With school back in session, my mornings just got a little more chaotic and a lot more difficult. Why is it so hard to get out the door with young children? Is it just as difficult with girls as it is for boys, and is it difficult with most boys or just my boys? I haven't a clue… but I can tell you that where my little men are concerned, it is next to impossible to make it out of the house without being completely and utterly frustrated with one or both of them at least 1800 times. This is of course a mild exaggeration, but the circumstances are not and it leaves the potential for us to begin our day on something of a bad note, which is not my fave. Those of you who are expert in the mom guilt department like I am, can probably relate.
Blake is an early riser and so am I, which means that we don't have to worry about an alarm to wake us or having to get out of bed when all we really want to do is sleep. I would say these are likely the more common things that most kids and adults have to contend with each day, so realistically we should have that going for us. You would think that having plenty of time to wake up at your leisure and get ready for the day would be a great recipe for success and yet somehow it doesn't seem to be. So I started to think about what happens in the course of our mornings and where things tend to go awry. While I still don't completely understand my gorgeous babe, I did manage to come up with a few things that I know make him happy and energized so I set out to change the sound of our mornings and this gorgeous and smarty arty Aether Cone has been a major help.
While music may seem like an obvious choice for changing the mood of our mornings, it is helpful only to set the initial tone of things. After we hear some of the boys faves, which seem to revolve around Minecraft themed remakes at the moment, music seems to become a bit too exciting and keeps us from getting through our morning tasks in any kind of reasonable way… and so it's then that we switch gears and venture into the world of Podcasts. This has become the perfect way to get those wheels turning and keep their attention just enough to keep them from straying into the danger zone of crazy that is always lurking around every turn, but not so much that they aren't able to get fed, dressed, washed and out the door. Those of you with kids know what I mean…
These are some of my current faves to listen to with the boys //
STUFF YOU MISSED IN HISTORY CLASS // I happen to love history, but it wasn't always so.. I think this is true for many kids and this podcast gives interesting tidbits about topics you never learned in school about the people and places you did. A great way to get your kiddos interested in subjects that might otherwise seem blah.
THIS AMERICAN LIFE // A weekly public radio show and a staple on our list of 'must listen' podcasts. From Investigations to Storytelling, this show never disappoints. The House on Loon Lake is wonderful and a great one to start with.
THE NAKED SCIENTISTS // The name alone is an attention grabber for my boys and the subjects are perfect for young kiddos who are serious thinkers. With topics like 'Do Dogs Understand People' and 'Does a Frozen Body Shatter', this is bound to teach you something new about the things you always wonder in your head but don't usually say out loud.
STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW // Exploring everything from Stonehenge to Earwax and what's the deal with crop circles…. Awesome!
RADIO LAB // A wildly diverse series of topics covered in a way that makes snake poop interesting to someone other than an 8 year old boy. Fascinating! My recent fave is Patient Zero
TED RADIO HOUR // I love to watch the TED Talks, and this is equally riveting even without the visual portion.
Once my day actually begins, which is usually after Blake is out the door for school, I like to listen to music or podcasts while I work and dabble at playing the role of Mama Bird. Since Penn still has a few more years before he starts to have an opinion on things like this, I can listen to some of the more adult podcasts when he is present – which I love. My days are so varied and might have me in the office, or a particular room that is the focus of one project or another, but the one thing that is constant is that I juggle many things at once – always. I love the fact that I can set a timer on the Aether Cone so that even if I am completely caught up in a project or a story, I won't forget about something I put in the oven and I don't have to stay within earshot of the kitchen to know when that something is finished. I even bring my Aether Cone in while I soak in the bath so I can listen in relative silence to whatever I want!
These are a few of my current faves //
THE MOTH // Wildly entertaining and I can't recommend this enough. With thousands of true stories told live in front of a live audience, ranging from emotional and heartfelt to wondrous and hysterical, all of them are entirely relatable and so completely interesting.
THRILLING ADVENTURE HOUR // Brilliant and funny – this is done in the format of an old timey radio show and has different guests that you know and love become part of the show each week. Love.
SERIAL // If you didn't jump on the Serial bandwagon – you missed the boat my friends. Luckily the boat never actually left the dock so you can jump on board anytime you like and trust when I say – you should run not walk to your phone and search for this podcast. Compelling and will keep you hanging every step of the way. You will be sad when you get to the end… not to worry though it will be back with a new season this fall.
UNDISCLOSED // A continuation of the case covered in Serial and one I am just now checking out – this aims to be pretty interesting and for those of you who were left with emptiness after Serial, perhaps a great place to pick up the trail.
I have been dabbling with a few others, but I won't give you a report back on those just yet… What have you been listening too? Anything you love so very much?
I was provided with an Aether Cone as part of my maniacal plan to reign in these crazy children of mine… but all opinions and this new found obsession are entirely my own! Thank you cute people for tuning in and supporting the brands that help bring fresh new content like this to The Design Confidential.
