Parents Uncharted: From The Creator of Mom Uncharted

“It’s just a prank.” But who’s actually laughing? From Jimmy Kimmel’s Halloween candy challenge to TikTok ghost filters and the egg-cracking trend, children’s fear, disappointment and humiliation have become a familiar form of online entertainment. And long before TikTok, family YouTubers were building audiences around the reactions they could get from their kids. In this solo episode of Parents Uncharted, Sarah Adams, the creator of Mom.Uncharted, explores parenting prank culture and what happens when getting a reaction for the internet takes priority over responding to the child in front of you. With Halloween approaching, Sarah asks where playful family humour ends and a child’s distress becomes content. She looks at the history of family prank videos, the DaddyOFive case, children’s developing understanding of humour, and the additional loss of privacy when an upsetting moment is shared publicly. Comedy may be subjective, but a child crying, asking you to stop or trying to escape deserves a response. We don’t need to prove permanent harm before deciding their feelings matter. Before joining the next trend, ask yourself: Would I still do this if I couldn’t film it? And is this something my child would enjoy, or something I would enjoy watching happen to them? If this conversation made you think of another parent, please share the episode. Follow Parents Uncharted and leave a rating or review to help more families find these conversations. Chapters (00:00) The Impact of Parenting Pranks (05:23) The Evolution of Pranking Culture (10:55) The Ethics of Viral Content (16:05) The Consequences of Pranking Children (21:12) Reconsidering Humour in Parenting Connect with Sarah Adams: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://momuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://parentsuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when the “simpler life” our daughters see online is someone else’s carefully built business? Beautiful kitchens, homemade meals, smiling children and a husband who takes care of everything. Tradwife content sells an appealing version of marriage and motherhood, but what does it leave out? And what should parents understand about the messages reaching young women? In this episode of Parents Uncharted, Sarah sits down with writer and cultural critic Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture, to unpack the tradwife fantasy and the business behind it. From Ballerina Farm and Nara Smith to younger creators embracing traditional gender roles, they explore why this content is so compelling, what happens when influencers distance themselves from the tradwife label, and whether a change in branding really changes the message. They also make an important distinction between choosing to stay home with your children and selling an idealized version of motherhood online. Along the way, Sara considers what these images promise overwhelmed women, and why those promises can resonate when modern motherhood feels so unsupported. Sara brings the conversation back to media literacy: the women presenting this lifestyle online often have careers, businesses and income of their own. Helping young people recognize that work, and think about financial independence, support and future choices—is a valuable place to begin. For parents, this conversation offers an opening to ask: What does your child find appealing about this life, and what might they need to know beyond what’s in the frame? More about Sara Sara Petersen wrote a book about the many layers of momfluencer culture, MOMFLUENCED: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture, which you can read excerpts of in The Cut, TIME and Literary Hub. For most of her career, Sara has written about motherhood and feminism, and her work has been featured in outlets such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Glamour, Refinery29 and elsewhere. For Harper’s Bazaar, she wrote about the cultishness of wellness momfluencers and her own love/hate relationship with momfluencers. You can find more of her work on her website and follow her on Instagram, which she tends to avoid because Meta! Occasionally, she likes to rant about the ads. Connect w/ Sarah ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://momuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://parentsuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted If this conversation made you think of another parent, please share it with them. Following, rating and reviewing Parents Uncharted helps more families find these conversations. Because there’s no map for modern parenting, but together we can chart a better path. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We hear a lot about what screens are doing to our kids, but what about the world we’re raising them in? Climate change, the cost of living, political division, AI and an uncertain future are pressures that a screen time limit alone can’t solve. In this episode of Parents Uncharted, Sarah Adams, also known as Mom.Uncharted, sits down with journalist, author and former NPR education reporter Anya Kamenetz to explore parenting through the “polycrisis”: the overlapping crises shaping our families’ lives. Sarah shares her own climate fears and a question from her child that stopped her in her tracks: “Will the world be okay when I grow up?” Anya offers practical ways to approach those conversations, beginning with finding support for our own feelings, listening to what our children are really asking and taking action together. They also discuss AI in schools, children’s emotional attachment to chatbots, the environmental tensions of AI-assisted parenting and the lasting effects of COVID on education. Drawing on her podcast, Zero Reject: The Uncertain Future of Special Education, Anya explores the challenges families face in getting their children the support they need. This is a conversation about being honest with our kids, finding hope amid uncertainty and remembering that families shouldn’t have to carry these challenges alone. Chapters (00:00) Parenting beyond screen time: Meet Anya Kamenetz (02:17) What is the polycrisis—and how does it affect families? (07:39) Why parents can’t carry all the responsibility (10:30) AI in schools, chatbots and children’s learning (14:13) AI’s environmental cost and the mental load of motherhood (17:33) Talking to kids about climate change and our own fears (20:38) “Will the world be okay when I grow up?” (24:05) Revisiting The Art of Screen Time (26:40) COVID’s lasting effects and special education support (30:44) AI, careers and young people’s uncertain future (32:33) Building resilience through community and shared action More About Anya Anya Kamenetz speaks, writes, and thinks about thriving and caring for others on a rapidly changing planet. Her newsletter on these topics is The Golden Hour. She covered education for many years including for NPR, where she co-created the podcast Life Kit: Parenting. Her last book was The Stolen Year: How Covid Changed Children’s Lives, And Where We Go Now. Kamenetz is currently an advisor to the Aspen Institute and the Climate Mental Health Network, working on new initiatives at the intersection of children, well-being, education, and climate change. Her next book, forthcoming from Bloomsbury, is about how to cope with the world right now. Connect with Anya Website- https://www.anyakamenetz.net/  Substack- https://thegoldenhour.substack.com/ Zero Reject Podcast- https://www.understood.org/en/podcasts/zero-reject  Connect w/ Sarah ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://momuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://parentsuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Content note: This episode includes discussion of domestic violence, sexual violence, misogyny, and explicit language. We spend a lot of time talking about the men we don’t want influencing our sons online, but who are we offering them instead? In this episode, Sarah is joined by Johnny Cole, founder of Hey Brother Co., to talk about raising boys who feel connected, supported, and free to decide what kind of men they want to become. Drawing on his experience growing up in a home with domestic violence and his work mentoring teenage boys, Johnny shares how healthier role models helped him rethink what he had learned about masculinity. Together, they explore what boys may be looking for in manosphere content, why dismissing their interests can shut down important conversations, and how Johnny’s “Brothercore” content and the Hey Brother House initiative are offering different stories about manhood, friendship, and belonging. For parents wondering where to start, Johnny offers practical ways to build connection: notice and affirm kindness, keep making room for affection, read fiction together, and ask thoughtful questions about the messages boys encounter online. The conversation closes with a reminder that raising a kind, accountable son also means giving him space to make mistakes, and trusting that he can come to you when he does. If you’re raising boys, or helping shape the world they’re growing up in, share this conversation with someone who wants to offer them more than a list of people not to follow. Because there’s no map for modern parenting, but together we can chart a better path. Chapters (00:00) Who are our sons supposed to look up to? (01:18) Johnny’s story and finding different role models (07:43) Men’s work, Brothercore, and healthier brotherhood (15:03) Understanding the manosphere and its appeal (23:26) What boys need beyond “don’t follow him” (29:37) Changing the language and modelling something different (33:13) Inside the Hey Brother House initiative (37:29) What parents may be missing about boys (40:40) Reading fiction and questioning online messages (44:04) Hope, accountability, and room to make mistakes About Johnny Cole Johnny Cole is a young man that supports men and boys in escaping the “Man Box” ideals of masculinity. He is the founder of Hey Brother Co., a men’s work organization focused on shifting the narrative on masculinity through emotional skill-building, brotherhood, and accountability. As a survivor of childhood domestic violence at the hands of his father, a South African special forces veteran, Johnny intimately understands the consequences that patriarchal masculinity and unaddressed mental health issues have for our world. Johnny creates spaces, online, in the gym, in schools, in men’s groups, and on retreats, where men and boys can unlearn patriarchal conditioning and build healthier relationships with themselves and others. He has worked with schoolboys across the United States, South Africa, and the Galápagos Islands, and his mentorship with high school boys in Oberlin, Ohio was featured in CBS Reports’ documentary Boys to Men: Why America’s Sons Are Struggling. Connect with Johnny Cole Hey Brother Co. Website Johnny Cole Instagram  Hey Brother Co. Instagram  Connect with Sarah Adams ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://momuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://parentsuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“I won’t go faceless.” Sarah has been sent a growing number of posts from parents defending the decision to keep showing their children online, even as AI makes it easier to copy and manipulate a child’s image. In this solo episode, she takes on five of their most common arguments, including the claim that keeping children off social media somehow makes them invisible. Sarah explains why audience, frequency, identifying details, and monetization matter, and why a child’s right to privacy deserves more weight as AI makes images easier to misuse. She also examines the incentives that reward parents for turning intimate moments into content, offers five questions to ask before posting, and makes the case for normalizing a more private childhood. If someone sends you a post arguing that children are being “erased” when parents stop sharing them online, send them this episode. It’s a way to start a thoughtful conversation without giving the original post more engagement and if this episode helped you rethink what belongs online, share it with another parent who might be asking the same questions. Chapters (01:45) — The “I Won’t Go Faceless” Posts. (05:00) — “The offender is responsible, so parents shouldn’t have to change” (09:05) — “The internet isn’t the only place children can be harmed” (12:28) — “Not posting children makes them invisible” (17:00) — “You’re judging parents for a normal family photo” (21:00) — “You can’t eliminate every risk, so why change anything?” Connect with Sarah Adams: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://momuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mom.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@mom.uncharted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://parentsuncharted.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/parents.uncharted/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@parents.uncharted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices