Autism in Parenting: Embracing Who We Are, Not Fixing What We're Not
In this deeply personal episode of After Bedtime, it's just Deena and Tyler - no filters, no gloss - sharing their lived experiences as late-diagnosed autistic adults and parents. From diagnosis journeys to sensory overload, social hangovers, perseveration loops, and the challenges that can make everyday parenting feel extra tricky, they get real about what it's like to move through the world with brains that work differently.You'll hear the moments they've masked, the ways they've struggled to "fit the mold," and the game-changing tools that help them show up for their kids, their marriages, and themselves. Lots of honesty, laughter, and the kind of conversation that reminds you: If you've ever felt like an outsider, you're not defective, nothing is wrong with you and you sure aren't alone. Being different isn't something to fix; it's something to embrace. Let's do it together. This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Go to HIYAHEALTH.COM/BLF for 50% off of your first order of Hiya Health children's multivitamin!Go to K12.com/BLF today to find a tuition-free K12-powered school near you and enroll today! Use my link to give the new AG1 flavors a try, plus a FREE Welcome Kit: drinkag1.com/BLF!Head to meritbeauty.com and get their Signature Makeup Bag FREE with your first order!Visit www.functionhealth.com/feelings or use gift code FEELINGS100 at sign-up to own your health. The first 1000 to join using our link get a $100 credit toward their membership.Go to BONCHARGE.COM and use coupon code BLF to save 15%!Produced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
20 Aug 1h 1min
'F*ck Around and Find Out' Parenting Is Trending… Should You Try It?
This week, The Wall Street Journal declared the death of gentle parenting and the rise of “F*ck Around and Find Out” discipline. One mom proudly threw her teenager, fully clothed, into a pond for spraying her with a water gun. Another claimed, “My kid is tougher than yours.” The internet is eating it up. Gentle parenting is getting dragged. FAFO parenting is trending. And if you’re a parent in 2025? You’re probably wondering: What actually works?In this episode, we cut through the noise with the science. You’ll learn:• What the WSJ article got right - and what it missed• The truth about authoritarian, permissive, and authoritative parenting• Why fear-based parenting shuts down your child’s brain• How to raise resilient, emotionally healthy kids without swinging to extremesNo hot takes. No TikTok drama. Just decades of research turned into real-life parenting you can actually do that builds better behavior and long term resilience.This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Get 40% off your first order of Sundays by going to sundaysfordogs.com/BLF or use code BLF at checkout.Visit Quince.com/BLF for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.Visit fromourplace.com/BLF and use code BLF for 10% off sitewide!LMNT is offering a free 8-count Sample Pack of their most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase. Get yours at DrinkLMNT.com/BEDTIME to get yours!Get an additional 15% off a Fatty15 90-Day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/BLF and using code BLF at checkout.Get 25% off of your first month at ritual.com/FEELINGS. Produced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
13 Aug 50min
Motherhood Today Is Not Okay—And What We Need Instead
What if the thing you’re scared to admit as a mom is the exact thing that could set you free? In this grounding, funny, and unfiltered conversation, we sit down with Cameron Rogers--mental health advocate and host of Conversations with Cam--to get real about the parts of motherhood that feel isolating, chaotic, even boring…and why saying them out loud matters more than ever.You’ll walk away feeling validated, connected, and seen. From how to make real mom friends (even in the suburbs), to letting go of perfection, to embracing the wild duality of “I love my kids and I need a damn break,” this episode is a warm hug and a battle cry all in one.If you’ve ever felt like you were failing, this one’s for you. You’re not alone - and you’re doing better than you think.This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Go to HIYAHEALTH.COM/BLF for 50% off of your first order of Hiya Health children's multivitamin!Nutrafol is offering our listeners ten dollars off your first month's subscription and free shipping when you go to NUTRAFOL.COM and enter the promo code FEELINGS. Go to K12.com/BLF today to find a tuition-free K12-powered school near you and enroll today!Go to BONCHARGE.COM and use coupon code BLF to save 15%!Visit www.functionhealth.com/feelings or use gift code FEELINGS100 at sign-up to own your health. The first 1000 to join using our link get a $100 credit toward their membership.Try ZipRecruiter for FREE at ZIPRECRUITER.COM/FEELINGS! Produced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
6 Aug 47min
Burnout: Why You Feel Exhausted (Even When You're Doing Everything Right)
If you're a parent doing everything for everyone - and still feel like you’re barely holding it together… If you’re exhausted no matter how much sleep you get… If you're doing all the “right” things, but are still snapping, numbing out, or shutting down… You’re not just tired. You’re burnt out.In this episode, we break down the real reason you feel stuck, and what to do about it. You’ll learn:The difference between stress and burnout (and why it’s critical to know it as a parent)How to tell if you're stuck in a stress loop that's wrecking your energy, mood, and connection with your kidsThe 6 science-backed tools that will actually help you feel betterWhat happens to your body and brain when burnout goes untreatedThe small, daily shifts that will help you recover - without changing your entire lifeThis is not self-care fluff. This is neuroscience. This is your permission to stop pushing through - and start coming back to life.This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.This episode of After Bedtime with Big Little Feelings is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/FEELINGS. Our listeners get 10% off their first month!Visit TubbyTodd.com and use code TubbyToddBigLittleFeelings15 at checkout for 15% off your first purchase! Produced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
30 Jul 31min
Deena’s Birth Plan: Birthing Without the Bullsh*t - Autonomy, Advocacy, and Asking for What You Need
If you’ve ever given birth, are about to give birth, or love someone who’s about to, this episode is a MUST. Deena opens up about how she’s preparing for baby #3, and this time? It’s not about a hospital bag or the perfect birth plan. It’s about mental health. Nervous system regulation. Self-advocacy. And building a postpartum setup that actually supports her.In this raw and radically honest conversation, Kristin and Deena go deep on:What Deena learned from two very different birth experiencesHow she’s breaking the fear–tension–pain cycle with science-backed toolsWhy the key to a “good birth” isn’t epidural vs. unmedicated - it’s how you’re treatedWhat it looks like to prep your partner and kids to support you after birthHow to unapologetically ask for what you need - even when it’s uncomfortableYou’ll walk away feeling grounded, empowered, and ready to take up space in your birth and postpartum experience - because you deserve to be held, seen, and supported. This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being powerful.Fisher Price x Big Little Feelings - Brain-boosting play kits designed by expertsThis episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Go to HIYAHEALTH.COM/BLF for 50% off of your first order of Hiya Health children's multivitamin!Go to K12.com/BLF today to find a tuition-free K12-powered school near you and enroll today!Head to meritbeauty.com and get their Signature Makeup Bag FREE with your first order!Visit www.functionhealth.com/feelings or use gift code FEELINGS100 at sign-up for your own health. The first 1000 to join using our link get a $100 credit toward their membership.LMNT is offering a free 8-count Sample Pack of their most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase. Get yours at DrinkLMNT.com/BEDTIME to get yours!Produced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
23 Jul 47min
Why Doesn’t My Kid Listen? (And What to Do Instead of Yelling)
You’re not imagining it: Your kid isn’t listening. But it’s not because they’re defiant. It’s not because you’re a bad parent. And it’s definitely not because you haven’t yelled loud enough. In this episode, we reveal what’s actually going on when your child “doesn’t listen” - and the 5 research-backed strategies that will change everything.You’ll learn:Why kids struggle to process directions (hint: it’s their brain, not bad behavior)How giving your child just 8 seconds can increase cooperation by up to 40%The common parenting habits that backfire—and what to do insteadThe science of co-regulation, timing, and how to speak so kids actually hear youWhat to say, how to say it, and how to stop yelling (without losing your authority)This episode is part wake-up call, part emotional gut check, and part masterclass in getting your kid to listen without fear, shame, or bribes. If you’re stuck in the repeat-yell-regret cycle? Press play. There’s a better way - and we’re here to show it to you.This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Get 25% off of your first month at ritual.com/FEELINGS.Get an additional 15% off a Fatty15 90-Day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/BLF and using code BLF at checkout.Function is offering the first 1000 people to use our link a $100 credit towards their membership. To learn more and get started, visit www.functionhealth.com/feelings. Get 40% off your first order of Sundays by going to sundaysfordogs.com/BLF or use code BLF at checkout.Visit fromourplace.com/BLF and use code BLF for 10% off.Produced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
16 Jul 50min
How to Be the Parent You Never Had (And Why It’s the Hardest—and Most Important—Work You’ll Ever Do)
If you’ve ever asked yourself “Why am I so triggered by my child’s emotions?” “Why does this feel harder for me than it does for everyone else?” Or “How do I raise emotionally healthy kids… when no one taught me how?” This episode is for you. Kristin and Deena go beneath the surface of parenting and into the work most of us were never taught to do: regulating, repairing, and reparenting yourself while raising your child.You’ll learn:The real reason parenting feels so hard (it’s not you - it’s your nervous system)The science behind regulation and how to actually build it in real timeWhat generational healing looks and feels like - in messy, everyday momentsWhy grief is a part of parenting when you’re doing it differently than you were parentedThe 4 tools to start breaking cycles, even when you’re overwhelmedThis is the episode that helps you understand yourself. And when you understand yourself, you stop blaming yourself. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be the parent you needed.This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Go to HIYAHEALTH.COM/BLF for 50% off of your first order of Hiya Health children's multivitamin!Head to drinkag1.com/BLF to subscribe for less than $3 a day! Get a free welcome kit with a shaker bottle and 5 AG1 travel packs with your firs order. Go to K12.com/BLF today to find a tuition-free K12-powered school near you and enroll today!Function is offering 160 plus lab tests for $365 to anyone who signs up between July 7th and July 11th. To learn more and get started, visit www.functionhealth.com/feelings.Produced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
9 Jul 41min
The ONE Thing That Actually Matters in Parenting (And What You Can Finally Stop Worrying About) with Dr. Aliza Pressman
Stop what you’re doing—this episode will change the way you parent forever. Kristin and Deena sit down with the incredible Dr. Aliza Pressman, developmental psychologist and host of Raising Good Humans, to reveal the ONE parenting thing that really matters (hint: it’s not the perfect lunchbox, perfect summer camp, or perfect anything).What you’ll walk away with: The top thing that makes or breaks your child’s emotional health. What you can finally stop stressing over. Why your “C+” days are actually good enough. How to parent big feelers, highly sensitive kids, and yourself—with science-backed tools and zero guilt.This conversation is honest, hilarious, and full of the kind of real talk that makes you breathe easier as a parent.If you’ve ever thought, “Am I messing this up?”—you need this episode.Produced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
2 Jul 40min
