Podcast · Kids & Family

Parenting, apparently

Parenthood doesn't come with instructions, and neither does building a company. Melissa and Esther are figuring out both on opposite sides of the world, as friends and founders of award-winning kids’ media brand Pok Pok. Since 2021, running Pok Pok has been a front-row seat to the inner world of pa

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 44 min
Latest: 8 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026 · 49 min

Why Adults Need Play, Daydreaming & Wonder — Creative Health with Katina Bajaj

What happens when adults stop playing, and what does that mean for parents? In this episode of Parenting, Apparently , Melissa chats with Katina Bajaj, a creative health scientist and co-founder of Daydreamers, a company helping adults bring creativity, play, and wonder back into their lives. They explore why so many grown-ups—especially parents—feel creatively unfulfilled, and how the pressure to be productive can crowd out play, curiosity, and imagination. Katina explains the difference between creativity and play, why adults may lose the fearlessness of childhood but not creativity, and…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S3 · E10 · 1 Oct 2026 · 44 min
Parenting Expectations vs. Reality: Snacks, Bedtimes, and Behaviour
Before you have kids, you picture the parent you’ll be and the kid you’ll have. But what happens when kids grow into humans that don’t match the ones we daydreamed about while pregnant? In this episode of Parenting, apparently , Melissa and Esther talk about parenting expectations vs. reality—from food rules and bedtime routines to chores and surprising behaviour. They compare how their parenting standards changed between their first and second children, how much of our parenting style comes from our own parents, the habits we want to keep (or break), and the age-old question: are kids…
S3 · E9 · 24 Sep 2026 · 46 min
Two Founder Moms On Career Guilt and the Real Cost of Ambition
This week it's just Melissa and Esther — no guest, just the two of them, picking up a thread left over from last week's conversation about ambition: what were they actually chasing when they started Pok Pok, and is it still what they want? Is founder guilt just parent guilt with a business attached to it? Can you really measure balance by the week instead of the day? And where's the line between setting a high bar for yourself as a leader and never actually clocking out? Melissa and Esther get honest about what the company costs them and what it gives back — including the guilt they carry…
S3 · E8 · 17 Sep 2026 · 50 min
Ambition, Motherhood, and the Millennial "Do It All" Script with Amil Niazi
In this episode of "Parenting, apparently," Esther and Melissa sit down with Amil Niazi — whose viral essays and national bestselling memoir have made her one of today's most talked-about parenting thinkers. The conversation grows out of the premise behind Amil's book, Life After Ambition , and her column, The Hard Part , for The Cut: what role does parenting play in our relationship with ambition and selfhood? How much of who we are should be defined by our job, versus everything else that makes up a life? Is "balance" a myth, or does it just work better as seasons than as a pie chart? And…
S3 · E7 · 10 Sep 2026 · 43 min
Your kid has 8 senses, not 5! With Laura Petix
Melissa and Esther welcome back pediatric occupational therapist Laura Petix (the pod’s first return guest!) who arrives with a new book: The Sensory Code , out October 6. They start where her book does, with the nervous system budget. Everyone wakes up with a certain amount in the tank, and every ordinary thing costs something. Socks might cost Laura a dollar and cost her sensory-sensitive daughter five, which is how a kid ends up at zero, or into the negative, by the end of a school day. Laura explains how parents can better navigate their day with small sensory strategies. Laura outlines…
S3 · E6 · 3 Sep 2026 · 43 min
Rethinking What School Offers Kids
In this episode of “Parenting, apparently,” Esther and Melissa rethink what school really offers kids. From exploring the differences between the Belgian and Canadian education systems to imagining what they would change as school principals, they dig into homework, academic pressure, and what kids actually need from school to thrive. Is it better to hold kids back as often as Belgian schools, or push them through like those in Canada? Is homework as important as hobbies after a long school day? Is it better to have the diversity and life experience of public school or the extra support of a…
S3 · E5 · 27 Aug 2026 · 45 min
Surviving Your First Back-to-School Season
It’s back-to-school season, and Melissa’s son is starting kindergarten for the first time, while Esther is six years in with her two boys. Together, they chat about the practical and emotional realities of getting the family ready for a new school year. Melissa shares how she’s preparing for the transition (including her very real dilemma of whether she needs multiple lunchboxes), while Esther explains just how wildly different her boys’ lunch preferences are—one basically requests a charcuterie board—and helps Melissa get realistic about her planning. They talk about the logistics of…
S3 · E4 · 20 Aug 2026 · 41 min
The Motherhood Penalty: Our Take as Moms & Employers
In this episode of “Parenting, apparently”, Melissa and Esther unpack the “motherhood penalty”: the bias mothers can face in hiring, pay, promotions, and how their boundaries are perceived at work. The conversation was inspired by a recent interview Melissa had with a candidate for a role at Pok Pok. It was a mother who arrived on the call with her two-month-old on her lap, nursing on and off throughout the interview, and (correctly) assumed it wouldn’t be a problem. For Melissa, it became an unexpectedly emotional moment of trust in a world where being a mom at work can come with real…
S3 · E3 · 13 Aug 2026 · 50 min
What Can Millennial Childhood Teach Us About Parenting?
Melissa and Esther were 90s kids with very different upbringings. Growing up in Canada and Belgium, they compare notes on their millennial childhoods—from peanut butter lunch rules and being latch-key kids to weekend chores, screen time, and the freedom they each had growing up. Now that they’re parents, they ask: what parts of our 90s childhoods could never work today, and what might actually be worth bringing back? They explore how today’s parents are more informed and resourced than ever, yet face more pressure to get parenting “right”—from managing screen time and safety to raising…
S3 · E2 · 6 Aug 2026 · 51 min
Raising Feminist Boys & Growing Up in a Matriarchy with Edith (Esther’s Sister)
This week on “Parenting, apparently”, Esther is joined by her sister Edith for a conversation about childhood, motherhood, feminism, and the lessons we carry from the way we were raised. Edith works in TV and film in Belgium and is mom to four-year-old Louis. Together, Esther and Edith reflect on growing up in a matriarchal household and the challenge of raising sons with feminist values while helping them build confidence, empathy, and a strong sense of self. They revisit stories from their childhood, including Esther’s witchcraft phase, and talk about the pressure of modelling behaviours…
S3 · E1 · 30 Jul 2026 · 44 min
The Artist Parents Revolutionizing Kids’ Screen Time
Melissa Cash and Esther Huybreghts, hosts of Parenting, Apparently , share the story behind Pok Pok—their award-winning kids’ app built to rethink screen time through creativity, calm, and imaginative play. After struggling with the arrival of her second child, Esther searched for a digital experience for her toddler that didn’t exist yet: something that felt more like a real toy than a typical app. As artists, she and her husband Mathijs began creating a prototype that eventually pulled in Melissa, a former Disney designer. They share how Pok Pok grew from living room floor sketches into a…
S2 · E12 · 23 Jul 2026 · 50 min
Can We Build Safer Social Media for Kids? With Leah Ringelstein
Is there such a thing as safe social media for kids? If so, what does it actually take to build it? This week, Melissa and Esther are joined by Leah Ringelstein, co-founder and CEO of Zigazoo, the kid-safe social media app designed to help children create mindfully instead of scroll. Before launching Zigazoo, Leah taught in Phoenix, Tanzania, and the Bronx, experiences that shaped her vision for a healthier online space for kids. Leah shares how Zigazoo moderates every video before it reaches the feed, how the platform encourages kids to lead with positivity, and how its moderation system…
S2 · E11 · 16 Jul 2026 · 38 min
AI Slop and the Future of Healthier Kids’ Media
This week, Esther and Melissa dive into the world of YouTube, AI slop, and the challenge of finding healthier media for kids. After creating their own low-stimulation kids’ channel, Studio Pok Pok, and navigating the YouTube Kids approval process, they question how so much low-quality content still reaches children and who should be responsible for changing that. They share why neither family uses YouTube Kids at home, how content being on the platform doesn’t guarantee quality, and the problem with autoplay. They also unpack real examples of AI-generated kids’ content, from alphabet videos…
S2 · E10 · 9 Jul 2026 · 49 min
Identity After Kids, Birth Stories, and Redesigning Maternity Clothes with Sam Doll
Sam Doll is a musician, writer, filmmaker, and creator with over a million followers online. In this episode about finding yourself after kids, Sam joins Melissa and Esther to talk about the identity shift that comes with motherhood, postpartum struggles, and how becoming a mom has changed the way she shows up online. Inspired by sharing their birth stories, they unpack why so much of parenting can feel like a competition and why the hard parts are talked about more than the joys of parenthood. Sam also shares the story behind Riot Bbby, the maternity clothing line she created after getting…
S2 · E9 · 2 Jul 2026 · 52 min
Finding Calm in Summer Parenting with Courtney Phillips Spoehr
Courtney Phillips Spoehr, senior creative executive at Calm, joins Melissa and Esther to talk about summer parenting stress and the pressure of the “18 summers” mindset. This conversation explores what real summer parenting looks like behind the highlight reel—from juggling work meetings, summer camps, and travel logistics to the guilt of not feeling present enough amid the overstimulation of the season. They unpack the cultural pressure to “make every summer magical” and how that expectation often clashes with parents’ mental health and capacity. Each mom shares honest reflections on…
S2 · E8 · 25 Jun 2026 · 46 min
Donor Conception & Answering Kids Honestly with Freya Lyon
Freya Lyon — known online as The Queer Mama — joins Melissa for a chat about queer parenting, donor conception, and how to answer kids’ questions honestly about identity, death, and their bodies. Freya grew up donor-conceived in a two-mom family and is now raising her own two donor-conceived children with her wife, offering a second-generation perspective on queer family building. In this episode, the pair explore raising children when the world outside the home doesn’t always reflect their values — inspired by Freya’s personal example of her daughter’s school potentially pulling back LGBTQ+…
S2 · E7 · 18 Jun 2026 · 51 min
How Boredom Led to a Global Line of Family Games with Elan Lee
This week on Parenting, apparently , Esther and Melissa sit down with Elan Lee, the award-winning game designer, storyteller, co-creator of Exploding Kittens , and, most importantly, a dad. Elan shares how becoming a parent changed the way he thinks about play, creativity, and game design—including how his 4-year-old daughter helped him create a successful line of preschool games. Together, they explore what makes a games fun for both kids and adults, why children are often the best collaborators in creative game design, and how play can help kids build confidence, executive function,…
S2 · E6 · 11 Jun 2026 · 45 min
Why play is key for child development with Dr. Kathy Hirsch-Pasek
In this episode of Parenting, Apparently , Esther and Melissa sit down with developmental psychologist Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek to talk about why play is one of the most powerful ways children learn. From everyday moments like walking to daycare or waiting at a restaurant, to bigger questions about screen time, school readiness, and achievement pressure, they explore how parents can bring more curiosity, connection, and play into daily life without added stress. Dr. Kathy shares why kids do not need perfect parents, flashcards, or constant milestone tracking to thrive. Instead, she makes the…
S2 · E5 · 4 Jun 2026 · 43 min
Building More Intentional Kids’ Tech with Ben Drury of Yoto
This week on Parenting, Apparently , Esther and Melissa speak with Ben Drury, co-founder and CEO of Yoto , the screen-free audio platform for kids designed to support independence, imagination, and choice in what children listen to. Together, they explore what it means to design intentional media for kids, how their own parenting experiences shape their views on children’s technology, and reflecting on growing up with different forms of media. The conversation moves beyond business into the real parenting questions behind products like Yoto and Pok Pok: how kids develop taste, why audio can…
S2 · E4 · 28 May 2026 · 31 min
Kids Are Weird: Why That's a Good Thing and the Unlock to Curiosity
This week on Parenting, apparently , Esther and Melissa explore how parenting can make the world feel big again. From dinosaurs, outer space, and gemstones, to basketball, poisonous plants, and library deep dives, they talk about the strange and joyful ways kids’ niche interests reignite curiosity in adults, too. The conversation unpacks learning alongside our children, supporting open-ended play, respecting kids’ obsessions as meaningful, and finding ways to nurture curiosity without turning every moment into a lesson. It is a warm, funny episode about parenting, child development,…
S2 · E3 · 21 May 2026 · 51 min
Trading “Bounce-Back” Culture for Maternal Well-being with Marlie Cohen
What happens when we reject “bounce-back” culture and bounce forward into who we’re actually becoming? Marlie Cohen, founder of Bounce Forward, has joined Esther and Melissa for a chat that celebrates the postpartum transformation and eases the pressure of getting back to our former selves. Marlie shares how postpartum anxiety, physical injury, COVID, and two young children pushed her to reject the “bounce back” narrative and create a more realistic fitness platform for moms. This isn’t just about exercise—It’s about designing supportive habits that respect the actual conditions of…
S2 · E2 · 14 May 2026 · 47 min
Lightening The Parental Weight of Wills, Work, and Future Worries with Erin Bury
Melissa and Esther sit down with Willful co-founder Erin Bury for a conversation that softens the heaviness of parenting responsibilities nobody wants to think about, but eventually has to. What starts with wills, guardianship, and estate planning opens into a bigger discussion about responsibility, money, work, death, privilege, and how becoming a parent changes the way you plan for the future. The episode weaves practical advice in with honest founder-parent reflections, touching on what kids understand about work, how families talk about death, and how parents try to raise grounded…
S2 · E1 · 7 May 2026 · 39 min
Mother’s Day: Who Were You Before Parenthood?
Have you ever felt like the thing you really want for Mother’s Day is not flowers or macaroni art but… a break from your parental duties? Melissa Cash and Esther Huybreghts are back for a new season of “Parenting, apparently” (FKA “We’re Doing Great). This new name embodies the kinds of honest conversations they feel we could all use more of—like acknowledging the complicated feelings around Mother’s Day. They explore what it means to be a mom while also trying to stay connected to the person underneath it all. Like how this experience is affected by everything from their respective…
S1 · E18 · 31 Mar 2026 · 24 min
Raising Creative Kids through Play
What happens when you stop directing your child's play and simply let them lead? In this episode, Esther sits down solo with multidisciplinary artist and mom Mills Brown to explore the deep, sometimes surprising, places where play, creativity, and parenthood overlap. You'll hear about Mills's sensory play sessions for children as young as six months at Modern Art Oxford, her upcoming solo exhibition, and the Montessori philosophy that shapes everything she does, including why the most powerful thing you can do in a play environment is step back and say nothing at all. Whether you've been…
S1 · E17 · 24 Mar 2026 · 27 min
BTS: The Truth Behind Parent Media
How much of your parenting anxiety is influenced by what you read and see online? Melissa Cash and Esther Huybreghts sit down with Vanessa Grant to explore how parenting has become something you do in public. They unpack the pressure created by media, social platforms, and endless advice, and how it affects the way you show up for your child. You will walk away with permission to tune out the noise and trust your instincts more. Vanessa Grant is the editor in chief of Today’s Parent, where she blends journalism, data, and real parent needs to shape modern parenting conversations. Thank you…
S1 · E16 · 17 Mar 2026 · 33 min
Is the Mental Load a Badge of Honor?
Are you carrying invisible responsibilities that no one else even realizes exist? If your brain feels like it has forty tabs open at once, this episode will feel painfully familiar in the best possible way. Melissa and Esther have an honest, funny, and thoughtful conversation about the invisible labor of parenting, the resentment that can build around it, and the ways parents sometimes add pressure to their own plates. You will walk away with a sharper way to think about mental load, more compassion for yourself, and a few simple ideas for talking about it at home. Write in to us at…
S1 · E15 · 10 Mar 2026 · 32 min
The Question Parents Are Afraid To Ask
Can you love your kids deeply and still wonder what life without them would have looked like? This episode is an honest, funny, and unexpectedly deep conversation about what motherhood asks of you and what it gives back. You will hear Melissa and Esther talk through the daily chaos of raising young kids, the tension between work and family, and the quiet questions many parents carry but rarely say out loud. If you have ever wondered whether you are handling the mess, the guilt, and the love of parenting “right,” this conversation will feel both comforting and refreshingly real. Write in to…
S1 · E14 · 3 Mar 2026 · 34 min
The Evolution of Parenting With Three Generations of Mothers - From 1958-2026
Are you parenting with confidence, or parenting with commentary from the entire internet in your head? What happens when you put a 90-year-old great-grandmother, a 60-something mom, and a toddler-raising millennial at the same table and ask them what “being a good parent” actually means? You will hear what motherhood felt like between the 1950s and the 1990s, before Google, before gentle parenting scripts, and before everyone was performing family life online—and you just might walk away feeling lighter about your own. Melissa’s Bubbie, Falia Marcus, and mom, Debbie Cash, join for a…
S1 · E13 · 24 Feb 2026 · 20 min
How to Be A Stronger Ally in Autism Awareness with Sara Southard
Could the limits we place on neurodiverse kids, like screen time or alternative learning, actually be the very tools helping neurodiverse children thrive? When it comes to autism awareness advocacy, there is a growing need for understanding, support, and inclusive practices in our society. As more individuals are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is crucial that we take the necessary steps to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for neurodiverse individuals. In this episode, you’ll learn how to better support neurodiverse kids, use tools that help them grow and…
S1 · E12 · 17 Feb 2026 · 37 min
The Power of Playful Parenting with Devon Kuntzman
How can connection lead to more cooperation from your toddlers? Toddlerhood can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be a constant battle. In this episode, you’ll learn how play, connection, and mindset shifts can transform everyday challenges into opportunities for growth. Devon Kuntzman joins Melissa and Esther and shares practical tools to help you navigate tantrums, transitions, and big emotions while building trust and resilience with your child. Devon Kuntzman is the creator of Transforming Toddlerhood, an author, and a trusted guide for parents navigating the toddler years with…

About Parenting, apparently

Parenting, apparently is a English kids & family podcast from Pok Pok. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Pok Pok
Language: English
Category: Kids & Family
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 44 min
Latest episode: 8 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1855989506
Rights: e095b760-75b3-11f1-81e2-794f9281bea2

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