EPISODE · Apr 16, 2025 · 1H 6M
Parenting in the Daycare Years
from Mama Merit Badge · host Krista Olynyk and Samantha MacKinnon
In this episode, we’re talking about what happens when life feels like a three-ring circus—and you’re the ringleader, the janitor, and the clown.Krista and Samantha dive into the messy reality of parenting through daycare drop-offs, school activity overload, unexpected home repairs, and the mental gymnastics of trying to do it all. We unpack our own parenting styles (spoiler: one of us is a snack drawer mom, the other is not) and reflect on how our childhoods shaped the way we show up for our kids—and ourselves.This episode is a warm hug for anyone who’s ever cried in the preschool parking lot, stress-scrolled through Pinterest for “easy classroom snacks,” or felt the creeping guilt of not being able to do it all. We see you. We are you.Takeaways & Merit Badges Earned:🛠️ Home chaos doesn’t wait for a convenient time—flexibility is survival.🧘♀️ Managing anxiety requires intentional space and support.🤹 You can’t juggle everything—sometimes you need to drop a ball (or six).🧃 We are an ingredients house, not a snack cupboard.📚 Our childhoods sneak into our parenting more than we think.🎒 Daycare transitions = relief and guilt, sometimes in the same breath.🧾 You are not morally obligated to sign up for every school event.🧑🏫 Talking to teachers helps. So does talking to yourself with a little more kindness.🧽 A house manager sounds dreamy—but let’s be honest, we’re the house managers.
NOW PLAYING
Parenting in the Daycare Years
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
May 12, 2026 ·132m
May 1, 2026 ·27m
Apr 28, 2026 ·81m