21 of the best podcasts for mums and dads
Podcasts about parenting, pregnancy, mental health, managing your home life and relationships that are worth listening to – plus a few more that are just for fun!
Sometimes, parenting can feel like a lonely place, or (to say the least) a bit of a challenge.
In addition to going through a pregnancy and actually raising your tiny humans, there's all the other stuff: managing a busy household, juggling work, making time for your relationship (if you have one), and prioritising yourself and your own mental health, too.
Fortunately, you're not alone. Literally every other parent in the world knows this, and as a result, some pretty reassuring, helpful and entertaining podcasts on the subject have popped up all over the web ?
We've selected some brilliant podcasts for YOU, for your home life, for your own sanity and even for your children to enjoy (and be distracted by!)
Check out the very best parenting podcasts available to listen to NOW…
1. Motherkind
A podcast by mum and self-care advocate Zoe, who interviews guests like Steph Douglas and Clemmie Telford on everything from career guidance, to finding love as a single parent, balancing your hormones, baby loss and PND.
Listen to Motherkind
2. The Scummy Mummies Podcast
No doubt you already know Helen and Ellie's brilliant Instagram page - and their stint as Toy Awards judges for MadeForMums. They've also got their own podcast, which brings their unique, relatable and blummin' funny mum-comedy to the airwaves.
Listen to The Scummy Mummies Podcast
3. Breaking Mum & Dad: The Podcast by Anna Williamson
Anna translates her guide to parenting with anxiety into podcast form, interviewing a variety of celebrity mums and dads (think: MIC's Josh Patterson and Izzy Judd) about parenting and mental health. SO one to listen to if you're struggling, and feeling alone...
Listen to Breaking Mum & Dad
4. CBeebies Radio Podcast
It might seem like YouTube's the best distraction weapon in your arsenal, but we reckon for younger kids, these audio recordings combine music, sounds and stories for an imaginative adventure.
Listen to CBeebies Podcast
5. Mom And Dad Are Fighting by Slate
A US podcast with a straightforward take on hot parenting topics, and self-explanatory titles such as:
- How To Help Your Kid When Her Other Parent Is A Jerk
- It's OK To Strive To Be A Better Parent
- Envying The Moms Who Have It Easier
- Can I Make My Toddler Wear Slogans He Doesn't Understand?
Listen to Mom And Dad Are Fighting
6. Radio 5’s Bump Club
Episodes and soundbites from Radio 5's Bump Club programme, covering your major pregnancy worry points: changing shape, dads at the birth, and marriage talk.
Listen to Bump Club
7. Beardy Dads
A 31-episode podcast series from 2015, which we reckon will still act as a much-needed guide for dads and dads-to-be. The first episode is about the births of their respective babies, and things take off from there...
Listen to Beardy Dads
8. Where Should We Begin?
Esther Perel is a therapist. In her podcast, which is basically like bare-your-soul couple's therapy but recorded, couples talk to Esther about their issues, and they work through it, like typical couple's counselling.
We've included this one because we reckon the podcast covers some pretty well-worn relationship struggles, and might be useful.
"I don't need couple's therapy," you might think. Well, that's great! Still, relationship maintenance and communication is SO important, and this podcast can help there, too...
Listen to Where Should We Begin?
9. Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby
A wide-ranging podcast which features a new celeb parent being interviewed every week. It's relaxed and casual, probs 'cos Giovanna's such good friends with her guests.
Expect honest and frank parenting chats from the likes of Rochelle Humes, Emma Willis, Amanda Holden and Joe Wicks.
Listen to Happy Mum Happy Baby
10. Alright For A Mum
Carrie-Anne aka @mre.souer and Remi aka @booksbabyandback became single mums at a young age. Here, they share their experiences, and tackle topics from co-parenting, to loneliness, travel, sex and choosing to go it alone.
11. BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour
Covers literally every woman's issue and debate under the sun: childbirth, parenting, body positivity, #MeToo, marriage, periods and politics, to name a few. Also features a host of brilliant, intelligent and well-informed guests.
Listen to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour
12. Hot Milk
An 11-episode wonder from 2015, which stands the test of time. Host Dominnique Karetsos focuses on friendly chats, mostly talking about being an imperfect parent, and the inevitable guilt that follows...
Listen to Hot Milk
13. Dad's Guide To Twins
Does what it says, really: author Joe Rawlinson covers everything from a twin pregnancy and twin birth to raising 2 little babies in this handy podcast for dads and dads-to-be.
Listen to Dads Guide To Twins
14. The Everyday Mum
A podcast for your everyday mum, trying to "make things work": expect tips and tricks and organisational hacks and general mum chat about "the home, what to cook, how to move your body, menu planning, kids, balance, homework rituals, breathing or just where to hide in your house when you have had enough of the kids and need a break..."
Listen to The Everyday Mum
15. Common Sense Pregnancy
Author Joanna Faulkner also translates her book into a podcast. This one's full of conversations and experts, and is all about having a healthy pregnancy (and beyond).
Listen to Common Sense Pregnancy
16. The Good, The Dad and The Ugly
The go-to podcast for navigating all things fatherhood, with hosts Seth Singh Jennings and Jamie Tucker.
Listen to The Good, The Dad and The Ugly
17. The Slow Home Podcast
This podcast's not about raising your kids, rather managing your life at home. Chatting to those who've adopted a 'slow' approach to living, it's the ultimate guide to relaxing, saying 'no' to things you don't wanna do, and easy living.
SO good for parents who feel the pace of a busy life is just too much, too fast.
Listen to The Slow Home Podcast
18. The Supermum Podcast
A podcast designed to help you reconnect to yourself, covering everything from mental health issues, childbirth, healthy eating and career guidance.
Listen to The Supermum
19. Happy Place by Fearne Cotton
This podcast is perfect for parents who may be feeling a little bit down: it's all about happiness, helping others and enjoying the little things each and every day.
Fearne interviews a series of guests (many who are parents), including Lena Headey, Gok Wan, Tom Daley, Paloma Faith and Stephen Fry.
Listen to Happy Place
20. The Playdate Podcast
4 London mums - Tinuke, Kayo, Paulina and Gabrielle - take on a variety of parenting topics. Everything from summer holiday plans to smacking and post-baby surgery.
Listen to The Playdate Podcast
21. Precious Little Sleep Podcast
A conversation about sleep, namely how to help your baby, toddler or child sleep better, or at all. Really smart, and VERY helpful.
Listen to Precious Little Sleep
Coming soon… The MadeForMums Podcast
OK, so it's not out yet, BUT the very first season of The MadeForMums Podcast will be on its way to you very soon. In fact, we've been recording some as we type.
Ours'll be a mix of parenting topics: with a host of pregnancy-related issues and worries resolved, thanks to our expert GPs and dozens of real mums and mums-to-be who've been there.
We'll also have some very special guests joining us, so make sure you stay tuned and keep those eyes peeled for more info...
And few others to check out (that have nothing to do with parenting)…
How Did This Get Made?
Ever watched a movie so bad you've thought, "Crikey, how did this even get made?" This podcast aims to find out, with the help of some hilarious hosts and guests... you can even suggest movies they dissect.
You might recognise one hosts's voice, too: Jason Mantzoukas is a famous actor, starring in Brooklyn Nine Nine and Sleeping With Other People (among others).
Listen to How Did This Get Made?
Desert Island Discs
If you're already a podcast fan, you won't need us to explain. If not, here goes: presenter Kirsty Young asks special guests each week which albums and luxuries they'd take with them if they were trapped on a... you guessed it, a desert island.
So fascinating to get this sort of insight into guests, like Matt Smith, Christopher Nolan and Anne-Marie Duff. Also strangely more-ish.
Listen to Desert Island Discs
Table Manners With Jessie Ware
Singer Jessie chats to guests like Nigella Lawson, Dolly Alderton and Steff London around her own kitchen table, while her brilliant mum cooks up a bite to eat. Casual, conversational and charming.
Listen to Table Manners
Griefcast
"Comedians talking about death," goes the podcast's official tag line. Host Cariad Lloyd talks to a special guest each week, and each episode fully explores their loss, and talks grief, forgiveness, anxiety, confidence... the list goes on.
Funny folk are on air, so it's not all doom and gloom. It's not light and airy, either, but we can imagine most people out there have some experience of loss, so hopefully, it'll strike a chord.
Listen to Griefcast
The Recappables
TV time, sans In The Night Garden and Peppa Pig, can be rare and fleeting for mums and dads. So, you wanna make the most of every box set.
The Recappables helps you do just that, diving deep into each episode of a popular series. Right now, it's Westworld Season 2.
Listen to The Recappables
Images: Podcast websites
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