The Crashtest Mummies Podcast

Reading actual books, binge watching HBO shows and guilt-free 'me-time'... these are a few of the silver linings we have found to have emerged during the past 100+ days in this strange reality that we call 'lockdown'. In this episode, we try to look beyond the monotony, the homeschooling, the cabin fever to see the good during this time. Without the constraints of the school-run and fixed working hours, our days have opened up some much needed 'quiet time' in which we have indulged ourselves in putting ourselves first for a change, as let's face it - having the kids at home for this long is a whole new level of stress. We talk Crime Junkie, American Dirt and Big Little Lies, and if you don't know what they are, I encourage you to have a listen! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So we've lost count of how many weeks into lockdown we are in, and the uncharted waters of homeschooling has become our new 'normal' but what do we really feel about it all? In this episode we talk openly about how we are finding educating our children at home; the highs and the lows and what advice we would give our former selves in preparation for these unprecedented times! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know the phrase 'you can do anything but you can't do everything?' Well in this episode, we open up about about some of the things that you may be expected to do as perfect parents but have completely scrapped from our manuals. One of us doesn't iron ANYTHING, the other doesn't do family dinners, but that doesn't make us bad parents... our kids still wear clothes (allbeit crumpled) and we still feed our kids! Sometimes it's important to take a step back and look at what's expected of you as a parent versus reality and to realise that your 'normal' isn't really all that bad now, is it? We've avoided talking about the 'C' word this week (no, not that one, the other one!) because Coronavirus can just do one at this point. So if you have a spare half hour (and if you don't, just pretend the kids are at school and make time!) and join us to hear just how terrible we are at this parenting gig - you won't believe some of the things we don't do! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We completed week THREE of lockdown and we are sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of this crazy time. We are focusing on mental health, and how difficult this time can be on all of us who are either feeling alone, or overstimulated! We obviously couldn't finish the episode without getting side-tracked and discussing the ins and outs of tiger king, Joe Exotic, and Carole Baskin...did she murder her husband? We are breaking it down. And if you HAVEN'T watched Tiger King, be like Karen and binge watch 7 45 minute episodes in one night. Just do it and thank us later! Lastly, Alexie talks about being pregnant during the lockdown and how it has affected her view on pregnancy, health, and fear. We know it is a WEIRD TIME right now and we hope that we can be the constant! We are laughing, crying, moaning, and being thankful all at once, as i'm sure we all are. It's ok to not be ok, but know that even though you may feel alone, you are never alone here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are living in crazy times, aren't we? No one could have predicted that by the end of March, over a quarter of the world's population was in lockdown. It's a very anxious and scary time for many, and yet the sense of unity among humanity is stronger than ever. From celebrities making us smile on social media, to the younger generations stepping up to look after the elderly, the world is a different place than it was a few weeks ago. We are staying positive this week, in lockdown for the 3rd week for both our families, we are sharing how we are surviving, what life looks like at home 24/7 and exploring the different actions the US and the UK have taken. If you fancy some background noise to your busy household, or want to steal away for a little while, grab a tea, coffee, wine or gin and enjoy!If you like what we do, please leave us a 5 star rating and a review on iTunes!Speak soon,Karen and Alexie x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have special guest, Amanda Mignone who is a kindergarten teacher and administrator at a private school in South Carolina and runs the blog Little Teacher Moments (@littleteachermoments) on today to talk about how to keep our kids learning and staying sane as parents while they are out of school! We know this is a stressful time for many parents! The pressure to be the perfect parent and now perfect teacher can feel overwhelming, but Amanda is breaking it down and giving helpful ideas for independent play and learning tools so everyone stays sane!Here are some links to the resources we talked about in the episode:Switcheroo zoo : Watch, listen, and play games to learn all about amazing animals!Nat Geo for Kids: Learn all about geography and fascinating animalsInto the Book: Go "into the book" to play games that practice reading strategiesSuessville: Read, Play games, and hang out with Dr. Seuss and his friendsABC YA: Practice math and reading skills all while playing fun games!Fun Brain: Play games while practicing math and reading skillsPBS KIDS: Hangout with all your favorite characters all while learningStar Fall: Practice your phonics skills with these read-along storiesStoryline Online: Have some of your favorite stories read to you by movie starsHighlights Kids: Read, Play fames and conduct cool science experimentsVooks: All your favorite kids books animated Earth Rangers Podcast: A super fun animal focused podcast! Hudson's all-time fave! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We couldn't NOT talk about the elephant in the room today, with so many in lockdown and dystopia in the air, Coronavirus has all but taken over the lives of the human race. Different decisions are being made in each country and things can change drastically day by day... people showing their worst and best qualities in this unconventional time. We are just sharing our experiences thus far, we are not specialists and we are not scientists (imagine?) but were are voicing what we know and what we are doing to protect our families as best we can. Please get in touch and share your experiences with us via DM on Instagram:http://wwwinstagram.com/crashtestmummies_podcastStay safe,All our love,Karen and Alexie xxx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guys, we have a seriously good episode for you today with one HUGE announcement! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We always read about "women supporting women" and "lift each other up" but are we practicing what we preach?? Why does the drop-off line feel like a high school cafeteria, and even as an adult, you don't have anywhere to sit? Why do we thrive on drama and gossip instead of support and encouragement? Why are we all so insecure that we have to hurt other moms who are fighting their own battles? We all know a mean mom or have been a mean mom and as usual, we are talking about it! We are sharing our experiences and breaking down WHY this has to stop. I'm sick of crying in the school drop-off line and I know i'm not the only one! How can we raise our daughters to love themselves and love other women no matter what their differences are? We are the Crashtest Mummies, and we are jumping in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all know we have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyoncé, but that doesn't make the juggle any less REAL. Between taking care of our kids, taking care of our house, making sure everyone is clean and fed, running to and from activities, and taking care of ourselves, very day as a mom can feel like we are juggling all the plates. We are talking about the toll this takes on us mentally, emotionally, and physically as well as sharing just a few ways that we break up the monotony and make room for everything.WARNING: We have not unlocked any magical Beyoncé powers over here, we are just sharing our own experiences and reminding you that you rock...even though there will NEVER be enough hours in a day. Never. Also. It's always ok to choose sitting on the couch in the quiet moments instead of always going, going, going! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Milestones - I made a huge deal about them in the beginning, taking note of every single thing that Jonah did. Fox as baby number 3, I can't even tell you when he started walking! In this episode we talk about what's important, what to look out for and is it even important anyway? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for another of our weekly chats and with this episode, we've hit a significant milestone with our 20th episode! This week our ramblings include what games we like to play with the kids, how Lexie gets a bit too invested in hide and seek and how building a train track is serious business in my house! Adam makes some drunken advances by text to his wife and I'm still laughing about what happened when he got home! Another episode of unscripted giggles and gossip from us two - what more could you want while getting on with your day?! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With social media, technology, and distractions everywhere, a huge disconnect has happened in our children. A recent statistic put out by the CDC stated that the rate of teenage suicide has increased by 76% in the last decade! We are sitting down and talking about raising KIND kids in todays hectic world. How can we teach our children to be mindful of themselves, their emotions, and the people around them? Can we impact their decisions outside of the home? What steps should we be taking in every day life to ensure that they understand the importance of mindfulness? We are so passionate abut this topic, and really enjoyed chatting about the things we do every day to ensure our kids feel safe, protected, and loved so that they can take that out into the world!Sources:Daytime Explorers: https://www.kinderling.com.au/music/programs/daytime-explorers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One thing I think we can ALL agree on is that January has been the LONGEST month ever; Am I Right?? We are opening up about this weird month, the trials we've faced (including that weird week in between New Years and the kids going back to school), and some other good stuff. Most importantly, we touch on self-care and whether or not it's actually possible as a mom to fit self-care into your life on a regular basis. Is Self-Care as important as everyone says it is? And if so, is it actually achievable?? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

January is flying by and in this episode, we hope to help any of you Mamas who are getting ready to make the move to introduce solids into your baby's diet. As always, we share our experiences with our own children, how we feel about baby led weaning, purees and where we sought advice during those important months. Please get in touch if you find it useful or with any other questions you may have - thecrashtestmummies@gmail.com . Happy listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ok... we *may* have gone off script in this one guys... While we very much love the Fathers of our children, they also have a whole host of behaviours, habits and tecniques that bug the hell out of us and drive us a little loopy sometimes. Last week seems to have been one of those weeks for both of us... so what better therapy than to spend half an hour offloading our grievances and frustrations with you guys? Really hope you can identify with these and that it's not just us! I really hope Chris and Adam don't listen to this one... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we reach the end of an exciting year for Lex and I, we chat about whether Christmas lived up to our expectations, our love of Gavin and Stacey and unexpected Christmas gifts. We both agree that for the first time in a long time, we aren't putting pressure on ourselves to stick to resolutions for 2020 and look back at some of our wins of this year. We have *almost* managed to record an entire episode without Winter, Fox or Presley kicking off in the background! Now I'm back at the dining table building lego and eating mince pies as one should this week... but if you have a spare half an hour, pop us on in the background and join in the chat! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

T'was the week before Christmas, and all through the house, the kids were going crazy and Mom couldn't catch a break, not even to go to the bathroom! OK, it doesn't rhyme like the original, but it's a damn sight near accurate than the reality as Lex and I have found it over that past week in the lead up to Christmas Day. In this episode we are talking all about the food we are going to be eating, the presents we will be giving and most importantly, sharing our hacks to have a stress free Christmas! Have a wonderful Christmas wonderful friends! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us in our first of no doubt MANY weekly chats between Alexie and I as an additional episode each week to get your CTM fix! In this weeks blether, Alexie shares her baking FAIL as she tried to make VEGAN SUGAR COOKIES with the kids, I look back fondly at a special date that Chris and I shared this week and not so fondly at the memory of my second child vomming on me in bed. Lots more chat about Christmas, our plans for the holidays and my thoughts on who I am voting for in today's General Election. Enjoy! (And someone please get Lex a Vegan cookie recipe that works!!!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We missed a week (sorry) but we are back with a GREAT episode about our parenting styles, how we have adapted them to suit each of our children, and SPIRITED CHILDREN! If you have one, you know what we're talking about! We are deep diving into positive parenting, handling big emotions, dealing with other parents and teachers, and the big S word, spanking. I love this episode because we are touching on so many things that parents just AREN'T talking about. At the end of the day, we are all different, and so are our parenting styles and children and that's why we are talking about it HERE! If you're feeling lost, need a laugh, or just want to make sure that you aren't scarring your child for life, come give us a listen! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.