It takes a village and a whole stack of parenting books to raise a child. But since reading can be time-consuming (even for the average avid book reader), we wanted to give mamas, papas, and nannies too, an equally great alternative.

Say hello to Parenting Podcasts!

Whether your kids are still sweet-but-screaming babies, are at their toddler tantrum stage, are going through the short-lived “I love my parents and I will listen to everything they say” phase, or have hit the dreaded puberty period followed by the self-explorative adolescent phase, being a parent will test your limits while somehow still bring you bundles and bundles of joy.

We know. We hear you. We get it. So do these podcast presenters.

All the more reason why we want to add a pinch of humour to your days, along with a dash of sarcasm, a big helping of fun and a giant spoonful of compelling stories and helpful discussions.

And yes, we know Netflix is irresistible (we are totally addicted to at least six shows right now), but hit the pause button on that for a second and tune in to something different. Parenting podcasts explore everything you’ve ever thought about involving raising your children as well as things that have never even crossed your mind. They can feel as though someone had given backstage access to your unspoken thoughts and aired them for the entire world to hear. Like “this is what I really want to do during the school holidays,” or “this is what I actually think about sending kids off to boarding school.”

Either way, whether you’re driving, cooking, exercising, cleaning or (surprisingly) have some free time on your hands, press play and let these podcasts tickle your brain.

1. The Mom Hour

Sarah Powers and Meagan Francis are two moms with eight kids between them and a whole lot of real experience on how to manage home, life and time. They have hundreds of episodes in their archives with titles including “For my friend, about to be a mom,” “Our worst #MomFail moments” and “The myth of the Mom Tribe.”

2. Mom and Dad are Fighting

This podcast is hosted by three very different people, Jamilah Lemieux, Dan Kois, and Elizabeth Newcamp, with one thing in common: children. They share triumphs and fails, and offer advice on parenting kids from toddler to teens. We particularly enjoyed The Toddler on the Run Edition.

3. What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood

Laughter is the best medicine and when it comes to the chaos that is parenting, sometimes all you can do is laugh in its face. That’s exactly what comedians Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables do in this podcast. Taking everything with a pinch of salt, the mothers discuss topics such as “Advice We Totally Hate,” What This Has Taught Us About Our Kids” and more serious ones including “Helping Kids Feel Secure in a Scary World.”

4. Celebrate Calm

If you’re parenting a “challenging” kid or a child with special needs, this podcast is for you. A sad but inspiring incident led Kirk Martin to eventually start this podcast where he shares practical, honest and life-transforming advice based on work with 1,500 challenging kids (many with AD/HD, OCD, ODD, Aspergers, etc.) in his home, and years spent in classrooms.

5. Talking to Teens

Podcasts addressing issues faced by new mums and newborns are in abundance, which is why this podcast, focused on talking to teens, caught our attention. Hosted by researcher and writer Andy Earle, the podcast tackles every single sensitive, awkward and critical topic you will need to discuss with your hormonal teen.

6. Parenting in the Age of Coronavirus

A very timely podcast discussing exactly what the title suggests: how to navigate the challenges of Covid-19 as a parent. The podcast hails all the way from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, in which child health experts share their valuable and essential advice during this unprecedented time.

7. School for Mothers

Unapologetic mother-of-10 Danusia encourages women to be women FIRST and MOTHERS second. To go after their life ambitions and careers without feeling guilty or second-guessing themselves. As she puts it: expect intelligent, irreverent, empowered and, frankly, diverse mothers talking about their lives; from the struggles, downright miracles to their whoop worthy wins.

Happy listening!