Kids & FamilyParentingEducationSelf-Improvement

Parenting, apparently

Pok Pok

Parenthood doesn't come with instructions, and neither does building a company. Melissa and Esther are figuring out both on opposite sides of the world, as friends and founders of award-winning kids’ media brand Pok Pok.

Since 2021, running Pok Pok has been a front-row seat to the inner world of parents: the real wins that don’t make it to Instagram, as well as the unspoken fears and questions that everyone is waiting for someone else to say first.

Parenting, apparently, is a space to come together and take the pressure off parenthood by celebrating the fact that there is no “right” way of doing it. Each episode is a reminder that you’re not supposed to have all the answers, but that the way to get closer to them is by getting curious.

Whether Melissa and Esther are sharing their own “WTF” moments, reflecting in real time, or passing the mic to guests from the community, you’re invited to come get curious about your own parenting journey. We may not have a manual for this thing, but we do have the creative freedom to make our own along the way.

Watch us on Youtube!

And check out Pok Pok!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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32 episodes
weekly
Avg 41 min
English

Episodes 32

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S2 · E7
June 18 · 50 min
How Boredom Led to a Global Line of Family Games with Elan Lee
This week on Parenting, apparently, Esther and Melissa sit down with Elan Lee, the award-winning game designer, storyteller, co-creator of Exploding Kittens, and, most importantly, a dad. Elan shares how becoming a parent changed the way he thinks about play, creativity, and game design—including how his 4-year-old daughter helped him create a successful line of preschool games. Together, they explore what makes a games fun for both kids and adults, why children are often the best collaborators in creative game design, and how play can help kids build confidence, executive function, problem-solving skills, and emotional resilience. From board games and puzzles to pizza-making, boundaries, and the joy of watching your child get better at something, this episode is a thoughtful conversation about family play, child-led creativity, play-based learning, and designing experiences that respect our kids’ intelligence. To learn more about Elan Lee: https://www.elanlee.com/ And follow his Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ElanLee And find his games: https://www.explodingkittens.com/ Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube Pok Pok YouTube Instagram Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E6
June 11 · 44 min
Why play is key for child development with Dr. Kathy Hirsch-Pasek
In this episode of Parenting, Apparently, Esther and Melissa sit down with developmental psychologist Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek to talk about why play is one of the most powerful ways children learn. From everyday moments like walking to daycare or waiting at a restaurant, to bigger questions about screen time, school readiness, and achievement pressure, they explore how parents can bring more curiosity, connection, and play into daily life without added stress. Dr. Kathy shares why kids do not need perfect parents, flashcards, or constant milestone tracking to thrive. Instead, she makes the case for open-ended play, human interaction, and child-friendly environments that support creativity, language, problem-solving, and emotional development. For parents wondering how to help their kids learn without turning childhood into a race, this episode offers a grounded, science-backed reminder: play is not extra. Play is the work. Learn more about Dr. Kathy's work: https://kathyhirshpasek.com/ And find her book: Einstein Never Used Flashcards Check out the study she mentions on human excellence and world class performance by Barth and Güllich: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41411418/ And her book recommendation "Raising Humans" by Dana Suskind: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/811792/human-raised-by-dana-suskind-md/ Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube Pok Pok YouTube Instagram Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E5
June 4 · 43 min
Building More Intentional Kids’ Tech with Ben Drury of Yoto
This week on Parenting, Apparently, Esther and Melissa speak with Ben Drury, co-founder and CEO of Yoto, the screen-free audio platform for kids designed to support independence, imagination, and choice in what children listen to. Together, they explore what it means to design intentional media for kids, how their own parenting experiences shape their views on children’s technology, and reflecting on growing up with different forms of media. The conversation moves beyond business into the real parenting questions behind products like Yoto and Pok Pok: how kids develop taste, why audio can support autonomy, and how families navigate screen time in a world of AI-generated content and addictive algorithms. Ben also shares how Montessori thinking and his experience as a parent shaped his approach to building for children. For parents thinking about balancing calm screen time for kids, screen-free activities, and more thoughtful children’s media, this episode explores how different types of technology can support a healthier relationship with tech as kids grow. To learn more about Yoto; https://www.yotoplay.com Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube Pok Pok YouTube Instagram Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E4
May 28 · 30 min
Kids Are Weird: Why That's a Good Thing and the Unlock to Curiosity
This week on Parenting, apparently, Esther and Melissa explore how parenting can make the world feel big again. From dinosaurs, outer space, and gemstones, to basketball, poisonous plants, and library deep dives, they talk about the strange and joyful ways kids’ niche interests reignite curiosity in adults, too. The conversation unpacks learning alongside our children, supporting open-ended play, respecting kids’ obsessions as meaningful, and finding ways to nurture curiosity without turning every moment into a lesson. It is a warm, funny episode about parenting, child development, fostering creativity, and the lifelong value of asking “why?”. Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube Pok Pok YouTube Instagram Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E3
May 21 · 50 min
Trading “Bounce-Back” Culture for Maternal Well-being with Marlie Cohen
What happens when we reject “bounce-back” culture and bounce forward into who we’re actually becoming? Marlie Cohen, founder of Bounce Forward, has joined Esther and Melissa for a chat that celebrates the postpartum transformation and eases the pressure of getting back to our former selves. Marlie shares how postpartum anxiety, physical injury, COVID, and two young children pushed her to reject the “bounce back” narrative and create a more realistic fitness platform for moms. This isn’t just about exercise—It’s about designing supportive habits that respect the actual conditions of motherhood. For more about Marlie and her company Bounce Forward Co; https://www.instagram.com/kale_and_krunches/ https://www.bounceforwardco.com/ Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube Pok Pok YouTube Instagram Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E2
May 14 · 47 min
Lightening The Parental Weight of Wills, Work, and Future Worries with Erin Bury
Melissa and Esther sit down with Willful co-founder Erin Bury for a conversation that softens the heaviness of parenting responsibilities nobody wants to think about, but eventually has to. What starts with wills, guardianship, and estate planning opens into a bigger discussion about responsibility, money, work, death, privilege, and how becoming a parent changes the way you plan for the future. The episode weaves practical advice in with honest founder-parent reflections, touching on what kids understand about work, how families talk about death, and how parents try to raise grounded children while still giving them the best life possible. For more about Erin and her company Willful; https://www.erinbury.com/ https://www.willful.co/ Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube Pok Pok YouTube Instagram Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E1
May 7 · 39 min
Mother’s Day: Who Were You Before Parenthood?
Have you ever felt like the thing you really want for Mother’s Day is not flowers or macaroni art but… a break from your parental duties? Melissa Cash and Esther Huybreghts are back for a new season of “Parenting, apparently” (FKA “We’re Doing Great). This new name embodies the kinds of honest conversations they feel we could all use more of—like acknowledging the complicated feelings around Mother’s Day. They explore what it means to be a mom while also trying to stay connected to the person underneath it all. Like how this experience is affected by everything from their respective countries, hormonal changes, and career ambitions, to more systemic factors like parental leave. In the spirit of this new season, you will not be sold solutions or spewed off advice, but rather given permission to accept that there is nothing to solve. The uncertainty and constant evolution is parenthood, and normalizing that is how we find more peace on the journey. If you’re interested in the research Melissa mentioned from the TED Talk with Susana Carmona, Michael Feigelson, and Lee Gettler, you can explore more here: The Maternal Brain Project Susana's writings Decreased Testosterone in Fathers Study Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube Pok Pok YouTube Instagram Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E18
March 31 · 23 min
Raising Creative Kids through Play
What happens when you stop directing your child's play and simply let them lead? In this episode, Esther sits down solo with multidisciplinary artist and mom Mills Brown to explore the deep, sometimes surprising, places where play, creativity, and parenthood overlap. You'll hear about Mills's sensory play sessions for children as young as six months at Modern Art Oxford, her upcoming solo exhibition, and the Montessori philosophy that shapes everything she does, including why the most powerful thing you can do in a play environment is step back and say nothing at all. Whether you've been wondering how to nurture your own creativity or simply how to make more space for truly free, open-ended play at home, this conversation is warm, curious, and full of gentle reminders that you're doing better than you think. Mills Brown is a multidisciplinary artist whose work lives at the intersection of painting, illustration, animation, and sculpture, with play as the thread that ties it all together. She's the Producer of Early Years and Young People at Modern Art Oxford, where she creates sensory play experiences for children as young as six months old, and is the creator of the upcoming immersive solo exhibition Where We Overlap. She's also a mom to an 18-month-old, which means her studio, her gallery, and her living room all tend to blur into one big creative experiment. Thank you to Mills Brown for being on our show! Learn more about Mills at https://www.millsbrownart.com/ or by following her Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mills_brown_ Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube Pok Pok YouTube Instagram Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E17
March 24 · 26 min
BTS: The Truth Behind Parent Media
How much of your parenting anxiety is influenced by what you read and see online? Melissa Cash and Esther Huybreghts sit down with Vanessa Grant to explore how parenting has become something you do in public. They unpack the pressure created by media, social platforms, and endless advice, and how it affects the way you show up for your child. You will walk away with permission to tune out the noise and trust your instincts more. Vanessa Grant is the editor in chief of Today’s Parent, where she blends journalism, data, and real parent needs to shape modern parenting conversations. Thank you to Vanessa Grant for being on our show! Learn more about Vanessa and Today's Parent: https://www.todaysparent.com/ Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube Pok Pok YouTube Instagram Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E16
March 17 · 33 min
Is the Mental Load a Badge of Honor?
Are you carrying invisible responsibilities that no one else even realizes exist? If your brain feels like it has forty tabs open at once, this episode will feel painfully familiar in the best possible way. Melissa and Esther have an honest, funny, and thoughtful conversation about the invisible labor of parenting, the resentment that can build around it, and the ways parents sometimes add pressure to their own plates. You will walk away with a sharper way to think about mental load, more compassion for yourself, and a few simple ideas for talking about it at home. Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube Pok Pok YouTube Instagram Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E15
March 10 · 32 min
The Question Parents Are Afraid To Ask
Can you love your kids deeply and still wonder what life without them would have looked like? This episode is an honest, funny, and unexpectedly deep conversation about what motherhood asks of you and what it gives back. You will hear Melissa and Esther talk through the daily chaos of raising young kids, the tension between work and family, and the quiet questions many parents carry but rarely say out loud. If you have ever wondered whether you are handling the mess, the guilt, and the love of parenting “right,” this conversation will feel both comforting and refreshingly real. Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube Pok Pok YouTube Instagram Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E14
March 3 · 34 min
The Evolution of Parenting With Three Generations of Mothers - From 1958-2026
Are you parenting with confidence, or parenting with commentary from the entire internet in your head? What happens when you put a 90-year-old great-grandmother, a 60-something mom, and a toddler-raising millennial at the same table and ask them what “being a good parent” actually means? You will hear what motherhood felt like between the 1950s and the 1990s, before Google, before gentle parenting scripts, and before everyone was performing family life online—and you just might walk away feeling lighter about your own. Melissa’s Bubbie, Falia Marcus, and mom, Debbie Cash, join for a three-generation conversation about motherhood, boundaries, and what has changed over time. With decades of lived parenting experience, Debbie and Faila offer perspective on confidence, common sense, and raising kids without constant outside input. Find the Gentle Parenting video mentioned in this episode here: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSmHBmqgC/ Write in to us at hello@parentingapparently.com Subscribe and follow Parenting, Apparently, a podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team: YouTube Pok Pok YouTube Instagram Pok Pok helps raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive digital tools that encourage kids to think outside the box and learn through play. Learn more: https://playpokpok.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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