Show Notes
Shanna navigates two school drop-off meltdowns in one week and finds an unexpected way to regulate herself afterward. Laura reports on her boys' first week of school and a surprisingly successful shopping trip, and in this week's "Throwback" segment, she takes us back to the summer of 1995, when she gave herself a disastrous 4th-of-July dye job that her mom has never let her forget. They also share this week's BFPs and BFNs.
Kids' ages: Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10.5 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 years old and 5.5 years old.
Topics discussed in this episode: • What to do when your kid melts down at school drop-off • Regulating yourself after your child's big emotions • Using singing and music to complete the stress cycle • When a teacher goes on leave at the start of the school year • Getting intel on your kid's new teacher • Kindergarten buddy programs for siblings at the same school • Helping kids who feel unsure about friendships in a new class • Kids who love shopping in person • Teaching kids to apply temporary tattoos themselves • How to remove temporary tattoos • Letting kids dye their hair bright colors • Why "temporary" hair dye sometimes isn't • Beating the heat with a backyard pool setup • Solo theme park trips for parents
Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode: • Toy Story 5 • Manic Panic hair dye • Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski • Intex above-ground pools • Thermacell mosquito repellent • Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift at Universal Studios Hollywood
Connect with Us: • Become a Patreon member for ad-free episodes, bonus content and more. • Follow @bfppodcast on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, or join our Facebook community group.
Loved this episode? A quick rating or review helps other parents find the show. Thanks for listening!
Big Fat Positive: A Pregnancy and Parenting Journey is produced by Laura Birek, Shanna Micko and Steve Yager. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
More from Big Fat Positive: Pregnancy and Parenting (BFP)
In this week's "Out of Context" segment, Shanna and Laura trade screenshots of text messages that need some explaining, including an emoji mix-up from an unexpected sender and a running joke about husbands who can’t see what’s right in front of them. Also, Laura finds out what it takes to get approved as a school volunteer these days, and a lottery win at school takes a real bite out of homework stress at Shanna’s house. They also share this week’s BFPs and BFNs.
Shanna and Laura answer listener questions about lying down with kids at bedtime, how to handle a child’s sleep anxiety, and the systems they use to keep track of every story they want to tell on the show. Shanna describes her bedtime routine now that her kids are older, Laura makes peace with the kid who lands in her bed at 2 a.m. every night, and both share the apps and docs holding this podcast together.
In this week’s “Internet Insanity” segment, Shanna breaks down the NeeDoh squishy toy craze that’s led to store fights, police involvement and a 243% spike in poison control calls, and Laura finally solves a months-long mystery about the bot-like comments appearing on the show's Spotify episodes. Also, fall activities ramp up for Shanna’s family, while Laura rides an unexpected wave of productivity around the house. They also share this week’s BFPs and BFNs.
Homework season starts and goes about as badly as Laura feared, leaving her looking for a way to get it done somewhere other than the kitchen table. Shanna's brutal mornings turn around after an unexpected discovery at urgent care. In this week's "Loose Ends" segment, Shanna and Laura revisit the stories they left dangling: whether a months-long screen time ban is still holding up, where a nine-month-overdue front tooth finally landed, and whether a head wound is going to leave a scar. They also share this week's BFPs and BFNs.
Shanna's drop-off struggles with her youngest escalate, so she lands on an unconventional solution to improve her family's morning routines. Laura scrambles to find last-minute babysitter coverage so she can attend an all-day music festival without the kids. In this week's "Throwback" segment, Shanna confesses to a split-second decision in fifth-grade band class that hurt a friendship, and shares what she hopes for her own fifth grader, who's navigating similar terrain. They also share this week's BFPs and BFNs.