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Next Question with Katie Couric

The parenting deep dive, Part 1: The ‘unsustainability of American motherhood’

Next Question with Katie Couric

Katie Couric Media

News, Health, Society & Culture, Commentary, Documentary,, Health & Fitness

4.44.7K Ratings

🗓️ 1 December 2022

⏱️ 46 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Whether you are a parent, know one, or have been paying any attention at all, you’ll know that the pandemic was a breaking point for caregivers and mothers in particular. “Moms are the shock absorbers of society,” says New York Times journalist Jessica Grose. “Everyone realized that when things fell apart, moms were just expected to be there to pick up the pieces.” Well, moms have had enough. But are our policies, workplaces, and cultural norms progressing fast enough to give modern mothers — and fathers — the support they need? On this two-part episode of Next Question with Katie Couric, Katie explores the impossibilities of modern parenthood with two experts who have been living it and writing about it: journalist Jessica Grose and clinical psychologist (and “millennial parenting whisper”) Dr. Becky Kennedy. Jessica’s new book, “Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood,” which is out Dec. 6, dismantles 200 years of unrealistic parenting expectations to empower all those who might be struggling out there. Jessica and Katie talk about that historical context, as well as solutions that are already being put into place, and how and where moms are finding reprieve. Finally, Dr. Becky talks about creating a safe space for parents to seek advice, support, and feel seen. 

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Transcript

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0:00.0

I'm Dana Schwartz, host of Stealing Superman, a new I Heart original podcast about the most

0:07.5

unlikely art heist of all time.

0:10.5

It was Nick Cage's own personal, national treasure.

0:14.8

At a 1999 New Year's Eve party, someone snatched Cage's priceless comics.

0:22.4

But who?

0:23.4

Listen to Stealing Superman on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find

0:29.0

your favorite shows.

0:30.0

Hi everyone, I'm Katie Correct and this is next question.

0:37.0

Attention all parents out there.

0:39.2

Whether you're one, you know a parent, or whether you've been paying any attention at all,

0:44.6

you probably know that the pandemic was a breaking point for parents and mothers in particular.

0:52.0

These are the shock absorbers of society and everyone realized that when things fell apart,

0:58.8

moms were just expected to be there to pick up the pieces.

1:01.7

And if they ever complained about it, the response was, well, you decided to have kids, so stuck

1:06.4

it up.

1:08.4

Jessica Gross is a New York Times opinion writer and creator of the New York Times Parenting

1:13.3

Newsletter.

1:14.8

She says the pandemic exposed to reality mothers have been living with for ages.

1:21.7

Mothers have been talking about how difficult it is and especially in the United States

1:27.6

where we don't have things like paid sick leave universal health care.

1:31.4

Mothers have been talking about this if only amongst themselves for hundreds of years.

1:36.8

The problem is that no one has been listening to them.

...

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