, about how dads can maintain their identity if they choose to stay at home and how they can continue to be encouraging to their spouses.

Family therapist Colleen O'Grady, author of Dial down the Drama: Reducing Conflict and Reconnecting with Your Teenage Daughter, is the featured guest this week. In our conversation, Colleen gives me a preview of what I have to look forward to when my kids become teenagers. We’ll talk about the differences between parenting young kids and teenagers. And since Colleen is the first family therapist to appear on the show, I ask her about how to know when you should actually see a family therapist. Because who hasn’t thought they could use a therapist at one time or another?

Marc Webb, director of The Amazing Spider-Man movies and 500 Days of Summer (also amazing) starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel is the featured guest this week. On April 7, Marc has his next movie coming out titled Gifted. The movie stars Chris Evans (Captain America) who plays a single man raising his child prodigy niece. So in our conversation, I asked Marc about what he learned from researching this movie about how to help a gifted child fulfill their potential without pushing them too far. I also asked Marc how he gets the best performances out of child actors, which can be a very hard thing to do. I know I struggle to get my kids to say please, so I can’t imagine what it would be like to try to get them to say a memorized monologue. I will say, however, that Mckenna Grace, the girl who plays Chris Evans’ niece in the movie, is a very gifted actress. I know she helped make Marc’s job easier. And finally, I asked Marc about directing Spiderman, because that’s kind of a big deal. According to IMDB, The Amazing Spiderman 2 had a 200 million dollar budget. That’s a lot of responsibility for a director. But Marc did awesome, just like he did this interview. Behind the Scenes: When I interviewed Marc, we were both at the Dad 2.0 Conference in San Diego, so there is a little bit more noise in the background than usual. My interview last week with HGTV's Josh Temple was at the same conference.

Josh Temple, host of the popular HGTV show House Crashers, is this week's featured guest. In recent years, Josh has also hosted America’s Toughest Jobs on NBC, Ultimate Treehouse on the Discovery Channel and Backyard Nation for TLC. What makes Josh a great host of House Crashers is that he’s not only entertaining, he is also a real licensed contractor. But since this host, me, doesn’t know much about home improvement, in our conversation I made sure to ask him for easy home improvement tips. We also talked about how he got into doing home improvement projects and how to get kids interested in architecture and engineering. Behind the Scenes: When I interviewed Josh, we were both at the Dad 2.0 Conference in San Diego, so there is a little bit more noise in the background than usual.