Once and Future Parent

Parenting tests your patience in ways nothing else can. When your toddler refuses to cooperate, when schedules fall apart, or when you're running on empty—how do you handle the frustration without losing yourself in it? In this episode, we explore the uncomfortable truth that parenting will frustrate you, and what it means to actually let go instead of just suppressing your feelings.

What We Discussed
  • Why does parenting frustration feel different from other kinds of stress in our lives?
  • What's the difference between suppressing frustration and genuinely letting it go?
  • How can we create space for our feelings without letting them control our reactions?
  • When is frustration actually a signal that something needs to change versus just part of the deal?
  • What practical tools help in the moment when you're about to lose it with your kid?
  • How do we model healthy emotional processing for our children while still being human?
  • Why does accepting that parenting will be frustrating sometimes actually make it easier?
  • What role does self-compassion play when you inevitably handle a frustrating moment poorly?

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.