Welcome to The Once & Future Parents, where three podcasters navigate the wild world of parenting from completely different stages of the journey. Matthew Fox is two months away from becoming a first-time parent at 47, Mandy Kaplan is raising a 15-year-old theater kid, and Pete Wright's adult children are out saving lives and helping the elderly.
When does parental influence actually end, and how much control do we really have? The hosts grapple with the tension between accepting limited control and continuing to guide their children through example.
What happens when reality doesn't match the parenting playbook from movies and TV? From purple newborns to the myth of water breaking as labor's dramatic beginning, the hosts discover that media representations of parenting often miss the mark.
Topics Covered
- Late-in-life parenting and aging as a new parent
- The nuclear family model vs. village-style child-rearing
- How childhood trauma and family patterns influence parenting choices
- Postpartum depression and mental health support systems
- The role of media in shaping parenting expectations
- Gender identity and inclusive language in parenting discussions
- Building community and support networks for new parents
- The difference between parenting influence at different child development stages
Hosted by Matthew Fox (Superhero Ethics), Mandy Kaplan (Make Me a Nerd), and Pete Wright from TruStory FM.
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.