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A quiet panic at the hospital exit changed everything. Michelle thought she had done everything right—researched the “best” infant seat, checked every box—and still drove away with a major mistake she didn’t catch until a stranger gently intervened. That moment became the blueprint for Safe in the Seat, a judgment-free space that helps parents turn car-seat anxiety into everyday confidence.

We dig into the numbers and the nuance: why over 70% of inspected seats have serious errors, how the same install can be right in one car and wrong in another, and where to actually find certified child passenger safety technicians near you. Michelle explains the biggest transition most families underestimate—moving from a five-point harness to a booster—and why maturity, not just age, drives that decision. If your kid slumps, wiggles, or can’t manage the buckle, you’re not behind; you’re learning the signs that keep the seat belt where it protects best.

Real life shows up in the school pickup line and on the jet bridge. We share simple ways to practice fast, calm buckling, tools for little hands that struggle with release buttons, and the one choice that saves sanity on hectic days: pull over, reset, then roll. We also talk travel truths: the risks of renting car seats, what to consider before trusting cleaning hacks, and why FAA-recommended car seats on planes matter for turbulence, not doomsday. When kids outgrow restraints on board, learn how to check lap belt fit so they stay secure in the cabin.

Threaded through the safety talk is a story about resilience and redefinition. Michelle built a mission-driven business during a divorce and the pandemic, filming courses in her sister’s living room and meeting parents where they actually are—on their phones, in DMs, and on the way out of the hospital. The tone is clear: no shame, just better choices with better information. If you’ve ever wondered whether your setup is truly safe, or how to know when to switch stages, this conversation will leave you with answers you can use today.

If this helped, follow and share with a parent who needs a confidence boost, subscribe for more practical guidance, and leave a review to tell us your biggest car-seat question—we’ll tackle it next.

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What happens when a parenting journalist becomes a parent and the plan falls apart mid-pregnancy? Julia Dennison joins us with a story that’s equal parts raw and reassuring: an affair discovered while expecting, a divorce before the first birthday, and a co-parenting journey shaped by clarity instead of control. We dig into what it takes to raise a nine-year-old in a world that still expects moms to be invisible, how to split the mental load without weaponized scorekeeping, and why the best logistics often look like a simple shared calendar and a face-to-face check-in.

Julia opens up about her daughter’s recent ADHD diagnosis and the reality behind the buzzwords: late recognition in girls, after-school meltdowns, masking in class, and the heavy lift required to secure an IEP or meaningful support. We talk costs, waitlists, neuropsych evaluations, and the painful equity gap that leaves too many kids behind. Along the way, she shares how a thoughtful step-parent can become an ally, why power dynamics deserve attention, and how to keep curiosity alive when one partner has “all the research.”

This conversation is a reminder that expertise only goes so far. Parenthood is less about perfect scripts and more about small, honest moves: meowing a kid to bed, eavesdropping on Barbie diplomacy, and choosing connection over control. You’ll hear practical ideas for co-parenting structures, advocacy in schools, and village-building that actually lightens the load. Most of all, you’ll feel a grounded kind of hope: the hard parts shift, the good parts deepen, and joy has a way of sneaking back in when we make room for it.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a lift, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Your support helps keep these real conversations going.

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Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

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Forget the viral outfits—this conversation goes inside the daily decisions that shape a family. We welcome Brandon Morgan, a stay-at-home dad in LA, to talk about the real work of leading from the background while his wife practices medicine, and why choosing public school became a valued decision with very real costs, maps, and magnets attached. If you’ve ever juggled morning chaos, worried about a school switch, or sat in the dark while a child falls asleep beside you, you’ll recognize this terrain.

Brandon walks us through the practical math that made staying home the obvious choice—childcare costs, part-time schedules, and the surprising relief of removing daily friction. He doesn’t sugarcoat the labor or the privilege, and he names the double standard that still greets involved dads with applause while overlooking mothers doing the same work. We dig into postpartum realities, the mental load, and the quiet pride that comes from packing lunches, making the pickup, and being the person school calls when a snack goes missing. Along the way, he shares small wins that add up: a morning checklist that actually works, after-school yogurt bowls that stave off meltdowns, and “two dinners” that keep the pantry raids at bay.

We also get candid about money—shared budgets, annual audits, and that complicated feeling when a side gig check shows up even after agreeing that worth isn’t tied to income. And yes, we talk bedtime. Co-sleeping, Calm stories, and why so many millennial parents end up lying beside their kids until they drift off. It’s not failure; it’s a season. Brandon’s advice to new dads is simple and strong: drop the ego, be present, and enjoy your kids. If you’re navigating school transitions, redefining masculinity, or just trying to make mornings smoother, this one will feel like a friend in your ear.

If this resonated, follow and share the show with a parent who could use a little relief. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what tradeoff made your family life work better?

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Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

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Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

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What happens when a proudly private Gen X attorney agrees to become a mom—not because she always wanted to, but because it mattered to her partner?

In this episode, we sit down with L, aka @notactuallygolden, a civil rights attorney, TikTok legal explainer, and mom of a 13-year-old, who never planned on being a parent. L walks us through her winding road to motherhood—how she negotiated parenting terms like a lawyer, survived a brutal first year with a baby who projectile vomited daily, and why having an older child feels like finally meeting a new friend.

She’s also one of the clearest, calmest legal voices on TikTok breaking down the ongoing Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively case—and let’s just say, she’s not afraid to call out misinformation, no matter how viral it is.

We also dive into:

Why she’s never had Facebook (and never will)

Postpartum anxiety and the hidden side effects of hormonal IUDs

Splitting the mental load in a two-attorney household

TikTok doxxing drama, "mommy sleuth" labels, and what it's like being hated by Reddit

Whether you’re a reluctant parent, overthinker, introvert, or just someone who wants to feel seen—this one’s for you.

⚖️ She’s not here for the fluff. Just the truth.

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Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/samanthastrom

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthastorms

Connect with Zara:

Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zarahanawalt

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A positive pregnancy test felt like the start of a familiar story—until Alison Beder Soloway couldn’t breathe at 32 weeks and doctors discovered heart failure linked to HHT. That moment rewrote everything. She was told carrying again would be too dangerous, and the road to the family she imagined would have to bend. What followed was a years-long relay of nine IVF attempts, cross‑border laws, agency vetting, and the kind of paperwork that decides names on birth certificates. Along the way, Alison discovered that a marathon mindset—steady effort, smart pacing, and a refusal to quit—could carry her through fertility’s longest miles.

We dive into the real costs and hidden tolls of IVF, the physical pain of retrievals, and the emotional whiplash of waiting for calls that change your life. Alison explains how clinics differ more than their marketing, why switching doctors can be an act of courage, and how to spot red flags when choosing a gestational carrier. She shares the moment bonding overruled doubt as she watched her son take his first breaths, then traces the beautiful complexity of welcoming twins from the same embryo cohort—“triplets,” born a year and a half apart. Together we unpack stigma around surrogacy, the myths about fraternal twins, and the fierce autonomy families deserve when deciding how to bring children into the world.

As a fitness professional serving women 40+, Alison also breaks down why strength training is essential for bone health, metabolism, and aging well—especially for anyone using weight-loss medications that can accelerate muscle loss. Her take is practical and compassionate: advocate for yourself, ask better questions, partner with your care team, and choose hope on purpose. If your body says no, your resolve—and your plan—can still say go.

If this conversation moved you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs the reminder to keep going, and leave a review to help others find the show.

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Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/samanthastrom

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Connect with Zara:

Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

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Ever watched a baby rock on all fours and wondered whether to cheer or worry? We sit down with pediatric physical therapist Dr. Allison Mell—founder of Tots on Target and mom of four, including twins—to unpack the first 18 months with rare clarity. Allison explains what those “windows” for rolling, sitting, crawling, and walking really tell us, how to use corrected age for preemies, and where “wait and see” becomes a roadblock. She shares a practical test most parents can spot at home: steady progress and quality of movement. If your baby is trending forward with planks, rocking, and symmetrical effort, patience is a plan. If they’re stuck, favoring one side, or plateaued for weeks, a few targeted exercises can change everything.

Crawling takes center stage—but not as a box to check. Allison reveals why it’s the last big dose of upper-body weight-bearing before school, how it feeds shoulder and core strength for writing and self-dressing, and why it supercharges sensory systems (proprioception and vestibular), bilateral coordination, and crossing midline. Those invisible wins show up later in reading fluency, sports, biking, and monkey bars. We also get real about twins and comparisons, intrauterine tightness, reflux and oral ties, and the small stretches and routines that can turn a “content sitter” into an eager explorer. For older kids who skipped crawling, she offers playful strength builders to boost endurance without shame.

Beyond milestones, Allison opens up about survival with newborn twins, the decision to hire night help, and the honest work of protecting a marriage when everyone is exhausted. We dive into risky play within boundaries, coaching language that builds problem-solving (“Sometimes it helps if…”), and why giving kids space to try is a shortcut to self-trust. The theme that runs through it all: you know your child best. If a dismissive “it’s normal” doesn’t sit right, keep asking. You’re not chasing perfection—you’re laying a foundation for a body and brain that feel at home in motion.

If this conversation gave you clarity or courage, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s in the milestone maze, and leave a quick review—what’s one tip you’re trying this week?

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Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

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Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

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This episode starts with a simple truth few people say out loud: sometimes the first chapter of parenthood is grief. Lia Higgins joins us to unpack an early miscarriage at 28, the shock of a postpartum hemorrhage, and the quiet ways trauma can delay bonding without diminishing love. From there, we zoom out: what happens when a high-achieving identity built in Big Law collides with a life you actually want to live? Lia talks candidly about trading titles for alignment, why a “soft landing” back from leave turned into a firestorm, and how prestige can masquerade as purpose until you call its bluff.

We also get practical about the myth of “having it all.” Corporate policies help, but not nearly enough when the village has vanished, childcare is fragile, and mental load still defaults to moms. Lia breaks down the limits of outsourcing, the emotional labor no app can automate, and the social cost of saying “I need help.” She chooses transparency over performance: yes, she has a full-time nanny she loves; no, she’s not doing it all alone; and yes, childcare should be a baseline, not a brag. That honesty dissolves comparison and reframes the real question: what support would let more families breathe?

Along the way, we talk community, isolation in self-employment, and the strange mix of freedom and loneliness that comes with flexible work. We close with two anchors: advice for a newly pregnant friend—you don’t have to enjoy every second to be a good mother—and the unexpected joy of watching a partner become a parent. It’s a conversation about loss and agency, ambition and care, and the messy, ordinary beauty of building a life that actually fits.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs some honesty, and leave a quick review—your words help more parents find their people.

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Connect with Sam:

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Connect with Zara:

Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

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Want to know why motherhood in America feels like a solo sport—and how we turn it into a supported team game? We sit with Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First, to unpack the design flaws baked into school calendars, workplace norms, and city life that make caregiving harder than it has to be. From random half-days and late starts to inboxes that only email mom, we trace how policy and culture quietly draft women as default parents while calling it “choice.”

Reshma takes us upstream, connecting patriarchy’s origin story to modern expectations, and then downstream to practical fixes: splitting domains at home instead of vague “help,” inviting community back into weeknights, and letting kids witness real conflict and repair so they build resilience. We explore the pandemic’s role as a wake-up call—revealing that burnout wasn’t personal failure but structural neglect—and how that clarity launched Moms First, elevated childcare as a core affordability issue, and brought fathers into the coalition through new alliances.

We also talk about pace and health. Perimenopause, anxiety, and sleep shifts force a rethink of the grind; boundaries aren’t indulgence, they’re infrastructure for long-term impact. Along the way, we challenge the false choice between trad-wife fantasies and girlboss hustle. The third path centers policy, community, and workplaces that measure outcomes, not hours—places where caregivers can do pickup and still do big work. And yes, there’s joy: the shock of a child seeing a giraffe, the permission to feel and grieve in front of our kids, the ordinary awe that reminds us what we’re fighting for.

If you care about childcare, paid leave, sick time, equitable partnerships, and building cities that welcome families, this conversation is your blueprint. Listen, share with a parent or policymaker, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

Support the show

Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/samanthastrom

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthastorms

Connect with Zara:

Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zarahanawalt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zarahanawalt/