Mama Bear Chats
By Caitlin Mallery
A mom and her kids talk about movies, tv shows, technology, and growing up on this weekly podcast. Do wonder about the things that your kids are learning from our hi-tech world? Do you wish your mom and dad understood the things that you are interested in?
This show is about how to have better conversations as between parents and their kids. Helping to find the common ground and find joy in each others company.
This show is about how to have better conversations as between parents and their kids. Helping to find the common ground and find joy in each others company.
Mama Bear ChatsJul 19, 2021
00:00
15:28
Percy Jackson for Slow Readers
Ethan and I chat all about Percy Jackson and the Olympians, a series of books he is slowly working his way through. We talk ADHD struggles, superheroes, and demigods, and then I share a little of what it is like to parent a slow reader. For parents of children struggling to read, know that that is hope for your child. You can teach your child to be excited about reading, even when they struggle with reading.
Mar 03, 202218:59
Chatting about love and forgiveness on Valentines Day
Carsten and I discuss what he understands about God's love and what it means to have conflict with people who you love. We chat about connecting with family and friends for Valentines Day and fun gifts for the ones that we love.
Feb 10, 202214:17
YouTube for Kids
My kids love to watch YouTube. Short videos with music and brilliant colors are an easy grab for their attention. As a parent I don't always think that they are the best choice for the kids to be watching. So how do we discuss the pros and cons of YouTube with our kids. Saoirse and I give you an example of one-on-one conversations about YouTube.
Jan 31, 202220:49
Halloween: Coping with fear
Do you have a child that is fearful? I do, and in this episode Carsten and I use the Halloween holiday as a way to address the things that make him brave in the face of fear. We talk about costumes, the Harry Potter series, what a PG-13 rating means, and the size of a car battery.
Oct 30, 202119:44
Sick Days
A brief catch up on our family and prayer for your family sick days
Oct 08, 202106:05
Back to School Preview
Carsten and I give you a quick teaser of our upcoming season of podcast and introduce my new book The Twelve Days of School
Aug 24, 202101:48
Weird Jelly Bean Challenge
Saoirse and I try out a box of jelly beans that may or may not be delicious. Having a crazy fun time with kids is a part of bonding just as much as serious conversations. Enjoy listening to us gag!
Jul 19, 202115:28
Cute and Creepy Things
Ethan and I chat about cute things like the guinea pig, his baby sister, and Grogu from the Mandolorian. We talk about creepy things as well, thus exploring the conversational range of a nine year old boy.
Jun 28, 202120:29
Sleepovers and Friendships with Saoirse
Saoirse and I chat about her relationships with her friends. We talk about how to work through disagreements and what each friend brings to the table. Also, we reference a fantastic show on Amazon, Just Add Magic, which is a fantasy show that deals with the power of friendship as well as magical cooking.
Jun 21, 202116:10
Planning Parties and Caring for the Homeless
Carsten and I chat about his birthday party, and the many birthday parties he attended in March. We discuss proper etiquette such as RSVP and being thankful. And the conversation take a brief turn into caring for the homeless people of our community.
Jun 14, 202116:12
Going to Farmers Market
Carsten and I chat about visiting the farmers market. What we look forward to, the people that we meet, and of course the tasty food. Each week provides us with a new adventure and helps us build relationships with our local community.
May 10, 202118:13
Fairies and Flowers
Saoirse and I chat about fairy gardens, birds we are seeing, and different garden ideas.
May 04, 202116:24
Teach Kids How to Use Matches
Ethan and I chat about tools for use in the great outdoors. He compares Minecraft to reality and shares some of his favorite ways to cook outdoors.
Apr 26, 202122:30
Helping Kids Listen to their Body
Carsten and I chat about good foods for active kids, nutrition and vitamins, and what feeling full is like.
Apr 20, 202119:37
Active Girls
Chatting with Saoirse about being active and building a strong body, as well as self awareness.
Apr 12, 202117:25
Raising Healthy Boys
Ethan and I talk about puberty, hygiene, and water safety together. We refer to the book Guy Stuff as well as the mother son prayer journal.
Apr 05, 202124:35
Chores are for creating comfort
Carsten and I chat about doing chores and how to make our home comfortable. We also talk about upcoming celebrations, like St. Patrick’s Day and Easter.
Mar 15, 202119:47
Kids Like Math
Focusing on my sons skills and joys, math and science, letting his nerd flag fly. Celebrating what our kids are really good at is an important conversation. Check out the Guide to Better Conversations at caitlinmallery.com
Mar 08, 202118:07
What Does Mom Do All Day?
Saoirse has some questions for me about what I do while she is at school. Being able to let her guide the podcast takes some off turns.
Mar 01, 202116:36
Miraculous Journeys and Other Stuff
Carsten and I chat about a favorite chapter book of his. His own reading level is way below chapter books, but comprehension is definitely right there. Hearing him tell about the story that he has heard shows how important it is for kids to hear good stories read aloud.
Feb 22, 202118:03
Being a Warrior of Light
Ethans class just finished A Wrinkle in Time and we watched the movie together. Unpacking the differences between books and movies is always a fun conversation, but we also had the chance to talk about the ways that the story teaches us about the value of individual people doing good things has on keeping us from selfishness and destruction.
Feb 15, 202119:02
The Artistry of Makeup and Clothes
Saoirse and I chat about pixie cuts, make up, and expressing yourself through fashion. Introducing my daughter to all the ways that art and fashion come together, and the Importance of having a beautiful character as well as looking nice. She has led the way with her curiosity and passion to learn about all these things.
Feb 08, 202117:08
Carstens Thoughts on Corona
It had been about a year since COVID-19 upended all our lives. Carsten and I spend some time reflecting on the new normal and what is hard and what is easy. A lot of time is spent teaching him how to use the new microphone too.
Feb 01, 202116:41
Football, Chess, and other games that teach Strategy
Ethan picked a football team two years ago. It was unexpected because we don’t watch football. So we are learning about this deep rooted American tradition together. I never watch the games, so he had a chance to tell me all about it.
Jan 25, 202113:34
Fantasy and First Aid
Saoirse and I chat about how to describe others, dealing with arguments, and having adventures all thru the lenses of a favorite show, Hilda. I fully agree with C. S. Lewis that the best works for children can be enjoyed by those of all ages.
Jan 18, 202116:43
Baking with kids
Carsten and I talk about a family favorite, the Great British Bake Off. Teaching kids about cooking and baking can be overwhelming, but if you take the time it is so good for kids. It can help with picky eaters and learning about food.
Jan 11, 202116:36
Kids Want to be Heroes
Teaching kids about heroism is hard. There are so many ways to take the discussion about heroes. In this chat the kids and I talk about the new Netflix original, We Can Be Heroes, and how to work on hero skills in every day life.
Jan 04, 202112:13
Joy and Singing Saoirse
Saoirse and I talk Christmas joy, she shares one of her many impromptu songs, and we chat about how to bring joy to other people.
Dec 16, 202012:16
Peace and Santa Tales
Ethan and I talk Christmas movies, the power of believing, St. Nicolas, and Santa Claus. He gives some opinions about the best movies for the season.
Dec 08, 202015:21
The Grinch and Hope
Carsten and I chat about the first week of Advent, the theme of Hope and a seasonal favorite, the Grinch.
Nov 30, 202013:30
A Dramatic Reading about Thanksgiving
Saoirse and I talk turkey, quarantine, pie, and she has a book to read to you.
Nov 24, 202014:30
A Lot of Minecraft
Ethan loves to talk about Minecraft, and we share a few things we do to keep boundaries with screen time.
Nov 17, 202021:02
Carsten and THE WORLD
Carsten decides to tackle the enormous subject of THE WORLD and I attempt to direct the conversation into more manageable pieces.
Nov 10, 202013:53
Expose Kids to Complicated Characters and Culture
Saoirse and I chat about the Netflix series Carmen San Diego, when it’s not always clear who the good guys are. Also we share a smattering of languages that we have picked up from here and there.
Nov 02, 202014:16
Aaah! Books for Boys who Struggle with Reading
Ethan loves books, but has not quite gotten into middle grade books yet. One of his favorite series is Hilo. He is helping me tell you all about these books today.
Oct 27, 202017:06
Dragons for Halloween
Carsten and I talk about our family costume plan for Halloween based on a family favorite, the How to Train Your Dragon series, books by Cressida Cowell and movies by Dreamworks.
Oct 19, 202014:07
Opinions on Enola Holmes
Saoirse has a lot of wild opinions about Enola Holmes. Some spoilers included. Also some references to plunging toilets.
Oct 12, 202014:48
Learning about politics
Ethan learns a little about the political process that our country has and maybe has a few opinions about exploring.
Oct 06, 202017:37
The Value of History
Carsten and Caitlin talk about history shows and things that he has learned from history.
Sep 28, 202016:28
New and Old Tech
Saoirse and I talk about different ways technology has changed from the 1800s and also a few things that are the same.
Sep 23, 202015:57
Video Games with Ethan
Ethan and Caitlin talk about video games and the life lessons we can learn from them. Also a little bit about mouse traps.
Sep 14, 202018:44
Superhero life lessons
Carsten and Caitlin talk about Spider-Man and the ways that he has inspired Carsten in daily life.
Sep 09, 202015:59
Back to school
Caitlin and Saoirse talk about the new normal for school this year, along with some favorite books and crafts
Aug 31, 202015:43