A Parent Chaos: Recent Episodes
Joe DeProspero
Candid conversations from all walks of parenting life about the unimaginable joy and drama children bring to our lives.
Joe talks about the day his mother suddenly died 10 years ago, how mourning is a process that doesn't end, and what he's learned along the way about coping, parenting, and learning to live with pain.
On the season 2 finale, Joe and Justin discuss their favorite moments from the season, parent milestones they've hit - and ones they're dreading - as well as a sneak peak at their next podcast venture!
The hilariously honest Becky Bradley (@Momstheworst on Instagram) joins the show and gets real about her dark early days as a mom, what sucks about parenthood (but makes us laugh anyway), fighting with gym teachers, and much more!
The guys discuss what they've discovered about themselves - and society - while stuck in quarantine at home. Also, what their listeners have discovered and Name That Tune - COVID edition!
On a special episode of the podcast, Dr. Payal Shah - an OBGYN practicing out of Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, NJ, talks candidly about working in what has been considered the epicenter of the COVID-19 virus in the U.S., the unforgettable sights and moments she's experienced along the way, and how she juggles her job as a doctor with her job as a mom.
The guys celebrate their 21st episode this season by detailing their first experience getting drunk - and the brutal lesson Justin learned from his dad. Also, a female guest! Tana joins the show to discuss refusing to settle for the wrong guy, pressure from family to get married and have kids, and the crazy experiences she'd had on dating apps!
Actor/writer/Grand Theft Auto voice artist Jason Zumwalt joins the show from California to discuss dark parenting moments during COVID-19, the importance of romance with your spouse, being a consultant on Legomasters - and his beautifully offbeat Christopher Walken impression!
The guys bring bachelor and serial dater Drew on to discuss what it's like being single at 40 - how rejection works in 2020, what about becoming a parent scares him, and a LOT of intimate detail of his adventures along the way!
Quarantined in their homes amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, Joe and Justin discuss TV in the 80s - discreetly recording R-Rated movies on Cinemax, "A Very Special Episode of Diff'rent Strokes" (yes, that one), and how we are consuming shows in 2020. If you're a parent stuck home with your kids, this one's for you!
The guys discuss how music shaped them as kids and what songs first resonated with them - and the lost art of listening to music on a Discman. Also, they revisit the number one song from their 10th birthdays, the music they want their children to listen to, and they play a game of "Two Truths and a Lie," with Donald Trump tweets!
The guys discuss the challenging process of trusting other people with your kids. Also, they take listener questions about letting your children use iPad on full blast in restaurants, and more!
The guys discuss how difficult it can be to make and maintain new friends as being dads takes over their lives - Joe makes a confession about how he "grades" potential friends. Also, Joe grills Justin in a game of Name That Tune - One Hit Wonder edition!
The guys welcome Ryan back for a conversation about how parenthood can negatively impact a marriage - and Ryan goes on the record to tell one and all whether he loves his wife...or daughter more! Also: texting etiquette, "useless baby products," and more.
Joe and Justin go back in time to discuss how they prepared mentally and logistically to bring their first baby into their homes - what they wish they knew, did, etc. Also, Joe goes on a rant about a specific song from the year 2000 that makes him illogically furious.
Special guest Ryan joins the pod to discuss his and Justin's common experience of conceiving children via in vitro fertilization (IVF) - the good, the bad, and the awkward. Also, the guys battle in a game of Name That Tune - 80s hair metal style!
Joe pays tribute to the very first guest on A Parent Chaos, his grandma Eleanor, who passed away on Sunday. He talks about the importance of connecting with your parents and grandparents in a meaningful way and reads the eulogy he'll be delivering at her funeral.
If your face is your billboard to the world, your name is the writing on that billboard - so make sure it's not going to haunt your children forever. Joe and Justin discuss the process of naming their kids and how parents can ruin their children's lives by making a disastrous decision.
Exhilaration. Guilt. Laughter. Sadness. That's 2019 in a nutshell for Joe and Justin, who discuss their highs and lows of the year as parents. Also, they dive into their favorite and least favorite songs and TV shows of the year - spoiler alert: Joe's least favorite song is from Frozen 2.
What do you do when you don't like your kids' friends? Would you call the teacher or the parent if your child is being bullied? Why didn't Laura Linney bang that hot guy from her office in Love Actually? All questions we'll answer on this mailbag edition of the podcast.
Joe and Justin discuss the difficulties of getting on the same page as your spouse...and parents, when it comes to the upbringing of your children. Also, the guys play "Name That Christmas Movie."
As the Christmas season officially begins, Justin chastises Joe for his decision to change a long-standing tradition, as the guys discuss the harsh ways they found out about Santa and theories on why his physical girth is so important to his legacy (Santa's, not Joe's).
The guys start this episode with a hilarious confession, end it with random things they're grateful for ahead of Thanksgiving, and in the middle they talk about death - how they handled it as kids, how they'll discuss it with their kids, and how the sudden death of Joe's mother changed him and his family forever.
Having brothers and sisters (or not) helps shape and define us. This week, Joe and Justin discuss how their sisters influenced them growing up, how being the older vs. younger child is as different as night and day, and how having siblings prepares you for life in ways we don't even realize.
Also, Joe goes on an epic rant about his team - the New York Jets, that any long-time fan needs to hear!
You know which talk. The one you're currently dreading having with your kids someday. In this episode, Joe and Justin wax poetic on their introduction to sex as young men, how they plan to tell their kids about it (if at all), and thoughts on seeing our parents naked - includes Q&A with listeners!
In this episode, laugh along with Joe and Justin's tech-free childhoods - and how comically different today's culture is, governing our kids' screen time, great new music you're probably not listening to as parents, and find out which of our hosts got walked in by their mom!
Should we be okay with our children seeing us drinking alcohol, cursing, arguing with our spouses, crying, etc.? Joe and Justin discuss this and some "useless baby products."
Joe DeProspero returns for season 2 of A Parent Chaos, this time joined by co-host and fellow dad Justin DiMinni, to discuss the evolving role of the father in the 21st century, and specific ways they've corrected old-fashioned instincts.
Season 2 of A Parent Chaos is coming in the new year - with a different conversation altogether!
"I decided that the only birth mother that wouldn't change her mind...was me."
After several adoption attempts fell through, and in her mid-40s, Carol decided to conceive with a stranger - an anonymous sperm donor, that is.
Listen to Carol's journey from a single businesswoman in LA to sifting through donor applications, then later, the trials of being a single mom.
As a working parent, I consider taking the stairs instead of the elevator an accomplishment.
Meet Allison of FitMomsofNJ.com, working mother of two, and find out how she grew up as a "big-boned" girl and then later dedicated herself to building - her body (for competitions!), her career, and her family.
"I don't know that there's anything more difficult that I've ever experienced than that hour drive home."
Joe Loonam was working when he received a call from his wife with one simple, tearful request: "Joe, can you come home?" Without another word, he knew that something had gone terribly wrong with his son.
This week, I sat down with Joe, to discuss how that harrowing one hour drive home changed his life, the perspective he gained through loss, and how he turned to altruism in his time of darkness.
This episode was originally scheduled to be about the challenges of being a stepmom. Then I discovered that the stepchild in question was transgender.
Meet Johnette and Fred, as we talk about the moment their daughter came out to them as gay, and then later, transgender. It's a thought-provoking, honest, and occasionally hilarious conversation about reacting openly to the surprises parenthood throws at us.
In 1950, it was not a thing that happened. It's a whole different familial landscape in 2017, where moms out-earning dads is commonplace.
Meet Amanda, who fits into that category, but has experienced that, with empowerment comes its own set of responsibilities and unique challenges.
"It's over. It's done. I thought she was ours, but she's not."
Meet Katie, a 33-year old who couldn't get pregnant, so then decided to adopt.This is her story of joy, heartbreak, and how she finally arrived at the happy ending she never saw coming.
Statistics show that between 15 and 20% of women who become pregnant will miscarry. But still, we don't want to talk about it, because it makes us uncomfortable.
On this episode, Christina N. joins us to discuss her experience having a miscarriage, how she felt afterwards, and the conversation that's not happening.
"If I had started going through this and I didn't have a daughter, I would've done it until I killed myself."
This is Christina's story. And it's a fascinating look at the intricacies of battling an eating disorder and depression, all while trying to be a role model for her daughter.
"It's gut-wrenching. Because you're meeting this person and you're eventually going to take their child away from them."
Listen to the inspiring story of Elaine: Divorced, working single mom, breast cancer survivor, and the adoptive parent of a young boy.
Chris D'Amico joins the podcast to discuss the tragic death of his 10-year-old son, becoming a father again in his 40s, and using Facebook as a coping mechanism. Warning: It is raw, and it is powerful.
A single dad joins the pod to discuss maintaining civility with your ex, the "feminizing of males" in 2017, and why he enjoys being a father, but not a parent.
Joe sits down with a stay-at-home dad / funeral director to discuss how being in "the death business" affects his parenthood, opting out of religious ceremonies, and more.
On the very first episode of A Parent Chaos, Joe sits down with his 90-year-old grandmother to discuss disciplining our children, maintaining a healthy marriage, and that night her brother fell off the roof.