AI Slop and the Future of Healthier Kids’ Media

AI Slop and the Future of Healthier Kids’ Media

This week, Esther and Melissa dive into the world of YouTube, AI slop, and the challenge of finding healthier media for kids. After creating their own low-stimulation kids’ channel, Studio Pok Pok, and navigating the YouTube Kids approval process, they question how so much low-quality content still reaches children and who should be responsible for changing that. They share why neither family uses YouTube Kids at home, how content being on the platform doesn’t guarantee quality, and the problem with autoplay. They also unpack real examples of AI-generated kids’ content, from alphabet videos missing letters to confusing traffic safety lessons like “green means turn right.” Beyond YouTube and AI, Esther and Melissa get personal about struggling with their own phone habits and how being the first generation to grow up alongside this technology shapes the concerns we have for our kids. While this conversation may not leave you with answers, it offers honesty, reassurance, and new perspectives for families trying to build a healthier relationship with the media their kids consume. Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ParentingApparently] Pok Pok YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@studiopokpok?sub_confirmation=1] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/playpokpok] Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Identity After Kids, Birth Stories, and Redesigning Maternity Clothes with Sam Doll

Sam Doll is a musician, writer, filmmaker, and creator with over a million followers online. In this episode about finding yourself after kids, Sam joins Melissa and Esther to talk about the identity shift that comes with motherhood, postpartum struggles, and how becoming a mom has changed the way she shows up online. Inspired by sharing their birth stories, they unpack why so much of parenting can feel like a competition and why the hard parts are talked about more than the joys of parenthood. Sam also shares the story behind Riot Bbby, the maternity clothing line she created after getting frustrated with poorly designed maternity clothes. Follow Sam! https://www.tiktok.com/@sam_d0ll https://www.instagram.com/sam_d0ll Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ParentingApparently] Pok Pok YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@studiopokpok?sub_confirmation=1] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/playpokpok] Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Finding Calm in Summer Parenting with Courtney Phillips Spoehr

Courtney Phillips Spoehr, senior creative executive at Calm, joins Melissa and Esther to talk about summer parenting stress and the pressure of the “18 summers” mindset. This conversation explores what real summer parenting looks like behind the highlight reel—from juggling work meetings, summer camps, and travel logistics to the guilt of not feeling present enough amid the overstimulation of the season. They unpack the cultural pressure to “make every summer magical” and how that expectation often clashes with parents’ mental health and capacity. Each mom shares honest reflections on staying regulated in hard moments, what repair looks like after losing patience with your kids, and how it’s okay to grieve that things aren’t always as easy as we’d hoped. Despite the pressure to create the best family memories, they point out how these often happen in the unplanned in-between moments. By protecting alone time and having realistic expectations, we can feel more present for the meaningful moments we’ve been chasing all along. Learn more about our summer campaign with Calm: https://playpokpok.com/blog/this-summer-myth-gives-parents-core-memory-anxiety/ Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ParentingApparently] Pok Pok YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@studiopokpok?sub_confirmation=1] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/playpokpok] Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Donor Conception & Answering Kids Honestly with Freya Lyon

Freya Lyon — known online as The Queer Mama — joins Melissa for a chat about queer parenting, donor conception, and how to answer kids’ questions honestly about identity, death, and their bodies. Freya grew up donor-conceived in a two-mom family and is now raising her own two donor-conceived children with her wife, offering a second-generation perspective on queer family building. In this episode, the pair explore raising children when the world outside the home doesn’t always reflect their values — inspired by Freya’s personal example of her daughter’s school potentially pulling back LGBTQ+ inclusion. Freya shares how she’s navigating advocating for her family while not wanting to become “that parent at the school gates,” or intrude on her child’s safe space and autonomy. They also cover topics like: * Does being honest with kids help or confuse them more? * Why Freya’s post about donor conception honesty went viral * The intentionality that comes with creating queer families * Book recommendations for talking to kids about diversity and inclusion Follow Freya at: https://www.instagram.com/thequeermama/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/thequeermama/?hl=en] And check out her book recommendations: Mai Story Book Library - https://www.instagram.com/maistorybooklibrary/ [https://www.instagram.com/maistorybooklibrary/] Lucy Catchpole - https://thecatchpoles.net/books-by-lucy-and-james-catchpole/ [https://thecatchpoles.net/books-by-lucy-and-james-catchpole/] Nosy Crow - https://nosycrow.us/ [https://nosycrow.us/] Julia Donaldson - https://www.juliadonaldson.co.uk/ [https://www.juliadonaldson.co.uk/] Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ParentingApparently] Pok Pok YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@studiopokpok?sub_confirmation=1] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/playpokpok] Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

How Boredom Led to a Global Line of Family Games with Elan Lee

This week on Parenting, apparently, Esther and Melissa sit down with Elan Lee, the award-winning game designer, storyteller, co-creator of Exploding Kittens, and, most importantly, a dad. Elan shares how becoming a parent changed the way he thinks about play, creativity, and game design—including how his 4-year-old daughter helped him create a successful line of preschool games. Together, they explore what makes a games fun for both kids and adults, why children are often the best collaborators in creative game design, and how play can help kids build confidence, executive function, problem-solving skills, and emotional resilience. From board games and puzzles to pizza-making, boundaries, and the joy of watching your child get better at something, this episode is a thoughtful conversation about family play, child-led creativity, play-based learning, and designing experiences that respect our kids’ intelligence. To learn more about Elan Lee: https://www.elanlee.com/ And follow his Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ElanLee And find his games: https://www.explodingkittens.com/ Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ParentingApparently] Pok Pok YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@studiopokpok?sub_confirmation=1] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/playpokpok] Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.