Big Fat Positive: Pregnancy and Parenting (BFP)

NeeDoh Squishy Toys and Secret Tween Chat Rooms - Ep. 432

Mon, 12 Oct 2026

In this week’s “Internet Insanity” segment, Shanna breaks down the NeeDoh squishy toy craze that’s led to store fights, police involvement and a 243% spike in poison control calls, and Laura finally solves a months-long mystery about the bot-like comments appearing on the show's Spotify episodes. Also, fall activities ramp up for Shanna’s family, while Laura rides an unexpected wave of productivity around the house. They also share this week’s BFPs and BFNs.

Kids' ages: Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10.5 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 and 5.5 years old.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The NeeDoh squishy toy craze, explained

• Why fidget toys took off the way they did

• How to repair a split squishy toy

• Why podcast comment sections are full of strange messages

• Volunteering for your kid’s sports team

• Getting a dimmer switch and warmer bulbs for a calmer bedtime

• When to DIY and when to hire it out

• Earning a toy with a points system

• Buying secondhand instead of new

• Getting kids to clean up by turning it into a contest

• Mosquitoes in Los Angeles and Skeeter syndrome

Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:

• NeeDoh by Schylling

• This American Life, episode 897: “Intergenerational Space Travel”

• TaskRabbit

• Mosquito Dunks

• Gorilla Glue clear silicone sealant

Connect with Us:

• Become a Patreon member for ad-free episodes, bonus content and more.

• Follow @bfppodcast on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, or join our Facebook community group.

Loved this episode? A quick rating or review helps other parents find the show. Thanks for listening!

Big Fat Positive: A Pregnancy and Parenting Journey is produced by Laura Birek, Shanna Micko and Steve Yager.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Homework Battles and Life After a Screen-Time Ban - Ep. 431

Mon, 05 Oct 2026

Homework season starts and goes about as badly as Laura feared, leaving her looking for a way to get it done somewhere other than the kitchen table. Shanna's brutal mornings turn around after an unexpected discovery at urgent care. In this week's "Loose Ends" segment, Shanna and Laura revisit the stories they left dangling: whether a months-long screen time ban is still holding up, where a nine-month-overdue front tooth finally landed, and whether a head wound is going to leave a scar. They also share this week's BFPs and BFNs.

Kids' ages: Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10.5 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 and 5.5 years old.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• When homework becomes a nightly fight

• Homework and ADHD: when easy work is still painful

• Why kids do homework for other adults but not their parents

• How a hidden ear infection can lower a kid's frustration threshold

• Choosing a pediatric urgent care over a general clinic

• Getting a medication-anxious kid to take ear drops

• When a permanent tooth takes nine months to come in

• Scar care and silicone scar gel for kids

• Starting over on an occupational therapy waitlist

• Talking about your child's struggles with your child in the room

• Life after a screen time ban: what the kids actually do instead

• Why movies work better than episodes for sensitive kids

• Rage cleaning as a household strategy

• Keeping a drip irrigation system alive while you travel

Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:

• BIOCORNEUM scar gel

• How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis

• KC Davis's Struggle Care site

• Dog with a Blog

• The Comeback

• Hollywood Bowl

• The Buy Nothing Project

• Cat's Cradle toy

Connect with Us:

• Become a Patreon member for ad-free episodes, bonus content and more.

• Follow @bfppodcast on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, or join our Facebook community group.

Loved this episode? A quick rating or review helps other parents find the show. Thanks for listening!

Big Fat Positive: A Pregnancy and Parenting Journey is produced by Laura Birek, Shanna Micko and Steve Yager.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Morning Routines Made Easier - Ep. 430

Mon, 28 Sep 2026

Shanna's drop-off struggles with her youngest escalate, so she lands on an unconventional solution to improve her family's morning routines. Laura scrambles to find last-minute babysitter coverage so she can attend an all-day music festival without the kids. In this week's "Throwback" segment, Shanna confesses to a split-second decision in fifth-grade band class that hurt a friendship, and shares what she hopes for her own fifth grader, who's navigating similar terrain. They also share this week's BFPs and BFNs.

Kids' ages: Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10.5 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 and 5.5 years old.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• When school drop-off meltdowns keep escalating

• Disclosing an ADHD diagnosis to your child's school

• What a 504 plan is and when to ask about one

• Why leaving 10 minutes earlier changes everything

• Sensory triggers that derail a morning

• Scrambling for childcare when plans fall through

• Talking to kids about friendship conflict and repair

• Fifth-grade identity shifts and changing friend groups

• Peer pressure and mean-girl dynamics

• Using games and novelty to replace nagging

• Podcasts kids and parents can both enjoy

Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:

• Greeking Out from National Geographic Kids

• Wheel of Names

• Daisy Chain Fields Festival

• Doechii

• Pigeon in a Peanut

Connect with Us:

• Become a Patreon member for ad-free episodes, bonus content and more.

• Follow @bfppodcast on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, or join our Facebook community group.

Loved this episode? A quick rating or review helps other parents find the show. Thanks for listening!

Big Fat Positive: A Pregnancy and Parenting Journey is produced by Laura Birek, Shanna Micko and Steve Yager.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Choosing a School and ADHD Medication: Ask-Us-Anything Minisode #12

Thu, 24 Sep 2026

Choosing between charter, magnet, public and private schools is overwhelming, and so is the trial-and-error process of finding the right ADHD medication for your kid. In this Ask-Us-Anything minisode, Shanna and Laura answer listener questions about how to narrow down school options when you don't know where to begin, and what their families' ADHD medication journeys have actually looked like, including what didn't work and why. Laura also shares an ADHD update of her own.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How to choose a school: charter, magnet, public and private

• How to evaluate schools in your area

• School waitlists and application deadlines: when to start

• The LAUSD eChoices system and why people hire consultants for it

• Finding the right ADHD medication through trial and error

• Stimulants vs. non-stimulants for kids

• Why immediate release and extended release can work completely differently

• How to monitor whether a medication is helping or hurting your child

• Adult ADHD diagnosis: what finally prompted it

Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode:

• The ADHD Parenting Podcast - co-hosted by Mike McLeod, referenced on adults staying in charge of medication decisions

• GrowNOW ADHD - Mike McLeod's organization

• SpeakPipe - send us your questions for a future episode!

Connect with Us:

• Become a Patreon member for ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.

• Follow @bfppodcast on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, or join our Facebook community group.

Loved this episode? A quick rating or review helps other parents find the show. Thanks for listening!

Big Fat Positive: A Pregnancy and Parenting Journey is produced by Laura Birek, Shanna Micko and Steve Yager.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

School Drop-Off Meltdowns and How to Cope - Ep. 429

Mon, 21 Sep 2026

Shanna navigates two school drop-off meltdowns in one week and finds an unexpected way to regulate herself afterward. Laura reports on her boys' first week of school and a surprisingly successful shopping trip, and in this week's "Throwback" segment, she takes us back to the summer of 1995, when she gave herself a disastrous 4th-of-July dye job that her mom has never let her forget. They also share this week's BFPs and BFNs.

Kids' ages: Shanna's kids are 7.5 and 10.5 years old, and Laura's kids are 7.5 years old and 5.5 years old.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• What to do when your kid melts down at school drop-off

• Regulating yourself after your child's big emotions

• Using singing and music to complete the stress cycle

• When a teacher goes on leave at the start of the school year

• Getting intel on your kid's new teacher

• Kindergarten buddy programs for siblings at the same school

• Helping kids who feel unsure about friendships in a new class

• Kids who love shopping in person

• Teaching kids to apply temporary tattoos themselves

• How to remove temporary tattoos