Ep. 401: Haunted by the Past

Ep. 401: Haunted by the Past

From Big Fat Positive: Pregnancy and Parenting (BFP) by Laura Birek, Shanna Micko

March 9, 2026 · 56 min

About this episode

Shanna and Laura discuss their kids' emotional challenges and experiences while sharing personal anecdotes and parenting insights.

In the special segment "Why Is My Kid Crying?," Shanna and Laura explore the things that have brought out the waterworks in their little ones recently, including situations in the distant past that seem to have induced an anxiety attack and a jealousy-induced meltdown. Also, Laura is skeptical about her son's newest extracurricular activity, and Shanna is surprised by the incident that leaves her daughter looking "like a pirate." Finally, the moms wrap up with their BFPs and BFNs for the week, including a joyous celebration at the park and a volunteer position that actually sounds fun. Shanna’s kids are 10 and 7 years old, and Laura’s kids are 7 and 5 years old. Topics discussed in this episode: Signing your kid up for an extracurricular activity that requires a big time commitment Dads taking the lead on planning activities for the kids Getting your kids' ears pierced Handling your child's anxiety and allowing them to make their own decisions about their body Can a traumatic situation that happened when your child was a baby or toddler still affect them? When your child feels extreme jealousy toward their sibling Navigating your kids' big feelings about something seemingly…

People in this episode

Hosts: Laura Birek, Shanna Micko, Shanna, Laura

Topics covered

  • Signing your kid up for an extracurricular activity that requires a big time commitment
  • Dads taking the lead on planning activities for the kids
  • Getting your kids' ears pierced
  • Handling your child's anxiety and allowing them to make their own decisions about their body
  • Can a traumatic situation that happened when your child was a baby or toddler still affect them?
  • When your child feels extreme jealousy toward their sibling
  • Navigating your kids' big feelings about something seemingly trivial
  • Setting rules about screen time and how your kids handle those rules
  • Having a joint birthday party for your kids
  • Volunteering for your kids' extracurricular activity

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Haunted by the Past, Why Is My Kid Crying?, Big Fat Positive: A Pregnancy and Parenting Journey

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