Fictional Parenting

We cover Casen's favorite episode "The Bathtub", and finish out season one of Stranger Things! We could have spent an hour just talking about Steve Harrington's epic bat flip, but I promise we didn't. Listen to find out if this is a lie.

Are alternate realities real? You just KNOW we couldn't unpack The Flea and the Acrobat without getting into a deep science fiction discussion! Plus: Joyce takes on Lonny, and Karen picks Nancy's lock with a hair pin, so we fall all the way down the privacy rabbit hole!

This has to be one of my favorite podcast episodes we've recorded to date. With the first episode being the very fun, very ridiculous, very scary "Nightmares", Leia O'Connell and I get to talking about our own nightmares, and boy does it get crazy! We of course also cover "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", the episode we believe really solidifies Buffy's persona, as well the epic finale "Prophecy Girl". Since this episode concludes season one of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, we had to take a few moments at the end of the episode to pick out the main parenting themes in season one. ***Covering the episode "Nightmares" prompted us to think about parents living through real nightmares every day. For every download, Leia and I will each donate $1 to RAICES (up to $50 each) in support of families heartlessly separated and caged after crossing the border into the USA.***

Meaghan and I return to Hogwarts to talk intense McGonagall Mama energy, the Sorting Hat and whether or not we sort kids too early... or too late!, Snape and his complicated ways, and of course, TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!!

Leia O'Connell swaps out her Buffy opinions for Karen Wheeler ones to dive into episodes 3 and 4 of Stranger Things! This episode is chock-full of tense debate over the effectiveness of Karen Wheeler's parenting and an appropriate level of admiration for Joyce Byers. Don't worry, we fangirl over the one and only Hopper too!

In this episode, we cover "Angel", "I Robot... You Jane", and "The Puppet Show"! There is quite the array of parenting topics across these seemingly parent-less episodes. But as with every episode so far, the Scoobies are dealing trials and tribulations that ultimately connect back to the world of parenting! Leia and I get into catfishing and the inherent tight-rope walk that is the internet and our children, romantic relationships and our natural responses to them, the parent-child emotional connection, and so much more! And as always, we delight in fangirling over this fun, multi-dimensional gem of a series.

Four chapters make for an episode packed with parenting topics! Ann Eastham, fellow Ravenclaw, came on this journey with me, and we touch on so much in these four chapters: parental trust, wizarding prejudice (and real-world prejudice), traveling as a child, and of course, THE WEASLEYS!

Teacher's Pet, Never Kill a Boy on the First Date, and The Pack! Wow, what a jumble of iconic episodes Leia and I cover in this hour! The writers took a sci-fi/fantasy look at inappropriate teacher relationships, the dichotomy of teenage dating and responsibility, and of course the white whale of parenting, BULLYING! We get into it all and don't hold back on our own experiences- both as parents and as teenagers! Not to mention, we get to fawn over some of the best quotes in the entire Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. Beepers anyone?

Casen is joined by her husband and father to her kiddos to discuss one of their favorite genres, science fiction! There's a lot to cover in just two episodes, including relaxed 80's parenting, the genius of Joyce Byers, and Hopper as a central father figure in the creepy, paranormal town of Hawkins, Indiana.

Host Casen Combs and special guest Leia O'Connell discuss the parenting relationships of Joyce, Giles, and The Master in episodes one and two, before leaping into the toxic mother-daughter relationship of Catherine and Amy in episode three. Between Joyce's parenting tapes (one of many strong transportation vehicles back to 1997) and the great debate over when exactly Cathrine and Amy switch bodies, Leia and Casen start the long and frequently comical discussion of how anyone parents effectively in Sunnydale, CA.

Guest Meaghan Golden Avocato, tried and true Hufflepuff, joins host Casen Combs, confused Ravenclaw, to discuss the parenting tactics of The Dursleys! We focus in on what we learn about those developmentally critical ten years of Harry's life from chapters one and two. From living in a cupboard under the stairs to placating Dudley's tantrums (not to mention their straight-up denial of Harry's obvious magical abilities), we draw from our own parenting experiences to pick apart the choices Petunia and Vernon make and how those themes are reflected in everyday parenting.