PODCAST · kids
Our Parents Did What?!
by Our Parents Did What?!
Join cohosts Diane Aragona and Jen Tierney as they explore the sometimes unbelievable history of parenting.
Episodes
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Episode 55: Photography
It's our final episode of season 2!! And we're going out in a flash - flash photography, that is. In this extra long final episode, we're discussing the history of photography from the Victorian Era all the way up to the fabled mall photography of the 90s. Thank you for joining us for these past…
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Mini Episode – Bill Nye the Science Guy
No one makes science as cool and relatable as the one and only Bill Nye. He brought scientific concepts to the children of the 90s in a way that has stuck with that generation. Jen gives some background into how Bill Nye got into children's edutainment and some of his other very impressive...
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Episode 54: Body Image
Rounding out our series of puberty episodes, Diane gives us some facts about body image, the effects of social media on how teenage girls see themselves, and why teenagers are so darn stinky. We'll also do our best to give you some resources to help you navigate these conversations if you are...
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Mini Episode – Boy Meets World
This week, Diane tells us all about one of her most favorite shows from her childhood, Boy Meets World. We talk about the themes the show dared to explore, and those that it was too timid to embrace. It is a real piece of 90s history, capturing what Friday night programming was for our…
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Episode 53: Rites of Passage
In the second installment of our series of puberty episodes, Jen provides some details into how first periods are celebrated throughout the world. We also take some time to look at the history of how boys become men from all different cultures. One thing's for certain, we are a species obsessed...
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Mini Episode – Wishbone
Talking animals were all the rage in the 90s, and this left the door wide open for the edutainment masterpiece that was Wishbone. This PBS show featured Soccer, the Jack Russell Terrier, as the titular Wishbone who would "imagine" himself into pieces of classic literature - period costumes and…
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Episode 52: Periods
It's that time! Our podcast has reached puberty (we're over 50 episodes in, so this arbitrarily feels like our teen years) and to celebrate, we're spending the next few episodes exploring the history and cultural significance of puberty. In this first episode, Jen tells us all about the…
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Mini Episode – TGIF
TGIF was a staple in the American experience throughout the 90s. A true example of lightning in a bottle, this block of shows dominated TV ratings for over a decade and brought us some of the most memorable family sitcoms in television history. Diane goes over the inception of the TGIF format and...
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Episode 51: Opium
In the second half of our foray into the use of drugs in infants, babies, and children, we bring you the fascinating history of opium! This is a cure-all that's been around for as long as we've known to cultivate the poppy plant. Just when you thought you knew all of the truly horrible things…
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Mini Episode – Rugrats
This show was gauranteed to make an appearance as a mini episode at some point! Not many shows are as deeply loved as Rugrats. This was Nickelodeon in it's prime - mastering the art of balancing comedy and sincerity. Also one of the first shows that had meaningful messages and lessons for…
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Episode 50: Cocaine
We're back after a brief mid-season break and are bringing you two episodes on the use of highly addictive drugs as medicines for children and babies in history. In our first episode, Diane describes the various uses of cocaine. What began as a very specific surgical anesthetic, quickly became an...
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Mini Episode – Reading Rainbow
Today's mini episode is all about one of the most beloved PBS programs of all time, "Reading Rainbow". Lovingly brought to life by the one and only Levar Burton, it's won an embarrassing number of awards and has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity as it's original audience has become parents. But...
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Episode 49: The Great Depression (Part 2)
In the second half of our two-part series on The Great Depression, Diane describes some of the details of The New Deal and how government programs impacted the lives of children and families. The Great Depression was objectively awful, but that won't stop our resident ray of sunshine from finding…
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Mini Episode – Captain Planet
Captain Planet: he's our hero! Gunna bring pollution down to zero! This show is a beloved addition to our collection of mini episodes. Jen and Diane spend this week's episode nerding out over their planeteer status from the 90s. Jen also takes us on a quick detour to learn about the fascinating...
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Episode 48: The Great Depression (Part 1)
In the first of our two part series on The Great Depression, Diane goes over the history of the Great Depression and how it impacted families, children, and women. There are some surprising facts that come from this time (sorry kids, you can't work more than 8 hours a day!) and you'll even get a...
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Mini Episode – Weinerville
Jen is certain that she is living in a parallel universe this week as Diane tells her all about a television show that rings zero bells. After her mini existential crisis, Jen listens intently as Diane tells her all about Weinerville - a truly bizarre slice of 90s American television history.…
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Episode 47: Hiccups
Our series on playgrounds is over, so we're taking a break this week with a one-off episode about the history and cultural significance of the hiccup! It's a nice, light episode. A bit of a palette cleanser before our next stretch, which will be a bit more grim. You've been warned!
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Mini Episode – Dinosaurs
It's another mini episode! Television in the 90s offered up some truly inspired and lasting material. But few shows were as groundbreaking, beautifully executed, and timeless as Dinosaurs. In one of Jim Henson's final projects before his death, we get a show about an average family that has the...
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Episode 46: Playgrounds – Accessibility
In our final episode in our exploration of Playgrounds, Diane shares what she has found about making modern playgrounds accessible to all children. We also discuss the resurgence of adventure playgrounds and touch upon the dreaded topic of playground politics.
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Mini Episode – Anne of Green Gables
In our third mini episode of Season 2, Diane brings us back to 1985 to remember the much beloved Canadian TV miniseries, "Anne of Green Gables". It was wildly popular then and is enjoying a bit of a nostalgic come back due to the new Netflix series, "Anne with an E".
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Episode 45: Playgrounds – Safety
This week Diane shares her research into modern playgrounds and the leaps and bounds we have made in terms of safety. We'll go over some of the playground materials of old and how we've worked to remove as many unnecessary dangers as possible (I'm looking at you, arsenic!). We'll also give you a...
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Mini Episode – The Secret World of Alex Mac
Jen's first mini episode brings us some 90's tween drama like only Nickelodeon could bring us with "The Secret World of Alex Mac". What was this wacky show about and why can't you buy the box set in England if you are the same age as the main character?
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Episode 44: Playgrounds – The Slide
In our second full episode of this season, Jen gives some more information about the history of playgrounds, focusing in this time on the slide. We were shocked to learn about when slides were invented and about how even this very simple device was still a casualty of gendered stereotypes.
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Mini Episode – The Magic School Bus
We're introducing something new this year - Mini Episodes! These bite sized episodes will come out in between our regular episodes and during Season 2 we'll be exploring our favorite TV shows from our childhoods. In our first Mini Episode, Diane tells us all about her love for The Magic School Bus.
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Episode 43: Playgrounds – The Swing
It's Season 2! Diane and Jen are back with a new set of wild episodes all about the history of parenting and child rearing. In this season, we'll be spending a few episodes diving deeper into one topic. So we're starting off with the history of the playground. In this episode, Jen explains the...
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Episode 42: Congratulations!
Since beginning this podcast in early 2020, Jen and Diane haven't been able to see each other in person. In this episode, they are reunited and recording for the very first time in the same room! And Jen has a very special surprise for Diane. They take a stroll through a hospital magazine for new...
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Episode 41: Moms in the Workforce
In this episode, we have a very special guest joining us to explore a topic that the three of us are highly invested in. LaWann Moses, from the More Than a Mother podcast, joins us to talk all about the history of women in the workforce. LaWann provides some amazing insights and also shows us how...
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Episode 40: Gripe Water
Way back in February of 2020, before the pandemic and before we had honed our sound quality, Jen and Diane recorded this episode about the origins of gripe water. So join us as we travel back in time (TWICE!) to remember when it was ok to give babies alcohol and when the biggest concern when...
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Episode 39: Conversion Therapy
Jen provides some personal and timely research in this episode in honor of Pride. We discuss the practice of conversion therapy, how it has changed over time, and the impact it has had on the queer community. At the end of the day, this practice is torture and we hope that this episode plays some...
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Episode 38: Rise of the Helicopter Parent
Helicopter Parent. The term is usually uttered with rolled eyes and snide remarks. But when you take into account the circumstances of the 1980s & 1990s, it seems that this shift to overbearing parenting was somewhat inevitable. Come along with us as Diane details the history of the rise of the...
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Episode 37: Jell-o Salads
What do the history of women in America and Jell-O have in common? More than you probably realize! In this episode, Jen explores the incredible road to the Jell-O salad and how this bizarre status symbol eventually fell out of favor. Come for the Perfection Salad, stay for the Jellied Veal Loaf!
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Episode 36: The Tea Party
It all started when Jen bought Diane’s daughter an adorable unicorn and rainbow themed play tea set for her 2nd birthday. It got Diane thinking about how much she loved her own toy tea set growing up. Why was pretend tea time such a staple of growing up as a child in America? How long have...
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Episode 35: The Brothers Grimm
Snow White. Hansel and Gretel. The Frog Prince. Stories that are well known and beloved the world over. We can thank the very famous and very prolific Brothers Grimm for collecting and sharing these tales with the world. In this episode, Jen shares what she has learned about these brothers and…
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Episode 34: The Baby Cage
In this episode, we are joined by friend of the show Rachel Kuberry, who tells us all about the history of the baby cage and the historical importance of airing out babies. Why did these devices ever seem like a good idea and why did they fall out of fashion? And what are we still doing today…
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Episode 33: The Dark Origins of Birth Control
Birth control is ubiquitous in society today. It is so commonplace that we just refer to it as "the pill." But have you ever wondered how that pill came to be? Like many medical advances, its history is much darker than you may imagine. The history of modern day birth control centers around the...
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Episode 32: Hospital Nurseries
Throughout visual media, there are countless examples of the big window looking over a room of newborn, swaddles babies. The hospital nursery is a sight that most people are familiar with, but has really only been around since the early 20th century. Jen presents her findings into why they were...
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Episode 31: Baby Wearing
If you are a 21st century mom you are probably familiar with the term baby wearing. It is very “in” right now, with wraps and carriers seen as not only functional, but also a fashion statement. Like many aspects of Western parenting, this practice is borrowed from other cultures with…
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Episode 30: Child Beauty Pageants
Few things are as quintessentially American as child beauty pageants. And it turns out, they also originated from our home state of New Jersey! In this episode, Jen takes us back to the mid 1800's to the beginning of the child beauty pageant craze. It goes through many evolutions until we get to...
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Episode 29: Infant Inclined Sleepers
Note: Today's episode contains some sensitive content related to infant deaths. Please use caution when listening. If you had asked me 2 years ago what an infant inclined sleeper is, I would have told you I had no idea. If you had asked me if I knew what a Rock n Play was, I would have said of...
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Episode 28: Spit
Spit has seemingly endless examples of cultural significance throughout the world. It's with that in mind, that Jen travelled down the spit in parenting rabbit hole. At times shocking and gross (especially in our Pandemic World), these traditions also have a primal, earthy beauty to them. Jen…
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Episode 27: Presidential Kids
Growing up is hard enough when you're just a regular kid. But can you imagine growing up at the most famous address in the country, while the whole world watches? On today's episode, Diane tells us about all the Presidential kids who grew up in the White House throughout history. Then we take a...
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Episode 26: The Baby Zoo
In order to celebrate the end of this truly miserable year, we are sharing a story that is similarly upsetting. Jen presents her findings on the Dionne Quintuplets and the absolutely unbelievable series of events that befell them. From a wicker basket in a farm house in Ontario, to a clinical...
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Episode 25: Christmas Toy Riots
Nothing gets us in the holiday spirit like an angry mob of customers fighting over a children's toy. With the advent of online shopping, crazy store riots may seem like things of the past. So let's take a trip down memory lane to the late 80s and mid-90s, when such events did occur around the...
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Episode 24: Thanksgiving Masking
If you live in America, you may be under the assumption that Halloween has always cornered the market on dressing up in costumes. But you would be wrong! From the late 1800s to the 1930s, Thanksgiving Masking was a standard way for children to celebrate on Thanksgiving morning. In this episode…
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Episode 23: Griswold v Connecticut
You may be wondering why we are talking about a Supreme Court case on a show about the history of parenting, right? Well, we have the answer! The landmark Supreme Court decision in Connecticut vs. Griswold changed family life in America forever. We've all heard the term "family planning," but...
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Episode 22: Dr. William Smellie
Every new mom can attest to the fact that babies, especially newborns, love to suck. Their fingers, their toes, a bottle, a breast, and for some babies even a pacifier. So today, we explore the history of that infamous object. Who invented the pacifier, when did it become popular, and why is it...
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Episode 21: Pacifiers
Every new mom can attest to the fact that babies, especially newborns, love to suck. Their fingers, their toes, a bottle, a breast, and for some babies even a pacifier. So today, we explore the history of that infamous object. Who invented the pacifier, when did it become popular, and why is it...
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Episode 20: Infant Exposure
2020 might not be the craziest year for the US Postal Service after all. Back in 1913, parcel post was introduced and in no time at all, people had started shipping all kinds of unexpected packages, including their children! Tune in to learn all about the children who traveled anywhere from 5 to...
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Episode 19: Maternity Clothes
2020 might not be the craziest year for the US Postal Service after all. Back in 1913, parcel post was introduced and in no time at all, people had started shipping all kinds of unexpected packages, including their children! Tune in to learn all about the children who traveled anywhere from 5 to...
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Episode 18: Mailing Babies
2020 might not be the craziest year for the US Postal Service after all. Back in 1913, parcel post was introduced and in no time at all, people had started shipping all kinds of unexpected packages, including their children! Tune in to learn all about the children who traveled anywhere from 5 to...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Our Parents Did What?! have?
Our Parents Did What?! currently has 69 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Our Parents Did What?! about?
Join cohosts Diane Aragona and Jen Tierney as they explore the sometimes unbelievable history of parenting.
How often does Our Parents Did What?! release new episodes?
Our Parents Did What?! has 69 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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Our Parents Did What?! is created and hosted by Our Parents Did What?!.
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