The Key to Motivating Our Kids (It's Not What You Think) | Neuropsychologist Dr. William Stixrud, Ned Johnson
Our kids suffer more stress and anxiety today than children did a century ago. Clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Bill Stixrud and co-author Ned Johnson explain why and what we can do about it in their new work The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives. Whether your child makes herself sick getting straight A's or has mastered the art of procrast...
29m Feb 13, 2018
29m
The Mother's Journey: Confronting the Unknown| Britta Bushnell, PhD
You may not feel like a goddess right now, but it turns out we have a lot in common with Inanna, the Sumerian mother goddess of Heaven and Earth. Drawing upon mythology and decades of experience as a childbirth educator, Dr. Brita Bushnell brings healing light to the unique challenges and identity shifts we experience as mamas. After all, motherhood is the ultimate rite of passage. This episode...
1hr 12m Feb 06, 2018
1hr 12m
The Screen Time Dilemma | Anya Kamenetz, NPR correspondent
#160 Award-winning journalist and Lead NPR digital education correspondent Anya Kamenetz chats with Ellie Knaus about the benefits and risks of screen time. We share current research, funny personal stories, and insights from Kamenetz’ brand new book The Art of Screen Time: How Your Family Can Balance Digital Media and Real Life (Public Affairs 2018). From moms answering emails at the park to e...
39m Jan 30, 2018
39m
How to Survive (and Even Enjoy) a Family Vacation: Sleeping, Whining, and Sneaking in Moments of Self Care
#159 Everyone goes into a family vacation with high hopes, but can mothers ever catch a break? Fresh off a weeklong family trip, host Ellie Knaus shares practical travel tips, cautionary tales, and ridiculous parenting moments.In this Atomic Moms listener Q and A, we cover a variety of topics from making the whining stop, to sneaking in moments of relaxation, to baby packing tips, to keeping yo...
54m Jan 24, 2018
54m
Writing Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Mom Life, & Fred Roger's Legacy with Becky Friedman
#158 The delightful Becky Friedman, twice Emmy nominated head writer of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (PBS Kids), is in studio. We talk about her transition from preschool teacher to children’s media creator, her recent west coast migration, the new mom friends search, our babies’ celebrity dopplegangers, Fred Rogers' legacy, our comedic screenwriter husbands named Adam (hers executive produced T...
1hr 18m Jan 16, 2018
1hr 18m
Rachel Blanchard on Standing Your Ground & Always Finding the Upside
After a forced evacuation from the raging California fires, television actress (and dynamite human being) Rachel Blanchard, her composer hubby Jeremy, and their baby girl Maxine spent the week with us at Chez Sztykiel! It was a terrible situation, but we were so grateful to get to have the time with them. In this hilarious mom-friend episode, we're talking: calm walks turned stressful stroller ...
1hr 10m Jan 08, 2018
1hr 10m
Cut the Crap and Get Organized in 2018 | Robyn Reynolds, Hollywood's Professional Organizer
Happy New Year! We're back with brand new content next week, but while I recover from some sort of holiday season plague, here's one of our favorites from May 2017. Certified organizer Robyn Reynolds swears we can organize ANYTHING that’s worth keeping and bring harmony into our homes. This single mom with a can-do spirit and no-nonsense attitude whips Ellie’s haphazard “put away” habits into s...
47m Jan 03, 2018
47m
Constructing Hope| Empowering Struggling Mothers with Faith Fowler
(October 18, 2016) Detroit has a mother; her name is Rev. Faith Fowler. Best-selling author Mitch Albom (“Tuesdays With Morrie”) says our guest Rev. Faith Fowler is “…the most important currency of our city, a loving, egoless, inspiring leader who doesn’t see color, doesn’t see class, who looks at our poorest, most neglected citizens and sees only hope and opportunity. And humor.” She cares for...
37m Dec 18, 2017
37m
Relationship S.O.S. | Dr. Laura Berman on intimacy, marriage, and motherhood
Originally aired: Dec 6, 2016. Join us over the holidays on Instagram and Facebook!If you liked our "How Not to Hate Your Husband After Having Kids" episode, you'll LOVE this one too. You’ve seen Dr. Laura Berman as a frequent guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Dr. Oz Show, and The Steve Harvey Show. New York Times bestselling author, world renowned sex and relationship educator, and clinical...
53m Dec 13, 2017
53m
Bonding with Your Baby (And Beyond) | Dr. Victoria Simms, PhD
#153: Child development specialist and philanthropist Dr. Victoria Simms is here to help us bond with our children. We discuss the rituals and routines backed by science that can help our little ones feel safe, loved, and resilient. Dr. Simms is the president and founder of the nonprofit Simms/Mann Institute, trailblazing in the whole child approach to caring for our children and developmental ...
42m Dec 05, 2017
42m
Body CONSCIOUS | Nikki DeLoach, Jen Dede: open-heart surgery, fertility, friendship
What is your body trying to tell you? Has it ever felt like it has betrayed you? And what wisdom did you glean from the experience? This week Atomic Moms podcast is back at what it does best: commiserating over sleepless nights + expressing the grit and determination necessary to live fully and discovering the tools to do so, with a Cali-dose of woo woo and optimism.Friends Nikki DeLoach (Awkwa...
1hr 6m Nov 28, 2017
1hr 6m
Who's Got Anxiety? | Emily Price, LCSW, SEP
Originally released 1/24/17. How do we handle the transitions we experience as mothers without losing our minds and keeping our sense of humor? In podcast #114, mom-in-chief Ellie Knaus interviews psychotherapist and favorite relative EMILY PRICE about how to handle big change and all the anxiety that comes along with it. Emily gives us grounding techniques that can keep us from freaking out no...
57m Nov 22, 2017
57m
The Disney Princess Craze | Humorist Devorah Blanchor
#150: What's a feminist mom to do? In our 150th podcast, humorist Devorah Blanchor lifts the veil on all things glittery and pink as we find out why our daughters are more princess-obsessed than ever. We talk about her brand new book 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 (...
35m Nov 14, 2017
35m
Organized Chaos with Claire Coffee
#149 Get out the wine and the last of the Halloween candy! I’ve been leaning heavy on the experts as of late, and it was about damn time we had an unfiltered mom podcast full of laughter, commiseration, and perfectionism undone. TV star Claire Coffee played Adalind on NBC’s supernatural show GRIMM for six seasons. She, along with her musician husband Chris Thile (Yo Yo Ma told him where to get ...
58m Nov 07, 2017
58m
The Financially Independent Mama | Emma Johnson, Business Journalist
#148 In this no holds barred Atomic Moms parenting podcast, award-winning business and personal finance journalist Emma Johnson talks cents to Ellie Knaus about what money means in our relationships, where we should focus our savings, what holds us back from going big in our careers, and why we owe it to our kids to go for it! Ellie speaks honestly about her money-making hang ups. And Johnson, ...
41m Oct 31, 2017
41m
Celebrating Rainbow Babies | Pregnancy After Loss
Dr. Jessica Zucker is back on Atomic Moms. As a Los Angeles-based psychologist and writer specializing in women's reproductive and maternal mental health, Dr. Zucker is a leading voice in miscarriage and pregnancy loss awareness. When her @ihadamiscarriage Instagram account was named “the bravest use of social media” by Women’s Health Magazine U.K., she shared, "My personal experience was a way...
52m Oct 24, 2017
52m
Befriending Your Shadow| Barry Michels, Psychotherapist, Bestselling Author
#146 - You know that part of yourself you're always trying to hide, change, or overcompensate? That part of you that seems unlovable? That's your Shadow. We're talking about what the Shadow means, how it affects your parenting and the power it holds within you. Psychotherapist, and New York Times bestselling author BARRY MICHELS explains how recognizing and aligning with our Shadow, a term coin...
31m Oct 16, 2017
31m
The Most Important Year| Suzanne Bouffard, Ph.D.
Harvard researcher SUZANNE BOUFFARD, Ph.D. gives us a better understanding of the Universal Pre-K debate and insights from her brand new book: The Most Important Year: Pre-Kindergarten and the Future of Our Children. Clearly, it's an important conversation for all Americans, not just parents of young children. This early childhood education expert also shares problem solving and communication t...
31m Oct 03, 2017
31m
Dr. Elliot Berlin| Mama Wellness, Mommy Wars, VBAC, Breech
Dr. Elliot Berlin is known for his huge presence, big personality, and enormous heart in the Hollywood birthing scene (why yes, it's a scene). We talk about maternal wellness, the mommy wars, raising 4 kids in LA, all types of births including VBACS, BREECH, and the most important thing to remember no matter what type of birth you plan. For all info, go to atomicmoms.com!Join us on Instagram, T...
1hr 3m Sep 26, 2017
1hr 3m
Elizabeth Day | People Pleasing, Infertility, "Perfect" Moms
Award-winning writer and journalist Elizabeth Day joins us from London to discuss Ellie's new favorite novel THE PARTY (August 15, 2017), what to say (or NOT SAY) to women dealing with infertility, the big lesson she learned from interviewing Sheryl Sandberg, and how she kicked "the good girl" habit. For show notes, guest bio, and more, go to www.atomicmoms.comJoin us on social media: twitter.c...
48m Sep 20, 2017
48m
Dr. Shefali Tsabary | Oprah's Favorite Parenting Coach
It's a zoo at the Sztykiels. This up all night with the infant thing while trying to stay semi-sane for the other kid is for the birds. (Fun updates on Instagram!) Time to enjoy an Atomic Moms classic (5/31/16). In my second interview with conscious parenting trailblazer Dr. Shefali Tsabary, we share insights from her second New York Times bestseller "The Awakened Family: A Revolution in Parent...
37m Sep 12, 2017
37m
How to Parent Through a Crisis | Stephanie Small, LMFT, Trauma Expert
With catastrophic hurricanes and wildfires displacing countless families, I reach out to child and adolescent trauma expert Stephanie Small, LMFT. In this in-depth interview, she shares invaluable tools to help guide our children through traumatic events. Whether it be a natural disaster, a car accident, a terrorist attack, mandatory evacuation, or surgery, she teaches us how to support a child...
59m Sep 07, 2017
59m
Gentle Discipline | Sarah Ockwell-Smith Author, Coach
Whining, biting, hitting, kicking, and screaming? What to do and how to discipline? Author, expert, and mom of 4, Sarah Ockwell-Smith is here to help.Y'all, the newborn honeymoon stage is wearing off, and we’re figuring out how to be this new and improved version of our family while juggling life and not completely losing our marbles. No surprise. I'm exhausted and a tad overwhelmed. Almost 4 y...
45m Aug 29, 2017
45m
How to Reclaim Energy, Creativity, & Willpower| Barry Michels, Psychotherapist, Bestselling Author "The Tools"
Do you struggle to set aside time for yourself? Do you have a hard time not giving in when your child throws a tantrum? How about controlling your anger or unhealthy eating habits? Hollywood’s A-List psychotherapist BARRY MICHELS helps host ELLIE KNAUS address these mama issues and more. Go to TheToolsBook.com for more about Barry Michels and Phil Stutz groundbreaking work “The Tools: 5 Tools t...
43m Aug 22, 2017
43m
Born Wild: Our 4 Hour Birth Story| Ellie Knaus & Adam Sztykiel
Meet the brand new love of our lives: Eliza Sztykiel (8 lbs, 8 oz, 21 inches long)! In this 'mom'umental episode, Ellie Knaus (hi!) and Adam Sztykiel share the highlights of our second daughter’s beautiful, hilarious, and wild unmedicated hospital birth, including audio footage Adam secretly and lovingly taped (best push present for a podcasting mom ever!) Special thanks to our birthing dream t...
27m Aug 15, 2017
27m
Swimming| Safety & Overcoming Fear!
A brand new podcast update from Ellie, including instructions for our baby naming contest, the insane LA LA Land things Ellie is doing in an attempt to flip her baby around from "sunny side up", and listener notes on last week's podcast "The Baby Waiting Game". Then we highlight this episode from February 2017 that could save your child’s life. I can’t wait for you to meet guest SELENA WILLOWS,...
1hr 14m Jul 18, 2017
1hr 14m
Baby Waiting Game | Ellie Knaus + Adam Sztykiel
We could meet this baby any moment folks! My modified bed rest restrictions have been lifted and she’s welcome to join us anytime. The acid reflux situation is real (as you’ll hear in my voice on the show) and so is nesting at our new home. Literally. You will not believe what is oozing out of our walls. I’m serious. In this relaxed and fun episode, I grill my birth partner about whether he’s r...
45m Jul 11, 2017
45m
Dr. Harvey Karp |The Happiest Baby on the Block
Renowned pediatrician and international bestselling author Dr. Harvey Karp shares essential new mom advice regarding sleep (yours and baby's), signs you might have postpartum mood disorder and not know it, and effective ways to sooth your baby in the "4th trimester". His world famous 5 S's technique was so successful in getting Sabrina to stop crying, I'm excited to try again with baby #2. We a...
48m Jun 27, 2017
48m
In Case of Emergency | Dr. Kurt Newman "Healing Children"
Do you have an action plan if your child needs immediate emergency care?What if your mama gut instinct contradicts the specialist you are consulting with?And if your kid gets hurt, should you really drive to a children's hospital if it's further away than the good hospital down the street? Dr. Kurt Newman, CEO of one of the top children's hospitals in the country and pediatric surgeon extraord...
43m Jun 20, 2017
43m
Renegade Mothering | Janelle Hanchett: Mom Friends, Parenting Styles, Addiction
With hundreds of thousands of RenegadeMothering.com readers, writer/blogger and mother of 4, JANNELLE HANCHETT is a force of nature, fearless in her authentic viewpoint, her hilarious trucker mouth, and deep-rooted connection to what matters in life. Her writing has been featured in Brain, Child, Unworthy, and Scary Mommy, among others. For those of you in search of your own mom squad, we talk ...
45m Jun 13, 2017
45m
10 Minute Meditation for Moms | Jennifer Waldburger
Need a mama recharge? Jennifer Waldburger’s voice is so soothing in this “mama and baby meditation" it'll work wonders for you with or without baby. Our recording together was perfectly timed for me because we've upped the ante on my bed rest. No more lifting anything, minimal physical movement, and they’ve taken away my car keys! This challenge is giving me a sneak peak of my upcoming Tour de ...
11m Jun 06, 2017
11m
How to Get Your Kids to Sleep | Jennifer Waldburger
Infant, co-sleeper, toddler, and preschooler moms! World renowned parenting expert Jennifer Waldburger (sleepyplanet.com) shares decades of expertise helping families get their zzz's and regain their sanity. With her gentle and compassionate approach, practical advice, and no judgment attitude, Jen helps us debunk sleep training myths and answers all my questions when it comes to ages 0-5. Atom...
42m May 30, 2017
42m
Daddy's Home | Joe Ballarini, Writer, Director, Funny Dad
Funny work-from-home dads and best friends Joe Ballarini and Adam Sztykiel (my husband) riff on how fatherhood has changed them, how much us moms scare them, and how they’d man-handle the apocalypse (God help us all!). We share Sabrina’s latest antics (!!!), the dads’ opposing views on “maternal gatekeeping”, marriage after kids, Joe's epic Dad-urdays with his adorable, half British baby Theo, ...
50m May 23, 2017
50m
How to Get Organized and Get It Done Fast!
Buh bye clutter! Robyn Reynolds swears we can organize ANYTHING that's worth keeping. This single mom with a can-do spirit and no-nonsense attitude whips Ellie's haphazard "put away" habits into shape. She teaches us how to streamline our kitchen in order to turn our morning routines into a well-caffeinated machine. She walks us through the process of getting our closets under control (and savi...
47m May 16, 2017
47m
Extreme Nesting | Tips for Marriage, Renovations, & Moving On
Meet SARA REICHLING: Hollywood real estate agent and mama to Sabrina's best friend. The fact that our own mom-friendship is still going strong after signing on a new house and listing our old one is testament to her ability to remain the calm, focused, trusted leader every client dreams of and every kid hopes for in a parent. Together with her charming husband/ real estate partner JOE REICHLING...
41m May 09, 2017
41m
Ch-Ch-Changes! Ellie & Adam on Moving, Bed Rest, & Third Trimester
In this madcap family huddle, comedy screenwriter Adam Sztykiel (aka “Sabrina’s favorite”) and host Ellie Knaus catch a breath from packing up the house and make light of the insanity that seems to be knocking on their door. Ellie replays a couple Friday nights ago when she suspected another woman of checking out her husband. (And it wasn't weird at all that Ellie wasn't wearing panties at the ...
26m May 02, 2017
26m
The 'Good Enough' Mama | Erin Williams, Illustrator, Cancer Research Specialist, Writer
Mama identity crisis? Join the club. After stepping into the all-consuming role of mom, how the heck do we reclaim our sense of self outside of motherhood? Writer, illustrator, and cancer research specialist ERIN WILLIAMS shares the deeply personal solutions that are working for her, especially how she's embracing 'good enough' when it comes to being mom. In addition to writing raw, complex pe...
33m Apr 25, 2017
33m
The Mother of Reinvention | Jordan Reid, Ramshackle Glam
Jordan Reid hustles like a mother-lover, raising two young children, writing books, and running the uber popular RamShackleglam.com, where she shares funny parenting moments, DIY videos, and refreshingly honest details about her family life. But before all that, Jordan endured what Ellie would describe as a Joseph Campbell-esque “dark night of the soul” or what Jordan calls a “truly spectacula...
31m Apr 18, 2017
31m
Pregnancy, Cancer, and Courage | Warrior Mom
Teresa Palmer and host Ellie Knaus speak with Helen Tunea about her intense journey from pregnant cancer patient to thriving mother of two. In this candid and inspiring conversation, Helen and Teresa share the life-changing power of friendship, including fun advice for how the rest of us can “pick up” lifelong mom friends.For the first time publicly, Helen opens up about her moment-to-moment de...
1hr Apr 11, 2017
1hr
"Motherhood in Hollywood" | Heather Brooker
Emmy award-winning journalist turned actress/comedian/host Heather Brooker chats with fellow parenting podcast host Ellie Knaus about everything under the L.A. sun. Join us as we laugh about the recent moment Heather's family video went Youtube viral, and go international with us as we discuss how Heather’s recent family trip to London took a shocking turn when she found her family in the midst...
46m Apr 04, 2017
46m
"How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids" | Jancee Dunn, Bestselling Author
Relationship tips + hilarious parenting stories. Podcast #122: New York Times best-selling author Jancee Dunn and host Ellie Knaus share the ins and outs of their relationships and compare funny notes on the home front. Dunn's new book, "How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids," (Little, Brown and Company) is described as "part memoir of discovery, part parenting and marriage how-to, and part i...
57m Mar 28, 2017
57m
BabyMoon + Meeting the Baby | Bridget & Becca Return
#121 Mom friends Ellie Knaus and Bridget Moloney-Sinclair crash Becca McHugh’s babymoon! We find out if Hawaii is as “relaxing” as it sounds with a three year-old and a thrill-seeking husband. We also address the Do’s and Don’ts of meeting the newborn. Sleep-deprived and always candid, brand new second time mom Bridget enlightens Becca and Ellie as to their future of juggling young children and...
26m Mar 21, 2017
26m
#Momlife in Digital Media | Jill Simonian
Jill Simonian, entertainment reporter turned parenting lifestyle expert (CBS Los Angeles, NBC's Today Show Parenting Team, Mom.me), gives us the scoop on new mom life hacks and sensitive parenting topics offered in her book, "The Fab Mom's Guide: How to Get Over the Bump & Bounce Back Fast." Host Ellie Knaus asks Jill to reflect back on the blurry days of SAHM-ing "two under two" while juggling...
1hr Mar 14, 2017
1hr
Family Huddle | Ellie Knaus and Adam Sztykiel
We're celebrating the midpoint of my second pregnancy! 20 weeks down. 20 weeks to go. I sit down with Adam Sztykiel (comedy screenwriter/ sitcom show runner/ husband of almost 10 years) to catch up on all the ridiculousness happening at Chez Sztykiel. I find out what it's like living with a pregnant zombie (me) who has suddenly revived herself with an intense second trimester "nesting” frenzy. ...
40m Mar 07, 2017
40m
Take a Deep Dive with Selena Willows
This episode could save your child's life. I can’t wait for you to meet guest SELENA WILLOWS, a mom of two, a nutrition and wellness coach as well as the child swim instructor who taught my toddler to swim safely across a pool in less than two weeks! We’ll talk with Selena about water safety (like the chilling fact that it takes less than 20 seconds for a child to stop fighting for breath), the...
1hr 3m Feb 28, 2017
1hr 3m
All You Need is Love | KaDee Strickland
You know KaDee Strickland from the ABC dramas' "Private Practice" and "Secrets & Lies", and her new Hulu series "Shut Eye". In this special Valentine’s episode, KaDee confesses how she tried to play cupid between her girlfriend and actor Jason Behr before realizing she had been struck by the arrow herself. She shares her secrets to 10+ years of marriage with "Mr. Delicious" in La La Land, which...
1hr Feb 14, 2017
1hr
It's OK Not to Share | Heather Shumaker
Are you a renegade parent too? Journalist HEATHER SHUMAKER shares lessons from her two parenting books loved by so many free-thinking moms: “It’s Ok to Go Up the Slide: Renegade Rules for Raising Confident and Creative Kids” and "It’s OK Not to Share and Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids” (Penguin Random House). With a warm voice and a no-nonsense attitude, Heath...
49m Feb 07, 2017
49m
Moms' Night Out | Jessica Coulter Returns
Jessica Coulter kidnaps host Ellie Knaus for a Mom’s Night Out. Our award-winning advertising creative director mom-friend shares a glimpse into her life as an undercover working mom who gets everything done in time for preschool pick up, and Ellie gives a glimpse into her life as a living, breathing, hormonal roller coaster gearing up for second trimester. We make a toast to the perks of socia...
30m Jan 31, 2017
30m
How to Handle Change + Anxiety in Motherhood| Emily Price, LCSW, SEP
How do we handle the transitions we experience as mothers without losing our minds and keeping our sense of humor? In podcast #114, mom-in-chief Ellie Knaus interviews psychotherapist and favorite relative EMILY PRICE about how to handle big change and all the anxiety that comes along with it. Emily gives us grounding techniques that can keep us from freaking out no matter what life throws at u...
57m Jan 24, 2017
57m
Ambition + Motherhood | Hana Schank, Elizabeth Wallace, The Atlantic
How does motherhood affect ambition? Guests Hana Schank and Elizabeth Wallace co-wrote "The Ambition Interviews" essay series for THE ATLANTIC and share their powerful findings with Atomic Moms. We talk about our desire to redefine ambition, the reason there are so few power couples, and why moms are juggling more than ever before. We also talk about Elizabeth’s two mom household and celebrate...
50m Jan 17, 2017
50m