Episodes

  • Common mistakes parents make when installing a car seat

    Common mistakes parents make when installing a car seat
    Mar 2 2026
    If you're a new parent, picking out a car seat can be stressful. Do you need to spend extra on special features to keep your kid safe? How long should your child be rear-facing? How do you know if the car seat is secure enough? In this episode of Life Kit, we cover common mistakes parents make when installing car seats.

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    26 mins
  • The key to a less frantic holiday season

    The key to a less frantic holiday season
    Dec 1 2025

    There can be a lot of stress when it comes to the holidays: figuring out travel plans, preparing the perfect meal, spending time with the whole family for days on end. There can also be a lot pressure to do everything perfectly, but psychotherapist and author of All Is Calmish: How to Feel Less Frantic and More Festive During the Holidays, Niro Feliciano, says that letting go of the need for perfection can actually make your holiday less stressful. This episode, Feliciano shares tips for keeping your holiday season merry and bright.

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    23 mins
  • How to talk toddler

    How to talk toddler
    Oct 2 2025
    Toddlerhood is a big and beautiful period of self-discovery. Kids are picking up new cognitive and motor skills and learning language a mile a minute. But there are some behaviors in this age range that can be confusing, frustrating or spirit-breaking for parents, like tantrums, hitting, stealing toys and more. This episode, Life Kit reporter Andee Tagle helps you decode your toddler's behavior and address it more strategically.

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    27 mins
  • A smarter way to pick the right college

    A smarter way to pick the right college
    Sep 25 2025
    When deciding between colleges, it can be tempting to let prestige guide your choice. But so many factors go into finding the right fit: research opportunities, campus extracurriculars, social life, specific classes or programs, and of course, very real financial considerations. This episode, higher education journalist Jeffrey Selingo, author of Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You, outlines what students and parents should consider when choosing a school.

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    20 mins
  • Teens are using AI. Here’s how parents can talk about it.

    Teens are using AI. Here’s how parents can talk about it.
    Sep 2 2025
    High school and college students graduating in 2026 will have had access to artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT since their freshman year. Teens are using it in creative ways to help them study, but many have also received little to no guidance on responsible use. In this episode, we discuss how to talk to teens about AI, including its risks and potential benefits for young people.

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    24 mins
  • A better way to support your teens as they go back to school

    A better way to support your teens as they go back to school
    Aug 19 2025
    Today's teens struggle with perfectionism and mood swings, and their parents struggle to have hard conversations with them, according to a 2024 Walton Family Foundation and Gallup poll. Teen psychologist Lisa Damour explains how parents can better support their kids as a new school year begins. This episode originally published Aug. 27, 2024.

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    23 mins
  • Hidden ways technology can influence your parenting decisions

    Hidden ways technology can influence your parenting decisions
    Jul 29 2025
    From pregnancy tracking apps to smart baby monitors, technology is ingrained in parenthood at every turn. But at what cost? In this episode, Amanda Hess, author of Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age, shares how data, metrics and our relationship to technology can shape child-rearing — and create barriers between parents and their kids.

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    26 mins
  • How to embrace the mess and teach your kids to cook

    How to embrace the mess and teach your kids to cook
    Jul 24 2025
    If you have kids, cooking with them might sound like a daunting prospect. But David Nayfeld, the chef behind the new book, Dad, What's for Dinner?, says cooking with your kids can create positive memories and help your kids build useful skills. In this episode, Nayfeld shares easy weeknight recipes to try with your kids and cooking tasks children can help with at any age. Yes, it might get messy, but that's OK if you're connecting and spending time together.

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    19 mins