In a life absolutely overflowing with responsibilities, listening to a podcast can feel like an escape — a few moments of enlightenment through passive listening. Podcast time is even better if you can fit it in during a walk outdoors or a bubble bath for the ultimate self-care indulgence (as indulgences go for overstretched parents in a pandemic).
Whether you want to learn something, to laugh or to just feel seen, there’s a parenting podcast for you. Here, we round up the best free parenting podcasts for moms, dads, single parents, LGBTQ+ parents — or anyone helping to raise kids — to add to your rotation.
Best for parents around the world
BBC launched its first parenting podcast, Parentland, last year. The weekly pod focuses on the parenting experience around the world, by taking on listeners’ real-life parenting issues. It shows that no matter where we live, so many of our experiences are universal — and when parenting feels challenging and isolating, it helps a lot just to remember that we’re far from alone. Recent topics have included burnout, sibling rivalry and homeschooling during COVID.
Best for dads
Dad So Hard digs into life as a fun and hands-on dad. Hosts Danny McCartney and Vinnie Dunleavy each have two kids and share personal and relatable stories in totally accessible language. They also chat about newsmaking dads and interview guests committed to raising their kids well while living a healthy, happy, balanced (and not boring or fussy) life. The two-year-old show has 80 episodes in the bag so far, with an archive including episodes on Pinterest dadding, dad fails — and extremely strong feelings about bounce house birthday parties.
Best for moms
On the flipside, Motherhood Sessions tackles the major shift in identity that comes with becoming a mom. Reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Alexandra Sacks brings on moms as guests and invites listeners to be a part of tough conversations more typically discussed in a therapist’s office. Each episode features a woman grappling with a difficult issue or question — whether related to sex, career, ambivalence about motherhood or something else — and she tackles it with the doctor’s guidance. The show kicked off in 2019; this year’s season finale aired in March.
Best for LGBTQ+ parents
The monthly Outspoken Voices podcast comes from the national nonprofit Family Equality. The show brings on guests to talk about important themes for LGBTQ+ families (and members of the community thinking about starting one). Themes include fertility and conception, identity and caring for kids and parents at the same time. The show is now in season three, and each episode is just about 30 minutes long.
Best for parents seeking advice
Mom and Dad Are Fighting is Slate’s parenting podcast, from its editors and writers Dan Kois, Jamilah Lemieux and Elizabeth Newcamp (who are located all around the country). It offers insights into triumphs and fails, plus tips for parenting kids from toddlers on up to teenagers. The focus here is on ultra-timely parenting topics, like pandemic friends and the decisions around sending kids back to school during COVID (so you might just want to start now instead of digging back into all 300 older episodes).
Best for single parents
Warning: Good Moms Bad Choices is NSFW (or for kids’ prying ears). It’s all about grown-folks talk, and it’s totally unfiltered. Hosts Erica and Milah are sex-positive (and cannabis positive) Black, young and single moms who challenge stereotypes of what makes a “good parent” every Wednesday night. Topics include divorce, cheating, co-parenting, mental health — and yes, there’s a lot about sex. This is the podcast for you if you’re navigating parenting and the dating game … and you’re so over the boilerplate mom talk.
Best for new parents
The Longest Shortest Time podcast is named for that old (and oh-so-apt) parenting cliche: “The days are long, but the years are short.” Although it wrapped up back in December after seven years, this podcast forever remains one of my top recommendations for host Hillary Frank’s sweet, sensitive and understanding approach to the full range of parenting topics; it carried me through endless miles pushing a double stroller on walks with my twins while fearing I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Start with the multipart series called “The Accidental Gay Parents” for an incredibly uplifting love story between partners as well as their kids throughout their family journey.
Best for parents who thrive on data
You know who you are. If you’re all about public radio, you’ll love NPR’s parenting podcast, Life Kit. Less than a year old, this show brings experts and drops knowledge on parents looking for tips to raise their kids with help from science-backed principals. For instance, recent episodes discuss the importance of flu shots, even in the pandemic and how to stop stress spending to save your financial future. Episodes are typically about 20 minutes or less, so it’s a big bang for your limited listening-time buck.
Best for busy parents who love books
Technically, Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books is a podcast for parents — but not a parenting podcast. Rather, it’s a pod aimed at busy parents who used to love to read before they took on the responsibility of keeping other humans alive. Writer Zibby Owens, a New York City-based mom of four, welcomes other writers as her guests on this show: Think biggies like Jennifer Weiner, Jamaica Kincaid and Cheryl Strayed. They talk about their work so you can stay in the literary know even if (no judgment) you haven’t actually read a book cover to cover since your kid was born. This pod has 300 episodes in the bag, so there’s plenty for binge-listening.
