Episodes
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Caitlin Murray wants to know why we are frothing at the mouth to enroll our kids in every single extracurricular activity? When did over-scheduling our kids become the norm? Parents of the 80s and 90s were also busy shuttling kids from thing to thing but the activities they were engaged in were close to home, not very serious, and didn't interfere with downtime and play. With a cameo from economist Emily Oster, Caitlin explores the benefits of extracurriculars but also how overcommitment can lead to burnout and strain on the family. Caitlin shares her personal experience of getting sucked into over-scheduling and how she approaches it now with more sanity and balance.
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Emily Tisch Sussman, former political strategist, mother of 3, and host of the podcast She Pivots, joins Caitlin to discuss how motherhood forced her to leave her high-powered career and carve out a new path. Emily reflects on her initial fear and doubt about motherhood, the pressure of family expectations, and the realization that her pre-kid version of success was quickly becoming unsustainable. Emily talks about the profound loss she felt in her article, My Children Killed My Career But Took Me in an Unexpected New Direction, and the visceral reaction she received from colleagues and woman from around the world.
Check out Emily's dynamite podcast, She Pivots, where she interviews prominent leaders and women about how they successfully redirected their personal and professional lives, turning challenges into growth and opportunity.
Follow Emily Tisch Sussman @shepivotsthepodcast Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting Subscribe to Caitlin's newsletter Soul Snacks (where she shares her dance playlists and more)Today's episode is sponsored by Primal Kitchen. Use Code BIGTIMEADULTING to receive 20% off your entire order at www.primalkitchen.com
Some of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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Episodes manquant?
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In this refreshing monologue, inspired by one of her most viral reels, Caitlin Murray shares her dirty little secret about what she really craves as a mom of three: alone time. Not just any alone time. It's alone time given to her by her husband. It doesn’t require childcare or coordination or the pressure to be productive. Her mind can be at ease knowing her children are cared for by a parent. And she doesn’t want him to have it easy. She wants him to immerse fully into the chaos and experience the full weight of juggling the shit show that's solo parenting.
Caitlin goes on to examine how society tells women that motherhood should feel natural and easy and therefore mothers have it easier than fathers who work outside of the home. Caitlin believes by giving fathers the opportunity to solo parent in the early childhood years is one step closer to respecting the role of mothers in society.
Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting Subscribe to Caitlin's newsletter Soul Snacks (where she shares her playlists and more)Some of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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How often do you inquire about your child's feelings and emotions during the day? In this episode, Caitlin delves deeper into one of her most recent viral reels: why we worry so much about our children's feelings and why we're always preoccupied with the idea that what we say or do might negatively impact them. This attentiveness is well intentioned. We want to shape our kids into confident, well-adjusted, and resilient adults. But it's frankly exhausting sometimes. Caitlin suggests that maybe we're overthinking things and reminds listeners that our kids could benefit from figuring out and sitting with their own emotions from time to time. She reminds us that we're already doing a fantastic job and perhaps we could let go of our need to do more and instead recognize the efforts we're already making as parents.
Watch the reel that inspired this episode Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting Caitlin's magazine Soul SnacksSome of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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Our guest today is the iconic Cris Cavallari, owner of ICCON, a Philadelphia-based fashion studio and online boutique. Cris shares her story navigating motherhood for the second time, 16 years after giving birth to her first child when she was only 16-years-old. Cris expected the second time around to be much smoother because she was an adult and had a partner. But soon into her pregnancy she realized she was going to be alone in her journey. In this conversation, Cris discusses her co-parenting challenges, finding strength in hard times, and how cutting her son's long hair surprisiningly helped her let go of control, anger, and self-pity. Cris is a beacon of inspiration and we’re so excited for you to get to know her.
Follow Cris @cris_cavallari and get your shop on at her online boutique ICCON Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting Caitlin's magazine Soul SnacksToday's episode is sponsored by Lesser Evil Snacks! Follow them here: @lesserevilsnacks
Some of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) The best store in the world The second best storeSubmit your "big time adulting" story to us and potentially be a guest on the podcast! Write to us at [email protected].
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Our storyteller today is writer Mal Wrenn Corbin, a cherished friend of Caitlin Murray’s mom. Mal grew up in Worcester, MA a town riddled by poverty, addiction, and violence. Mal grew up in an unsafe home, witnessing domestic violence, alcholism, and drug abuse. Her childhood was tossed in and out of the foster care system and she found solace at school and in her friendships. After a youth marked by neglect and loss, she escaped Worcester and ultimately persevered. She went on to Dartmouth college and built a successful life for herself. But becoming a mother was a turning point that helped her recognize her own self-worth for the first time. Mal’s story highlights the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. This on is a tear jerker!
Mal has written a memoir, Raising Wrenns, where she revisits her past and begins to embrace her family's flaws.
Visit Mal Wrenn Corbin's website Follow Mal @malwrenncorbin Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting Caitlin's magazine Soul SnacksSome of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) The best store in the world The second best storeSubmit your "big time adulting" story to us and potentially be a guest on the podcast! Write to us at [email protected]. Pitch tip: The best personal stories have a plot, characters, conflict, and an aha moment.
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Caitlin Murray was a late bloomer and at fourteen she yearned to have big boobs. In this episode, Caitlin shares an embarrassing story from high school orientation aboard a sailboat when she accidentally exposed her little titties out of the side of her speedo bathing suit in front of her classmates. Caitlin reflects on how embarrassing moments from our youth leave imprints on us and how as we grow older embarrassment becomes somewhat inconsequential and maybe even funny. This is all to say that when our children experience the visceral doom and shame of embarrassment, instead of minimizing it, we can show some empathy and turn it around with some humor.
Tune in to hear from our listeners who submitted their own embarrassing teenage stories!
Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting Caitlin's magazine Soul Snacks with everything you need to knowCaitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) The best store in the world The second best storeSubmit your "big time adulting moment" and potentially be a guest on the podcast. Write to us at [email protected]. Pitch tip: The best stories have plot, characters, conflict, and an aha moment.
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Our storyteller today is one of our podcast listeners, Alex from Washington state! Alex shares the shocking and dramatic story of being held hostage by a customer while working at Tiffany's and Company. At the time, she minimized the event as a crazy and adventurous brush with danger. Soon after, she suffered from panic attacks and other mental health issues but never connected them to the hostage fiasco. A couple years later she was diagnosed with PTSD which popped the lid on having to confront other traumas from her past and why she was so susceptible to this event.
Join us as Alex walks us through her story in vivid detail. She also talks about the complicated relationship she has with her mother and the abusive she experienced in her first marriage. In anticipation of the birth of her first child, Alex reflects on the lesson she’d like to pass onto her baby girl- to trust her gut and tap into her body's innate wisdom even if it’s at the expense of other people’s comfort.
Join us for this entertaining, suspenseful, and thought-provoking conversation that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Alex’s snack of choice: Albanese Sour Gummy Bears
Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting Caitlin's magazine Soul Snacks with everything you need to knowA few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) The best store in the world The second best storeSubmit your "big time adulting moment" and potentially be a guest on the podcast. Write to us at [email protected]. Pitch tip: The best stories have plot, characters, conflict, and an aha moment.
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You may wonder why Caitlin so confidently makes fun of her kids, bemoans the trials and tribulations of nonstop parenting, dances her ass off in the kitchen like a lunatic, and rattles off pep talks to all the weary moms.
Today, we’re re-releasing Caitlin’s first podcast episode from 2021 when no one really knew she had a podcast. You will giggle and shed tears as Caitlin describes the life-changing event that inspired her to start blogging, posting on Instagram, and podcasting.
In December 2016, her 3-year-old son was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia which set her family on a horrific journey of survival. Caitlin walks us through the heart-wrenching moments that led up to the diagnosis and how it forever shaped and strengthened their family. She also talks about why this experience has given her a license to say whatever the f*** she wants. It’s a story that resonates with moms because it reminds us to trust our gut and advocate for our kids. And its a reminder that humor is essential when going through hard times.
Fast-forward to today, her son is now 10-years-old and thriving alongside his little sister and brother.
Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting Peruse Caitlin's magazine Soul Snacks To submit your "big time adulting moment" and potentially be a guest on the podcast, write to us at [email protected]The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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Today we’re talking about identity, divorce, shame, imperfection and the gift of blowing it with psychologist Dr. Aliza Pressman who is a mother of 2, a clinical and academic wiz, and host of the widely praised parenting podcast Raising Good Humans. In this conversation, Dr. Aliza Pressman discusses how the parenting advice industry has turned into gobbledygook and why she felt it important to write her book, ’The Five Principles of Parenting,’ which teaches parents a manageable framework for raising children: relationships, reflection, regulation, rules, and repair.
Aliza reflects on her “big time adulting moment:” letting go of shame and judgment after her divorce. Aliza and Caitlin also discuss navigating unexpected challenges in life, the loss of the life they envisioned, and the need to reconcile their own desires with the responsibilities of parenting. The main takeaway is that we are all flawed humans. We make mistakes. Shit happens we don’t expect. Not everything is in our control. But we do have the power to normalize imperfections, practice self-compassion, and repair our relationships when we mess up. Aliza reminds us that when we let go of perfect, we can become positive and transformative influences in a children's lives.
Follow Aliza @raisinggoodhumanspodcast
Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting
The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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Milano Buckley is the epitome of resilience. Born to a mentally ill homeless woman named Kat, Milano’s unstable childhood in New York City was marked by unexpected refuge by two unofficial foster parents, an African woman from Ghana and her elementary school teacher. Milano’s grit through uncertain times led her down a path of triumph over adversity. After graduating from Princeton and starting the picture-perfect family of her dreams, she thought attaining such success would free her from her past. But when she became a mother, her childhood trauma surfaced in brutal and surprising ways.
In this episode, Milano Buckley talks about her crazy upbringing and the daily hurdles of being a mom riddled with remnants of trauma. She reflects on the challenges of healing and the disconnect between her expectations of parenthood and reality. She explores the impact of trauma triggers and the importance of accepting and embracing the journey of healing. Milano and Caitlin also discuss the balance between celebrating joy and acknowledging everyday annoyances.
Milano’s favorite snack: Babybel cheese with pretzel crisps.
Find Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting
The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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Today we welcome self-proclaimed over-sharer Renee Reina, the host of the Mom Room podcast. Renee holds a Ph.D. in psychology and is known for her outspoken conversations about motherhood. She isn’t afraid to discuss taboo topics, challenge parenting practices, and ask the hard questions.
In this episode, Renee discusses her whirlwind story of becoming a content creator and why her unfiltered and unabashed approach turns some people off. Renee and Caitlin discuss all the hot topics of mom life: how to determine if you are the “default parent,” the impact of social media on parenting, how to redirect our anxieties from the micro to the macro, why parenting is harder now than in previous generations, the pressures surrounding family planning, and how to better prepare first time expecting moms for new parenthood. Renee isn't afraid to share the truths of motherhood that are often left unsaid.
Find Renee @thereneereina and @themomroompodcast
Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting
The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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Vagina economist Emily Oster is a world-famous data scientist who researches topics related to women’s health, pregnancy, and parenting. Emily translates confusing scientific data and jargon into digestible knowledge that helps parents make better and more relaxed decisions.
Emily is a professor of economics at Brown University and the author of 4 books: Expecting Better, Cribsheet, The Family Firm, and The Unexpected. She also hosts the Parent Data podcast and writes a popular newsletter by the same name. Emily recently appeared on The Daily Show and was included in TIME’s 2022 100 Most Influential People in the world!
In this episode, Caitlin gets to know the many sides of Emily: the mom, the runner, the Insta-famous economist. They chat about why her work resonates with so many moms and how to use data to make decisions. They talk about panic headlines, chaffing, pregnancy, parenting styles, extracurricular activities, discipline, daycare, and more.
We're honored to welcome Emily Oster to the podcast. If you like the show, please subscribe!
Follow Emily @profemilyoster and at www.parentdata.org
Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting
The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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Anxiety, stress, and angst are inevitable as we traverse the wilderness of parenthood. So how do we make sense of it and how do we tame the tension? Caitlin is joined by John Delony, a mental health expert who offers guidance on relationships, anxiety, and wellness. Over the past 20 years, John learned through research, personal experiences, and working with clients that there are six daily choices people have to make to create a non-anxious life. In this episode, John shares his discoveries with Caitlin. Check out his book Building a Non-Anxious Life.
Follow John @johndelony
Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting
The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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Many of us struggle with the fact that one day our kids will grow up and not need us as much. They will inevitably blaze their own independent lives outside the warm cocoon of our arms. Caitlin welcomes Erin O’Connor to the podcast to discuss secure attachment and why it’s never too late to strengthen the bond we have with our kids. Erin is an academic wiz and a force to be reckoned with in the field of child development. She’s a professor and director of the New York University’s Early Childhood Education program. She holds a Doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard, a Masters in teaching from Fordham University, and a Masters in school psychology from Columbia University. She co-founded the scientificmommy community which is now called Your Cooper, a platform designed to bring together parents, teachers, and researchers around issues of child development. Erin is also co-host of the podcast Parenting Understood, which provides accessible information on parenting and development research.
In this episode, Erin talks about the ways parents can nurture positive relationships with their children, why it's never too late to strengthen that bond, and how it's not all on us to ensure they're securely attached because research shows that when a child develops a strong relationship with someone outside the immediate family, like a teacher, coach, or relative, it's a good predictor of their social-emotional health and academic success. Tune into this fascinating conversation as Erin weaves scientific research into Caitlin's burning questions about parenting and how to ensure our kids will want to come back to us as they test their independence out in the world.
Check out Your Cooper (an online parenting group reimagined)
Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting
The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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The dads of the Milkless Podcast, Matt Naylor and Max Valverde, are here to grace the airwaves with this refreshingly honest conversation about fatherhood and how manly it is to take on more responsibilities as a parent.
Tune into this dynamic conversation between Caitlin and the dads as they explore topics like masculinity, equity in the home, scorekeeping, mental load, division of labor, and how men can show up more equally in the parenting game.
@milklesspodcast
@bigtimeadulting
The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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Today on the podcast we welcome actress, television host, author, and mom of two Tiffani Thiessen! After Caitlin shakes off being a little starstruck and Tiffani returns the admiration, they reflect on Tiffani's past as a teen idol and the many ways it impacted her life. They dive into her upbringing and how her family helped her stay humble and grounded amidst the Hollywood hustle. They discuss her love of cooking and how she came to pivot her career towards food. Tiffani recently came out with her 2nd cookbook, Here We Go Again, a love letter to her childhood, which is all about getting creative with leftovers!
@tiffanithiessen
@bigtimeadulting
The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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There’s no shortage of parenting advice today, and it can often feel overwhelming, causing us to second guess ourselves constantly. Today on the pod, we have clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy, who needs no introduction because she was dubbed the “millennial parenting whisperer” by TIME magazine, and has sparked a parenting revolution. Dr. Becky believes that everything we need is already inside us and she wants to help us move from uncertainty and self-blame to confidence and sturdy leadership. Her brand, Good Inside, boasts a New York Times bestselling book, a podcast, and a massively successful membership community that offers millions of parents tools that focus on the "parent behind the parenting and the child behind the behavior."
In this episode, Caitlin and Dr. Becky address the stress around back to school and how to handle anxious emotions, clinginess, and bullying. They also discuss how to approach different parenting styles, why the normal strategies and scripts don’t work on some kids, and how to repair after losing our shit and yelling at our kids. You don’t want to miss this dynamic conversation. And please check out Becky’s phenomenal TED talk about “the single most important parenting strategy.”
Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting
Becky's Ted Talk on Repair
www.goodinside.com
@drbeckyatgoodinside
The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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Even though dads today are taking on more housework and childcare than in past generations, moms typically carry ALL the mental load for the family, a term referring to the cognitive logistics, worry, and decision-making involved in managing a household and family. The mental load can be described as an unending mental checklist that anticipates every need for the family and home. This might include strategizing meals, researching schools and the best eczema cream, remembering to schedule doctor's appointments, organizing calendars, managing the family's emotional needs, changing the bed sheets, signing Johnny up for soccer, remembering that the toilet paper is out, snacks are low, or whether you paid the babysitter last week, not to mention the endless worrying about your kids and if you're doing enough. This "invisible labor" often goes unnoticed by your partner. It's exhausting and no surprise we're dealing with an epidemic of burnout.
Today’s guest, relationship expert Dr. Morgan Cutlip, PhD, has helped hundreds of thousands of people worldwide learn how to form and maintain healthy relationships. Morgan knows what it feels like to lose yourself in motherhood, and she’s determined to help mothers navigate it better.
In this episode, Caitlin and Morgan talk about why carrying the mental load leads to burnout, how to start expressing our needs, and why they hate the term self-care. If that's not enough to lead you in the right direction, Morgan just wrote a book, Love Your Kids Without Losing Yourself.
Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting
Connect with Dr. Morgan Cutlip:
@drmorgancutlip
Free Resources at www.drmorgancutlip.com including how to talk to your partner about the mental load
Pre-order Love Your Kids Without Losing YourselfThe Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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Moms with young kids increased their alcohol consumption by nearly 325% during the pandemic according to a study by RTI International. The term "mommy wine culture" is used to describe moms drinking wine as a way to cope with parenting stresses.
Caitlin welcomes professional chef, sommelier, and life coach Molly Zemek to the podcast to talk about the connection between parental stress and booze consumption. Molly shares her story of how over-drinking and over-eating led her down a painful path of ill health, dissatisfaction, and depression and how she changed her mindset and developed new skills to create a healthier relationship with alcohol WITHOUT taking the pleasure out of a good time. Caitlin and Molly talk about unique circumstances around motherhood that lead to habitual drinking, how you might develop a more moderate attitude to drinking, how over-drinking is connected to over-eating, and how to create a drink plan. This conversation is not about vilifying alcohol but will help you explore your relationship to booze in a more holistic way.
Follow along with us:
Molly Zemek @mollyzemek
Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting
The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:
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