A Wonderful Mess Podcast

Mar 10 2025 25 ep. 8 mins 3

A Wonderful Mess Podcast artwork

Navigating parenthood with humor, compassion and common sense.

kathrynbarbash.substack.com

Kids & Family Society & Culture

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The Tyranny of the Phrase “Screen-Free”

Mar 10 2025 13 mins

I was searching for weapons on the internet with my child. And there it was, the label—"screen-free entertainment”.Perhaps some context? We were looking for a toy weapon to complete a Halloween costume. And right there was the sales pitch—this toy is not a screen! We didn’t end up buying this exemplar of screen-free entertainment. Instead, we used a stick with some masking

Tired Parents Still Can't Meditate on a Mountaintop

Jan 20 2025 11 mins

About a year ago, I posted the below essay on mindfulness in parenthood. I had been working on another essay that wasn’t working. I pivoted and put together my thoughts on what mindfulness can look like in a practical sense in real-life parenthood. The hope was this would counterbalance some of the very polished advice and anecdotes in the land of parenting advice. My life has ne

I Had Stopped Reading Fiction

Jan 06 2025 9 mins

Hello, and Happy New Year! Yay—I have, for now, figured out my audio issues, so glad to be back reading today's essay. Enjoying the mess?You can help others find A Wonderful Mess by sharing the love. You can do this by liking this post, restacking it on the Substack Notes network, sharing it on social media, or forwarding it to a friend.As always—Just a little reminder: The con

Bonus December Podcast

Dec 13 2024 7 mins

Hello dear readers/listeners,It’s been awhile. Typically, monthly bonus podcasts are for paid subcribers but it’s the holidays after all. And I really just wanted to jump on say hello, rant for a moment or two on a couple hot topics and share some Substack love. So here you go!Some mentions in the podcast* My journey into shoulder surgery* Santa Worries:Helpful interview from E

October Paid Subscriber Mini-Podcast

Oct 30 2024 1 mins

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit kathrynbarbash.substack.comHello,This is your monthly paid subscriber bonus podcast. Still working out what to do in this space. Some months it’s a little bit of this and little bit of that and so that is what we have going this month.This episode includes:* What we do with the Halloween candy* My new reading accessory

Perfect Pumpkin Patch Photos: What About the Rest of Us?

Oct 07 2024 7 mins

Hello readers, now that I have written this newsletter for over a year I’ve written quite a lot. From time to time it’s nice to revisit something that many of you have likely not read before. This is a repost from last fall that still holds.As always—Just a little reminder: The content on A Wonderful Mess posted by Dr. Kathryn Barbash, PsyD is for educational and entertainmen

Oops, I Forgot to Meditate

Sep 30 2024 4 mins

Have you ever stopped doing something by accident? It’s such a human thing to do. All humans are welcome here at A Wonderful Mess. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kathrynbarbash.substack.com/subscribe

One Year Reflections

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit kathrynbarbash.substack.comA little different than usual. This is a bonus podcast episode for paid subscribers reflecting on one year of A Wonderful Mess. Last year on October 2nd, the first email landed in the inboxes of a handful of friends and family. Join me in celbrating 1 year!

Who Has Cared for Your Children?

Sep 23 2024 18 mins

Childcare is being talked about a lot these days--here is a glimpse of our childcare narrative.As always—Just a little reminder: The content on A Wonderful Mess posted by Dr. Kathryn Barbash, PsyD is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical, clinical, legal, or professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Reliance on any

Now Trending: Oodles of Parenting Advice

Sep 09 2024 13 mins

Hello! Happy to be back with a Now Trending in Parenting article where we explore trends in the parent-scape.What technically defines the quantity “oodles”? It may sound less than scientific, but it is a perfect word to capture the amount of parenting advice out there today.As always—Just a little reminder: The content on A Wonderful Mess posted by Dr. Kathryn Barbash, PsyD i