How to Be a Grownup: A Humorous Guide for Moms, with CK & GK

Caitlin Kindred
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For elder millennial moms who are politically progressive, emotionally exhausted, and sick of “perfect‑parent” propaganda. This podcast is a warm, funny, and unapologetic space for moms who want to laugh, cry, and rage at the world without pretending they’ve got it all together. We talk about parenting, mental health, and politics the way real friends do—messy, honest, and full of grace. If you’re tired of performative parenting content and want a show that centers empathy, accountability, and joy, this is your safe space. New episodes drop Tuesdays. Find us at ckandgkpodcast.com or @ckandgkpodcast on social media.

  1. APR 14

    Quick & Easy Civic Engagement Recap: What We’ve Learned & Next Steps

    Send us a Text! The news can make you feel like you're failing at everything all at once: citizenship, parenting, marriage, friendships, and your own mental health. We're closing out the advocacy arc by getting brutally honest about bandwidth—because the "right" way to be informed and engaged is the one you can actually sustain without melting down in the carpool line. This is a bridge episode: where we've been, what you've learned, and how to figure out what comes next. Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!— You Need This Episode If... You've been following the civic engagement series and need to process it allYou're not sure which lane to focus on next (civic or personal)You feel maxed out and need permission to scale backYou want to know what's coming next on the showYou need help choosing ONE thing to keep doing consistently— What You'll Get A recap of what we've covered: Doomscrolling and nervous system overloadHyper-local civic engagement (school boards, library boards, mutual aid)Nonviolent communication for hard conversationsMedia literacy and digital citizenship for raising kids onlineSelf-diagnosis questions to figure out your next season: Are you feeling a civic pull (leadership, showing up locally) or a personal pull (partnership, co-parenting, mental load)?How much emotional capacity do you actually have?What can your kids handle right now?What's coming next: Shifting focus to home, boundaries, and relationshipsTopics: co-parenting when politics don't match, protecting your mental load, setting boundaries with family, maintaining friendships across political dividesYour tiny homework: Pick ONE thing from this series to keep doing consistently — Your Host Caitlin is a former middle school teacher, current mom, and someone who just walked you through a graduate-level seminar on being a grown-up. Now it's time to figure out what happens next. — You don't have to do all of it. You just have to do enough to feel like you're still you—and not someone else's activist project. Next episode: Co-parenting and boundaries in this political space we're in. Should be a doozy. Subscribe so you never miss an episode! Want to revisit the advocacy series? Check out all the blog posts at https://www.ckandgkpodcast.com/blog/tags/advocacy Love you, mean it. Make good choices. The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    11 min

  2. APR 7

    14 Spring Cleaning Tips That'll Save Your Sanity (Re-release)

    Send us a Text! Caitlin is furiously planning the next series for the pod, so we revisit an oldie but goodie with these spring cleaning and organization hacks! --- We share 14 spring organizing tips that scratch the spring cleaning itch without spending a fortune on new storage bins. We also get nerdy about the upcoming total solar eclipse, debate hyperfixation snacks, and tell a cautionary story that starts with cleaning a bathroom vent and ends with a bruised knee. cleaning vs tidying vs organizing as separate tasks pool noodles to keep boots upright stickable hooks for tools and hiding cords vinyl placemats as fridge shelf liners shoe organizers used for mugs, supplies, and more Make good choices, Love you, mean it. CK & GK The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    49 min

  3. MAR 31

    How Advocating for My Son Led to My Adult ADHD Diagnosis (Uncomfy Podcast Appearance)

    Send us a Text! Your hands are shaking. Your stomach drops. A parent-friend just told you that your child's kindergarten teacher is using a stern voice with your kid "all the time"—and it isn't getting better. If you hate confrontation but also can't ignore that protective mama bear instinct, this episode is for you. This week, I'm sharing my appearance on the Uncomfy podcast with host Julie Rose. We talk about what happened when I chose to advocate for my son anyway—and how that teacher meeting led to not one, but TWO ADHD diagnoses: his and mine. Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!— You Need This Episode If... You've ever had to confront a teacher (or need to and you're terrified)You suspect your child might be neurodivergent and don't know where to startYou've wondered if YOU might have ADHD (especially as a woman)You need practical scripts for advocating without starting from accusationYou're a mom trying to survive modern motherhood while carrying all the things— What You'll Get How to advocate for your child without making it worse: When to contact the teacher directly vs. when to loop in support staffThe magic phrase: "Can you help me understand?" (turns confrontation into fact-finding)How to separate valid teacher frustration from a harmful patternThe path to ADHD diagnosis: How classroom behavior can flag neurodivergenceWhat the evaluation process actually looks likeHow advocating for my son led to my own adult ADHD diagnosis at 38ADHD in women and moms: Internal hyperactivity, mind racing, time blindnessHobby hopping, hyperfixation, high achievement paired with silent struggleHow the label gave me language and tools (not excuses)Survival skills for modern motherhood: Setting boundaries around news consumptionScheduling joy like it mattersA sensory reset you can try tonight if you're overstimulated— Your Host Caitlin Kindred (that's me!) is a former middle school teacher, current mom, host of "How to Be a Grownup," and someone who got her adult ADHD diagnosis at 38 after advocating for her kindergartener led to an evaluation that changed everything. Julie Rose hosts the Uncomfy podcast, where hard conversations become useful ones. — Fear hits differently when it involves your child. But sometimes advocacy—even when it's scary—leads to clarity, validation, and tools you didn't know you needed. This conversation is about conflict resolution, neurodivergence, and the unexpected ways motherhood reshapes who we are. Want more from Uncomfy? Find them at uncomfy.podcast on Instagram or email uncomfy@byu.edu. Love you, mean it. The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    19 min

  4. MAR 24

    Digital Citizenship: 4 Easy Family Rules for Group Chats and Online Drama

    Send us a Text! The internet is raising your kids right alongside you—through DMs, group chats, and comment threads. And that's important, because it's where both empathy and power get practiced every single day. If media literacy asks, "Is this real or fake?", digital citizenship asks, "Who am I becoming online?" This episode is about digital citizenship for real families: not vague "be nice online" advice, but concrete habits you can model, repeat, and actually use when group chats turn mean or your kid sees something sketchy. Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!Digital citizenship doesn't mean never posting anything spicy again. It means asking yourself: is this helping build the kind of world I want to live in, or am I just adding to the noise? — You Need This Episode If... Your kid has access to group chats, DMs, or social mediaYou want practical scripts for when online spaces get toxicYou need a family code of conduct that applies to adults, too (because modeling matters)You're not sure how to connect "digital citizenship" to real-world civic actionYou want to teach accountability and repair when kids mess up online— What You'll Get 4-rule family code of conduct: Pause before you post (especially when emotions spike)Don't dehumanize people(Get the other 2 in the episode!) Weekly feed check-in – How to sit with your teen and unpack what the algorithm is showing them (and why) Real scripts kids can use: When a group chat turns meanWhen they see sketchy content in DMsWhen they realize they joined in and need to repairThe "blame the parent" exit strategyAccountability – Why "it was a joke" doesn't cut it, and what to do instead How to connect online energy to civic action — Your Host Caitlin is a former teacher, current mom, and someone actively opposed to becoming a troll in the comments section (and doesn't want her kids to be trolls either). — Sources & Mentions How Media Literacy Supports Civic Engagement in a Digital Age | Media Education Lab (PDF; links media literacy to civic participation)Resource Library | Media Literacy Now (curated K–12 media literacy and digital citizenship resources)Enhancing Young People’s Media Literacy for Civic Engagement | YouthNetworks (how youth media literacy connects to civic skills and engagement)Get the rest in the blog post! — Next week: Catch Caitlin's appearance on the Uncomfy podcast, talking about her ADHD diagnosis. The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    21 min

  5. MAR 17

    14 Simple Ways You Already Teach Democracy to Your Kids

    Send us a Text! Democracy doesn't just live at the ballot box. It's in your kitchen, the car line, and the nightly debate over who picks the movie. When you think of democracy, you probably think of voting booths or big speeches. But most of the skills kids need for a healthy democracy are actually practiced in those everyday moments—who gets the last chicken nugget, whose turn it is to pick the playlist, and how we handle disagreements about bedtime. This episode is about turning ordinary parenting moments into practical civics lessons (and guess what—you’re already doing a lot of this already!). Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!— You Need This Episode If... You want to raise kids who can disagree without destroying each otherYou're not sure how to connect "family rules" to "civic responsibility"You need scripts for handling sibling arguments, unfair rule complaints, and lost votesYou want practical tools (family votes, rotating roles, quick meetings) that don't require overhauling your entire parenting styleYou're tired of saying "no" and want a better way to handle spontaneous requests— What You'll Get The reframe – Democracy as sharing power, listening, negotiating, and revising rules together Low-lift practices you can try this week: Family votes on low-stakes choices (with consolation prizes for losers)Rotating roles that reframe leadership as service (DJ of the day, snack captain, line leader)10-minute family council meetings with simple rules that actually workSentence frames for real-time moments – What to say when stuck in traffic, when someone loses a vote, when a kid complains about an unfair rule The connections – How to explicitly link house rules to laws, chores to shared responsibilities, and apologies to accountability One weekly challenge – Pick one democratic practice to try and name the civic skill it builds — Your Host Caitlin is a former humanities teacher, current mom, and someone who wants you to know that ordinary parenting conflicts are civics lessons—they just look like arguments over who got the blue sippy cup instead of the red one. — Sources & Mentions Find a complete list of sources in the blog post for this episode!Family Meetings: The Why and the How of Fun, Successful Family Meetings | Connected Families (includes a printable family meeting agenda)Democratic Parenting Style: What It Is and How to Practice It | PEP (Parent Encouragement Program)— Next episode: The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    24 min

  6. MAR 10

    Easy Media Literacy for Moms: How to Fact-Check Viral Posts Fast

    Send us a Text! With all that’s going on in our world, you likely want to take action. But you can’t act wisely if you’re acting on bad information. If you've ever seen a viral post that spiked your blood pressure and wondered, “Wait, is this even real?”—this episode is for you. Caitlin and Ariella Monti (author, former journalist, and resident media studies expert) break down practical media literacy you can use between school drop-off and dinner. No theory. Just fast checks that keep you from getting played. Because outrage is easy. But truth is power. Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!— You Need This Episode If... You've shared something online and later realized it was fakeYou see family members spreading misinformation and don't know how to respondYou want to teach your kids to think critically about what they see onlineYou're tired of rage bait designed to make you angryYou need a simple framework for fact-checking without losing your whole evening— What You'll Get The key question – "Do I have more feelings than facts about this?" (Use it every time you see something inflammatory) Misinformation vs. disinformation – Why the difference matters and how to spot each Common disinformation tactics: Recycled images with new captionsCropped photos to inflate crowd sizesAI-generated images (how to spot warped patterns, impossible hands, too-smooth faces)Staged or manipulated scenesFast verification workflow: Check for named sourcesReverse image searchSearch "[event] + fact check" with recent datesLook for multiple angles/photos from the same eventSource evaluation – Which outlets to trust (AP, Reuters, NPR, BBC, government pages) and red flags to watch for How to connect this to civic engagement – Writing better emails to reps with actual receipts — Your Hosts Caitlin is a former middle school teacher, current mom, and someone who regularly talks herself down from rage bait. Ariella Monti is an author (Roots in Ink, Bound by Ink), a former journalist, holds a degree in media studies, and once almost retweeted an Onion article because she was too tired to recognize it was satire. — Sources & Mentions Full list in the blog post for this episode!Media Literacy Art Education: Logos, Culture, Jamming, and Activism | JSTORWHAT is Media Literacy and HOW Can Simple Shifts Center It? | PBSTeen Fact-Checking Network (TFCN), MediaWise | Poynter.org The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    54 min

  7. MAR 3

    The Simple 4-Part Framework That Makes Hard Conversations Easier

    Send us a Text! Ever wish you had the exact words when a family member crosses a line? When your kid brings you a scary headline? When your teenager parrots something from a sketchy source? This episode gives you those words. Caitlin’s breaking down nonviolent communication (NVC). This practical, four-part framework helps you hold boundaries, protect your values, and model respect during the hardest conversations at home, online, and in public. Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!— You Need This Episode If... You want to talk about politics with your kids without freaking them outA family member keeps saying "those people" and you don't know how to respondYou tried gentle parenting and it felt fakeYou need scripts for de-escalating family arguments in front of your kidsYou want to teach your kids to disagree without dehumanizing people— What You'll Get The 4-part NVC framework – Observation, feeling, need, request (with real examples you can use today) Word-for-word scripts for: The living room covered in toys (holding boundaries as a parent)When a relative says "those people" (responding without contempt)When your kid sees scary news (validating without dismissing)When your teen quotes a bad source (teaching media literacy)When you lose your temper (how to repair)Graceful exits – How to leave conversations that cross your line Simple experiments – One feeling word a day, one rewritten text, one boundary stated out loud — Your Host Caitlin is a former middle school teacher, current mom, and someone who has a quick temper and is more often in "oops, I said that" mode than proactive mode. She's here to show you how to do less damage when things heat up—and recover faster when they do. — Sources & Mentions Introduction to Practicing Nonviolence with Children: A Resource for Families and Teachers (PDF) | The Peace Resource Center of San DiegoThe Heart of Parenting: Nonviolent Communication in Action (PDF) | Marion Badenoch Rose, Ph.D.The Center For Nonviolent Communication— What’s Next Ariella joins me to talk about Media Literacy and how not to get sucked in by your algo. Don’t miss it. The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    18 min

  8. FEB 24

    Nonviolent Civic Engagement for Moms: How to Raise Humans Who Care Loudly and Safely

    Send us a Text! Want to raise kids who stand up for what's right without tearing people down? Wondering what safe, nonviolent civic engagement actually looks like when you have kids in tow? This episode is your roadmap. We're talking about nonviolence as both a strategy AND a family value—from writing one-paragraph emails that move school boards to showing up at protests with clear exit plans. Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss an episode → Subscribe to our newsletter!We Want to Hear From You What topic would you like to see next? Caitlin's thinking about media literacy, but she wants your input. Use the "send me a text" link in the show notes to share your ideas. — You need this episode if… You want to take action but worry about keeping your kids safeYou're not sure what "nonviolent civic engagement" actually means in practiceYou need low-energy options that still count as real activismYou want your kids to see you stand up for values without modeling aggression— What You'll Get Nonviolence as a family value – How to turn abstract ideals into house rules your kids can practice dailyFrom-the-couch activism – Low-spoons options (letters, calls, donations, petitions) that model civic engagement without leaving homeBring-your-kid options – Safe, family-friendly ways to attend school board meetings, library events, and mutual aid drivesSafety planning for protests – What to know before you go, how to prepare kids, and when to leaveOne simple plan – Pick one couch action and one kid action for this month (that's it, that's the assignment)— Your Host Caitlin is a former middle school teacher, current mom, and someone who believes you don't have to raise tiny revolutionaries—you can raise humans who care loudly and safely, one email at a time. — Sources & Mentions Introduction to Practicing Nonviolence with Children: A Resource for Families and Teachers (PDF) | The Peace Resource Center of San DiegoA Parent’s Guide to School Board Advocacy | ACLU of TexasUnderstanding Public Education Advocacy: A Guide for Parents and Educators | Texas Public Education Defense FundFind the rest in the blog post for this episode. The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    14 min
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About

For elder millennial moms who are politically progressive, emotionally exhausted, and sick of “perfect‑parent” propaganda. This podcast is a warm, funny, and unapologetic space for moms who want to laugh, cry, and rage at the world without pretending they’ve got it all together. We talk about parenting, mental health, and politics the way real friends do—messy, honest, and full of grace. If you’re tired of performative parenting content and want a show that centers empathy, accountability, and joy, this is your safe space. New episodes drop Tuesdays. Find us at ckandgkpodcast.com or @ckandgkpodcast on social media.

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