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PODCAST

Mom Wars

Bethany Mandel and Kara Kennedy are taking on the mommy wars head on; talking the latest hot topics in parenting, relationships, dating and more.

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

38:00

Betrayal

Mom Wars ·

2026/10/01

This week, Bethany sits down with her old Ladybrains co-host Mary Katharine Ham to discuss the viral New York Times Magazine essay about how Nikole Hannah-Jones betrayed her daughter by sending her to a failing New York City public school. Note: This episode was recorded before the release of the This American Life episode featuring Hannah-Jones and her daughter, Najya.

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48:51

Skipping School

Mom Wars ·

2026/09/24

This week, Kara and Bethany are joined by Dixie Dillon Lane, the author of the book Skipping School: A history of American homeschooling and how it went mainstream. They talk... homeschooling, you guessed it.

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45:49

Sucked into the Algorithm

Mom Wars ·

2026/09/17

This week, Bethany is joined by Theresa Payton, the CEO of Fortalice Solutions. They discuss how the algorithms on social media gave us Lindsay Clancy defenders and Luigi Mangione fans. Theresa, who was the first female White House chief information officer (serving under President George W. Bush) is the author of Manipulated.

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50:34

Turning Kids into Readers with Ann Koffsky

Mom Wars ·

2026/09/14

Bethany is joined by Ann Koffsky, one of her children's favorite authors. Ann has written over 30 Jewish books for children, and they discuss the Jewish holiday season, and some tricks for raising a reader.Note: This episode was supposed to debut right before Rosh Hashanah but could not because of technical issues. The good news is that this will be a 2-episode week!

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39:59

Classically Instructed

Mom Wars ·

2026/09/03

In this episode, Bethany sat down with Julie Apel, the Assistant Headmaster of Hillsdale Academy to discuss classical education and some of the incredible things that Hillsdale has to offer parents passionate about educating their children, homeschooling or not. You can learn more about Hillsdale's robust K-12 programs and offerings here

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43:19

A Head Start with Mr. Adams

Mom Wars ·

2026/08/27

This week, Bethany is joined by Assistant Secretary Alex Adams to discuss changes to the Head Start program and address critics of the announcement. They also discuss progress on the work to prevent states from seizing the Social Security survivor benefits of children in foster care, updating a piece Bethany wrote about the practice last year.

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44:14

Strictly Katharine Birbalsingh

Mom Wars ·

2026/08/20

This week, Bethany is joined by Katharine Birbalsingh, Britain’s Strictest Headmistress and the host of the new podcast Strictly Education. They discuss parenting philosophy and how parents can tighten the reins at home and school to create a more pleasurable experience for the entire family.

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50:53

American Parents Coalition

Mom Wars ·

2026/08/13

This week, Bethany sat down with Alleigh Marré, the Executive Director of the American Parents Coalition, to discuss how to keep families safe from trans-mania at the gym, the pediatrician's office, and more. If you or someone you love is a member of the YMCA gyms or send a child to sleepaway camp, this is an episode you can't skip.

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41:31

Grande Conversations

Mom Wars ·

2026/08/06

In this week's episode, Bethany sits down with DailyWire's Upstream editor Madeline Fry Schultz to talk about the last time they got together in person—in labor and delivery—and how we should be talking about Ariana Grande.

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42:35

Houston, We're Solving a Problem

Mom Wars ·

2026/07/30

This week, Bethany sat down with Houston Independent School District's Superintendent Mike Miles to discuss how the urban district is turning things around, providing a model for other struggling school districts across the country. You can read Bethany's reporting about Houston's success in the New York Post.

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56:19

Nach Yomi (A Very Kosher Episode)

Mom Wars ·

2026/07/23

This week Bethany sat down with Adina Shmidman, the Director of the Orthodox Union's Women's Initiative and the queen of a daily learning program called "Nach Yomi" to discuss daily Bible study and how moms and all women can delve into text learning, Jewish or not! Bethany has been participating in one of the OU's programs called Nach Yomi, and you can learn more about it here

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49:11

A New Chapter House

Mom Wars ·

2026/07/16

This week, Bethany sat down with Josh and Hannah Centers, the publishers of a new publishing imprint called Chapter House Books, to talk about the state of children's literature, reading, and how parents can raise enthusiastic learners.You can enter to win the first two volumes of their new series here.

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36:31

Glenn Beck Carries a Torch for America

Mom Wars ·

2026/07/02

Bethany and Kara have the honor to sit down and talk to Glenn Beck (yes, that Glenn!) about his incredible new initiative for patriotic families, The Torch, and about what families need to do to equip their kids to grow to love America, especially in our 250th year. Happy Fourth of July!Excerpt from "Five in the First," ©2026 Mercury Radio Arts, Inc. Used with Permission.

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50:29

Fables for the American Republic

Mom Wars ·

2026/06/25

Bethany sat down with Professor Matt Mehan, Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Government at Hillsdale in DC about his new book, The American Book of Fables, that was released last month. We have a wide-ranging conversation about the importance of fables, homeschooling as the Founders might have, and the importance of literature for all ages.He's the author of three books including Mr. Mehan's Mildly Amusing Mythical Mammals, and The Handsome Little Cygnet.

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38:22

Kara's Comeback

Mom Wars ·

2026/06/03

Kara makes a triumphant return to the podcast after her chaotic maternity leave, ready to talk about the birth of her second daughter, Sloane. She and Bethany discuss life with two under two, and how life with two feels somehow harder than life with six

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43:15

Are the Kids Alright?

Mom Wars ·

2026/04/30

Bethany is joined this week by Emily Elkins, Vice President of the Cato Institute and a mother of three. She dives into reams of data she's acquired about how kids these days are doing. Buckle up, it's a bit depressing.

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30:42

Poisoned Ivies

Mom Wars ·

2026/04/22

This week Bethany is joined by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik to talk about her new book, Poisoned Ivies, about how parents can navigate *these times* with their toddlers and young adult children alike, and what it it's like as a young mother serving as a Member of Congress. You can read Bethany's piece interviewing Stefanik at the New York Post here.

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48:27

Bridget Phetasy

Mom Wars ·

2026/04/09

In this episode, Bethany is joined by writer and comedian Bridget Phetasy to talk about how becoming a late-in-life mother was transformative, and how our culture gets the narrative wrong on motherhood. Phetasy is the host of the podcasts Walkins Welcome and Dumpster Fire.

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51:42

With Six You Get...

Mom Wars ·

2026/04/02

Bethany is joined this week by a fellow mother of six, Katie Carney, to talk about growing up in a big family and deciding to have one as well. Katie is married to the pro-natalist crusader Tim Carney, author of Alienated America and Family Unfriendly.

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55:21

Open Marriages Never Work

Mom Wars ·

2026/03/23

Bethany is joined this week by the Free Press's Kat Rosenfield to talk about the situation in young adult publishing and the polyamarous craze, and her column on Lindy West.

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55 results

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