In case you haven’t heard, parenting is tough right now. Like, moving a boulder uphill tough. We can blame ‘these unprecedented times,’ but the reality is that parenting, and especially mothering, can be isolating in the best of times. Emily Farris, a writer, editor, designer, and Kansas City resident, is tackling the experience of motherhood head-on with her newly launched podcast, Mother Mother.
The idea for the podcast came after her first child came along in 2016. After searching for an online moms group that felt right, she decided to create her own. Her group was small and curated to reflect her general philosophies on life. The group quickly developed into a nurturing, supportive environment with women from different walks of life that needed a place to breathe.
As a lifelong radio fan, a podcast was the next natural step for Farris, and after the pandemic hit, there was never a better time. After a series of false starts, Mother Mother finally came to fruition in October.
The podcast feels like hanging out with your favorite mom friends—you know, the bright, down-to-earth women that aren’t afraid to say what you’ve been screaming in your bathroom. And if you think this is a parenting podcast, you might be surprised. Instead of parenting tips, craft ideas, or general advice about kids, Mother Mother actually focuses on, well, mothers.
“It’s really about the experience of being a mother, especially right now,” Farris says. “A lot of my early guests are writers, but I’m making a point to showcase a diverse range of moms.”
Guests so far have included New Yorker cartoonist Emily Flake (The Pandemic Broke My Brain), author Michelle Woo (Horizontal Parenting), and writer Sarah Peterson (Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous Momfluencers). Upcoming topics include mom rage, media consumption as a mother, invisible labor, and incontinence with guests such as Joanna Rakoff and Sam Irby.
New episodes drop every Tuesday. You can find the Mother Mother podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms and at mothermotherpodcast.com.