Episode 26: The Baby Zoo

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In order to celebrate the end of this truly miserable year, we are sharing a story that is similarly upsetting. Jen presents her findings on the Dionne Quintuplets and the absolutely unbelievable series of events that befell them. From a wicker basket in a farm house in Ontario, to a clinical facility with a tourist viewing platform, all the way to Hollywood, these girls never caught a break. We’re sharing their story here because there is a lot to be learned from their lives especially in our modern world and the age of Kidfluencers. Children should not be commodified and few stories illustrate that as well as the Dionne Quintuplets.

Episode 25: Christmas Toy Riots

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Nothing gets us in the holiday spirit like an angry mob of customers fighting over a children’s toy. With the advent of online shopping, crazy store riots may seem like things of the past. So let’s take a trip down memory lane to the late 80s and mid-90s, when such events did occur around the holiday season. Specifically when it came to loving parents wanting to get their children the hot new toy of the season. Enter the Cabbage Patch Kids and the Tickle Me Elmo dolls. In this week’s episode, Diane tells us what made these toys so popular, and what lengths parents would go to in order to secure one to place under the tree. Buckle up, cause it is a wild ride!

Episode 24: Thanksgiving Masking

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If you live in America, you may be under the assumption that Halloween has always cornered the market on dressing up in costumes. But you would be wrong! From the late 1800s to the 1930s, Thanksgiving Masking was a standard way for children to celebrate on Thanksgiving morning. In this episode, Jen describes this strange custom and why it went out of favor. Get ready to shake your head with disapproval and be a bit offended.

Episode 23: Griswold v Connecticut

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You may be wondering why we are talking about a Supreme Court case on a show about the history of parenting, right? Well, we have the answer! The landmark Supreme Court decision in Connecticut vs. Griswold changed family life in America forever. We’ve all heard the term “family planning,” but believe it or not before the 1960s this idea was not nearly as widely known or accepted. So what happened in 1965 that spurred on this radical shift in thinking about the way we plan births and children? You’ll have to listen to find out!

Episode 22: Dr. William Smellie

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Every new mom can attest to the fact that babies, especially newborns, love to suck. Their fingers, their toes, a bottle, a breast, and for some babies even a pacifier. So today, we explore the history of that infamous object. Who invented the pacifier, when did it become popular, and why is it such a controversial soothing technique even to this day? This was a topic that led us down quite the rabbit hole. A very…ahem…”interesting” rabbit hole, to say the least! *Parents, we suggest listening to this episode when the kiddos aren’t around, because there is some content some may consider to be adult. Use your discretion.

Episode 21: Pacifiers

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Every new mom can attest to the fact that babies, especially newborns, love to suck. Their fingers, their toes, a bottle, a breast, and for some babies even a pacifier. So today, we explore the history of that infamous object. Who invented the pacifier, when did it become popular, and why is it such a controversial soothing technique even to this day? This was a topic that led us down quite the rabbit hole. A very…ahem…”interesting” rabbit hole, to say the least! *Parents, we suggest listening to this episode when the kiddos aren’t around, because there is some content some may consider to be adult. Use your discretion.

Episode 20: Infant Exposure

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2020 might not be the craziest year for the US Postal Service after all. Back in 1913, parcel post was introduced and in no time at all, people had started shipping all kinds of unexpected packages, including their children! Tune in to learn all about the children who traveled anywhere from 5 to over 700 miles across America through the USPS.

Episode 19: Maternity Clothes

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2020 might not be the craziest year for the US Postal Service after all. Back in 1913, parcel post was introduced and in no time at all, people had started shipping all kinds of unexpected packages, including their children! Tune in to learn all about the children who traveled anywhere from 5 to over 700 miles across America through the USPS.

Episode 18: Mailing Babies

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2020 might not be the craziest year for the US Postal Service after all. Back in 1913, parcel post was introduced and in no time at all, people had started shipping all kinds of unexpected packages, including their children! Tune in to learn all about the children who traveled anywhere from 5 to over 700 miles across America through the USPS.