Equal-ish

Rachel Childs and Kate Mangino
  • 4.8 (19)
  • PARENTING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Equal-ish is all about that precise intersection of parenthood, work, and being in a relationship. This funny, wonderful, messy, frustrating process is possible - but not easy! Join Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs every week to help you find your equal-ish household balance.

  1. 2D AGO

    Ep 35: Are you raising a child… or managing an outcome? After the interview with Anita Cleare

    What if the way you’ve been measuring yourself as a parent is the very thing making it harder? In this raw and reflective “After the Interview” episode, Rachel Childs and Kate Mangino unpack the uncomfortable truths from their conversation with parenting expert Anita Cleare, and what it actually means to live those insights in real life. Because it’s one thing to say “focus on the relationship, not the outcome.” But it’s another thing entirely when your child is: having a meltdown in public pushing boundaries or making choices you fundamentally disagree with Together, we explore: Why even “progressive parenting” is still often outcome-driven The hidden pressure of constantly evaluating your child’s behaviour What “being in relationship” actually looks like in difficult moments Why letting go of control feels so uncomfortable (especially for high-achievers) The tension between preparing your child for the real world vs staying connected to them And the surprising question every couple should ask before (or during) parenthood Meet our guest, Anita Cleare, here. Author of: The Work/Parent Switch (UK) (The Working Parent’s Survival Guide in the USA) How To Get Your Teenager Out Of Their Bedroom Subscribe to Equal-ish on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to be the first to hear the coaching edit from our interview.  Find out more about your hosts Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs.

    32 min

  2. APR 15

    Ep. 34: You’re not raising a project: Rethinking parenting, partnership & the pressure to perform

    What if the biggest mistake we’re making as parents is thinking it’s our job to shape our children? This week, Rachel Childs and Kate Mangino sit down with parenting expert Anita Cleare to challenge everything we think we know about “good parenting.” From the myth of perfect outcomes to the reality of relationship-building, Anita reframes parenting as something far less controllable and far more human. Together, we explore: Why parenting isn’t something you do to your child, but a relationship you build with them How modern “performance parenting” is setting us up to feel like failures The hidden cost of doing too much (for our kids and ourselves) Why conflict between parents is inevitable (and even valuable) The uncomfortable truth about letting go, stepping back, and allowing failure How to stay connected to teenagers when they’re pulling away This episode will challenge your assumptions, ease your guilt, and invite you into a more realistic and joyful way of parenting. Meet our guest, Anita Cleare, here.  The Work/Parent Switch (UK) (The Working Parent’s Survival Guide in the USA) How To Get Your Teenager Out Of Their Bedroom Subscribe to Equal-ish on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to be the first to hear the coaching edit from our interview.  Find out more about your hosts Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs.

    52 min

  3. APR 8

    Ep 33: We’re Failing Dads and It’s Costing Everyone. After the Interview with Ian Dinwiddy

    We talk a lot about parental leave. But what happens after dads go back to work? In this After the Interview, Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs unpack the uncomfortable reality behind our conversation with Ian Dinwiddy and why support for fathers is still falling through the cracks. Ian is Coach, Mentor and the founder of Inspiring Dads, helping businesses who put supporting new dads at the heart of their gender equality strategy, recognising the positive impact on equality and well-being of helping dads solve the challenge of “how to be a great dad WITHOUT sacrificing a great career.” From the hidden “filtering system” that determines which dads get support…To the unspoken workplace rules that force men to hide caregiving…To the identity shift no one prepares them for… We ask a bigger question: How can we expect men to become involved fathers…while still expecting them to behave like nothing has changed? This isn’t just about dads, it’s about the systems, stories, and expectations keeping all parents stuck. Meet Ian: https://www.inspiringdads.co.uk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/iandinwiddy/    Find out if your company is in the Inspiring Dads Parental Leave Database https://www.inspiringdads.co.uk/the-database Ian recommends this book by Jasmine Kelland: “Caregiving Fathers in the Workplace” Find out more about your hosts Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs.  This podcast is proudly supported by Relationscapes Podcast

    26 min

  4. APR 1

    Ep 32: The Hidden Barriers Holding Dads Back at Work. An Interview with Ian Dinwiddy

    We’re told fatherhood is changing. That dads today want to be more present, more involved, more equal. But what if most men never actually get the chance? In this episode, Rachel Childs and Kate Mangino sit down with return-to-work expert Ian Dinwiddy to unpack the reality behind modern fatherhood. It’s far more complex than policy headlines suggest. Ian is Coach, Mentor and the founder of Inspiring Dads, helping businesses who put supporting new dads at the heart of their gender equality strategy, recognising the positive impact on equality and well-being of helping dads solve the challenge of “how to be a great dad WITHOUT sacrificing a great career.” From the “line manager lottery” to the quiet career fears men rarely voice, we explore the invisible filters that determine which dads get to show up at home… and which don’t. We also dive into the identity shift men experience when they become fathers often without the language, support, or space to process it. Subscribe to Equal-ish on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to be the first to hear the coaching edit from our interview.  Meet Ian: https://www.inspiringdads.co.uk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/iandinwiddy/    Find out if your company is in the Inspiring Dads Parental Leave Database https://www.inspiringdads.co.uk/the-database Ian recommends this book by Jasmine Kelland: “Caregiving Fathers in the Workplace” Find out more about your hosts Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs.  This podcast is proudly supported by Relationscapes Podcast

    49 min

  5. MAR 25

    Ep: 31. Why the one doing the most still feels the least powerful. After the Interview with Melissa Hogenboom

    After our conversation with Melissa Hogenboom, we couldn’t stop thinking about one thing: Power. Not the obvious kind, but the invisible, everyday power shaping how couples live, decide, and relate to each other. In this after-the-interview episode of Equal-ish, Kate and Rachel explore   Why the person doing the most at home can feel the least powerful How stress, silence, and resentment are linked to disempowerment The surprising way power reduces empathy (and what that does to couples) Why money still quietly shapes who has influence The question that reveals more than “who does more”: who controls their time? We also get personal, from asking our kids who they think has power, to rethinking what self-care actually means. Because this is more than chores or fairness. It’s about autonomy, identity, and the ability to say: “this is what I need.” If you’ve ever felt like something is “off” in the balance at home but struggled to explain why, this episode might give you the language. Find out more about Melissa Hogenboom, author of Breadwinners, and The Motherhood Complex. Subscribe to Equal-ish on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to be the first to hear the coaching edit from our interview.  Find out more about your hosts Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs.  This episode is proudly supported by Relationscapes Podcast

    23 min

  6. MAR 18

    Ep. 30: We need to talk about ‘Power’ at home. An interview with Melissa Hogenboom

    This week Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs speak with science journalist and author Melissa Hogenboom about the hidden power dynamics shaping modern relationships. We often think of power as something that exists in politics or the workplace, but what if it’s quietly influencing the way we make everyday decisions at home? Drawing on research from neuroscience, psychology and sociology, Melissa explains how power shows up in the smallest moments: who controls their free time, who carries the mental load, and whose career shapes the big life decisions. We explore: Why couples often believe decisions are “mutual” — even when the work behind them isn’t How earning power subtly influences influence at home What happens to empathy, stress, and communication when power is uneven Why female breadwinners are rising — but equality still isn’t guaranteed It’s a fascinating conversation about autonomy, identity, and what it really takes for couples to feel like a team. Equality in parenting isn’t just about dividing the chores, it’s about understanding power. Find out more about Melissa Hogenboom, author of Breadwinners, and The Motherhood Complex. Subscribe to Equal-ish on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to be the first to hear the coaching edit from our interview.  Find out more about your hosts Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs. This episode is proudly supported by Relationscapes Podcast

    47 min

  7. MAR 11

    Ep 29: Small Nudges, Big Shifts. After the interview with Hayley Swenson

    What if the path to a more equal home life didn’t require a huge conversation… but just one small experiment? In this After the Interview episode of Equal-ish, Kate and Rachel reflect on their conversation with Hayley Swenson from New America and put some of the Better Life Lab behavioural experiments to the test in their own families. The idea behind the experiments is simple: instead of trying to redesign your entire relationship or household system, start with small habit changes that gently shift behaviour over time. Rachel explores how simple boundary-setting tools can help protect work-life balance and reduce the pressure to always be “on”. Kate shares how “sharing the magic” can sometimes reveal that the things we spend hours creating aren’t even the things our kids care most about. We also touch on fascinating new research from Miranda Dotson exploring division of labour in relationships where one partner is trans or non-binary. Her work introduces the concept of “gender heritage” — the idea that the way we are socialised as children may influence how we divide household labour more than our current gender identity. It’s a reminder that the patterns couples struggle with today often begin long before relationships even start. If equality at home feels overwhelming, this episode offers a different approach: start small, experiment, and see what shifts. Subscribe to Equal-ish on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to be the first to hear the coaching edit from our interview.  Find out more about your hosts Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs. Read the Miranda Dodson article This episode is proudly supported by the Relationscapes Podcast

    23 min
  8. Ep 28: Too Busy to Be Equal? The Case for Tiny Experiments at Home. An interview with Hayley Swenson.

    MAR 4

    Ep 28: Too Busy to Be Equal? The Case for Tiny Experiments at Home. An interview with Hayley Swenson.

    What if the reason equality at home feels impossible isn’t a lack of commitment but a lack of time? This week, Kate and Rachel sit down with Haley Swenson, gender researcher and deputy director at New America, to explore the work behind the Better Life Lab Experiments (BLLX) — an initiative focused on practical, evidence-informed ways to rebalance household labor. Hayley shares how BLLX emerged from a simple but urgent question: if we have decades of data showing unequal division of labor at home, why do we have so little evidence about what actually helps couples change it? Drawing on behavioral science, design thinking, and real families’ lived experiences, BLLX takes a different approach. Instead of promising perfect equality, it encourages couples to run small, low-stakes experiments — from rethinking chore systems to redefining holiday expectations. In this conversation, we explore: Why the most overwhelmed partner is often the one searching for solutions How “too busy to change” becomes the biggest barrier to change Why buy-in (not chore charts) is often the real starting point The hidden emotional stakes of holidays and “magic making” How giving your partner the benefit of the doubt can shift everything What it means to design equity for real, messy, overworked families Hayley also reflects candidly on her own marriage — including her surprise at discovering that even in a same-sex relationship, patterns of unequal labor can still emerge. Find out more about the BLL experiments here: Better Life Lab Experiments  All The Things Spreadsheet Subscribe to Equal-ish on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to be the first to hear the coaching edit from our interview.  Find out more about your hosts Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs. This episode is supported by Relationscapes Podcast.

    41 min
See All (35)

4.8
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

Equal-ish is all about that precise intersection of parenthood, work, and being in a relationship. This funny, wonderful, messy, frustrating process is possible - but not easy! Join Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs every week to help you find your equal-ish household balance.

Information

  • Creator
    Rachel Childs and Kate Mangino
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Rachel Childs and Kate Mangino
  • Show Website
    Equal-ish

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