Explore every episode of the podcast Not Right Now
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Push Them Down | 20 Feb 2025 | 01:03:49 | |
In our debut episode, Claire (Evil Witches) and Quinn (Important, Not Important) dive into the chaotic reality of raising tiny humans in these wild times. From behavioral reflection forms and schoolyard diplomacy to the eternal question of "how many water bottles does one child need?", we explore the messy, hilarious, and occasionally terrifying truth about modern parenting. Plus: why every parent should have friends who don't make you add "...but of course I love them!" to your rants, the special anxiety of raising boys who won't become supervillains, and the paradox of counting down to bedtime while simultaneously scrolling through baby photos. A conversation for parents who know that both dreading dinner and cherishing every moment can be true at the same time. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Follow us:
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| Introducing: Not Right Now | 14 Feb 2025 | 00:03:15 | |
Not Right Now is a new podcast for parents navigating the impossible task of raising kids while *gestures wildly at everything*. Join Quinn Emmett (Important, Not Important) and Claire Zulkey (Evil Witches) for honest conversations about parenting in an era of climate change, artificial intelligence, social media anxiety, all while trying to get your kid to just please put on their shoes. From discussing how to talk to kids about the news without traumatizing them (or yourself), to debating the right age for a phone, to admitting that sometimes the best parenting happens when you're hiding in the pantry eating handfuls of trail mix for dinner- Quinn and Claire bring humor, empathy, and real talk to the wild adventure of raising tiny humans in these chaotic times. Because being a good parent doesn't mean having all the answers - it means figuring it out together, one "not right now" at a time. Join us every week, wherever you get your podcasts. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show ----------- Follow us:
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| These Rules Can Go To Hell | 27 Feb 2025 | 00:57:04 | |
This week Claire and Quinn dive into how the show got its name - the eternal parental struggle of "Not Right Now" - from TikTok bans and VPN-savvy kids to fighting for five minutes alone in the bathroom. Plus: the special horror of watching your kids figure out technology faster than you, deep fakes in elementary school, your child calling out your control freak tendencies, and how we're all just trying to parent through gestures wildly at everything while maintaining some semblance of sanity. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show Links:
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| Q&A: Questions We're Not Qualified to Answer (But We'll Try Anyway) | 01 May 2025 | 00:43:18 | |
In our first bonus Q&A episode, Quinn and Claire tackle listener questions with their signature blend of honesty, humor, and zero judgment. Topics covered:
NOTE: Future Q&A and bonus episodes will be for Important Members and paid subscribers of Evil Witches only! Upgrade to get them directly into your feed. Try a free 30 day free trial of the Important Membership here: https://www.importantnotimportant.com/upgrade. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| It's Not A Vacation, It's A Family Trip | 24 Apr 2025 | 01:13:32 | |
This week, Quinn and Claire dive into traveling with kids. They share personal stories about family trips from their own childhoods and with their children now, covering everything from dealing with jetlag to bathroom emergencies at 30,000 feet. Also discussed: the myth of "vacation" with children (let's just call it a "family trip"), tips and tricks for making travel less hellish, how to make travel more meaningful, the necessity of getting occasional breaks from your kids, and as always, the importance of lower expectations. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| Understimulated or Overscheduled | 10 Apr 2025 | 01:03:35 | |
This week, Claire and Quinn dig into the minefield of youth sports: understimulated kids who are getting on everyone's nerves vs. overscheduled families who have no time to breathe, the horrors of early-season kid-pitch baseball, the importance (or not) of having "hustle", and what is the point of kids sports, anyways? ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Follow us:
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| Recycling Isn't Real, But Your Kid's Plastic Hoard Is | 03 Apr 2025 | 01:06:03 | |
This week, Claire and Quinn lament on the endless influx of STUFF that children seem to magically manifest in your home. From mysterious bouncy balls to apple juice containers full of sand to fantasies of cleansing fires, they explore the anxiety and dread created by attempting to manage the unmanageable (spoiler alert: yeah, recycling isn't real. Have a great day!) ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Follow us:
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| Lower Your Expectations (And Everyone Else's Too) | 27 Mar 2025 | 01:01:44 | |
This week, Claire and Quinn unpack the often messy, often thankless job of solo parenting while your partner is away. We cover why you should never, EVER call your partner with "options" while the kids are listening, the cursed timing of arriving home during bedtime (just drive a few extra laps around the block, seriously), the myth that missing your kids "firsts" will somehow lead them to a life of crime, dinner standards when flying solo, and why lowering expectations is really the best parenting and life hack. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| How Do You Say "WAP"? | 20 Mar 2025 | 00:56:36 | |
This week, Claire and Quinn take a break (mostly) from their existential dread to talk about the awkward, hilarious world of music and parenting. From deciding if Freak Like Me is appropriate for the carpool to facepalming when your kid asks if Beyoncé is still alive, they navigate the terrain of what we listen to, what our kids listen to, and whether or not taking your child to see The Weeknd is a terrible idea. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Follow us:
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| This Is Me At My Best | 13 Mar 2025 | 01:10:06 | |
This week, Claire and Quinn dive into the messy reality of all the different ways we cope with parenting, while everything else is happening. From that stomach-dropping moment when your kid asks you "Did you get a call from school?" to balancing mental health with the news cycle, they explore how we all find ways to survive (medication, therapy, weed, wine, exercise, whatever) when our bandwidth is maxed out. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| Kill Me In The First Wave | 06 Mar 2025 | 00:52:50 | |
This week, Claire and Quinn explore the impossible question many parents are facing more frequently: how do you explain disasters, displacement, and uncertainty to your kids? From the Los Angeles wildfires to home insurance nightmares to tornado drills in the basement, they tackle the tough conversations about our changing world and what we tell our children when there are no easy answers. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Follow us:
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| How Low Is Your Bar For Childcare? | 26 Jun 2025 | 01:06:55 | |
This week, Quinn and Claire are diving into the ever-evolving world of childcare, from the brutal economics of quality care to the desperate measures parents take just to keep working. They explore how childcare standards change from first kid (extensive vetting) to third kid (you haven't murdered recently), the impossible summer camp lottery system, and why sometimes a random college student willing to be a "play robot" is an essential worker. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Follow us:
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| Why Does Disney Always Kill the Moms? | 12 Jun 2025 | 01:28:05 | |
This week, Claire and Quinn welcome screenwriter and director Chris Winterbauer (Moonshot, What Went Wrong podcast) to chat about movies! They cover what they let their kids watch, what they force them to watch, and which movies scarred them for life. Featuring passionate defenses of Dumb and Dumber, the death of Hollywood Video, hot takes on Space Balls and Star Wars, taking kids to the movie theatre, and why the Simpsons is basically Sesame Street compared to YouTube. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| We're Gonna Be the Woke Family | 05 Jun 2025 | 01:07:46 | |
This week, Claire and Quinn ask: How do you raise charitable, empathetic kids when you can barely manage getting them to put their dishes in the sink? Topics include when your anti-gun household meets the school rummage sale Nerf gun haul, teaching empathy vs. performative wokeness, the privilege and burden of school parent organizations, why showing up to volunteer isn't always helpful (and when it is), and a list of some of the most effective charities out there. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| That's $15 Worth of Raspberries | 29 May 2025 | 01:18:32 | |
This week Claire and Quinn welcome their first guest, Lindsey Stanberry, founder of The Purse and former editor at Fortune. Together they explore how to teach kids about money in 2025 -- from birthday party gift overload to teaching financial literacy when you can barely manage your own finances. We cover tales of $80 silent action mishaps, pricey raspberry juice experiments, and why nobody wants to be their kid's personal banker. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| Sleep Will Never Be The Same | 15 May 2025 | 00:54:59 | |
Parenting and sleep deprivation. From military-precise sleep training schedules to the anxiety spiral of a child who won't sleep, they share their brutally honest experiences with getting children (and themselves) to bed. Featuring tales of nine (yes, nine) pillow sleep systems, headbanging toddlers, and why separate bedrooms might save your marriage. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| Parenting Is Humbling (And I Hate Being Humbled) | 08 May 2025 | 01:04:43 | |
This week, we talk about the humbling experience of parenthood and how reality shatters expectations. We cover:
Parenting might not be what you imagined, but finding humor in the chaos makes it all a little more manageable, even when you're the parent bringing yogurt-covered raisin snacks to baseball that no child actually wants (at least you tried!) ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| Take The Waters | 24 Jul 2025 | 01:17:38 | |
This week, Quinn returns from an epic family trip to Alaska with stories of whales, glaciers, and kids who packed two socks for a week-long adventure. But as always, the conversation happens when they get home: dealing with post-vacation lows, kids who think bobbleheads grow on trees, and the daily mental load of parenting through everything else. Trigger Warning: This episode includes candid discussions about thoughts of escape, mental health struggles, and parental overwhelm. Resources for mental health support can be found here: https://www.whatcanido.earth/results/?verbs=get-help&nouns=mental-health ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| Don't Touch Me While I'm Cooking (Or Maybe Ever?) | 07 Aug 2025 | 01:04:32 | |
This week, Claire and Quinn tackle the brutal summer heat while diving into the complexities of maintaining a relationship with your co-parent. Finding couple time when everyone just wants to retreat to their separate corners is an eternal struggle, especially when you're balancing getting body-shamed by your own children and finding out your kid has been playing inappropriate games online. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Follow us:
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| Keep It Janky | 31 Jul 2025 | 01:12:57 | |
This week Claire and Quinn welcome Sarah Wheeler, creator of the Mom Spreading blog, host of The Mother Of It All podcast, educational psychologist, and self-described 90s R&B enthusiast. Sarah brings her expertise in ADHD and neurodiversity to help parents navigate everything from summer medication decisions to ADHD parenting superpowers to practical strategies for making real schools work better for neurodivergent kids. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| The Movies That Raised Us (Wouldn't Be Made Now) | 19 Feb 2026 | 01:11:47 | |
This week, we have Meghan Keane Graham and Mark Graham on the show to chat about their podcast, Back In My Day, where they watch movies from when they were 12 and force their kids (ages 12 and 9) to discuss them. We discuss: movies that don't hold up, what to do when your kids hate a movie that was very formative for you, when to introduce your kids to John Hughes movies, springing on your kids that they have to do skating lessons (at bedtime, perfect), and how Billy Madison peeing his pants is actually great parenting advice. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show Find every action recommended in Not Right Now here: whatcanido.earth. ----------- Links:
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| RuPaul Fracks | 12 Feb 2026 | 01:03:24 | |
This week we're talking about the delicate art of making everything toxic for your children (Whole Foods? Ruined. Florida? The worst. Every public figure? Probably a Nazi.), how to tell kids bad news on their level ("Grandma is cooked"), and whether you're still a trad wife if you do all the trad wife things but hate it. Also: the polar vortex, Apollo 13 family rankings, and our ability to be a bummer about anything. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show Find every action recommended in Not Right Now here: whatcanido.earth. ----------- Links:
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| What's The Point of This Salad? | 09 Oct 2025 | 01:12:12 | |
After catching up on the weekend's chaos (signing up to be toilet papered, progressive dinner parties, and dads of preteens who've apparently never heard of Snapchat), Quinn and Claire discuss the never-ending battle that is feeding your children, your spouse, and yourself. Topics on the table include the myth of meal planning, Claire's vendetta against Taco Tuesday, bell peppers as the "am I feeling rich today?" indicator, Quinn's vegan chili (it's good, he promises!), and free (or not) school lunches. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Follow us:
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| That's A Hard No | 02 Oct 2025 | 01:12:17 | |
We're back! This week, Claire and Quinn are crashing out over back-to-school chaos (music class that your kid swears they aren't supposed to practice for, curriculum night avoidance, and late start mornings), the cognitive labor of being the "superhuman" parent vs. "the bumbler", dealing with your stubborn Boomer parents, and their current survival strategies (from hiring a scheduling assistant to taking two gummies in the closet because it's a an EMERGENCY) amid a news cycle that just won't stop (media literacy is the new first aid). ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| Cat People Don't Believe In Cat Allergies | 05 Feb 2026 | 01:05:26 | |
This week it's just Quinn and Claire on the pod, crashing out over academic probation (which is actually kind of a relief?), school surveillance that catches kids Googling inappropriate things (it was obviously just a prank, dad), and the theoretical question: who would you get in a suicide capsule with? Also discussed: cat allergies are real despite what cat people tell you, being in the sandwich generation, and our favorite Spice Girls. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show Find every action recommended in Not Right Now here: whatcanido.earth. ----------- Follow us:
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| Maybe Having Another Kid Would Break Us | 29 Jan 2026 | 01:13:14 | |
This week we have fiction writer and mom to one amazing 10-year-old, Joy Netanya Thompson, on the pod to discuss why she chose to stick with having just one kid. Joy gets real about postpartum depression, the decision to stop at one when she never imagined she'd only have one child, and why people need to stop asking invasive questions about family size. Also: January birthdays are hell, boys are eternally and confidently dumb, and why siblings don't guarantee friendship or support ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show Find every action recommended in Not Right Now here: whatcanido.earth. ----------- Links:
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| Babies Sh*tting At A Funeral | 22 Jan 2026 | 01:12:38 | |
This week, we have registered dietitian and death doula, Deanna Rondero, on the pod to chat about food insecurity, death cafes, and how grief intersects with everything. Also: losing it over mac and cheese, the new food pyramid nobody asked for, and why there's no perfect way to show up at a funeral (but you should anyway. And bringing a lasagna doesn't hurt either.) ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show Find every action recommended in Not Right Now here: whatcanido.earth. ----------- Links:
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| What's The New Fresh Hell In Public Health? | 11 Dec 2025 | 01:02:56 | |
This week, we have another guest! Dr. Devika Bhushan, a pediatrician, public health leader, former acting Surgeon General in California, and mom, chats with Quinn and Claire about the breastfeeding data nobody tells you about, why sleep protection is literally life-saving for some moms, vaccine hesitancy, raw milk, and all the other health & wellness misinformation swirling around the news cycle. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| I Had My Petty Boots On (And I Liked It) | 04 Dec 2025 | 01:09:18 | |
This week, we have author and journalist Nefertiti Austin on the show to talk about her new book She's Just Spirited: Parenting a Neurodivergent Child and The Diagnosis that Changes Everything. Nefertiti gets real about raising a daughter with ADHD, why ADHD in girls often gets overlooked, glass children, mean girls in the fourth grade, 4:30 AM Roblox drops, and being the petty parent sometimes. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| Go to Bed Angry | 13 Nov 2025 | 01:17:46 | |
This week, Claire and Quinn chat Halloween logistics, the rear-facing car seat as the ultimate deterrent to having another baby, Claire's solo cabin getaway where doing absolutely nothing is worth every penny, and why it's better to just go to bed angry instead of drag out a fight when you're all exhausted. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Follow us:
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| Your Kids Don't Care About Your Success | 30 Oct 2025 | 01:05:25 | |
This week: We won a podcast award! And now we're immediately spiraling into existential conversations about where we seek approval, why we need it, and how it's completely different (and weirdly the same) for our kids. We're talking about the Eldest Daughter pressure to be in the top 20 in a class of 600, setting "the floor" for your kids' behavior, the implicit contract of putting your art/work/self out there to be judged, and how approval-seeking changes from explicit to implicit. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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| Don't Make It Somebody Else's Problem | 23 Oct 2025 | 01:10:52 | |
This week, Claire and Quinn discuss the very normal things like getting back into shape (this time it's happening!), anniversary celebrations that peak at the cheese plate, and whether a C-minus in social studies is actually a problem. Also: fake spiderwebs as voluntary garbage, ICE at school drop-offs (fuck ICE), why anger feels productive but isn't, and your kids going to their very first wake. ----------- Have feedback or questions? Send a message to questions@notrightnow.show Get all of our episodes at notrightnow.show ----------- Links:
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