Podcast
The Parent Chat with Dylan Dreyer
Hosted by TODAY · EN
“The Parent Chat with Dylan Dreyer” is your new go-to space for real talk about the wild, wonderful, and sometimes messy world of parenting. It’s a judgment-free zone where moms, dads, parents, and caregivers can learn, laugh, vent, and grow together—because none of us have it all figured out, but we’re better when we share the journey.
As a busy working mom of three boys, Dylan brings her signature warmth, humor, and honesty to every episode. She connects with parents from all walks of life in conversations that are as informative as they are entertaining. Expect real stories, practical advice, and plenty of “I’ve been there too” moments. Each 35-45-minute episode features a mix of celebrity parents opening up about raising kids in the spotlight, alongside trusted experts in child development, mental health, and education offering fresh insights and actionable tips. Recorded in both remote and in-person formats, these episodes feel like a heart-to-heart with a good friend—one who gets it.
12episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Stay-at-Home vs. Working Mom: Why the Whole Debate Is Outdated
2d ago00:28:00Summary readyIn this episode of The Parent Chat, Dylan Dreyer sits down with Neha Ruch, author of The Power Pause, for an honest conversation about what it really means to step back from your career for your kids, and how to do it without losing your sense of self. They dig into the questions parents actually wrestle with: How do you know if pausing is right for you? What do you do with yourself when the external metrics of success disappear? And if you can't pause — what then? Plus: why your career has zero impact on your kids (but presence does), the comparison trap that hits hardest at the playground, and Neha's parenting win — nailing the sex talk so thoroughly her son was horrified she'd done it twice. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Surviving the Teenage Years with 'Modern Family' stars Julie Bowen & Ty Burrell
1w ago00:34:38Summary readyOn this episode of The Parent Chat, Dylan Dreyer sits down with Modern Family's Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell — real-life parents of five teenagers — for an honest conversation about what happens when your kids stop needing you quite so much. They get into the questions parents of older kids are really asking: How do you keep the conversation going when your teenager shuts down? What do you do when you're 95% invisible and just waiting for that 5% moment? And how do you co-parent well after divorce when you're still figuring it all out? Plus Ty's trick for talking to teenagers without accidentally delivering a lecture, Julie's tip for getting boys to actually open up in the car, and why a boundary-free kid coming over for a sleepover might be the best parenting lesson your child ever gets. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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How to Handle Your Kid's Meltdowns Without Losing Your Own Mind
2w ago00:29:11Summary readyDylan sits down with Kristin and Deena of Big Little Feelings to break down what's actually happening in your kid's brain during a meltdown, why reasoning with them in the moment never works, and what to actually do instead — whether your kid is a hitter, a scratcher, or a full public meltdown machine. Plus: what to do when you're the one about to lose it at 8pm and nobody is brushing their teeth, why forced sharing might be setting your kids up to fail, and the parenting confession neither of them is proud of. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Breaking Toxic Parenting Cycles You May Not Know You're Repeating
3w ago00:32:07Summary readyClinical psychologist and The Conscious Parent author Dr. Shefali joins Dylan to unpack the childhood patterns most parents are silently passing down to their kids without realizing it. Are you the fixer who does everything so no one suffers? The fighter who learned to blow up from watching your own parents? Or the freezer who shuts down when the overwhelm gets to be too much? Dr. Shefali gets honest about her own cycles too — including the moment her daughter called her out mid-conversation for shaming her instead of just saying no. Plus: why over-apologizing might be doing more harm than good, what pushing music lessons really says about your own unfinished business, and the one question she says every parent should ask their kid today. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Picky Eaters, Bed Sharing, and Screen Time Limits: Emily Oster Answers the Questions You're Googling
May 700:29:22Summary readyEver Googled your child's symptoms at 2 a.m. and ended up more anxious than when you started? You're not alone — and Brown University economist and author Emily Oster has made it her mission to replace parenting panic with actual data. In this episode of The Parent Chat, Dylan Dreyer sits down with Oster to tackle the questions that keep parents up at night: How much screen time is really too much? What do you do about a picky eater? Does it actually matter if your child sleeps in your own bed? And what does the evidence really say about breastfeeding, drinking during pregnancy, and skipping that Sunday morning birthday party? Emily also gets candid about her own parenting fails — including the fact that she knows exactly what consistency does for children’s behavior, and still can't always pull it off. Follow us at @TodayParents and @DylanDreyerNBC for more TODAY parenting content. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Tig Notaro on Being the 'Not Favorite' Parent, Coming Out to Her Kids
Apr 3000:28:29Summary readyTig Notaro, comedian, writer, actress, and mom of twin nine-year-old boys, sits down with Dylan Dreyer to talk about the viral moment her sons discovered she was gay and the decision to cut back on touring so she could be more present at home. She opens up about being the "not favorite" parent for years, how her wife Stephanie quietly transformed the way she disciplines, and why she never read a parenting book before her boys arrived. Plus, the words her stepfather said to her that she's never forgotten, and the field trip story that genuinely made her emotional. Follow us on Instagram: @TodayParents | @DylanDreyerNBC Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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The Fear of Becoming a Mom Nobody Talks About ft. Amanda Hirsch
Apr 2300:32:04Summary readyDylan Dreyer sits down with Amanda Hirsch — host of the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast and mom of two boys — for a conversation about the fear nobody warned you about before becoming a mom. Not the diaper fear, the "what if I lose myself entirely and only care about snack schedules forever" fear. Amanda gets honest about how she nearly talked herself out of motherhood, the checklist she made before taking the leap, and what actually happened to her career once she had kids. Plus: parenting confessions, spicy takes, and a deeply spiritual conversation about why kids need water the second you try to leave their room. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Raising Resilient Kids in a World That Makes Everything Too Easy
Apr 1600:30:53Summary readyFollow us on Instagram for more parenting content! The TODAY Parents team is @todayparents, and Dylan is @dylandreyernbc. Vicky is @vickynguyentv. Her memoir is called 'Boat Baby', if you want to read more about her and her parents' harrowing journey from Vietnam, and her childhood and life in the US. See you next week! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Dylan Dreyer & FitDadCEO: ‘Complaining is part of the joy of parenting’
Apr 900:26:57Summary readyDylan Dreyer sits down with Dave Ogleton — aka @FitDadCEO — the TikTok and Instagram dad who's turned the chaos of raising six kids into hilarious, relatable parenting content. Together, they get into the parent you swore you'd be before having kids versus the parent you actually are: the rules you said you'd never break, the battles you get stuck fighting even when you don't care who wins, and the dinner table struggles over your kids immediately rejecting whatever you put in front of them. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Ashley Graham: Raising Men Their Partners Will Thank Her For
Apr 200:29:00Summary readyIn this episode of The Parent Chat, Dylan Dreyer sits down with model and entrepreneur Ashley Graham for an honest, hilarious conversation about what it's really like to raise three boys. Both boy moms get honest about the everyday chaos and the real work behind raising kind, emotionally intelligent men. From teaching manners and talking through big feelings, to modeling the behavior they want to see in the world, these two are thinking about the long game. Because at the end of the day, the goal isn't just surviving the chaos — it's changing the next generation. You know her as TODAY’s candid third hour host. But Dylan Dreyer is also a mom of 3 boys in New York City, trying to figure out the big stuff: how to raise kind, confident, resilient kids and keep her sanity along the way. And like every parent, sometimes she needs…HELP! On The Parent Chat, Dylan calls in reinforcements -- from parenting experts with big advice to fellow working moms that can help all parents feel less alone. Because parenting doesn’t come with a manual, but it can come with a group chat. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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