1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,519 Speaker 1: Welcome to stuff Mom Never told You From how Supports 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Kristen 3 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: and I'm Caroline, and today we are so excited to 4 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: be talking to host of w n y c s 5 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: The Longest Shortest Time and also this American life producer, 6 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:32,600 Speaker 1: Hillary Frank. That's right, Christen's conversation with Hillary is kicking 7 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: off podcast summer camp. So basically, this summer we are 8 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:41,959 Speaker 1: talking to a bunch of fellow lady podcasters about what 9 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: they do, why they do it, where their interests lie, 10 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: and how they got to where they are. Basically, I 11 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: think we kind of selfishly wanted to hear that from 12 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: other podcasters. And when it comes to podcasts that I 13 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: personally love, Caroline The Longest Shortest Time is definitely at 14 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: the top of the list because it feels a lot 15 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: like the kinds of in depth, candid listener stories that 16 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: we get so often, and The Longest Shortest Time is 17 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: also focused around parenthood and also just familihood more generally, 18 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: so it really feels like a kindred podcast to me. Well, Kristen, 19 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: how did you get interested in it? If it is 20 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: a podcast about parenting? Neither one of us is a parent. Well, 21 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: it was actually a parent friend who first mentioned it 22 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: to me and said, you have to talk about this. 23 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: They talked about all sorts of things that you cover on, 24 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: stuff I've never told you, and so I did, and 25 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: I was hooked because it very much does have and 26 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: almost this American life feel to it, because Hillary has 27 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: such an incredible way of engaging her guests to really 28 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: mind the depths of what it means to be a parent, 29 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: beyond what we normally read on parenting blogs or in 30 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: all the different parenting books you might see. It really 31 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: gets to the nitty gritty of what it's like and 32 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: how unglamorous and difficult it often is, and also too 33 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: incredibly rewarding of course. Well, so what was your favorite 34 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: part of speaking with Hillary? Well, selfishly, because like you mentioned, 35 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 1: I am not a parent at this point, but you 36 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: and I are at an age when friends of ours 37 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: are becoming parents. And one thing that I was so 38 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: glad to get her insight on was bridging the parent 39 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: nonparent divide, because I think a lot of times, especially 40 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: in pop culture, we see this division between oh here 41 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: the non parents who are still cool and we can 42 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: hang out as late as we want to, and then 43 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: there the loom parents, and all you want to do 44 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: is talk about their babies and play dates and things 45 00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:59,919 Speaker 1: like that, and you can't possibly get along. How could 46 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: friendships survived that? Um? But Hillary talks a lot about 47 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: how it is absolutely possible to survive the survive kids 48 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: getting in the way of of your lady friendships or 49 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 1: just general couple of friendships, or I'm just saying friendship, 50 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:21,239 Speaker 1: different types of friendships, the various classifications of friendships. Yeah, 51 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: that's good to know. I'm actually getting dinner with one 52 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: of my best lady friends in second grade here pretty soon, 53 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,399 Speaker 1: and she is about to have her third So that's 54 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: good to know that there's hope first remain friends and 55 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: other I was gonna say twenty something years, but now 56 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: it's been more than twenty something years. Friendship is more 57 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: powerful than baby scare one. Yeah, babies are very powerful. 58 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: They're very very weak. They don't can't even stand I 59 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: don't have much next strength. They can't even feed themselves. Well. 60 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: To kick things off, Hillary is going to introduce herself 61 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: and how she got started in radio, which then lad 62 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: to podcasting and the longest shortest time, So, dear listeners, 63 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: please enjoy my chat with Hillary Frank. My name's Hillary Frank, 64 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: and I have been a radio producer for sixteen years. UM. 65 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 1: I started out UM doing some work for This American 66 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: Life as a freelancer, and then moved on to freelancing 67 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: for a lot of different radio shows. UM. And I've 68 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: also written three young adult novels UM that that I 69 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: illustrated my degrees actually in UM drawing in drawing naked 70 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: people like yeah yeah. I studied UM like anatomical drawing 71 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: UM at the New York Academy of Art, and while 72 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: I was there, got my first story on This American 73 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 1: Life and wound up going into radio. Well, I have 74 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: to ask, then, what was your first story on this 75 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: American Life? My first story was something I put together 76 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: using a boom box and answering machine micro cassette answering machine. UM. 77 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 1: Those were the tools of the day, I guess, or 78 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: what was accessible to me as someone who didn't know 79 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 1: how to make professional radio. And I did a story 80 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: about my two friends in college who pretended to be 81 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: a giant. One got on the other's shoulders and they 82 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 1: would wrap a blanket around themselves and wear like a 83 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: long UM kind of kiss style wig um, and they 84 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,839 Speaker 1: called themselves Giant Man and um. They would like show 85 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:37,359 Speaker 1: up on the Quad at night and they would post 86 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: these like posters flyers all over campus saying like, uh, 87 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,479 Speaker 1: Giant Man will be appearing on the Quad, and he 88 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:48,359 Speaker 1: would he would show up and just be like I 89 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: am giant, I am huge, and I'm a benevolent giant Man, 90 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: and I have come to shower you with butter Scotch candy. 91 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: And he would like throw butter scotch candy at the crowd. 92 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: But the thing was that everyone who didn't actually see 93 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: Giant Man believed that he was real and um and 94 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: there and it was in. People believed it so much 95 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: that like there were professors discussing in philosophy classes whether 96 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: or not um, we were exploiting a freak of nature. Wow. Yeah, 97 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 1: So I interviewed my friend who was the top half 98 00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: of Giant Man. Oh man, that sounds fantastic. Um. Well, 99 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 1: for listeners who might not be familiar with the Longest 100 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,720 Speaker 1: Shortest Time, can you tell us a little bit about 101 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:36,600 Speaker 1: it and where the idea came from? Yeah? So, um, 102 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: The Longest Shortest Time is a podcast I started when 103 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 1: my daughter was about ten months old. UM, I had 104 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 1: a really rough delivery and recovery UM from childbirth. I 105 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,479 Speaker 1: had an episiotomy, which is you know when they cut 106 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,919 Speaker 1: you to help get the baby out, and then my 107 00:06:56,040 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: stitches busted um a week later and I needed to 108 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 1: get recut and stitched um and that was like actually 109 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: more traumatic than anything that had calmed down in the 110 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,279 Speaker 1: in the actual birth. And I wasn't able to walk 111 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: UM for the first two months of my daughter's life. 112 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: And I couldn't like I couldn't do the kinds of 113 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: things that you want to be able to do when 114 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: you're a new mom, Like UM, I couldn't bounce her. 115 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: I couldn't um get into the right position to breastfeed her. 116 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: I couldn't change her diaper. I couldn't give her a bath, 117 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: and like those are things that not everyone relish is doing, 118 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: but like you want to be able to take care 119 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 1: of your kid when when you first have one. And UM, 120 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: I also couldn't go upstairs. We lived in an apartment 121 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: UM where our bedroom was on I was upstairs, in 122 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 1: the bathroom was downstairs, so I I slept in our 123 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: very dark, tiny living room on a air mattress for 124 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: the first eight weeks of her life. UM. So it 125 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: was like a really dark time. And we moved four 126 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: months after she was born to a town where I 127 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: didn't know any body, and it looked to me like 128 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: everyone was having an easier time than I was. UM 129 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: And you know, I would I wanted to make friends, 130 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: and so it would like, let's say I would be 131 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: at a coffee shop and I would see somebody UM 132 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: holding a very tiny baby, and I'd be like, wow, 133 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: look at you. You're you're doing it. That's great. And 134 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: they would be like, well, it's been two weeks, and 135 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: and for me, it was just such a like uh, 136 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: like a punch in the gut, and I felt like, 137 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: how was I going to continue to have a conversation 138 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 1: with anyone like that? UM And So I felt an 139 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: urgent need to know that other people were struggling, even 140 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:36,960 Speaker 1: if it wasn't the same exact struggle that I had. 141 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 1: I needed to know that it wasn't super easy for 142 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: everybody else. UM. And I also knew that UM as 143 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: as an experienced radio producer, I knew that having a 144 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 1: microphone kind of gives you license to ask somebody anything. 145 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 1: So that's what I did. I started um, interviewing people 146 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:58,079 Speaker 1: about their struggles and and and in the beginning, it 147 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:01,800 Speaker 1: started out as this very kind of selfish thing that 148 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: was very cathartic for me and then and and podcasting 149 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: wasn't so big back then, and so um it felt 150 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 1: almost like this private thing, even though I was putting 151 00:09:11,679 --> 00:09:13,720 Speaker 1: it out there. And I said at the end of 152 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: the show, Um, if you want to tell your story 153 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 1: of a surprising struggle in parenthood, email me. And I 154 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 1: started getting emails right away from strangers who wanted to 155 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: talk to me. And it started out with us like 156 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: coordinating during our kids nap times, really like getting twenty 157 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: minutes in here and there to talk to people. And 158 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:40,199 Speaker 1: these like mostly strangers to me, would wind up crying. 159 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 1: Almost everyone cried in that first year. And Um, and 160 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: what I learned was that it was becoming cathartic to 161 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: other people as well. What do you think, then, is 162 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: the root of that catharsis? Why why is talking about 163 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: the experiences so particularly cathartical, especially during that period of 164 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:07,360 Speaker 1: time as being new parents? Yeah? So, UM, I think 165 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: that the first thing you want to hear when you're 166 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: going through something difficult, no matter what it is, is 167 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: that you want to you want to hear someone telling you, um, 168 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:18,320 Speaker 1: that you're not alone. And that's what UM I think 169 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:20,720 Speaker 1: the podcast had the power to do on a very 170 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,600 Speaker 1: basic level, was just someone in your ear being like, 171 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: you can calm down, take a deep breath, You're not 172 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:29,839 Speaker 1: the only one. UM. And then and then the other 173 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 1: thing that it does is that, UM, when you hear 174 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: that someone had a struggle that um is different from yours, 175 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: maybe just as intense, but different, it reminds you that, um, 176 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: you had an easier time with something else, something that 177 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 1: they didn't have an easy time with. And UM, I 178 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:51,559 Speaker 1: think it can be really nice to remember that too. UM. 179 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 1: So yeah, I think I think it kind of does 180 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: these two things. And I don't think it's necessarily particular 181 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 1: to new parenthood. I think anyone who's going through a 182 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 1: time of crisis, well it seems like you know, the 183 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 1: longest shortest time really focuses in on that need for 184 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:14,479 Speaker 1: that kind of that kind of real talk of understanding 185 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 1: each other's struggles and the strengths that you might have 186 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 1: that you didn't realize that you had. And when it 187 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 1: comes to childbirth and parenting, at least from I have 188 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 1: more of an outside perspective. I'm not a parent, but 189 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: it seems like there's so much information these days of 190 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 1: what to expect when you're expecting, and you know, all 191 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:35,679 Speaker 1: of all of the things that you can read about 192 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: how things will go, and yet it still seems like 193 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:46,080 Speaker 1: there's this vacuum, this communication vacuum of what it's actually like. 194 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 1: And I was wondering why you think that might be. 195 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: For all the information we have, why is it perhaps 196 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:57,839 Speaker 1: still I don't know, hard to talk about or UM. Yeah, 197 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:02,199 Speaker 1: well it's really scary to like talk about vaginal injuries, 198 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: I mean, UM, and and that's and and there's a 199 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:09,720 Speaker 1: good reason for that. I mean, I think that women 200 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: who talk about it really run the risk of being 201 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:19,560 Speaker 1: called hysterical and in uh ingrateful for UM, especially like 202 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:22,679 Speaker 1: if you have a healthy child, there's a lot of 203 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:26,559 Speaker 1: people who will tell you you should just be happy 204 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: that you had a healthy child. And I'm of course 205 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:33,240 Speaker 1: incredibly grateful that, like endlessly grateful that I have a 206 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 1: healthy child. But I don't think that should negate the 207 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: fact that, UM, there can be some real physical and 208 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 1: psychological damage done UM two people in childbirth, and UM 209 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 1: that that needs to be dealt with um. I mean, 210 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:53,560 Speaker 1: I think if you out yourself as someone who is 211 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:59,240 Speaker 1: dealing with postpartum depression or anxiety or um a vaginal injury, um, 212 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 1: you are putting yourself in a position of seeming hysterical 213 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: and and and and like like you don't know what 214 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 1: really matters, and like I it took me three years 215 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 1: to find help for my injury. Um I was. I 216 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:21,439 Speaker 1: was in pain for that long and it wasn't really 217 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:23,760 Speaker 1: something I felt like I could talk about fully until 218 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: I had gotten healed and I was on the other 219 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 1: side of it. But um, yeah, it's just there's a 220 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:32,960 Speaker 1: real stigma to talking about it. Do you think it's 221 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: maybe part of a broader cultural problem we have with 222 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: not taking women's health concerns, whether they're physical or mental seriously. Yeah, 223 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 1: I do. It's it's a hard thing to understand if 224 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:52,760 Speaker 1: you haven't been through it, and there's not enough people 225 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:55,680 Speaker 1: advocating for the fact that this stuff is real and 226 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 1: it does real damage to people, and it's sort of 227 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 1: easy to walk around to protect and like stuff isn't 228 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: happening inside your head um or inside a part of 229 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: your body that nobody can see. Um, And so without 230 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: those kind of strong voices out there being advocates for 231 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 1: this kind of stuff. It's hard, I think for other 232 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:17,320 Speaker 1: people to imagine that it's real. Well, and do you 233 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: think there's also an external pressure put on new moms 234 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 1: in particular to be extremely happy and like you said, 235 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 1: very grateful and everything's fine and and what a joyous time. Definitely. 236 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:37,840 Speaker 1: I mean it's interesting. I feel like parenting media most 237 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: often is either you know, that kind of thing like, 238 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 1: yeah you have you have to be happy about everything, um, 239 00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 1: or kind of braggy about what a bad mom you are. 240 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: And they both kind of rubbed me the wrong way, um, 241 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 1: Because I just think being a parent is a complex 242 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: part of life, just like anything, and so why can't 243 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: we talk about it in a complicated way. Well, it's 244 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: also been interesting to see, um, in celebrity culture, how 245 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: there's been this recent obsession with these new celebrity moms 246 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: who don't look like they ever were pregnant at any 247 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: point at all. And it's it's so it's not only 248 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:27,280 Speaker 1: this cultural pressure to be super happy but also look fantastic, 249 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: super thin exactly. And then and the thing that people 250 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: need to remember is that number one that's there, like 251 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: full time job, is to look awesome, and they have 252 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 1: people watching their babies while they do that. Um. And 253 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 1: the other thing is I think that that's really dangerous 254 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 1: for the media to be congratulating celebrity moms for looking 255 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: amazing after having a baby, because it makes everyone else 256 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 1: feel like they need to pressure themselves into doing that too. Yeah. 257 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 1: Definitely seems like the phrase pre baby body is a 258 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: bit misleading for for women. Um, well I just did. 259 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 1: I just did an episode with Jean Marie who um 260 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: the style and beauty blogger for Jezebel, and Um, she 261 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 1: kind of shamed me into talking about my pre baby body, 262 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: like I'm five years in now, and I was talking 263 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 1: about how I was like holding onto clothes that I 264 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: was hoping I would fit into, and she was like, 265 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 1: five years later, forget it, get rid of those clothes. 266 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 1: They're not even in style anymore anyway. And it was 267 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: really helpful to hear someone say that if they sort 268 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: of allow you, you know, give you permission to let go. Yeah, yeah, 269 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: to just be like, this is what you look like now, 270 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: and it's fine, just get over it. Well, have you 271 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 1: gotten rid of any of the clothes? I did? I 272 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 1: packed like after that literally that weekend, I packed the 273 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:04,360 Speaker 1: clothes up and I donated them. Wow. Yeah, that's awesome, congratulations, 274 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:08,720 Speaker 1: thank you. It felt really liberating. I bet um, Well, 275 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 1: you mentioned parenting media and sort of that that emphasis 276 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: on happy, perfect mom versus bad mom, and there are 277 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: just all sorts of just general commandments that seems like 278 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 1: in parenting media of how you should raise your child. 279 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:29,960 Speaker 1: And it seems like the longest Shortest time really makes 280 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:35,679 Speaker 1: a concerted effort to emphasize more community versus commandment. And 281 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:40,200 Speaker 1: I was wondering if it's ever tricky to maintain that 282 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:45,920 Speaker 1: judgment free, accepting tone and atmosphere both in your own 283 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:50,920 Speaker 1: podcast conversations but also too in the longest shortest time 284 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 1: listener community interactions. Yeah. So, UM, I think it's just 285 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: human nature to judge and to look at someone and 286 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: be like, I wouldn't do it that way. But I 287 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,919 Speaker 1: also think it's important to remember that, Um, maybe if 288 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,359 Speaker 1: you were that exact person, with their exact experiences and 289 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:12,960 Speaker 1: their exact children, you might do it their way. So 290 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 1: so that I tried to remind myself that when I 291 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 1: started when those thoughts creep up on me. But in 292 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:21,600 Speaker 1: the podcast, um, there was one of my first guests 293 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: was this woman Kate, who UM she was very adamantly 294 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 1: no cry with with putting her kid to bed, and 295 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: I had done cry it out and had worked really 296 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: well for me, and UM. I did this interview with 297 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 1: her where we talked about those two different things, and 298 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 1: when I listened back to it a couple of years 299 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:48,080 Speaker 1: after the fact, I was so, I felt so cringe 300 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: e because I felt like I sounded so smug and 301 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,200 Speaker 1: like I was judging her. And I remembered not feeling 302 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: that way at the time, but I feel like I 303 00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: sounded that way, and I thought, oh, she must have 304 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 1: felt so terrible. UM. And so I called her back 305 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 1: up and brought her back on the podcast and we 306 00:19:04,359 --> 00:19:07,680 Speaker 1: talked about it, UM, and she said she hadn't perceived 307 00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: it that way, but I know that other that listeners 308 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:15,159 Speaker 1: had and UM. So the conversation we wound up having 309 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 1: was um that she had felt like she because we 310 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: kind of became friends after that first interview, and she 311 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 1: felt like she could never tell me her birth story 312 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:28,119 Speaker 1: because hers kind of went well and she felt bad 313 00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: sharing it with me. And I was like, no, you know, 314 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: now that you've told me that, now I feel better 315 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:37,239 Speaker 1: about sharing my triumphs with you, like we each had 316 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 1: a triumph and it was different, UM, just like we 317 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 1: each had different struggles and it was like a nice, 318 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:46,119 Speaker 1: really nice bonding moment UM. So it was sort of 319 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: a way of using that judge stuff uh as as 320 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,719 Speaker 1: to our advantage. UM. And then you know, we have 321 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 1: two official Facebook groups UM. The Mama's Group is a 322 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:03,879 Speaker 1: twelve thousand strong now and the Papa's Group, I think 323 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:07,480 Speaker 1: is about a thousand, and then listeners have generated over 324 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:12,360 Speaker 1: eighty subgroups because they like the non judge tone of 325 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: the show and they want to use it to talk 326 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: about specific topics UM. And for a really long time 327 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: we are rules in the group are uh no soliciting 328 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: and no UM personal attacks, and we have no tolerance 329 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 1: for either one. And for a while we just didn't 330 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 1: even have to address any of it. And then maybe 331 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:38,959 Speaker 1: like six months into having the group, UM, it started 332 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 1: growing really quickly because the podcast started getting more popular, 333 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,680 Speaker 1: and every time the show gets featured somewhere else, it's 334 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,159 Speaker 1: great for the show, it's great for for the longevity 335 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,880 Speaker 1: of the show UM, and new people come in who 336 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 1: are not at all used to this non judgy tone 337 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,400 Speaker 1: that we have and they're used to their other Facebook 338 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: groups where they do attack each other, and so they 339 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:03,719 Speaker 1: come in and they started they start start up with 340 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: people and um. The thing that I've found is that 341 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 1: the group members are so protective of this tone that, um, 342 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:15,640 Speaker 1: it's pretty self regulating. They say, you know, this isn't allowed, 343 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 1: and generally, um, the person, the offending person will remove 344 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:25,360 Speaker 1: themselves because then they start feeling attacked. Um Or if 345 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 1: it doesn't resolve that way, then you know, we remove them. 346 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 1: But it doesn't happen too much. Yeah, I mean, it's 347 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: and it's great to hear when audiences sort of do 348 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: do your work for you in the sense of protecting 349 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 1: the sacred space that that you've created. Um. So, some 350 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 1: of my friends honestly think it's a little odd that 351 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: I listened to the longest shortest time because they asked 352 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,000 Speaker 1: me what it's about, and I'm like, well, it's about parenting, 353 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 1: and they're like, well, that's weird. You don't have kids. 354 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:57,920 Speaker 1: It's like, well, it's parenting, but it's about it's really 355 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,919 Speaker 1: just about people and growing up. And that got me 356 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:06,159 Speaker 1: thinking about this tendency, especially the older I get to 357 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:11,879 Speaker 1: divide the adult world and especially women into parents, non parents, 358 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 1: mothers versus non mothers. And I was just wondering, kind 359 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: of what you think about that, of whether I don't know, 360 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: whether we sometimes or maybe cloistering ourselves too much based 361 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 1: on our child free by choice or proud mom kind 362 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 1: of identities. Yeah, I mean, I think, first of all, 363 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:36,679 Speaker 1: I want to say that, Um, I think of the 364 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,880 Speaker 1: show as like, the parenting stuff is just a launching 365 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:42,399 Speaker 1: point to talk about a whole bunch of other things, 366 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:46,439 Speaker 1: you know, to talk about the big human stuff, the relationships, 367 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:52,199 Speaker 1: the sex, the work, the death. We cover all of 368 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: that stuff and the only requirement is that there has 369 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,400 Speaker 1: to be a family relationship in there. And I don't 370 00:22:57,400 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 1: know why we get this a lot Like my my 371 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:02,880 Speaker 1: producer is not a mother, um, and she's in her 372 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:05,240 Speaker 1: early thirties, and she says that she goes to parties 373 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 1: and people will come up and like whisper to her 374 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:11,440 Speaker 1: like I actually like the podcast you work on, And 375 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 1: she's like, why is that a secret? You know? Like, um, 376 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:20,200 Speaker 1: why is it weird that you would like to listen 377 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: to stuff about family relationships? We all have families in 378 00:23:24,119 --> 00:23:27,880 Speaker 1: one way or another. Anyway that said, I think it's 379 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 1: really it's it's interesting like that we get divided in 380 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: this way. And I think, um, you know, female bonds 381 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: tend to be really really strong, um between friends, and 382 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: when one person has a baby and the other one doesn't, 383 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 1: or their timing is different, um, it can really throw 384 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,880 Speaker 1: a wrench in the relationship because people feel like they 385 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 1: don't get each other that well. UM. And I think 386 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,639 Speaker 1: like it does put your life in a in a 387 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:59,679 Speaker 1: different place, um, especially in the very beginning when you 388 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:02,679 Speaker 1: know you're not sleeping at all. But I've also I 389 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 1: think it doesn't have to be a complete end to 390 00:24:05,680 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 1: the relationship. I don't think you have to be divided 391 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 1: by I'm only friends with other moms and my former 392 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 1: friends who who my friends who didn't have kids, like 393 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 1: kept their nonparent friends like. I think there are ways, 394 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 1: there are new ways to find of being adult friends 395 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 1: and and you have to be creative. And I do 396 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:32,919 Speaker 1: think that a lot of the conversations we have on 397 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:36,040 Speaker 1: the podcast, people have said to me who don't have children, like, 398 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:39,200 Speaker 1: you're making me understand my friends lives so much more 399 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,040 Speaker 1: and empathize so much more. And now I feel like 400 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:44,280 Speaker 1: I can be friends with them. We had UM. This 401 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 1: one woman, Rachel Garcia, she's a musician UM in California, 402 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 1: and she and her partner, UM don't plan to have children. 403 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 1: And she always sort of was she and her partner 404 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 1: were like weirded out by their friends who started having kids. 405 00:24:57,680 --> 00:24:59,439 Speaker 1: And then she started listening to the show and she 406 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 1: felt like she got it so much that they released 407 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:06,639 Speaker 1: their debut album and one of the songs was a 408 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: lullaby she wrote for her friend's baby, UM because of 409 00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 1: what she learned on the podcast. And so, UM, I 410 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,640 Speaker 1: don't know, I don't think it has to be so divisive. Well, 411 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:22,600 Speaker 1: what would you recommend then to to say someone in 412 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:27,480 Speaker 1: my situation without kids who's girlfriends are starting to have 413 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: kids in terms of maintaining that relationship and and not, 414 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,240 Speaker 1: like you said, allowing it to sort of drive a 415 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:40,359 Speaker 1: wedge between you. I would say, UM, joon't take it 416 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:43,120 Speaker 1: personally that they don't have as much time for you anymore. 417 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:47,119 Speaker 1: It's not because they don't want to, it's because they can't. 418 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 1: And UM, if they're expressing interest in maintaining the friendship, 419 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:54,960 Speaker 1: see if you can cater to them, UM, at least 420 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 1: in that first year or two, UM, offer to come 421 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 1: over and bring dinner or come over and cook with them, 422 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 1: or you know, bring the wine and stay late after 423 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:08,880 Speaker 1: the baby goes to bed. Like my husband and I 424 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,719 Speaker 1: have this thing we do where we live in New 425 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: Jersey and we have our friends come out to New 426 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:18,119 Speaker 1: Jersey from New York and spend the weekend and do 427 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:21,360 Speaker 1: like a grown up sleepover. And you know, my kid 428 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:23,199 Speaker 1: goes to bed at eight and then we stay up 429 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:27,400 Speaker 1: in party and it's the best. So that that that's 430 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: my recommendation. And then and they'll come around if you 431 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:32,360 Speaker 1: keep that up. That that's going to mean a lot 432 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: to them if you do that, and once they're able 433 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 1: to like have more of a life that resembles what 434 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 1: they used to, then they'll be coming back to you. Well, 435 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:43,360 Speaker 1: and who could turn down an invitation to a grown 436 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:48,760 Speaker 1: up sleepover? That sounds yeah. Well, you mentioned the Papa's 437 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:53,359 Speaker 1: group on the longest shortst Time Facebook page, um, and 438 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 1: it reminds me of how we have heard from so 439 00:26:57,080 --> 00:27:00,360 Speaker 1: so many gentlemen in our stuff I'm gonna or told 440 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: you stent asking for well what about stuff Dad never 441 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 1: told you? And so I'm wondering, you know, when it 442 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 1: comes to these conversations about um parenting and family dynamics. 443 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:16,200 Speaker 1: Do you think that men and dads need more attention? 444 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 1: Perhaps that's really funny, I UM. I asked my husband 445 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:25,159 Speaker 1: this question on the train on the way in to 446 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:28,919 Speaker 1: the city this morning, and he just looked at me 447 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:33,760 Speaker 1: and very flatly said no. And I said why not? 448 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:36,360 Speaker 1: And he was like, because if there's stuff I want 449 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:37,919 Speaker 1: to know about parenting, I just go to look at 450 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:41,360 Speaker 1: general parenting stuff. I don't need stuff for dad's. Um. 451 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:43,399 Speaker 1: I don't know if that's how everyone feels, but I 452 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:48,880 Speaker 1: do think, UM, that there's definitely more of an urgency 453 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: that I see from women feeling like the stuff that 454 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:56,400 Speaker 1: they're dealing with really needs attention. The dad's, I think 455 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:02,119 Speaker 1: need more need bonding with each other. And when you phreeze, 456 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: it as like stuff dad never told you. I mean, 457 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:09,919 Speaker 1: you know, God, this stuff that dads don't tell their kids, 458 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:15,560 Speaker 1: there's so much right But UM, so maybe there's maybe 459 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:19,680 Speaker 1: there's more stuff that kids need from their dad's. I 460 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 1: don't know. I don't know, um, how much of a 461 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:25,800 Speaker 1: demand there is for dads to be catered to in 462 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:30,960 Speaker 1: parenting media though. Well, speaking of dads, and we just 463 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:33,600 Speaker 1: did a podcast on this so I have to ask you, um, 464 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:36,959 Speaker 1: do you have any thoughts on dad bods. I don't know. 465 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,040 Speaker 1: I think I just think that they're that again, it's 466 00:28:41,080 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 1: like there's not as much pressure on dad's to look 467 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 1: a certain way, you know. Well, and especially after listening 468 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 1: to this past week, I was I was binge listening 469 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 1: to a number of old podcast episodes and after listening 470 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 1: to one on sex after childbirth and thinking about the 471 00:29:03,600 --> 00:29:06,840 Speaker 1: idea of of mom body and how just the entire 472 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:11,040 Speaker 1: thing is so much different and far more complex than 473 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 1: this presentation of what a dad bought is. Um, it 474 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 1: was it was thought provoking, I'll say that. Yeah. I 475 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: mean it's like it's like letting yourself go versus like 476 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,520 Speaker 1: stuff that was done to you, you know what I mean, 477 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 1: a complete transformation in a way. Yeah, And I don't 478 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:33,960 Speaker 1: I don't want to like be little dads and what 479 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 1: they go through. They go through a lot um. But 480 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:39,760 Speaker 1: I'm just saying I just feel a lot more urgency 481 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 1: from moms. Well, since this is stuff mom never told you, 482 00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 1: I wanted to ask whether there is a stuff Mom 483 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 1: never told you? Um, just something just something generally that 484 00:29:54,680 --> 00:30:04,120 Speaker 1: you especially want to ensure that you do tell your daughter, Sasha. Yeah. UM, 485 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:08,160 Speaker 1: so my mom was was pretty um open with me 486 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 1: about the stuff that maybe other moms aren't open about, 487 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 1: like uh, body stuff and sex stuff and whatever tending 488 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 1: to your mental health needs. UM. But she grew up 489 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 1: in a time where gender roles were a lot more 490 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,920 Speaker 1: um traditional, and so like she and my dad got 491 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: married right out of college and um, so she never 492 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:38,160 Speaker 1: lived on her own and never had to really become 493 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 1: economically educated. And UM, I did live on my own, 494 00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:45,800 Speaker 1: and I needed to figure that stuff out on my own. 495 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:49,200 Speaker 1: And so I would want to pass that information onto 496 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 1: my daughter. UM. And I also would want her to 497 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 1: know that if she winds up in a relationship with 498 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:03,120 Speaker 1: a man, that men do right thank you notes. So 499 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 1: my mom, in her traditional ways, UM, places a lot 500 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:11,640 Speaker 1: of importance on thank you notes and um like when 501 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 1: I got married and when I had a baby, UM, 502 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:17,680 Speaker 1: she was kind of stunned by the fact that my 503 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: husband split the thank you note writing with me. UM. 504 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:24,000 Speaker 1: And so I would want my daughter to know that, yes, 505 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 1: you can expect your partner to write thank you notes 506 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: to egalitarian thank you notes. I love it. I have 507 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 1: a wedding coming up next year, so I will remember that, Hillary, Well, say, 508 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 1: now when it when it comes to the longest shortest 509 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: time catalog and all of the different things, the different 510 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 1: people that you've talked about, and the experiences that people 511 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 1: have shared, is there one that stands out in your 512 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: mind that has really made a resounding impression on you? 513 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:06,800 Speaker 1: Mm hmm. Recently, UM, I talked to this woman, Melinda. 514 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:13,960 Speaker 1: She is African American and UM had struggled with anxiety 515 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 1: her entire life and she uh and then when she 516 00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 1: became pregnant, her anxiety kind of like became debilitating. But 517 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:26,320 Speaker 1: she felt like she couldn't talk about it because in 518 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 1: her community. UM, there's a real stigma to talking about 519 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:35,680 Speaker 1: mental health issues. UM. And I just thought she was 520 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 1: so brave to come out and talk about it. UM. 521 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: And it really really resonated with people of all different cultures. 522 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:47,440 Speaker 1: And it was really amazing to see how her telling 523 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:52,520 Speaker 1: her story could could just make other people feel what 524 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:54,680 Speaker 1: I what I wanted to feel when I first started 525 00:32:54,720 --> 00:33:00,479 Speaker 1: the podcast, which was not alone. UM. So yeah, I 526 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 1: think I think that one this has been sticking with me. Well, 527 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:08,800 Speaker 1: it's interesting you mentioned that one because I also just 528 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: listen to that and it had a huge impact on 529 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 1: me as well because her story, I mean, it made 530 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:20,560 Speaker 1: me think about all of my fears about the possibility 531 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:24,000 Speaker 1: of if I become pregnant, if I become a mother, 532 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:27,719 Speaker 1: and how like my anxiety will interact with that. And 533 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 1: I was sobbing on and off like listening to it, 534 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:36,000 Speaker 1: and was just so grateful too to hear her story 535 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,479 Speaker 1: and for it to be told so honestly as well. 536 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 1: So so thank you for sharing that too. Thanks, thanks 537 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:50,560 Speaker 1: so uh well for listeners who want to know where 538 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:53,000 Speaker 1: they can go to learn more about you in the 539 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:57,360 Speaker 1: longest shortest time and also about your offline events because 540 00:33:57,360 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 1: it is not just a podcast, you do meet ups 541 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,160 Speaker 1: in person. UM. Where can they go to find all 542 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:04,840 Speaker 1: that information? Yeah, so they should go to the Longest 543 00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:09,400 Speaker 1: Shortest Time dot com UM. And we take stories from listeners. 544 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 1: We take UM stories from parents about their relationships with 545 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:17,040 Speaker 1: their kids, and we also take stories from kids and 546 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:20,759 Speaker 1: grown kids about their parents UM. And we also we 547 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:23,359 Speaker 1: have an app that that you can find on our 548 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:28,320 Speaker 1: website UM where you can record answers to our questions 549 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:30,680 Speaker 1: really easily and your voice can wind up on our show. 550 00:34:31,120 --> 00:34:34,000 Speaker 1: And we also do these events that we call speed 551 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:37,319 Speaker 1: dating for Mom Friends, which is so that moms can 552 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: meet each other. It's a it's a non judge environment 553 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:43,680 Speaker 1: and um, it's really fun. People come. And we made 554 00:34:43,680 --> 00:34:46,200 Speaker 1: a signature cocktail for the last one called Sex on 555 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:49,400 Speaker 1: the living Room Floor, and um, we could sort of 556 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:54,279 Speaker 1: take the guesswork out of making mom friends. Fantastic. Um, 557 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:56,879 Speaker 1: I'm curious though, what was in what goes into Sex 558 00:34:56,880 --> 00:35:01,280 Speaker 1: on the living Room Floor. It's vodka and club soda 559 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:06,800 Speaker 1: with fresh orange juice and grapefruit juice. And to top 560 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:09,880 Speaker 1: it all off, there was there was a lemon wheel. 561 00:35:10,360 --> 00:35:14,239 Speaker 1: But also, um, a sexy lady like a like a 562 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:30,799 Speaker 1: naked sexy lady. Stir well, that's that's very refreshing. Well, 563 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:33,200 Speaker 1: thanks so much to Hillary Frank for coming on and 564 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:37,799 Speaker 1: speaking with Kristen and enlightening all of us about parenthood 565 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:42,400 Speaker 1: the nitty gritty, like Kristen said, and basically filling us 566 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:44,799 Speaker 1: in on how she got to where she is. And 567 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:47,640 Speaker 1: if you want to learn more about Hillary Frank and 568 00:35:47,719 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: the books she's written, the radio she's produced, the podcast 569 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:54,040 Speaker 1: and also public speaking that she does, head on over 570 00:35:54,120 --> 00:35:58,640 Speaker 1: to her website, Hillary Frank dot com and for more 571 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:01,960 Speaker 1: info and more import and lead to listen to the 572 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:07,040 Speaker 1: Longest Shortest Time. You can head to Longest Shortest Time 573 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:10,319 Speaker 1: dot com and we'll have links to all of this 574 00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:14,319 Speaker 1: stuff and also some of my favorite Longest Shortest Time 575 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:18,680 Speaker 1: episodes on this podcast post over at Stuff Mom Never 576 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:22,360 Speaker 1: Told You dot com. So again, huge thanks to Hillary 577 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:25,640 Speaker 1: for taking the time to chat with us today and 578 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:31,680 Speaker 1: kick off our podcast Summer Camp Summer Serious Spectacular Swizzler. 579 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:35,719 Speaker 1: I don't think what is that the actual name of it? Well, no, 580 00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:37,799 Speaker 1: that's the name of the themed restaurant that you and 581 00:36:37,840 --> 00:36:41,840 Speaker 1: I are going to open. Yes, yeah, so podcasts buffet 582 00:36:42,680 --> 00:36:46,040 Speaker 1: all you can eat so great, please guard and all 583 00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:50,319 Speaker 1: deep fried earbuds love it. Well. Now, we're curious to 584 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:55,560 Speaker 1: hear from listeners about your parenting stories. Do you feel 585 00:36:55,600 --> 00:37:00,200 Speaker 1: like a lot of times parenting advice glosses over what 586 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:05,879 Speaker 1: it's really like to make that transition into parenthood um, 587 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:08,600 Speaker 1: and also if you have any tips on bridging that 588 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:11,759 Speaker 1: parent non parent divide as well, we'd love to hear 589 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:15,080 Speaker 1: from you. We always love your stories. Mom Stuff at 590 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:17,799 Speaker 1: how stuff Works dot com is our email address. You 591 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:21,560 Speaker 1: can also tweet us at mom Stuff podcast or messages 592 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:24,160 Speaker 1: on Facebook, and we've got a couple of messages to 593 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:34,080 Speaker 1: share with you right now. Well, I have a letter 594 00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:39,000 Speaker 1: here from Michelle about our sci Fi Summer Reading episode. 595 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,160 Speaker 1: She says, I love your discussion about women in sci 596 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:44,480 Speaker 1: fi books. I'm a writer myself, and I gained my 597 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:46,879 Speaker 1: love for reading sci fi and fantasy from my mother. 598 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:49,720 Speaker 1: I was so excited to hear some of my favorites mentioned, 599 00:37:49,719 --> 00:37:52,600 Speaker 1: and I've learned some new names. I wanted to share 600 00:37:52,640 --> 00:37:56,120 Speaker 1: another author with you and your listeners. Mercedes Lackey is 601 00:37:56,120 --> 00:37:59,279 Speaker 1: an amazing fantasy writer, and her Harold Mage series is 602 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:02,680 Speaker 1: where I first encountered a same sex relationship. I think 603 00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:05,440 Speaker 1: the book was Magics Pawn and I was in high school. 604 00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:07,960 Speaker 1: It made me pause when I came across it, but 605 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:10,200 Speaker 1: I recalled that the relationship was handled in a very 606 00:38:10,239 --> 00:38:12,520 Speaker 1: matter of fact way. The more I read it, the 607 00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:15,720 Speaker 1: more normal quote unquote it seemed to me her writing 608 00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:18,400 Speaker 1: opened my mind to something I had never encountered before 609 00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:21,080 Speaker 1: and helped to set me up for acceptance. Sci Fi 610 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:24,200 Speaker 1: and fantasy are definitely a great arena to explore the 611 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:27,279 Speaker 1: unfamiliar in a way that feels safe. I love you both, 612 00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:31,759 Speaker 1: keep up the great conversations. So thanks Michelle, So I've 613 00:38:31,800 --> 00:38:35,160 Speaker 1: got a letter here from Amanda on our Judy Bloom 614 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:39,160 Speaker 1: summer reading episode. Because one summer reading episode was just 615 00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:43,000 Speaker 1: not enough this summer. So Amanda wrote, thank you so 616 00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:46,320 Speaker 1: much for the Judy Bloom episode for me. The timing 617 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:49,360 Speaker 1: couldn't have been better. Just last week, I decided I 618 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:52,080 Speaker 1: wanted to read some of j blues older books. After 619 00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:55,320 Speaker 1: learning that there weren't any copies of India Unlikely event 620 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:59,040 Speaker 1: currently available at my local library, I decided to read 621 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:02,520 Speaker 1: Forever and Aly loved it. Two days later, I went 622 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:05,600 Speaker 1: back to the library and checked out Wifey. I'm twenty 623 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:07,800 Speaker 1: six years old and this was my first time reading 624 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:11,000 Speaker 1: either book. I'm not sure why, but I never really 625 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:13,040 Speaker 1: got into Judy Blue when I was a kid. I 626 00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:15,120 Speaker 1: went to a Catholic grade school and my parents were 627 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:17,520 Speaker 1: pretty conservative, so I think I was just never exposed 628 00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:20,720 Speaker 1: to some of her more mature books. I was struck 629 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:24,360 Speaker 1: by how progressive and relevant Forever seemed, despite being written 630 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:27,280 Speaker 1: forty years ago. I just loved the message that people 631 00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:29,759 Speaker 1: fall in love, have sex, breakup, and move on and 632 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:33,400 Speaker 1: that's okay. It's such an ordinary story, but one that 633 00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:35,880 Speaker 1: would have been so helpful for me to read as 634 00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:38,160 Speaker 1: a teenager. I hope I can share it with my 635 00:39:38,239 --> 00:39:42,680 Speaker 1: future children some day. I enjoyed Wifey even more. Kristen, 636 00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:45,799 Speaker 1: I too love a good oppressed housewives story, so this 637 00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:48,239 Speaker 1: was right up my alley. I would love to hear 638 00:39:48,239 --> 00:39:50,200 Speaker 1: what you think of it when you read it. I 639 00:39:50,239 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 1: think I read this book at the exact right time 640 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:54,239 Speaker 1: of my life. I'm not sure if I would have 641 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:57,200 Speaker 1: appreciated it as a teenager or even as a younger adult. 642 00:39:57,640 --> 00:40:00,919 Speaker 1: As a young married lady, I found it totally fascinating. 643 00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:04,240 Speaker 1: I can't wait to get my hands on more. J Blue, 644 00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:07,759 Speaker 1: and thank you Amanda for your letter and everybody else 645 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:10,120 Speaker 1: who's written into us. Mom Stuff at how stuff works 646 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:12,560 Speaker 1: dot com is our email address and for links to 647 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:14,520 Speaker 1: all of our social media as well as all of 648 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:18,680 Speaker 1: our blogs, videos, and podcast with this one with links 649 00:40:18,680 --> 00:40:21,759 Speaker 1: to the longest shortest time so you can give it 650 00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:23,880 Speaker 1: a listen and fall in love with it like I have. 651 00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:27,640 Speaker 1: Head on over to stuff mom Never Told You dot 652 00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:32,440 Speaker 1: com for more on this and thousands of other topics. 653 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:42,880 Speaker 1: Doesn't how stuff Works dot com