PODCAST · kids
Birds In A Tree
by Bridget Manley
Birds In A Tree features stories about parenting. Topics include family, birth, adoption, fostering, autism, military, stepchildren, loss, addiction, ADHD, politics and everything in between. We focus on the good, the bad, the hard and the glorious. Through each story, we hope to find the bond and similarities that we all share.
Episodes
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Lacey - "I Had Four Little Girls Come To My House In The Middle Of The Night...That Started My Journey Into Motherhood"
Lacey is a supermom. She won't tell you that, but she is. Knowing she wanted to be a mother, and realizing at 25 that she might not be on a traditional route to motherhood, Lacey decided to explore foster parenting. After completing the training, Lacey received a call at four in the morning that...
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Kaitlin - "I Was A Little Too Focused On What I Thought The Bigger Picture For Us Should Have Been, Rather Than Her Big Picture In Her Mind"
Kaitlin is raising her son Oliver and navigating a co-parenting relationship with her ex-wife. Kaitlin admits that although after five years of marriage she thought that they both wanted to have a baby, however in hindsight feels as though her ex-wife wasn't fully prepared to make such a major…
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Ingrid - "You Never See A Bill...As Long As Your Baby Or You Need To Be Taken Care Of, It's Done"
Ingrid and her partner have one son and live in Canada. Ingrid admits that she never really thought she wanted to be a mother, but when the feeling hit she couldn't think of anything else. Their journey to parenthood is its own great story and makes the bonds of a family even more special. Giving...
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Melissa - "I Don't Want To Do Things That Will Leave A Bad Taste In Her Mouth; I Want Her To Do What We Want To Do"
Melissa and her husband have always had a love of the outdoors. As avid climbers, hikers, bikers, skiers, and campers, they are now raising a daughter to love these activities as much as they do. Even though Melissa admits they can't be as extreme as they were before children, they are giving…
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Fern - "My Level Of Denial Got Deeper And Outside Pressure To Do Something Got Stronger...It Created A Lot Of Emotional Turmoil"
Fern is the mother two boys, one of whom has autism. Fern admits that because her son didn't fit into a typical autism mold - he made eye contact, loved to cuddle - she didn't believe that he could be autistic. However, as months passed and doctors, friends, and family asked more questions, Fern...
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Veronica - "My Kids Are Going To Go Into This World, How Can I Arm Them Against Alcoholism And Addiction? Because It's Just So Prevalent"
Veronica is the mother of two sons and has been sober from alcohol and drugs for over 17 years. As a licensed therapist and recovery coach, Veronica has spent most of her adult life working with others to maintain their sobriety. Veronica has written two popular books on the subject - Why You…
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Melissa - "She's The Perfect Person In My Eyes, So It's Hard To Do What She Did, But I Try To Do The Best That I Can In Her Memory"
Melissa and her husband have one son, Miles, and have decided that they are a one-child family. What makes her choice to have one child interesting is that Melissa is one of six sisters - born eight and a half years apart. Melissa and her sisters have always had a unique bond - and even though…
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Katie - "You Just Go Where The Work Is...We Call It The Freeway Philharmonic"
Katie and her husband are raising two children, and have spent their careers are professional classical working musicians. Meeting in college, they both knew that they would be moving and traveling as part of their work. Now that they are raising children, she feels fortunate to surround the kids...
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Mia - "I Was Nervous As A First Time Parent And I Work Here...But My Advice Is To Get Involved And Stay involved"
Mia is an employee of her communities school system and the mother of a six-year-old daughter. Mia has spent her career working with schools and seeing what they can offer children - but when it was time to enroll her own daughter, she admits the process was daunting. Her daughter was…
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Jan - "Foster Independence At A Very Young Age...They Can Do A Lot More Than You Give Them Credit For"
Jan is the ultimate "Mother of Boys" - she raised six of them. With six boys spread ten years apart, she says life was as full of joy as it was rambunctious. Now a grandmother, she says she is proud of the men they have become and of the friendships and bond they share between them. She offers…
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Catherine - "He Was A Prime Example Of That Dad That Is Not Connected Until That Child Is Tangible To Them, But Once It Happens It's The Best Thing That Ever Happened"
Catherine and her husband are currently raising their one-year-old son Jack. Catherine is American and her husband is British, and the couple has lived on "both sides of the pond." After agreeing through most of their relationship that they did not want children, a pregnancy scare forced…
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Leah - "We Explain Emotions To Girls And We Dismiss Emotions With Boys...I Think That's Completely Wrong"
Leah is a mother of two boys living on a farm in West Virginia. She and her husband are "theater people" and have had to carve out professions piecing together jobs in their rural community. They spend their days hiking and being boys, but she has always been aware of the need to have her…
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Mark - "Husbands Are Fully Capable. You Can Leave The Kids With Us For Days On End, They Will Still Get Bathed, Fed, Go To Bed At A Reasonable Hour"
Mark is the other half of the parenting/business/success team of our last guest, Kendall. When Kendall brought Mark the idea of moving back to his rural hometown, it took a minute to believe she was serious. He had a full-time job in the city, they had friends and social obligations, but he had...
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Kendall - "When I Started My Company I Thought 'Well, It'll Work Or It'll Be A Colossal Failure, And That Wouldn't Be The End Of The World'"
Kendall is the mother of two girls, and is one of the bravest boss women I know. Before becoming a mother, Kendall decided that instead of working for a company, she wanted to start her own graphic design business. So she took business classes, got mentors, networked, and taught herself how to...
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April - "It's A Lot Of Missing Each Other And Struggle And Stress, But Then Enjoying The Moments We Can Together And Finding Those Moments When The Time Allows"
April and her husband have two children, ages 11 and 8, and they are a military family. April spends much of the year away from her husband while he is off with the special forces, and she navigates her way through parenting solo. Even though they talk nearly every day, the family still faces...
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Alex - "I Knew In My Heart That They Were Going To Come Together, However, I Didn't Think It Would Be So Soon"
Alex is the mother of two children and a step-mother of three children. Alex and her husband met while serving their country in Iraq, and with both parents being in active military service the family is always thinking about what they will do if both parents are called up to duty. Alex came into...
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Amanda - "I Don't Want Them To Feel Like They Have To Choose - Do I Sit With Mom Or Do I Sit With Dad?"
Amanda is a single mother to two pre-teen girls, and the journey through divorce and co-parenting have not been easy. During the separation and divorce, Amanda had to work through lawyers and even spoke only through email as the communication of last resort. Things have gotten easier for her, but...
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Alyse - "They Remember The First Overdose...They Remember Details That I Don't Even Remember From That Day"
Alyse is a mother with a lot on her plate. With four children under the age of six, Alyse and her husband spent the first part of their marriage as a military family. She knew when her first child was six months old that something was not "normal" and spent five years working with a host of…
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Aki - "I Try To Help People To Make Decisions That Make Sense But Also Allow Themselves To Be Human And Also Model That For Their Children"
Aki is the mother of a twelve-year-old daughter and is also a life coach for parents. Aki got into this particular line of work after having her own daughter and quickly realizing that she didn't have all the answers. She works with parents to help them find confidence and connection so that they...
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James - "I've Had People Give Me Weird Stares, But When I'm With My Daughter People Think I'm The Cool Dad"
James and his wife Stacy are the parents of one-year-old Ozzy, and are about ready to give birth to another child any day. James is true punk rock - eight-inch purple mohawk, ear stretchers, he has played in a band, and his career is working at a high-end guitar factory. We talk all about peoples...
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Staci - "We Want Her To Grow Up To Be Polite And Care About Other People And Be Empathetic, And All Of Those Values Exist Without Religion"
Staci and her husband have a beautiful rambunctious daughter and are preparing to welcome their second child in the next few weeks. When we recorded the interview, the couple hadn't told anyone but family that they were expecting their second child, and we talked about the craziness that is the...
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Pat and Cristina - "We Might Disagree On Tactics, But We Have The Same Vision. The Big Picture Is The Same"
Today's episode features our very first couple - Pat and Cristina! The couple are parenting two beautiful daughters, live on the West Coast, and try to foster a love of the outdoors in both girls. Pat is from the east coast and Cristina is from the west coast - and after living in coastal...
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Laura - "I Was Open To Feeding Him However He Needed To Be Fed. I Didn't Have Any Guilt; For Me It Wasn't An Issue"
Laura is the mother of one beautiful toddler and her story is not unlike many of ours. Laura and her husband were not even sure for many years that they wanted children, so when they decided to get pregnant they knew early on that they would only have one child. What they did not bargain for was…
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Brandi - "We Had Just Gone From Telling Our Families And It Being One Of The Best Days Of Our Lives...To Three Days Later And Now There's Nothing"
Brandi is the mother of a beautiful toddler, Asher, and has always been very frank and open about her struggles with motherhood. After thinking that she did not want to breastfeed, Brandi decided during her pregnancy that she would try it and it all started perfectly. However, after her son...
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Jen - "I Was The Pinterest Perfect Mom - But If I Were At The End Of My Life And Asked My Kids 'What Do You Remember About Me?' They Would Say 'You Were Grumpy, Tired And Exhausted'
Jen is a mother to six children and a Women's Happiness Expert. After earning a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies in 2003, spent time as a stay-at-home mom. However, after trying to be the perfect mother, wife, and bread baker, Jen took a good look at her life and decided she was…
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Dana - "Being A Blended Family, Having Gone Through Divorce, Seeing What That Does To Kids...Knowing That We Have Similar Parenting Skills, We Knew It Was Going To Be Okay"
Dana is the mother of two boys from a previous marriage and is now the step-mother to two more sons with her husband. Dana and her husband knew when they began their relationship that they needed to make sure everyone was comfortable as they progressed, and they understood that they needed to be…
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Chaz - "It's Gonna Be Intense, Because All Of A Sudden You're Responsible For This Whole New Human"
Chaz is the mother of a very precocious four-year-old, and a labor and delivery nurse. She has witnessed so many of us become parents, and she says it is the greatest job in the world. As the mother of a child, she knows how hard the transition is from regular old human to parent, and she tells…
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Becky - "Nothing Else Worked. We Tried Medication, Diet, Therapies, Schools...We Couldn't Live Like This"
Becky is the mother of two children. She is in the unique position of having a child with autism while also being a special education teacher. Becky talks about what it is like trying to understand her son's autism and being able to see both perspectives as a teacher and as a parent. We also talk...
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Bobbie - "Daughters Look Up To Mothers...I Didn't Want My Daughter To Grow Up Thinking That It Was Okay For A Man To Yell At Her Or Call Her Names"
Bobbie is the mother of two children. Bobbie was raised in a rural area, and the prevailing thought in her family was that women should marry and not continue an education. However, her mother always wanted Bobbie to further her education and be able to provide for herself; something her mother…
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Megan - "I Feel Like It Gets Worse, Not Better...But You Just Get Through It. You Take Strength From Your Kids"
Megan is the mother of four children, including twins. Megan is also a widow. Her husband Dennis died in 2014. Megan has been navigating her way through her pain by taking strength from her children, going to therapy, and a strong support system. We talk about what her early days were like, how…
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Elizabeth - "Knowing And Understanding My Worth, Being Able To Claim The Things I Do Well, That's Been A Real Asset In My Parenting"
Elizabeth is raising three children in the mountains of West Virginia, and doing it while piecing together a career in the arts. As a voice instructor with a masters degree from the Boston Conservatory, she knew moving to a rural area would mean finding a different career path than if she stayed…
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Michelle - "Everyone Knew This Was What I Wanted To Do...But Can You Make Money?"
Michelle is the mother of three boys who was working a typical desk job but knew she had bigger career dreams. A fitness enthusiast and former dancer, Michelle knew when she saw her gym advertising a yoga instructor training that she wanted to make a change. Changing careers and following your...
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Sam - "I Have Extreme Chest Pains, I Have Pains Going Down My Arm...It Almost Feels Like A Heart Attack"
Sam is a mother of two girls who was diagnosed in her formative years with an anxiety disorder. Managing her disorder through medication, Sam decided when she became pregnant to stop taking her medicine because of the risks to her children. As a superstar career mother and wife, Sam admits that...
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Abigail - "Early Intervention Has Been Proven To Be The Most Effective For Children With Autism"
Abigail is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Pediatric Behavioral Therapist and works with children on the Autism Spectrum. She knew early in her college career that she wanted to make a difference in children's lives, and has recently become officially nationally board certified. I asked...
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Laurie - "Anyone Can Be Strong And Smart, But You Have To Put In The Time To Achieve It"
Laurie and her husband Dan are both working parents. Laurie, an engineer, has always been a boss lady. However, after her company relocated, she was able to spend some quality time with her young boys while looking for a new job. After she found a new position located over an hour away, her and…
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Monica - "We Know How To Build A Following...This Is the Punk Rock Way To Start A Business"
Monica has spent the majority of her adult life as a wife to a professional rock band trombone player. As a member of the band Reel Big Fish, Monica has watched her husband go from trombone player in a local ska band to playing packed arenas, being a regular on MTV and featured in movies like...
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Barbara - "I Did All Of Those Things That Her Mother Missed...Those Things Are Precious To Me"
When Barbara married her husband, David, she became a step-mother to a then three year old daughter, Michelle. Through various circumstances, Barbara and David received full custody of Michelle while raising their second daughter Jaime. Barbara has always had a very special bond with Michelle....
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Lori - "We Understand There Are Milestones He Needs To Reach, But We Need To Let Him Just Be A Kid"
Lori is a mother of a son about to start kindergarten, as well as a successful blogger, HuffPo Contributor, and Declutter Coach. When her son was diagnosed with a speech delay, Lori says that the initial assessment and testing threw her for a loop, but they have been working hard on getting him…
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Karlo - "I Can't Imagine What It's Like To Build A Future Without Family"
Karlo is a successful photographer who built his business from the ground up, becoming a premiere wedding and commercial photographer in the Mid-Atlantic region. While he built his business, he met and married the love of his life, Amanda. Amanda had a young daughter when the two met, and Karlo...
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Alie - "I'm Always Present...I'm Never Worried About Missing Something Because I'm Hungover"
Alie has spent the last 13 years sober. She realized in her mid-twenties that she was powerless to alcohol, and decided to stop drinking completely in order to have a fulfilling life. She got married sober and her children have never seen her drink. In this episode, Alie and I talk about finding...
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Jane - "As Soon As I Heard The Front Door Close, I Remember Thinking That I Had To Push"
In honor of Mother's Day, I sat down with my mom Jane to talk about what it was like to raise me and my siblings. Growing up poor in Appalachia, my mother showed us through her actions how important family and education were. As the wife of a career police officer, my mother was able to get her...
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Jen - "If A Cop & A Teacher Can't Afford To Have A Disabled Child, Our Priorities Are Wrong"
SPECIAL EPISODE. Today's show features Jen, a mother who has a disabled son. Her and her husband found out during her mid-pregnancy ultrasound that their son would have major facial deformities, and after consulting experts in the field, had James at a facility three hours from their home to…
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Jenny - "When I Had My Miscarriage It Was News To Me That It Was A Common Experience"
Jenny and her husband have two beautiful boys, but there have been bumps on their parenthood journey. Jenny suffered a miscarriage in her first pregnancy, and felt as though she was not supposed to talk about her loss or even have feelings. Through her second pregnancy, she hoped for a natural...
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Maria - "It Was Very Emotional To Stand In The One Place That I Knew His First Mom Was"
Maria and her husband are the parents of four children. A military family, they decided early on in their marriage to pursue adoption when they had retired. After months of paperwork and investigation, the family welcomed a baby boy into their home from China. Born with a cleft palate, Maria…
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Rocki - "You Don't Know What You Can Get Through Until You Get Through It"
How do you build your life back after making the biggest mistake you've ever made? How do you do it while being a parent? Rocki is the ultimate tale of redemption. After spending two years in federal prison, Rocki regained custody of her children and built her life back out of the ashes. She met...
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Suzanne - "We Don't Learn Our Lessons From Safe, Happy Places. We Learn From Hard, Gritty Places."
Suzanne and her husband raised four artistic, creative, independent children and were preparing to enjoy retirement when they received a phone call that changed their lives. They became foster parents and legal guardians to their three granddaughters while their daughter and son-in-law sought...
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Nicole - "Try To Get Involved In Something You Are Passionate About"
Nicole has always felt a strong sense of community and helping those in need. As a member of many boards, a volunteer for many causes, and a champion of people with disabilities, prominent members of the community began asking her to run for elected office. So that's just what she did. While...
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Kristin - "It Has Not Really Hit Me That She Is Going To Go"
Kristin and her daughter we a team of two until she met and married her husband and the family dynamic changed. She was also determined to get her undergraduate degree and then her masters degree even while being giving birth and raising two more daughters. Now a teacher, Kristin is facing the...
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Lauren - "I Remember Googling At Two AM One Night 'Why Does My Stepdaughter Hate Me?'"
Lauren had no intention of ever becoming a parent. A successful business owner, she decided early not to have children. Then she met and eventually fell in love with a man who had full custody of his three kids. Wanting to make sure they "did it right," Lauren and her husband took it slow and...
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Bre - "We Have Their First Embryo Pictures Framed. That's The First Picture Of Them."
There are so many paths to becoming a parent. Bre and her husband have been able to become parents thanks to in vitro fertilization. The mother to a daughter and a son, Bre explored IVF after her and her husband went through testing to determine their fertility. Bre has become an advocate for...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Birds In A Tree features stories about parenting. Topics include family, birth, adoption, fostering, autism, military, stepchildren, loss, addiction, ADHD, politics and everything in between. We focus on the good, the bad, the hard and the glorious. Through each story, we hope to find the bond and similarities that we all share.
HOSTED BY
Bridget Manley
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Birds In A Tree have?
Birds In A Tree currently has 64 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Birds In A Tree about?
Birds In A Tree features stories about parenting. Topics include family, birth, adoption, fostering, autism, military, stepchildren, loss, addiction, ADHD, politics and everything in between. We focus on the good, the bad, the hard and the glorious. Through each story, we hope to find the bond and...
How often does Birds In A Tree release new episodes?
Birds In A Tree has 64 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Birds In A Tree?
You can listen to Birds In A Tree on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Birds In A Tree?
Birds In A Tree is created and hosted by Bridget Manley.
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