Tig Notaro on Being the 'Not Favorite' Parent, Coming Out to Her Kids

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Parent Chat with Dylan Dreyer

Episode: Tig Notaro on Being the 'Not Favorite' Parent, Coming Out to Her Kids
Host: Dylan Dreyer
Guest: Tig Notaro
Date: August 6, 2026
Podcast: TODAY

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Episode Overview

In this heartwarming, candid episode, comedian and parent Tig Notaro sits down with host Dylan Dreyer to talk about the highs and lows of parenting, being a “not favorite” parent, her journey coming out to her children, and the ever-evolving nature of family connection. Both share honest reflections and funny anecdotes about raising young boys, balancing work and home, and finding confidence as parents even when—maybe especially when—they're figuring it out on the fly. The conversation is rich with laughs, touching vulnerable moments, and practical advice for parents navigating similar journeys.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tig’s Family and Parenting Dynamic

• Tig shares about her twin boys: one is “deeply obsessed with sports,” the other is a budding scientist/artist who enjoys jokes and wants to do standup for his school talent show (03:11).
• The boys are approaching adolescence, leading to new kinds of conversations and connections.
• Tig jokes about raising “two men in her house,” reflecting on her previously “adult life goal” of never having men in the house (03:56).

2. Coming Out: When Your Kids Put the Pieces Together

• Tig recalls the moment her sons realized she is gay, even though they have two moms and wedding photos at home:

  “They know we have two moms, they know we're married, that doesn't equal gay in their head.” (04:50, Tig)

• The boys didn’t know what “gay” meant; after the conversation, Tig jokes:

  “I'm the mayor of gay town. I invented it.” (05:16, Tig)

• Ira Glass (This American Life) asked Tig to follow up the conversation with her kids for a feature, but she admits after they talked, “we just had the conversation and dropped them off at school and then went about our lives.” (05:45)
• After all, the kids’ reaction was simple and sweet: “We love our family.” (07:47)

3. On Parental Connection and Being the ‘Not Favorite’ Parent

• Tig shares stories from her standup—her wife Stephanie being the favorite parent:

  “Mommy’s home! … It's just her.” (08:18, Tig, relaying her son’s reaction)

• She recognizes the situation has improved as she’s home more often:

  “It's been night and day connecting with them … now my plan is to only tour one long weekend a month.” (08:44, Tig)

• Both Tig and Dylan describe the importance of one-on-one time with each child to deepen individual connections (09:53). Even little moments like a walk or dinner together have special significance.

4. Parenting Philosophies: Evolving Discipline Styles

• Tig reflects on learning from her wife’s more flexible style:

  “I was a little more black and white … Turn the TV off right now. … Stephanie says, ‘When does your show wrap up?’” (14:34, Tig)

• She credits her stepfather’s stern parenting as her original reference, but she values the positive evolution.

5. Multi-Generational Perspectives and Self-Doubt

• Dylan shares her mom’s stricter style and her own more relaxed approach to dinnertime and routines (15:40).
• Tig discusses how her relationship with her stepfather improved and how his validation of their parenting meant a lot (16:23).
• Story about parenting “on the fly”: Tig admits neither she nor Stephanie read baby books or felt “prepared,” joking about expecting a “baby window” in the hospital like in old movies (17:30–18:59).

6. Letting Kids Be Themselves (Learning, Not Projecting)

• Tig relays a profound moment with her stepfather:

  “It is not the child's responsibility to teach the parent who they are. It's the parent's responsibility to learn who their child is.” (21:25, Tig, quoting her stepfather at her mother’s funeral)

• She strives to discover her children’s unique personalities, “can’t wait to find out what’s in there,” rather than projecting dreams or plans onto them (22:29).

7. Navigating Boundaries: Zooming In and Out

• Tig’s “zoom in/zoom out” approach:
  • Zoom in when safety or serious issues arise.
  • Zoom out and let go when it’s small stuff—especially after witnessing a friend lose a child and gaining perspective on treasuring closeness (22:59–23:57).

8. Parenting Confessions & Spicy Takes

• Tig admits she still thinks about reading a parenting book, maybe “when they’re teenagers” (25:03).
• “Spicy” Notaro household: Her kids love Eminem and Kendrick Lamar, and Tig allows them to listen to unbleeped versions, using it to talk about language and meaning (28:13).

9. Parenting Wins

• Tig beams with pride recounting her sons’ recent acts of kindness:
  • One son gave away a taco to a homeless person.
  • The other tipped a guide with half his field trip money (29:34–30:43).

  “They didn’t tell us—they did that. … That’s what you’re teaching them by doing.” (31:07, Dylan)
  “It’s a little braggy, but I’m so proud.” (31:18, Tig)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Coming Out:
  “I'm the mayor of gay town. I invented it.” — Tig Notaro (05:16)
• On Parental Connection:
  “I want to get in on that a little deeper.” — Tig Notaro (08:44)
  “It ebbs and flows with who they’re closer to.” — Tig Notaro (08:44)
• On Parenting Philosophy:
  “It is not the child's responsibility to teach the parent who they are. It's the parent's responsibility to learn who their child is.” — Tig Notaro’s stepfather (21:25)
• On Perspective:
  “What I would give to have George crawl into bed with me.” — Friend of Tig’s, after losing her son (23:38)
• On Parenting Wins:
  “One son bought potato tacos and gave one to a person in need. The other tipped the guide $10 out of his $20.” — Tig Notaro (30:13–30:41)

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Key Timestamps

• [03:11] Tig describes her sons' personalities and interests
• [04:37] The story of coming out to her kids
• [05:16] “Mayor of gay town”—humor and realization
• [07:47] Kids’ reaction: “We love our family”
• [08:18] Stories about not being the favorite parent
• [08:44] Shifting to more quality time as a present parent
• [14:34] Discipline differences and adopting her wife’s approach
• [16:23] Stepdad’s affirmation and changed perspective
• [21:25] Stepdad’s wisdom — letting your children reveal themselves
• [22:59] “Zooming in and out” approach to parental boundaries
• [28:13] Letting kids listen to unbleeped rap, discussing language
• [29:34] Parenting win: sons’ acts of kindness on a field trip

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Tone & Language

• Warm, funny, and honest—Dylan and Tig both share stories in a calm, self-aware, and unpretentious way, accented by Tig’s dry wit and Dylan’s down-to-earth parenting anecdotes.
• There is a balance between vulnerable moments (coming out, family loss) and relatable, lighthearted confessions (not reading parenting books, mishearing “Mare is dead” as a family joke).

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Conclusion

This episode provides a refreshing, relatable glimpse into modern parenting from a queer family perspective—celebrating imperfections, the ongoing learning curve, and the humor found in everyday chaos. Tig and Dylan remind all parents to trust themselves, laugh often, and cherish the little—and big—wins along the way.

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This summary captures the core conversations and spirit of the episode, omitting ads and non-content segments.

Transcript

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[Tig Notaro]

They call me mayor for mother. And I overheard Stephanie talking with my sons, and I thought they said, well, we can do that when Mare is dead. I was like. I said, what? Do what when I'm dead? And they were like, no, when you go to bed or whatever it was. And I was like, oh. I was like, I thought you guys were planning your lives after I die. What can you not do now?

[Dylan Dreier]

And how soon is this happening?

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah. And are you guys excited for this plan?

[Dylan Dreier]

Oh, Olive. Hey, everyone. So at dinner time, I sometimes like to play this game because I think it's going to calm the boys down, but that doesn't always work. S, 6, 7.

[Tig Notaro]

6, 7.

[Dylan Dreier]

So you remember this game? It's the Alphabet game. You know, where you go around in order and you say what you're gonna bring to a picnic, and you start with A, and then you go to B, and you have to remember everything as we go along.

[Tig Notaro]

You. You need walking.

[Dylan Dreier]

It's a nice long game. I'll play it at the dinner table. When the boys are just so rambunctious, sometimes I need to refocus them. Although then I realize in doing this game, it actually fires them up even more by the time we get to the end of it, it gets pretty silly. But it's fun. And we're laughing and we're doing it together. Yes. Vegetable lasagna. So I like to think I'm not an overly hovering type of mom. I kind of let my kids do their own thing, within reason. But that does lead me to introduce my next guest. We're so excited today to have Tig Notaro. She Is a comedian, a writer, an actress, a producer. She and her wife, Stephanie Allen share twin boys. And we've kind of connected because, I don't know, I think we're both chill boy moms. Here's our conversation. You have two twin boys, right?

[Tig Notaro]

I do.

[Dylan Dreier]

What are your boys like? How would you describe each of them? Are they similar? Are they totally different?

[Tig Notaro]

One is so, so, so deeply obsessed with sports. And our other son is somewhere between science and art. He's also very into joke writing. He's going to do, really, he's going to do stand up for the talent show, which was a. It was a surprise to hear, but not. He's very funny, so it's not surprising.

[Dylan Dreier]

So I think 9 is such a fun age because I noticed with my 9 year old, he's become my friend. Like there are little jokes that he's making me laugh. He's bringing things to my attention. And you can have real conversations that you could tell are actually registering now. It's not just me always talking.

[Tig Notaro]

I really get it. And they really ask questions about a joke and then when it's explained, they're like, oh, yeah. I am caught between daydreaming, like, oh my gosh, what are these guys going to be? Who are these men in our house? Who are you guys? I feel like I've lived my whole adult life trying to avoid having men in my house. In the blink of an eye, I'm gonna have two large men walking around my house.

[Guest Commentator]

Right.

[Dylan Dreier]

So, yeah, to that point, I loved the clip on the Late show with Stephen Colbert.

[Tig Notaro]

And our son Finn leans forward and he said, you're gay.

[Dylan Dreier]

You were talking that your 9 year olds actually realized or found out, however you want to put it, that you're gay.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah. You know, if they thought they were shocked, we were shocked that they didn't. Yeah. Because there's pictures of us all around the house from our wedding day. And they tell everyone they have two moms. But we realized just because they know that they have two moms and that they know that we're married, that doesn't equal gay in their head. And that took us.

[Dylan Dreier]

It's just normal to them. That's what it is.

[Tig Notaro]

I mean, gay must have come up. They also didn't know what gay was. And I, we were just stunned. We were like, I'm the mayor of gay town. I invented it. So it was just really confusing. But it made me realize how much you take for granted or that you assume that they're processing correctly. And then I heard From Ira Glass from this American Life. And he said, oh, I loved your appearance on Colbert. I'd love to do a follow up segment about your follow up conversation with them. It didn't happen. We never brought it up again. I was like, Ira, oh my God, I'm so embarrassed. I didn't, I. We just had the conversation and dropped him off at school and then went about our lives. And I was like, way to make me feel like an even worse parent. So he was like, if I email you questions to ask your kids, will you talk to them? And so did you? Yeah, I did. And it was like, I felt like I was, it was like a job interview. I had this printed out piece of paper and I was like, do you remember that I'm gay? Yes. Okay, next question. Do you remember what gay is? Yes. Boy likes a boy, girl likes a girl. When teachers and faculty. No, it just was this really awkward situation. But yeah, now they know.

[Dylan Dreier]

Yeah. You're also dealing with nine year old boys who sometimes just answer and yes, no, yes, no. It's like pulling teeth to get any information anyway. But I think that speaks to the larger, you know, idea as a parent. If sometimes you just tell it like it is, here's what it is. They accept the information and they're happy with that answer. Kids can just blow you away with their responses to things sometimes. You know, we're going through a separation and a divorce and my, you know, we said to my son, you know, like, what is your idea of a family? And he said, it's a group of people that love each other. And I said, well, that's exactly what we are. We're a group of people that love each other and we love you and that is never going to change. So. And hearing that, you know, out of an 8 year old, he was 8 at the time, it's just, okay, he gets it. We're done.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah, well, yeah. And after I explained everything to them, I had this insecure feeling of, oh my gosh, what if all this new information has changed something? And so I was like, what do you guys think? Or how do you feel? And they were like, oh, we love our family. And it was just a really, really sweet moment.

[Guest Commentator]

Right.

[Dylan Dreier]

So yeah, I've also heard in some of your standup that Stephanie perhaps might be the favorite parent.

[Tig Notaro]

Yes. And our son started yelling, mommy's home, mommy's home. And then I came around the corner and our son Finn looked back at me and then looked at his brother and said, it's just her. That special Is from a few years ago.

[Dylan Dreier]

Oh, so has it adjusted a little?

[Tig Notaro]

It has. I mean, I wouldn't say I'm the favorite. I would say that I've had a better time connecting with them because I have come off the road from touring as much as I did earlier on, and it's been night and day connecting with them. People would tell me, like, oh, yeah, it kind of ebbs and flows with who they're closer to and who they connect with. And I just thought, God, I want to. I want to get in on that a little deeper. So now my plan is to only tour one long weekend a month, so that's manageable. I remember taking a walk with my son into town. We live in a really walkable area. And he was just like, this is just fun. Me and you taking a walk together, you know? And it was just like. It's just those little moments of connection or them wanting me around or going to me for anything, really. Whereas sometimes I felt like I was, you know, like, the visitor is back.

[Dylan Dreier]

Pop in, and I gotta go. Yeah, nice to see you. I try to focus on that connection, too. Just like, with each of them individually. Cause I kind of lump them all together. And two of them were. I don't know where they were, but I was just with my middle son, and he's like, isn't this nice? And I'm like, what? He's like, they're not here. It's just me and you. He said, it's never just me and you.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah.

[Dylan Dreier]

And it just struck me as something that I need to focus on a little bit more. Especially the middle child. Cause it's like he can branch off with the older one or the younger one and go either way, but it's rare. He's alone and gets a moment. And then when you have those moments, you just want to keep doing it, you know? So it's great that you can be home more to. Especially now that they recognize that.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah, yeah. And they talk about it, too. They're like. They'll say, now that you're home more, and now that you don't do this,

[Dylan Dreier]

you know, it's like, really dig in there. I get it. I wasn't home before.

[Tig Notaro]

Well, we were on. We were on vacation. This is. So I misunderstood my family talking. They call me Mer for mother, and it's a French word. And so I overheard Stephanie talking with my sons, and I thought they said, well, we can do that when mayor is dead. I was like. I said, what? Do what when I'm dead? And they were like, no, when you to bed or whatever it was. And I was like, oh. I was like, I thought you guys were planning your lives after I die. So now that's become like this joke in our family where Stephanie's dead. No, no, no. We have to wait till Mare is dead to do it. It's so dark and weird. But.

[Dylan Dreier]

But I love that you were totally thinking, like, they're already plotting all of this.

[Tig Notaro]

Well, yeah, I was fascinated. I was like, what, that you can't do now? What can you not do now?

[Dylan Dreier]

How soon is this happening?

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah. And are you guys excited for this plan? That's really. I'm realizing I should probably put that in my stand up.

[Dylan Dreier]

It does work because I love that that's where your mind went.

[Tig Notaro]

Yes.

[Dylan Dreier]

Must be dead. Couldn't possibly be bed.

[Tig Notaro]

We can't do it now. We can't have fun while she's alive. Add it to the list of what we'll do when she dies.

[Dylan Dreier]

When she's dead, I. Stay with us. We'll be right back after the break.

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[Dylan Dreier]

When it comes to discipline, where do you and Stephanie line up? Like, who's the tough guy?

[Tig Notaro]

I feel like we're pretty similar. What I will say is Stephanie's way of parenting changed me a lot. Whereas I feel like I was a little more black and white in the earlier days. Like an example being like, it's bedtime. Turn the TV off right now. Go to bed. You know, as opposed to what she does. And what is more of the vibe of the house now is like, when does your show wrap up? How many more minutes do you have? Then turn it off, and then it's bedtime. I think because my stepfather was such a disciplinarian and that was his way, that was kind of all I knew.

[Dylan Dreier]

Right.

[Tig Notaro]

And then when I was watching her do what she does, I was like, God, that's better.

[Dylan Dreier]

Yeah. And they're not yelling and they're not upset, and everybody's kind of happy.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah. It's all reasonable. It's like, oh, yeah, there's 10 more minutes. And you think of the big scheme of things, and that's no big deal. You can spare time. Yeah.

[Dylan Dreier]

My mom is staying with me right now. And, you know, growing up, dinner time was like, you sat. You ate dinner, you had good conversation. You didn't go out of your chair, you didn't sing at the table. So watching her squirm while my kids are eating dinner, you know? Cause to me, it's like, all right, they're hopping up out of their chair, but we're all like, there's no TV, there's no iPad. Like, there's no distractions. It's just them being silly with each other. And me, you know, kind of getting frustrated at times, like, eat, eat, eat. Because I still have the little kids who aren't eating.

[Tig Notaro]

Right.

[Dylan Dreier]

But it's just so interesting to watch my mom just sit there and like. Like, you know, I wonder how much she's judging me as a parent, because it is so different from the way she parented.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah, I wonder. I mean, my mother passed away, but I wonder what she would think. I can't believe how much my stepfather came around. He was so very strict and regimented. But after my mother died and he became the sole parent, and I think because our family had been through so much, I don't know what it was, but he just saw me in a different light. And he would always tell me that he thought Stephanie And I were doing such a great job. And I know it looked so different from what he did with us, but that really meant a lot because even though I did forget to tell my kids I'm gay,

[Dylan Dreier]

minor detail.

[Tig Notaro]

I do feel like we're doing a good job. And our kids are like, their dreams, absolute dreams.

[Dylan Dreier]

It's amazing. I know. I feel the same way. It's like, I came into this. I was never a babysitter. I never had little brothers or sisters, and I didn't know what I was doing going into parenting. But it's like, if I step back, I'm proud of myself. I love my kids. I think they're awesome.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah. I remember right before our sons were born, I was sitting on the couch and Stephanie walked by me, and she said to me, have you ever read, like, a. This is a week before they were due. Have you ever read, like, a baby book or, like a. Like, how to raise a kid or do you know much about babies? And I was like, not really. No. No. And then they arrived. We were like, what do we do? I remember being at the hospital, and after they were born, they were given to us, and I thought that they, based on TV and film, go into the little nursery and you look at them through. Where is that room? I've never seen that room. I haven't either. And so I.

[Dylan Dreier]

They brought me the baby, and I

[Tig Notaro]

was like, I know. Had two. And I thought they were going into that little room for a couple of days and that we would go peek on them and adjust to the idea that we are now.

[Dylan Dreier]

That one's mine.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah. Yeah. Like, doot, doot, doot. But no, they handed us the babies, and then we've had them ever since. And Stephanie and I were like. We were holding them, looking at each other like, wait, we just have them? No, it was so.

[Dylan Dreier]

So that's it.

[Guest Commentator]

Yeah.

[Tig Notaro]

It was so alarming. So, no, we didn't read anything. We didn't know what, I guess that book or movie, what to expect when expect it. Like, we didn't know what to. We were just like, I don't know. We will see.

[Dylan Dreier]

You know, I remember my oldest was like a typical baby, but my second just cried all the time. I mean, just constantly crying. And I wasn't sleeping at night. Like, every time you fed on me, it was just miserable. Like, just a miserable child and crying and crying. So I did end up getting a book to just like, what are some tips? How do we stop them from crying? Like, what do we do? So I'm sitting there, like, holding Ollie, and it says here, hum to the baby. So I'm like, hum, baby, hum, baby, hum, baby.

[Tig Notaro]

Like, this is so

[Dylan Dreier]

none of us know what we're doing.

[Tig Notaro]

Well, that's the thing is, it's like, you know that people have babies in the jungle and raise them, you know, and they survive. And so. Yeah, we probably should have read a book.

[Dylan Dreier]

Yeah. But it wouldn't have made a difference. I mean, you're gonna. You parent the way you parent.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dylan Dreier]

What would you. You know, daydreaming into the future. When your kids look back and they describe their parents, what do you hope for in that description? What do you hope they think about you guys as parents?

[Tig Notaro]

This is such a simple word, but they both tell us this all the time, that they think we're really nice and. Yeah, that's really sweet. I know. It's so like a kid word. Like, you're. You guys are so nice to us. But I love, like, I don't. I think fun nice. If I'm gonna use, like, kitten words.

[Dylan Dreier]

What surprised you that you didn't think you'd be so good at. That you are good at as a

[Tig Notaro]

parent or bad at.

[Dylan Dreier]

Or bad at.

[Tig Notaro]

To go back to my stepfather, he said, years after we had a very difficult relationship and he had apologized to me right after my mother died for not being supportive of me. And he just said, I never understood you. And he said, I always wanted you to follow a path that I thought was the right path. And because he had told me my career was a waste of my time and my intelligence.

[Dylan Dreier]

Wow.

[Tig Notaro]

But he said when we were literally driving away from my mother's funeral, he was crying, which I could. Had never seen in my life. And he said that I realize now that it is not the child's responsibility to teach the parent who they are. It's the parent's responsibility to learn who their child is.

[Dylan Dreier]

Oh, my goodness.

[Tig Notaro]

And I didn't do that. And I'm sorry.

[Dylan Dreier]

And that just gave me chills.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah.

[Dylan Dreier]

Wow.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah. And I think that I was always a little scared that I would, you know. You know what? You know, And I was scared that I would be a little too rule heavy and rigid and forget to have fun. And I think that I'm very proud of the fact that. Well, first of all, those words have stayed with me. And I've really, like. I look at my kids as gifts that I can't wait to find out what's in there.

[Dylan Dreier]

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah. Rather than Projecting it onto them of what I want or think. And I don't want or think anything. I really am in a space of, man, who are you guys? I can't wait to know.

[Dylan Dreier]

And to that point, how do you navigate letting your kids be who they're going to be, do their own thing while still being the parent, while still setting the rules, setting the standards, you know, kind of having your own influence on them? Or do you think that's part of them becoming who they are?

[Tig Notaro]

I think a lot about, especially with my kids, about, I think I call it zooming in and zooming out. And there are moments that I think you really need to zoom in and take things very seriously, draw the line and enforce things. And then there's times that I remind myself to zoom out, that nobody's in imminent danger. This isn't, in the long run, a big deal. And not to turn this really dark, but our friends lost their son, I believe, when he was 9. And I'll never forget her saying she hears parents complain about their kids crawling into bed with them at night and that they need to sleep in their own beds and they need to do this and that. And she said, what I would give to have George crawl into bed with me.

[Dylan Dreier]

I was just having this conversation with my mom because I woke up. I'm like, oh, I didn't sleep well. Calvin came in, and then Ollie came in, and then Rusty came into my bed. So it's like, everybody's in my bed, and then there's the dog in my bed. And she's like, well, you know, that's why we didn't let you sleep in our bed. And I'm like, mom, you would lock the door to your bedroom, and I would sleep on the floor outside your door, crying to the point. It's like, you know, I said, it's such a short period of time that you have kids who want to crawl into bed. And if you're the ultimate comfort, I, yes, I will, like, mentally complain that I'm not sleeping and my back hurts. But I love being their comfort. I love being when they're scared in the middle of the night or just want to hold something, someone that I can be that person for them. So we do something here. It's called parenting confessions. We kind of admit to some of the things that maybe we wouldn't have said out loud unless somebody asked us to say out loud. Is there anything that stands out to you that you could admit to that maybe wasn't your finest parenting moment?

[Tig Notaro]

I do wish I had read some parenting books. Even though you're saying, like, everyone just parents, how they parent, I clearly was open to shifting my thoughts by meeting Stephanie. And you know what I mean When I think, like, all the stages they've been through and the stuff. Here I am saying I wish I had read one. I could have again, still read one. And I haven't because I'm thinking, like,

[Dylan Dreier]

they're not totally grown up yet.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah, I'm realizing that as I'm talking.

[Dylan Dreier]

But you're not gonna do it.

[Tig Notaro]

Well, you know what? Maybe I will. Maybe I will. Because I'm like, what am I talking about? I'm sitting here saying, who knows what's coming in the teenage years? And I'm like, God, I could read a book. So, yeah, I'm gonna read a book.

[Dylan Dreier]

More of the parent chat after the break.

[Guest Commentator]

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[Tig Notaro]

Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax, and let go of whatever you're carrying today.

[Commercial Narrator]

Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh, my gosh, they're so fast.

[Tig Notaro]

And breathe.

[Commercial Narrator]

Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste.

[Tig Notaro]

Visit 1-800-contacts.com today to save on your first order.

[Dylan Dreier]

1-800-contact contacts. At DSW, we ask the important questions, like, what shoes are you going to wear? Whether you're prepping for wedding season, festival season, or just planning the ultimate vacay, the right shoes can make or break an rsvp. So own the moment. You've got big plans and we've got just the shoes at the perfect price, of course. Get ready to get ready with Designer Shoe Warehouse. Head to your DSW store or dsw.com today and let us surprise you. What about a spicy parenting take? Something that you do in your house with your kids that in your world is totally normal, but other people might think it's a little, A little unusual.

[Tig Notaro]

Where to begin? Our sons, particularly, one of them loves Eminem and he loves Kendrick Lamar, but he does not want to hear any of the songs that have bleeped out words. So you go all in. Yeah, we let them listen to it, but we've talked about, you know, there's certain words that we've had to talk about what they are. And so I would imagine not every house is. Yeah, yeah.

[Dylan Dreier]

See, we do that with movies because I have the nine year old, but I also have the four year old. So it's like the nine year old, he can, you know, I think he can tell the difference between this is a line in a movie. He's not like going around saying it. But now the four year old is also watching those same movies. And you know, one time my four year old's like, oh, ship. After we, just after we watched Top Gun, Maverick, you know, like there's that whole ending scene where it's like, oh. And he's like, oh, ship. And I'm like, what did you say, buddy? He's like, oh, ship. And I'm like, all right, well, you're not saying the real word, so that's fine.

[Tig Notaro]

As long as there's not a T in there.

[Dylan Dreier]

Ship is great. So let's end on a high note, like a parenting win. Something recently that happened that, you know, stands out to you is you're like, I got this. I'm doing this just fine. I don't need a book.

[Tig Notaro]

Well, I would say one of the proudest moments of my life as a parent was our kids went on a field trip. We gave them each $20. A teacher gave us feedback on one son and a parent gave us feedback just completely independently of the other. And one told us that our son Max, he had purchased potato tacos for lunch and he left one by a person in need that was sleeping on the street.

[Dylan Dreier]

Oh, my goodness.

[Tig Notaro]

And yeah, and then our son Finn, when the guide at the. Wherever they were. See, I'm not a good parent. I don't know where they were. I don't know where the bus took them. Just, just go, just go.

[Dylan Dreier]

You'll be Fine.

[Tig Notaro]

Have fun. Have a good time. He tipped the guide.

[Dylan Dreier]

Really?

[Tig Notaro]

$10.

[Dylan Dreier]

Of his 20.

[Tig Notaro]

Of his 20.

[Dylan Dreier]

That's really sweet.

[Tig Notaro]

And what I attribute it to is every Sunday we pack and deliver food to people in need.

[Guest Commentator]

Wow.

[Tig Notaro]

And we never told them, like, oh, do this or that with your money. But that was the feedback of them out in the world.

[Dylan Dreier]

Wow.

[Tig Notaro]

And I was blown away. And they didn't tell us. They did that.

[Dylan Dreier]

You heard it from the teacher and the chaperone Parent.

[Guest Commentator]

Wow.

[Tig Notaro]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dylan Dreier]

Isn't that incredible that what you're teaching them by doing?

[Tig Notaro]

Unbelievable. I know it's a little braggy, but I just.

[Dylan Dreier]

You should brag about that one.

[Tig Notaro]

I'm so proud.

[Dylan Dreier]

Well, this has been great. It's been so nice to talk to you. I mean, I just. I love how chill you are as a parent. And, you know, it all seems to be working. So keep up the good work.

[Tig Notaro]

Thank you. You too.

[Dylan Dreier]

Something about that conversation with Tig just. It was comforting. It kind of made me feel like everything's gonna be all right. We overthink so many things as parents. Are we doing this right? Are we doing that right? But there's a moment when you need to just trust your own instincts as a parent and know that, yes, you are doing it right. How do you know? Look at your kids. So I wanna know how you feel about today's conversation. You could DM me yyllendryernbc oroday. Parents, we want to get your opinion on things and keep this conversation going. Thank you so much for watching. We'll see you next time. Bye.

[Tig Notaro]

Bye.

[Dylan Dreier]

This episode was produced by Ann Legamayo. Rachel. Paula Abramson is our parenting reporter. Our senior producer is Tyre Nobles. It was edited by Ali Strain. Our audio engineer is Joe Plord. Our head of audio production is Jessica Fence. Ashley Domagola is our production manager. Sadie Bass is our supervising producer. Ariana Davis is the executive editor of the Today show and Ashley Kodiani is the vice president of content strategy. I'm Dylan Dreier and this has been the Parent Chat, a production of the Today Show. See you next week. Everyone's talking about protein lately, but how do you actually get enough of it? Muscle Milk. Muscle Milk has a great tasting new formula with no artificial sweeteners, flavors or added colors. It's high quality, complete protein designed to support healthy muscles with fewer ingredients than the previous formula and 2642 grams of protein for when you're stuck in meetings or need a post workout recovery. Available in chocolate, vanilla, cream, cookies and cream and strawberries and cream. Try the new great tasting Muscle Milk today available in stores nationwide. Muscle milk protein for all.