Big Time Adulting – Details, episodes & analysis

Caitlin Murray wants to know why we are frothing at the mouth to enroll our kids in every single extracurricular activity? When did over-scheduling our kids become the norm? Parents of the 80s and 90s were also busy shuttling kids from thing to thing but the activities they were engaged in were close to home, not very serious, and didn't interfere with downtime and play. With a cameo from economist Emily Oster, Caitlin explores the benefits of extracurriculars but also how overcommitment can lead to burnout and strain on the family. Caitlin shares her personal experience of getting sucked into over-scheduling and how she approaches it now with more sanity and balance. 

• Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting
• Subscribe to Caitlin's newsletter Soul Snacks (where she shares her playlists and more)

Some of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:

• Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) 
• The best store in the world 
• The second best store 

Emily Tisch Sussman, former political strategist, mother of 3, and host of the podcast She Pivots, joins Caitlin to discuss how motherhood forced her to leave her high-powered career and carve out a new path. Emily reflects on her initial fear and doubt about motherhood, the pressure of family expectations, and the realization that her pre-kid version of success was quickly becoming unsustainable. Emily talks about the profound loss she felt in her article, My Children Killed My Career But Took Me in an Unexpected New Direction, and the visceral reaction she received from colleagues and woman from around the world. 

Check out Emily's dynamite podcast, She Pivots, where she interviews prominent leaders and women about how they successfully redirected their personal and professional lives, turning challenges into growth and opportunity.

• Follow Emily Tisch Sussman @shepivotsthepodcast
• Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting
• Subscribe to Caitlin's newsletter Soul Snacks (where she shares her dance playlists and more)

Today's episode is sponsored by Primal Kitchen. Use Code BIGTIMEADULTING to receive 20% off your entire order at www.primalkitchen.com

Some of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:

• Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) 
• The best store in the world 
• The second best store 

Milano Buckley is the epitome of resilience. Born to a mentally ill homeless woman named Kat, Milano’s unstable childhood in New York City was marked by unexpected refuge by two unofficial foster parents, an African woman from Ghana and her elementary school teacher. Milano’s grit through uncertain times led her down a path of triumph over adversity. After graduating from Princeton and starting the picture-perfect family of her dreams, she thought attaining such success would free her from her past. But when she became a mother, her childhood trauma surfaced in brutal and surprising ways. 

In this episode, Milano Buckley talks about her crazy upbringing and the daily hurdles of being a mom riddled with remnants of trauma. She reflects on the challenges of healing and the disconnect between her expectations of parenthood and reality. She explores the impact of trauma triggers and the importance of accepting and embracing the journey of healing. Milano and Caitlin also discuss the balance between celebrating joy and acknowledging everyday annoyances. 

Milano’s favorite snack: Babybel cheese with pretzel crisps.

Find Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting

The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:

• Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) 
• Perfect Bar 
• The best store in the world 
• The second best store 

Today we welcome self-proclaimed over-sharer Renee Reina, the host of the Mom Room podcast. Renee holds a Ph.D. in psychology and is known for her outspoken conversations about motherhood. She isn’t afraid to discuss taboo topics, challenge parenting practices, and ask the hard questions. 

In this episode, Renee discusses her whirlwind story of becoming a content creator and why her unfiltered and unabashed approach turns some people off. Renee and Caitlin discuss all the hot topics of mom life: how to determine if you are the “default parent,” the impact of social media on parenting, how to redirect our anxieties from the micro to the macro, why parenting is harder now than in previous generations, the pressures surrounding family planning, and how to better prepare first time expecting moms for new parenthood. Renee isn't afraid to share the truths of motherhood that are often left unsaid. 

Find Renee @thereneereina and @themomroompodcast

Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting

The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:

• Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) 
• Perfect Bar 
• The best store in the world 
• The second best store 

Vagina economist Emily Oster is a world-famous data scientist who researches topics related to women’s health, pregnancy, and parenting. Emily translates confusing scientific data and jargon into digestible knowledge that helps parents make better and more relaxed decisions. 

Emily is a professor of economics at Brown University and the author of 4 books: Expecting Better, Cribsheet, The Family Firm, and The Unexpected. She also hosts the Parent Data podcast and writes a popular newsletter by the same name. Emily recently appeared on The Daily Show and was included in TIME’s 2022 100 Most Influential People in the world! 

In this episode, Caitlin gets to know the many sides of Emily: the mom, the runner, the Insta-famous economist. They chat about why her work resonates with so many moms and how to use data to make decisions. They talk about panic headlines, chaffing, pregnancy, parenting styles, extracurricular activities, discipline, daycare, and more. 

We're honored to welcome Emily Oster to the podcast. If you like the show, please subscribe! 

Follow Emily @profemilyoster and at www.parentdata.org

Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting

The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:

• Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) 
• Perfect Bar 
• The best store in the world 
• The second best store 

Anxiety, stress, and angst are inevitable as we traverse the wilderness of parenthood. So how do we make sense of it and how do we tame the tension? Caitlin is joined by John Delony, a mental health expert who offers guidance on relationships, anxiety, and wellness. Over the past 20 years, John learned through research, personal experiences, and working with clients that there are six daily choices people have to make to create a non-anxious life. In this episode, John shares his discoveries with Caitlin. Check out his book Building a Non-Anxious Life. 

Follow John @johndelony

Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting

The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:

• Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) 
• Perfect Bar 
• The best store in the world 
• The second best store 

Many of us struggle with the fact that one day our kids will grow up and not need us as much. They will inevitably blaze their own independent lives outside the warm cocoon of our arms. Caitlin welcomes Erin O’Connor to the podcast to discuss secure attachment and why it’s never too late to strengthen the bond we have with our kids. Erin is an academic wiz and a force to be reckoned with in the field of child development. She’s a professor and director of the New York University’s Early Childhood Education program. She holds a Doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard, a Masters in teaching from Fordham University, and a Masters in school psychology from Columbia University. She co-founded the scientificmommy community which is now called Your Cooper, a platform designed to bring together parents, teachers, and researchers around issues of child development. Erin is also co-host of the podcast Parenting Understood, which provides accessible information on parenting and development research.

In this episode, Erin talks about the ways parents can nurture positive relationships with their children, why it's never too late to strengthen that bond, and how it's not all on us to ensure they're securely attached because research shows that when a child develops a strong relationship with someone outside the immediate family, like a teacher, coach, or relative, it's a good predictor of their social-emotional health and academic success. Tune into this fascinating conversation as Erin weaves scientific research into Caitlin's burning questions about parenting and how to ensure our kids will want to come back to us as they test their independence out in the world. 

Check out Your Cooper (an online parenting group reimagined)

Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting

The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:

• Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) 
• Perfect Bar 
• The best store in the world 
• The second best store 

The dads of the Milkless Podcast, Matt Naylor and Max Valverde, are here to grace the airwaves with this refreshingly honest conversation about fatherhood and how manly it is to take on more responsibilities as a parent.

Tune into this dynamic conversation between Caitlin and the dads as they explore topics like masculinity, equity in the home, scorekeeping, mental load, division of labor, and how men can show up more equally in the parenting game. 

@milklesspodcast

@bigtimeadulting

The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:

• Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) 
• Perfect Bar 
• The best store in the world 
• The second best store 

Today on the podcast we welcome actress, television host, author, and mom of two Tiffani Thiessen! After Caitlin shakes off being a little starstruck and Tiffani returns the admiration, they reflect on Tiffani's past as a teen idol and the many ways it impacted her life. They dive into her upbringing and how her family helped her stay humble and grounded amidst the Hollywood hustle. They discuss her love of cooking and how she came to pivot her career towards food. Tiffani recently came out with her 2nd cookbook, Here We Go Again, a love letter to her childhood, which is all about getting creative with leftovers! 

@tiffanithiessen

@bigtimeadulting

The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:

• Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) 
• Perfect Bar 
• The best store in the world 
• The second best store 

There’s no shortage of parenting advice today, and it can often feel overwhelming, causing us to second guess ourselves constantly. Today on the pod, we have clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy, who needs no introduction because she was dubbed the “millennial parenting whisperer” by TIME magazine, and has sparked a parenting revolution. Dr. Becky believes that everything we need is already inside us and she wants to help us move from uncertainty and self-blame to confidence and sturdy leadership. Her brand, Good Inside, boasts a New York Times bestselling book, a podcast, and a massively successful membership community that offers millions of parents tools that focus on the "parent behind the parenting and the child behind the behavior."

In this episode, Caitlin and Dr. Becky address the stress around back to school and how to handle anxious emotions, clinginess, and bullying. They also discuss how to approach different parenting styles, why the normal strategies and scripts don’t work on some kids, and how to repair after losing our shit and yelling at our kids. You don’t want to miss this dynamic conversation. And please check out Becky’s phenomenal TED talk about “the single most important parenting strategy.”  

Follow Caitlin Murray @bigtimeadulting

Becky's Ted Talk on Repair

www.goodinside.com

@drbeckyatgoodinside

The Big Time Adulting podcast is brought to you in part by a few of Caitlin's favorite brands & affiliate partners:

• Knockaround Sunglasses (use code BIGTIMEADULTING for 15% OFF) 
• Perfect Bar 
• The best store in the world 
• The second best store