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Ep. 63 Best of the Parenting Fails Part 3 (Top 10 Fails) featuring Jeff Kinney, Dave Barry, Jeannie Gaffigan, Hillary Frank, Adam Mansbach and Michele Lepe

by Chris Cate

Best Fails 3 B

Here are the top ten parenting fails shared on the podcast so far! Two weeks ago, we started the countdown at number 30 and counted down to 21. In last week’s episode, we counted down from 20 to 11. And while all of those stories were great, and I hope you go back and listen to them if you haven’t already, this episode features the best of the best parenting fails shared on the podcast.

I realize that “best” is not really the best word when you’re talking about parenting fails, because one parenting fail isn’t better than another one – which made ranking these stories quite difficult. But I really think you will get something more than just comic relief by listening to these top 10 stories.

The takeaway I hope you get isn’t that mistakes are no big deal. It’s that we all make mistakes, and that there’s no such thing as a perfect parent. And that being the case, it’s much healthier to be able to laugh at yourself than beat yourself up – not to mention much more entertaining.

I’ll continue to ask guests to share parenting fails, but here are the storytellers of the best fails shared on the podcast so far.

10. Kristen Chase, half of the duo from Cool Mom Picks, who were interviewed in episode 45 of the podcast.

9. Greg Pembroke, author of Reasons My Kid is Crying, who was interviewed in episode 4 of the podcast.

8. Dave Barry, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist and author of more than 30 books, who was interviewed in episode 51 of the podcast.

7. Hillary Frank, host of the Longest Shortest Time podcast, who was interviewed in episode 18 of the podcast.

6. Deva Dalporto, the YouTube sensation whose videos about parenthood have been downloaded millions of times, who was interviewed in episode 15 of the podcast.

5. Jill Smokler, the mom who created the Scary Mommy website, who was interviewed in episode 21 of the podcast.

4. Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, who was interviewed in episode 53 of the podcast.

3. Adam Mansbach, author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller Go the F**k to Sleep and the book You Have to F**king Eat,who was interviewed in episode 33 of the podcast.

2. Jeannie Gaffigan, comedian Jim Gaffigan’s writing partner who also happens to be his wife and was his co-writer on the Jim Gaffigan Show, who was interviewed in episode 38 of the podcast.

1. Michele Lepe, best known as Nina on the Good Night Show on Sprout. It’s not easy to rank parenting fails, but I knew this story would be number one as soon as I decided to do a countdown. I was so grateful when Michele agreed to be my first guest ever on the podcast. It helped launch the show with a great interview and she knocked it out of the park when she shared her parenting fail.

About Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast

Since this episode was originally released, the show has evolved into Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast. It’s a show that’s for imperfect parents by imperfect parents. Hosted by humorist and imperfect parent of three Chris Cate, every episode breaks down a topic that causes parents to break down, such as putting kids to bed, potty training, the terrible twos, homework, clothing, discipline, cleaning up, cooking for kids, and so on….

By the end of each topic breakdown, parents will hopefully realize they aren’t alone in their struggles and that the craziness all parents go through is actually quite funny when it’s looked at in the right light. After all, the mission of the show is to help parents laugh when they want to cry.

Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify.

Connect with The ParentNormal on Social Media

Connect with all things ParentNormal on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Links to popular episodes of Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast

  • Dad Stereotypes versus Reality with Simon Holland
  • Raising Teen Boys with Sarcastic Mommy Lisa Munn
  • Toddler Dangers: How to keep toddlers from injuring themselves and you (with Clint Edwards)
  • Clingy Kids with Rachel Sobel
  • Tooth Fairy Duty with Julie Burton
  • The Mess Kids Make with Lauren Lodder

Filed Under: Parenting Fails, The ParentNormal Comedy Podcast Tagged With: author, baby, toddler

Ep. 60 Interview with Jennifer Lehr, author of ParentSpeak What’s Wrong with How We Talk to Our Children and What to Say Instead

by Chris Cate


Pspeak

Jennifer Lehr, author of ParentSpeak: What’s Wrong with How We Talk to Our Children–and What to Say Instead is the featured guest this week. In our conversation, Jennifer will explain what “parentspeak” is and why we should change some of the common phrases we use with our kids.

Many of the common phrases Jennifer says not to use are phrases I say to my kids all the time, including “You’re so cute,” “Be careful,” and “Can you say thank you?” These are phrases I’ll probably continue to use, for better or worse, but I do think Jennifer makes some good points about how they have the potential to send a different message than what was intended.

Listen to the episode and you be the judge of whether “parentspeak” is a problem, too politically correct or somewhere in between.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

  • Jennifer Lehr’s Website
  • ParentSpeak: What’s Wrong with How We Talk to Our Children–and What to Say Instead
  • Jennifer’s essay in the Wall Street Journal about The Wrong Way to Speak to Children
  • The ParentNormal Crash Course: Everything Traditional Parenting Books Are Afraid to Tell You About Close Encounters of the Baby Toddler and Third-Year Kind (my book)

About Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast

Since this episode was originally released, the show has evolved into Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast. It’s a show that’s for imperfect parents by imperfect parents. Hosted by humorist and imperfect parent of three Chris Cate, every episode breaks down a topic that causes parents to break down, such as putting kids to bed, potty training, the terrible twos, homework, clothing, discipline, cleaning up, cooking for kids, and so on….

By the end of each topic breakdown, parents will hopefully realize they aren’t alone in their struggles and that the craziness all parents go through is actually quite funny when it’s looked at in the right light. After all, the mission of the show is to help parents laugh when they want to cry.

Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify.

Connect with The ParentNormal on Social Media

Connect with all things ParentNormal on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Links to popular episodes of Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast

  • Dad Stereotypes versus Reality with Simon Holland
  • Raising Teen Boys with Sarcastic Mommy Lisa Munn
  • Toddler Dangers: How to keep toddlers from injuring themselves and you (with Clint Edwards)
  • Clingy Kids with Rachel Sobel
  • Tooth Fairy Duty with Julie Burton
  • The Mess Kids Make with Lauren Lodder

Filed Under: ParentNormal Interviews, The ParentNormal Comedy Podcast Tagged With: author, podcast

Ep. 59 Parenting Fails Vol. VII featuring interviews with Dave Barry, Jeff Kinney, Ilana Wiles, Asha Dornfest and Amy Bellgardt

by Chris Cate

parent-fails-vol-7

This seventh edition of parenting fails shared on show reveal even the most talented parents aren’t immune to parenting fails. Enjoy this episode knowing you aren’t alone in your failures, so you might as well laugh at your circumstances rather than get stressed out to the point of crying.

Parents featured in this episode include:

  • Dave Barry, the Pulitzer Prize winning columnist and author of more than 30 books, who was interviewed in episode 51 of the podcast.
  • Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series, who was interviewed in episode 53 of the podcast.
  • Ilana Wiles, the mom behind the Mommy Shorts website and the author of The Mommy Shorts Guide to Remarkably Average Parenting, who was interviewed in episode 54 of the podcast.
  • Asha Dornfest, author of Parent Hacks: 134 Genius Shortcuts for Life with Kids, who was interviewed in episode 56 of the podcast.
  • Amy Bellgardt, the mom who runs Mom Spark, who was interviewed in episode 57 of the podcast.

About Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast

Since this episode was originally released, the show has evolved into Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast. It’s a show that’s for imperfect parents by imperfect parents. Hosted by humorist and imperfect parent of three Chris Cate, every episode breaks down a topic that causes parents to break down, such as putting kids to bed, potty training, the terrible twos, homework, clothing, discipline, cleaning up, cooking for kids, and so on….

By the end of each topic breakdown, parents will hopefully realize they aren’t alone in their struggles and that the craziness all parents go through is actually quite funny when it’s looked at in the right light. After all, the mission of the show is to help parents laugh when they want to cry.

Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify.

Connect with The ParentNormal on Social Media

Connect with all things ParentNormal on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Links to popular episodes of Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast

  • Dad Stereotypes versus Reality with Simon Holland
  • Raising Teen Boys with Sarcastic Mommy Lisa Munn
  • Toddler Dangers: How to keep toddlers from injuring themselves and you (with Clint Edwards)
  • Clingy Kids with Rachel Sobel
  • Tooth Fairy Duty with Julie Burton
  • The Mess Kids Make with Lauren Lodder

Filed Under: Parenting Fails, The ParentNormal Comedy Podcast Tagged With: author, baby, toddler

Ep. 58 Parenting Fails Vol. VI featuring Dr. Robert Keith Wallace, Kristen Chase, Liz Gumbinner, Leslie Patricelli, Amy McCready and Richard Rende

by Chris Cate

parenting-fails-6

For every parenting victory, there is a parenting fail – perhaps several. But rather than get stressed out to the point of tears, it’s usually better to laugh about the madness of parenthood.

This episode is the sixth edition of parenting fails featuring parents who have appeared on the podcast to share their stories.

Parents featured in this episode include:

  • Dr. Robert Keith Wallace, author of Dharma Parenting, who was interviewed in episode 43 of the podcast.
  • Kristen Chase, half of the duo from Cool Mom Picks, who were interviewed in episode 45 of the podcast.
  • Liz Gumbinner, the other half of the Cool Mom Picks duo who were interviewed in episode 45 of the podcast.
  • Leslie Patricelli, the children’s author and illustrator of popular books such as Potty, Yummy Yucky, Huggy Kissy and Big Little who was interviwed in episode 46 of the podcast.
  • Amy McCready, the founder of Positive Parenting Solutions and the author of The Me, Me, Me Epidemic who was interviwed in episode 47 of the podcast.
  • Richard Rende, a developmental psychologist and author of Raising Can-Do Kids who was interviewed in episode 48 of the podcast.

About Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast

Since this episode was originally released, the show has evolved into Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast. It’s a show that’s for imperfect parents by imperfect parents. Hosted by humorist and imperfect parent of three Chris Cate, every episode breaks down a topic that causes parents to break down, such as putting kids to bed, potty training, the terrible twos, homework, clothing, discipline, cleaning up, cooking for kids, and so on….

By the end of each topic breakdown, parents will hopefully realize they aren’t alone in their struggles and that the craziness all parents go through is actually quite funny when it’s looked at in the right light. After all, the mission of the show is to help parents laugh when they want to cry.

Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify.

Connect with The ParentNormal on Social Media

Connect with all things ParentNormal on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Links to popular episodes of Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast

  • Dad Stereotypes versus Reality with Simon Holland
  • Raising Teen Boys with Sarcastic Mommy Lisa Munn
  • Toddler Dangers: How to keep toddlers from injuring themselves and you (with Clint Edwards)
  • Clingy Kids with Rachel Sobel
  • Tooth Fairy Duty with Julie Burton
  • The Mess Kids Make with Lauren Lodder

Filed Under: Parenting Fails, The ParentNormal Comedy Podcast Tagged With: author, baby, toddler

Ep. 56 Interview with Parent Hacks author Asha Dornfest

by Chris Cate

asha-dorfest

Asha Dornfest, author of Parent Hacks: 134 Genius Shortcuts for Life with Kids, is this week’s featured guest. In our conversation, we talk about her favorite hacks, how she got started learning new hacks and where she has had the most success discovering new parenting hacks.

Links Mentioned in this Episode:

  • ParentHacks.com
  • Parent Hacks: 134 Genius Shortcuts for Life with Kids
  • Minimalist Parenting: Enjoy Modern Family Life More by Doing Less
  • Edit Your Life Podcast
  • The ParentNormal Crash Course: Everything Traditional Parenting Books Are Afraid to Tell You About Close Encounters of the Baby Toddler and Third-Year Kind (my book)

About Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast

Since this episode was originally released, the show has evolved into Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast. It’s a show that’s for imperfect parents by imperfect parents. Hosted by humorist and imperfect parent of three Chris Cate, every episode breaks down a topic that causes parents to break down, such as putting kids to bed, potty training, the terrible twos, homework, clothing, discipline, cleaning up, cooking for kids, and so on….

By the end of each topic breakdown, parents will hopefully realize they aren’t alone in their struggles and that the craziness all parents go through is actually quite funny when it’s looked at in the right light. After all, the mission of the show is to help parents laugh when they want to cry.

Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify.

Connect with The ParentNormal on Social Media

Connect with all things ParentNormal on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Links to popular episodes of Breaking Down Parenting: A ParentNormal Podcast

  • Dad Stereotypes versus Reality with Simon Holland
  • Raising Teen Boys with Sarcastic Mommy Lisa Munn
  • Toddler Dangers: How to keep toddlers from injuring themselves and you (with Clint Edwards)
  • Clingy Kids with Rachel Sobel
  • Tooth Fairy Duty with Julie Burton
  • The Mess Kids Make with Lauren Lodder

Filed Under: ParentNormal Interviews, The ParentNormal Comedy Podcast Tagged With: author, baby, toddler

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3x Dad. Words in Wash Post, Reader’s Digest, McSweeneys, more. Email or DM me for collaborations. chris@parentnormal.com. My new Etsy shop ⬇️

Chris Cate
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These are a few of my first shirts and I plan to be making many more. I hope you’ll check out my shop using the link in my bio. I’d love to know what you think. Thanks!
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