Hey Other Parents S05E002: So You Gave Your Kid a Phone… Now What? (The PH Word)

Giving your kid a phone feels like a big step—and maybe a risky one. This week, we’re talking about when it actually feels right to hand one over, what we’re really worried about (social pressure, exposure, bullying, and losing control), and how we try to balance safety with independence. We get into setting boundaries, checking in without hovering, and what happens when things go wrong—both with your own kid and others. Because let’s be honest… once the phone enters the picture, everything changes.

🎧 Parenting Unplugged

SaraD: The story of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette—so good

Levine: March Madness… and appetizers

Heit: Stranger Things: The First Shadow—what it might reveal about Season 5, plus thoughts on Henry and how it all connects

📞 Join the Conversation

What is your biggest concern as parents about handing off the phone to your kid?

📞 Call/Text: 559-LES-KIDS (559-537-5437)

📩 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyotherparents

🎙️ This is Episode 71 of Hey Other Parents — an honest discussion about raising kids.

Support Hey Other Parents by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/heyotherparents

Find out more at https://heyotherparents.pinecast.co

Hey Other Parents S05E003: I’m Bored. What Is This Feeling!?!

“I’m bored.” It hits differently now. We grew up with “Do you know where your children are?”, after-school specials like Punky Brewster, faces on milk cartons, and a completely irrational fear of quicksand… and did that impact us with our own kids?

This week, we’re talking about what boredom used to look like, what changed, and whether kids today have lost the ability to just be bored. Are we overscheduling them… or are we just uncomfortable letting them sit with themselves? Because learning how to be bored might actually be one of the most important skills we can give our kids.

🎧 Parenting Unplugged

SaraD: The ‘Burbs (remake series with Keke Palmer)—a fun watch

Levine: Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord (Disney+)

Heit: Super Mario Galaxy

📞 Join the Conversation

Are your kids comfortable being bored… or do they need constant stimulation?

📞 Call/Text: 559-LES-KIDS (559-537-5437)

📩 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyotherparents

🎙️ This is Episode 72 of Hey Other Parents — an honest discussion about raising kids.

Support Hey Other Parents by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/heyotherparents

Find out more at https://heyotherparents.pinecast.co

🎙️ S05E004: Kids & Taking Initiative (Wilson… I’m Sorry)

This week, we’re talking about why kids struggle to take initiative—and whether we might be part of the reason why. From stepping in too quickly to structuring every moment, we explore how good intentions can accidentally take away the very opportunities kids need to figure things out on their own. Inspired by everything from Bluey to Cast Away, this episode is all about learning when to step back, let them struggle, and trust that they’ll get there—even if it’s uncomfortable to watch.

💬 Question of the Week

What do you want to see your kids doing independently without being asked?

🔌 Parenting Unplugged

Heit: Severance Season 1SaraD: Imperfect Women (Apple TV+)Levine: Anaconda

📢 Connect With Us

📞 559-LES-KIDS (559-537-5437)📧 [email protected]📷 https://www.instagram.com/heyotherparents

🎧 Episode Info

This is S05E004 of Hey Other Parents Episode 72 — an honest discussion about raising kids. New episodes drop Fridays.

Support Hey Other Parents by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/heyotherparents

Find out more at https://heyotherparents.pinecast.co

S05E005: Talk Less. Connect More.

This week, we’re getting real about something we all do—talking at our kids instead of actually connecting with them. Because somewhere between asking questions, giving advice, and trying to “help,” our conversations start to feel like lectures… and kids shut down fast.

We break down why that happens, what better conversations actually look like, and how small shifts—like timing, tone, and just letting silence sit—can completely change the way our kids open up. From car ride confessions to one-word answers, this episode is all about creating space where kids actually want to talk.

🎧 Parenting Unplugged:

Heit: Secrets of a Passionate Marriage — Secrets of a Passionate Marriage

Sara: The Housemaid — a thriller that’s perfect for folding laundry

Levine: Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on Apple TV

📞 Join the Conversation: What do you want to see your kids doing independently without being asked?

📞 Call/Text: 559-LES-KIDS (559-537-5437)

📩 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyotherparents

🎙️ This is Episode 75 of Hey Other Parents — an honest discussion about raising kids.

Support Hey Other Parents by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/heyotherparents

Find out more at https://heyotherparents.pinecast.co

🎙️ Hey Other Parents — S05E006: Working Moms in America (The Balance Myth)

This week, we’re talking about working moms—and the pressure to somehow do it all. Show up at work like you don’t have kids, show up at home like you don’t have a job, and somewhere in between try to create perfect moments, make every event, and keep it all together. We get real about the myth of balance, the guilt, the double standards, and why it can feel like no matter what you do, you’re falling short somewhere. This isn’t a “how-to” episode—it’s an honest look at what it actually feels like to live in that space, and why maybe balance isn’t the goal at all. 

❓ Question of the Week:

What do you want your partner to understand about work-life balance?

📞 Call/Text: 559-LES-KIDS (559-537-5437)

📩 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyotherparents

🔌 Parenting Unplugged:

* Sara D: Big Mistakes on Netflix (Dan Levy)

* Mike Levine: Baseball game + Star Wars bobblehead night

* Michael Heit: How-2-Escape (Switch / phone / PC / Mac)

❤️ Support the Show:

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Leaving a quick review helps more parents find us and helps grow the community on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

Hey Other Parents Episode #74 overall.

Edited and mixed by Michael Heit.

Intro voiceover by Koltrane.

Support Hey Other Parents by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/heyotherparents

Find out more at https://heyotherparents.pinecast.co

🎙️ Hey Other Parents — S05E007: Candles and Mayhem (The Birthday Episode)

This week, we’re talking about birthdays—and how something that’s supposed to be fun somehow turns into a full-on production. Somewhere between cakes, gifts, decorations, Pinterest parties, and trying to create the “perfect” day, birthdays became stressful, expensive, emotional, and just a little chaotic. We get into the pressure parents put on themselves, the moments that completely fall apart, and why the memories kids actually keep probably aren’t the ones we spend weeks stressing over. Because sometimes the best birthday moments happen after the plan goes completely sideways. 

❓ Question of the Week:

What is your absolute most ridiculous birthday moment?

📞 Call/Text: 559-LES-KIDS (559-537-5437)

📩 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyotherparents

🔌 Parenting Unplugged:

* Michael Heit: Beard Meets Food (YouTube)

* Sara D: Making time to get her steps in

* Mike Levine: MAY THE FOURTH WEEK WOOT WOOT!!!

❤️ Support the Show:

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Leaving a quick review helps more parents find us—and helps grow the community.

🎧 About the Show:

Hey Other Parents is an honest, messy, imperfect conversation about raising kids.

Episode #75 overall.

Edited and mixed by Michael Heit.

Intro voiceover by Koltrane.

Support Hey Other Parents by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/heyotherparents

Find out more at https://heyotherparents.pinecast.co