PODCAST

A Wonderful Mess Podcast

Kathryn Barbash, PsyD

Navigating parenthood with humor, compassion and common sense. kathrynbarbash.substack.com

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

8:19

Everything Changes

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2026/03/16

With the help of some picture books, some notes on impermanence today. *I am an affiliate of bookshop.org. If you purchase through this link, I will earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you)As always—Just a little reminder: The content on A Wonderful Mess posted by Dr. Kathryn Barbash, PsyD, is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical, clinical, legal, or professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Reliance on any information

14:38

You Don’t Have to Laugh Instead of Cry

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2026/03/02

The use of humor can be characterized as a defense or avoidance of difficult topics. And that definitely happens, but in my experience, humor has allowed me to be right next to the hard stuff. A laugh can be like a nightlight in the dark, giving off enough light to help you avoid the sharp edges of the furniture.Related Links:Books mentioned:Road to Tender Hearts* by Annie HartnettHumor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy* by Chris DuffyHumor, Seriously: Why

15:57

Want to Support Play? Try Some Mindfulness

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2026/02/02

Today, we are going to bring some mindful tools into your kids’ play. A little mindful mindset on our part as parents can play out to everyone’s benefit (oh yes, pun intended). Listen for more…Related Links:National Institute for Play Books:Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart M Brown, MDBut I’m Bored: Discover the Power of Independent Play to Raise Confident, Resilient Kids* by Lizzie Assa, MSEdHow to Tell Stories to Children* by Joseph Sarosy and

5:12

Your 2026 Reading Life

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2026/01/05

This post is part of Reading While Parenting, a monthly feature at A Wonderful Mess, where we delve into exactly how parents can read and what reading can add to parenthood. Take a listen and then share any reading goals or intentions you have this year!*I am an affiliate of bookshop.org. If you purchase through this link, I will earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you)As always—Just a little reminder: The content on A Wonderful Mess posted by Dr. Kathryn Barbash, PsyD, is for educational

7:58

Don't Change this New Year

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2025/12/29

II’ve got some questions for you today. These are questions to ask on December 31st (or March 22nd, July 3rd, or any date of the year). I am not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. The idea that on a certain date, we should all think of something we want to change about ourselves is not an idea I want to support. Change is not a bad thing, let me be clear. It’s just the idea that we all need to do it right now to become “better” somehow; it seems forced and unnecessary.Listen for more…Related Links:Dr

11:21

It's the Holidays, So Someone Must Be Sick

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2025/12/15

The present moment is a foundational piece of mindfulness practice. The definition seems somewhat self-explanatory but for review:The present moment is the here and now. Not the future or the past but the now. But sometimes the now is not a fun place to be...You can find more at kathrynbarbash.substack.comAs always—Just a little reminder: The content on A Wonderful Mess posted by Dr. Kathryn Barbash is not intended to be a substitute for medical, clinical, legal and professional advice, diagnosis or

12:42

The Loneliness of Being the Perfect Parent

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2025/11/17

We all bring ourselves to parenthood, whether we want to or not. Ourselves being the people we were before we became parents, and in many ways will continue to be after becoming parents. Our traits, quirks, strengths, and yes, our weaknesses, come along too. Perfectionism was in my luggage for the journey of parenthood. In some ways, parenting really helped me crack that can of worms open and led to investigating its tricky ways that were leading me astray. Which has certainly been a good thing. But

8:42

Winter Forecast: Dread...or Maybe Not?

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2025/11/03

Hello, I have a question for you. Are you a winter person?If you had asked me this question last fall, I would have told you that I am not. However, last winter I discovered that I may be more winter-inclined than I previously thought. But first, some helpful background information. I grew up in Southern California. We’re not known for our winters, but more likely as a refuge from chilly temperatures. With limited winter experience, I moved to the East Coast as a young adult. Given my natural

14:07

The Disorganization of Play

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2025/10/20

It’s Saturday morning, and two of my kids are playing independently. The play dyad moves from room to room; they collect toys and belongings here and there. They leave one thing and pick up another. The stories evolve as the morning moves along. First, it’s stuffy school, then there is a big stuffy birthday party planned for tonight. Decorations and invitations are required. Craft materials will do the trick. The party will take place in the basement, while the school is still upstairs in a bedroom

15:40

See You At Book Club!

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2025/10/13

This post is part of Reading While Parenting, a monthly feature at A Wonderful Mess, where we delve into exactly how parents can read and what reading can add to parenthood. Reading While Parenting essays come once a month, except when there are “reading clubs” in January and June through August.If you are not interested in receiving posts on this particular topic, you can opt out by deselecting “Reading While Parenting” here. You can adjust your subscription preferences at any time at that link

13:26

Leaves Change, and So Do Friendships

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2025/10/06

Hello, if you would like to help shape future essay topics, please take a moment to complete this brief reader survey. Thank you!Anna Goldfarb is the author of Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Connections*, in which the challenges and benefits of friendship are explored, as well as helpful reflection exercises and practical advice approaching friendships (for the grown-ups). Oh, and she’s funny—humor is always appreciated here.You can find the whole essay along with links at

15:04

This is Either the Best or Worst Idea Ever

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2025/09/22

“This will either be the best thing we ever did or the worst,” I said to my husband one evening about our plans to acquire two more living creatures for our house. Four kids are just not enough chaos; we decided to get some more dependents!You can find any links mentioned at kathrynbarbash.substack.comAs always, just a little reminder: The content on A Wonderful Mess posted by Dr. Kathryn Barbash, PsyD, is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for

13:58

It's Back-to-Reading Season

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2025/09/15

This post is part of Reading While Parenting, a monthly feature at A Wonderful Mess, where we delve into the Ws and an H of reading in parenthood—the who, where, what, why, when, and how. Essays cover a range of topic areas, from the details of how to read with a sleeping infant to the best parent-approved bookmarks, to bigger questions about what reading can mean in your life. Reading While Parenting essays come once a month, except when there are “reading clubs” in January and June through August

11:32

On the Playground of Parenting Books

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2025/09/08

Hello dear readers, I am so happy to be back in your inboxes. For me, the new year is the new school year—I can’t shake that rhythm so deeply set within my bones. And with that “new year” feeling, I’ve made some changes to rhythm and features here on A Wonderful Mess. I’ll will pointing them out along the way, one feature is the return of audio for essays (except for Q&As and heavily linked pieces). If you are new here, you can listen by clicking right on this page to my reading of this essay, or

13:55

The Tyranny of the Phrase “Screen-Free”

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2025/03/10

I was searching for weapons on the internet with my child. And there it was, the label—"screen-free entertainment”.Perhaps some context? We were looking for a toy weapon to complete a Halloween costume. And right there was the sales pitch—this toy is not a screen! We didn’t end up buying this exemplar of screen-free entertainment. Instead, we used a stick with some masking tape. My kid tried to join the toy manufacturer and sell it to me. “Yeah, mom, it’s not screens.” It’s not screens. We now live

11:16

Tired Parents Still Can't Meditate on a Mountaintop

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2025/01/20

About a year ago, I posted the below essay on mindfulness in parenthood. I had been working on another essay that wasn’t working. I pivoted and put together my thoughts on what mindfulness can look like in a practical sense in real-life parenthood. The hope was this would counterbalance some of the very polished advice and anecdotes in the land of parenting advice. My life has never looked like one of the vignettes you might read in a book or a tidy platitude on an Instagram tile. I figured others

9:27

I Had Stopped Reading Fiction

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2025/01/06

Hello, and Happy New Year! Yay—I have, for now, figured out my audio issues, so glad to be back reading today's essay. Enjoying the mess?You can help others find A Wonderful Mess by sharing the love. You can do this by liking this post, restacking it on the Substack Notes network, sharing it on social media, or forwarding it to a friend.As always—Just a little reminder: The content on A Wonderful Mess posted by Dr. Kathryn Barbash, PsyD is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not

7:36

Bonus December Podcast

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2024/12/13

Hello dear readers/listeners,It’s been awhile. Typically, monthly bonus podcasts are for paid subcribers but it’s the holidays after all. And I really just wanted to jump on say hello, rant for a moment or two on a couple hot topics and share some Substack love. So here you go!Some mentions in the podcast* My journey into shoulder surgery* Santa Worries:Helpful interview from Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD about Santa for NBC.Why It’s OK for Kids to Believe in Santa Claus from Psychology Today* My

1:30

October Paid Subscriber Mini-Podcast

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2024/10/30

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit kathrynbarbash.substack.comHello,This is your monthly paid subscriber bonus podcast. Still working out what to do in this space. Some months it’s a little bit of this and little bit of that and so that is what we have going this month.This episode includes:* What we do with the Halloween candy* My new reading accessory influenced by Virginia Sole-Smith to purchase. Spoiler: It’s bringing me great joy! Picture included at

7:40

Perfect Pumpkin Patch Photos: What About the Rest of Us?

A Wonderful Mess Podcast ·

2024/10/07

Hello readers, now that I have written this newsletter for over a year I’ve written quite a lot. From time to time it’s nice to revisit something that many of you have likely not read before. This is a repost from last fall that still holds.As always—Just a little reminder: The content on A Wonderful Mess posted by Dr. Kathryn Barbash, PsyD is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical, clinical, legal, or professional advice, diagnosis, or

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