Once and Future Parent

The holidays bring joy, chaos, and complicated family dynamics. This episode tackles the real challenges parents face during the season: balancing traditions with your own family's needs, managing expectations from extended family, and deciding which holiday customs matter most to you. From religious observance to gift-giving philosophies, we explore how to create meaningful celebrations while setting boundaries that work for your household.

Questions We Discussed
  • How do you balance your own family traditions with extended family expectations during the holidays?
  • What happens when grandparents have different ideas about gifts and celebrations than you do?
  • How can parents navigate religious holidays when family members have varying levels of observance or belief?
  • Should you maintain childhood traditions that no longer align with your values or beliefs?
  • What's the best approach to setting boundaries around holiday visits and activities?
  • How do you handle the pressure to create "perfect" holiday experiences for your kids?
  • When is it okay to skip certain holiday traditions or obligations entirely?
  • How can you communicate your parenting choices to family without causing conflict?


What is Once and Future Parent?

Three parents. Three generations. One endlessly humbling journey.

Welcome to Once and Future Parent, where the parenting timeline gets the roundtable it deserves. Join hosts Matthew Fox (brand new parent), Mandy Kaplan (mom to a high-schooler), and Pete Wright (father of mostly-launched grown kids) as they gather to compare notes from three different stages of family life.

From the sleepless nights of preparing for a newborn, through the chaos of early adolescence, to the bittersweet art of letting go, each episode tackles the lessons, laughs, and late-night Googling that come with parenting at any age. Expect a mix of heartfelt honesty, media-fueled nostalgia, and just enough intergenerational snark to keep it relatable.

We’ll talk about everything from screen-time philosophies and failed movie nights, to the last bedtime story and the awkward magic of being parented by your own kid. Whether you’re building a nursery or texting your college student emojis you don’t fully understand, you’ll find real talk, hard-won wisdom, and a reminder that none of us are in this alone.