Big Fat Positive: Pregnancy and Parenting (BFP)

In this week's "What's in Your Bag?" segment, Shanna and Laura confess the items they've somehow ended up hauling around, including one thing that survived a 102-degree drive across town. Also, Shanna preps her daughters for the first day of school and finally delivers the puberty presentation she'd been procrastinating for months, and Laura reports on the tail end of her family's Portland trip and a tiny plane Sebastian refused to leave. 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:

• How to spend the last week of summer break

• Creating a buffer day between summer camp and the first day of school

• How schools announce teacher assignments and why they wait until the last minute

• Making a puberty and periods presentation for your kids

• What to put in a tween puberty readiness kit

• Destigmatizing period conversations as a family

• Including younger siblings in big-kid conversations

• Aviation museums with kids: what to expect

• The Spruce Goose and Howard Hughes

• Hanging on to gift cards for way too long

• Using gum or mints to redirect a dysregulated kid

• Changing your child's sensory experience to interrupt a meltdown

• Why your purse becomes a black hole (and what accumulates in there)

• When grandparents win prizes your kids don't care about

• Teaching kids to write thank you cards

• How a small act of kindness came back around

Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:

• Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, McMinnville, OR

• Ice Breakers Sparkling Mints

• Universal Studios Hollywood

• Chuck E. Cheese

• Funny Instagram reel: Bag of clothes for donation in your car

• Next Level Arcade and Pinball Museum

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.

In this week's "They Said What?" segment, Shanna and Laura cover a bedtime conversation that took a shocking left turn, a sentence Laura never expected to say out loud, and an adult's comment about beauty standards that made a lasting impact. Also, Laura reports on a Portland trip derailed by wildfire smoke and saved by 300 pinball machines, and Shanna navigates her daughter's emotionally charged earring switch. 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 wildfire smoke ruins your vacation plans

• Getting kids comfortable changing their earrings

• Body image conversations with young kids

• When your five-year-old is in a sweet, grateful phase

• When your kid says something completely out of left field at bedtime

• Using OpenTable and Resi's notify feature to snag last-minute reservations

• Taking your kids to their first concert

Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:

• Next Level Arcade and Pinball Museum, Hillsboro OR

• Fox Theater Pomona

• Gado Gado Portland

• OpenTable / Resy

• Indiana Jones soundtrack on Spotify

• Schindler's List soundtrack by John Williams

• Beach Bunny

• Vertigo by Beach Bunny

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.

In this episode's "What the Hack?" segment, Shanna and Laura share a laundry trick for linen and gauze, a tip for getting tiny hair bands out without tugging, and a game that teaches kids conversational skills, plus surprising uses for common household items. Also, Shanna struggles to recover from her family vacation (including an unfortunate suitcase incident) and reports on back-to-school shopping, while Laura kicks off Mommy-Daddy Camp with a sidewalk find that dominates the whole week. 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:

• Recovering from vacation as a parent: why it's harder than it sounds

• The "every mess is a choice" debate

• Taking your kids back-to-school shopping

• Planning activities for when your kids don't have summer camp

• The joy of your kids discovering old-school, low-tech electronics

• Trick for getting tiny hair bands out without tugging

• How to keep craft supplies from disappearing at a shared table

• The frozen pizza hack for families with different topping preferences

• A funny and useful method for decluttering

• An easy way to remove wrinkles from linen and gauze clothing

• A fun game for teaching kids conversational skills

• Hack for cutting pancakes and waffles

• Tip for dispensing bubble solution without the spills

• Theremin: what it is and why your local library might have one

• Universal Studios with kids: when is the right age to go?

Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:

• Nature's Miracle - enzymatic cleaner for cat pee, highly recommended

• Look Dine-In Cinemas - $2 classic movie screenings

• Singin' in the Rain (1952) - what the family saw on Monday

• Kodak 4200 Carousel Slide Projector - the free sidewalk find

• r/CleaningTips on Reddit - where Shanna found the poop method

• Fine mist spray bottle - for de-wrinkling linen and gauze

• 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.

In the special segment "Would You Rather?," Shanna and Laura pose hypothetical parenting scenarios involving airplane antics, an irresistible newborn kitten, and more! Also, Laura reports on her 5-year-old's new activity that took some convincing and her 7-year-old's week at Percy Jackson summer camp, and Shanna recaps her family's trip to a 100-year-old lake community in Canada. Finally, the moms share their BFPs and BFNs for the week. Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 years old and 5 years old.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Getting your kid into a new activity when they're resistant

• How to show your son that gymnastics isn't just for girls

• What is Percy Jackson camp like?

• Travelling to Canada with kids

• Rustic cabin life with sensory-sensitive kids

• Kids and airplane boredom: what happens when the iPad dies

• What's involved in fostering a newborn kitten

• Whether to confront a stranger or just endure the annoyance

• What is valley fever?

• Recording vs. being present at your kid's graduation

• When your kid graduates from preschool

• Occupational therapy

Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:

• Mythic Camps / Camp Half-Blood - Augie's Percy Jackson camp

• Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Disney+ series)

• Valley Fever information - the fungal illness Laura mentions in connection with dust exposure

Connect with Us:

• Become a Patreon member to access ad-free episodes, bonus content, live hangouts and more!

• Follow us on social: Instagram, TikTok or Facebook at @bfppodcast

• Join our Facebook community group for support and camaraderie on your parenting journey.

• Visit our website: bigfatpositivepodcast.com

• Email us: contact@bigfatpositivepodcast.com

• Send us a voice message: speakpipe.com/bfppodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, help spread the word by sharing the show or leaving a review. Thank you!

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.

In the special segment “Just You Wait,” Laura and Shanna share some of the things that get better as children grow up, including delightful developments on the playground, at birthday parties, in the car and more! Also, Shanna reports on a summer-camp dilemma that kept her up at night, and Laura checks in on her family's second week doing a screen-time ban. Finally, the moms share their BFPs and BFNs for the week. Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 years old and 5 years old.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• When summer camp drama requires a midnight solution

• Trusting your gut when something feels off

• Week two of a screen time ban

• Building your child's tolerance for independent play

• When can you trust your kids with paint and Sharpies?

• Kids swinging themselves at the playground: when does this happen?

• Actually talking to other adults at kids' birthday parties

• When your kids become generous with their own money

• Getting in the car and going places without a production

• Occupational therapy: what it looks like and why wait lists are so long

• Kids' drama camp: writing and performing an original play

Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:

• Steve and Kate's Camp

• Hurricane Harbor

• Kids Empire

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid animated film

• Chuck E. Cheese

Connect with Us:

• Become a Patreon member to access ad-free episodes, bonus content, live hangouts and more!

• Follow us on social: Instagram, TikTok or Facebook at @bfppodcast

• Join our Facebook community group for support and camaraderie on your parenting journey.

• Visit our website: bigfatpositivepodcast.com

• Email us: contact@bigfatpositivepodcast.com

• Send us a voice message: speakpipe.com/bfppodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, help spread the word by sharing the show or leaving a review. Thank you!

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.