Clint Edwards is the featured guest of this episode. He’s a dad of three and the author of the new book This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things. We’ll talk about the successful kickstarter campaign that launched his book, the viral Washington Post article he wrote that led to an appearance on Good Morning America, and we’ll also go through some of the dumbest questions parents get from non-parents.

Links and Items Mentioned in this Episode:

• www.ByClintEdwards.com
• Clint’s Book: This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

ParentNormal Questions Answered in this Episode:

• There are so many things I can improve upon as a parent, do you have any suggestions for a New Year’s resolution?
• I’m about to have my first baby any minute. Do you have any advice or comforting words to ease my nerves?
• If 2016 is anything like 2015, I’ll spend more time in the kitchen than I want to. What are your kitchen predictions for 2016?

ParentNormal News in this Episode:

A six-year-old girl in Pasadena, California is already celebrating New Year’s Day with a New Year’s parade of her own. She’s been marching loudly around her house, wearing costumes and carrying balloons, albeit much earlier than most New Year’s Day parades get started. The six-year-old has actually been parading around her home for the last six years.

Meanwhile, in Harper, Arkansas, a mother and father are planning to spend New Year’s Eve at home, a tradition that dates back to their first New Year’s Eve as parents. Their typical New Year’s Rocking Eve is spent rocking a baby to sleep. The only change this year is expected to be a diaper.

And in Des Moines, Iowa, a grandmother and grandfather are saying goodbye to their grandchildren after a long-awaited Christmas vacation with them. Neither Grammy or Pop Pop, as they like to be called, can believe it was only one week together, because after the first few minutes of laughs and hugs, it started to feel like one year of non-stop whining.

And finally, according to the Baby Name Institute, the top baby names of 2016 will be Trump, StarWars and STARWARS – the last spelled in all caps.

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

This episode’s theme is ‘Mo Money, Mo Problems’ and features special guests Norine Dworkin-McDaniel and Jessica Ziegler from Science of Parenthood. We’ll talk about their new book Science of Parenthood and what good and bad purchases they’ve made as parents.

Links and Items Mentioned in this Episode:

• www.ScienceofParenthood.com
• Science of Parenthood: Thoroughly Unscientific Explanations for Utterly Baffling Parenting Situations

ParentNormal Questions Answered in this Episode:

• When will I be able to take my children to a store without it costing me at least twice as much as I had planned to spend?
• I want to have kids, but I’m worried I can’t afford them. How do you know when you have enough money to have kids?
• I want to teach my children to be entrepreneurs, but they are still young and I don’t know what kind of business I should direct them towards. Do you have any suggestions?

ParentNormal News in this Episode:

In Kirkland, Ohio, a baby has quite remarkably drawn up a budget for her family. According to the baby’s mother, the budget is indeed accurate, adding that the budget drawn up by the baby is just a picture of a black hole.

Meanwhile, a toddler has been named Hollywood’s highest grossing actor – an achievement that has nothing to do with money. The toddler’s mom says it’s for an act too gross to talk about, so I’m taking her word for it and not asking for details.

In Concord, New Hampshire, a toddler has put a quarter in the town fountain against his mother’s wishes. He did it by walking too close to the fountain and falling in with a quarter in his pocket. But his mother says it must’ve brought him good luck, because the boy escaped injury.

And finally, a new study released this week finds that 1 out of every 2 dollars a parent spends goes toward buying a new version of something they already own that’s been broken, spilled or outgrown by their children.

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

Yellow Wiggle Greg Page is the featured guest in this episode all about Christmas cheer. I ask Greg about his favorite Christmas songs and about how his family spends Christmas. I’ll also ask him about the rumored Wiggle reunion show and how he’s able to get a song like Fruit Salad or Hot Potato out of his head.

Links and Items Mentioned in this Episode:

• The Wiggles Website
• Greg Page’s Website
• Get Greg’s new cd at Butterscotchtv.com

ParentNormal Questions Answered in this Episode:

My kids change their minds every day about what they want for Christmas. Would it be wrong to just give them money and say, get what you want?

I’ve had to schedule three photo shoots just to get one family picture with our toddlers looking happy-enough to be on a Christmas card. Are there any other options for a family Christmas card I should know about?

I know my toddler will give me something for Christmas, but it could be anything. Can you give me some great and not-so-great ideas about what he might get me so I can be prepared to fake a smile if necessary?

ParentNormal News in this Episode:

In Valencia, Spain, a mom and dad’s decision to have a traditional Christmas celebration is causing a stir among friends and relatives. They know that a traditional Christmas for their family means all of the kids will be tired, hungry and grumpy, which means they will be opening presents that don’t belong to them, demanding to be held all the time and spilling cranberry sauce on people who refuse to give them eggnog.

The friends and relatives who hope to change these traditions are expected to be reminded what it was like when they had kids, or if they don’t have kids yet, they’ll be told how it will eventually be when it’s their turn to try and control kids amped up on Christmas sugar.

Meanwhile, in Vancouver, Canada, police are still searching for the thief who stole Santa’s cookies last year. The cookies were discovered missing by a four-year-old who woke up very early in the night to see if Santa had brought her presents yet. But the only thing she found was an empty plate and her dad trying to put together a bicycle that looked a lot like the bike she got from Santa the next morning.

The dad remains a person of interest in the case, but he argues his daughter must’ve been dreaming because Santa’s elves are the only ones who could’ve put her bike together.

And finally, a new study finds that 9 out of 10 parents prefer Christmas Eve to Christmas Day. The reason? Because it’s the one day when kids don’t fight going to sleep, at least not too much.

The ten percent of parents who were undecided about which day they prefer said it was because they don’t teach their kids about Santa Claus, but now that they’re thinking about having one night when kids go to sleep, they’re strongly considering a Santa visit.

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

Mom of 16 kids Lyette Reback is the featured guest in this episode about shopping. We’ll talk about the secret to shopping for kids. I’ll ask her how toys have changed since the birth of her first child, and I’ll ask her how often she calls one of her kids the wrong name.

Links and Items Mentioned in this Episode:

• Lynette’s Book – Please God Don’t Let Me Screw This Up!
• TheRebacks.com

ParentNormal Questions Answered in this Episode:

• When I go shopping for my toddler, whether its grocery shopping, shopping for clothes or anything else, I never know what my toddler will want one minute and hate the next. Can you give me a clue what my toddler really wants?
• What’s the difference between giving somebody hand-me-downs and re-gifting?
• Whenever I go to the grocery store with my children, I always forget something, and usually several things, the first being that I should never bring my kids to the grocery store. Can you make me feel better by sharing a list of 10 things all parents forget at the grocery store?

ParentNormal News in this Episode:

A clothes rack inside the Town Square Mall in Hurley, Colorado has been named the best clothes rack for children to hide inside. The circular rack designed for bathrobes has been a popular spot for children to hide since the Patterson kids first discovered it. They made it famous when they hid inside the rack so long they outgrew the clothes they were wearing and the clothes their mom was buying them – so about 10 minutes.

It’s uncertain how long the rack will be able to sustain it’s number-one ranking. It’s height and soft walls, which were once considered an asset, are now proving to be a disadvantage because more and more parents stressed by shopping are choosing to join their children hiding inside the rack.

Meanwhile, the Parent Safety Institute is offering a cash award to anyone who can invent a grocery store shopping cart that doesn’t run over parents’ feet. The institute’s research finds that current shopping carts run over parents’ feet 100 percent of the time whenever touched by a child, which is usually right after a child is warned not to run over their parent’s feet. A similar award, but in candy, is being offered by the Toddler Drivers Institute to anyone who invents a shopping cart that has a functioning steering wheel in the race car shaped carts.

And finally, a toddler is avoiding the holiday shopping rush this year by making a gift for his parents using his adorable handprint. The toddler completed the first phase of his design when he put his handprints on shirts for his parents – using spaghetti sauce and the shirts his parents were wearing.

The toddler is said to be still working on the project, testing additional shirts and mixing new substances such as grape jelly, chocolate milk and a brown substance intentionally unidentified by the boy’s parents.

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