{"podcast":{"title":"This Is Not What I Was Expecting","slug":"this-is-not-what-i-was-expecting-5955665","podcast_index_feed_id":5955665,"rss_url":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/PvLG29MH","website_url":"https://notwhatiwasexpecting.paparentandfamilyalliance.org","image_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/13bea5c0-e319-4099-974e-471e78c4d3c1/8d5e0994-12a7-458a-93c2-10058fce4542/3000x3000/podcast-image-cover.jpg?aid=rss_feed","author":"PA Parent and Family Alliance","episode_count":106,"summary":"If you've ever looked around at other parents and wondered, \"How is everyone else making this look easy?\" you're in the right place. We're a group of (mostly) moms who get together every other week to talk honestly about what parenting is really like. Not the polished version. The real version. Maybe you're trying to figure out bedtime, screen time, homework, sibling conflicts, or how your child can somehow be starving and refuse every food in the house at the same time. Maybe you're carrying the endless mental load of parenting, the forms, the calendars, the school emails, the appointments, and all the things you're afraid you'll forget. And maybe on top of all that, you're parenting a kiddo with behavioral challenges, anxiety, or other needs that people don't always understand. Which means you're not just parenting, you're also keeping track of medication refills, IEP meetings, therapy appointments, insurance headaches, and everything else that comes with advocating for your child. That's why we're here. We share our stories, what we've learned, what we're still learning, and the things other parents don't always talk about out loud. We laugh together, vent about broken systems,…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-09T18:21:14.670449+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-not-what-i-was-expecting-5955665"},"episode":{"title":"When Everyone's Needs Are Urgent and Yours Are Always Last","slug":"when-everyone-s-needs-are-urgent-and-yours-are-always-last","published_at":"2026-01-29T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-not-what-i-was-expecting-5955665/when-everyone-s-needs-are-urgent-and-yours-are-always-last","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-not-what-i-was-expecting-5955665","url":"https://notwhatiwasexpecting.paparentandfamilyalliance.org/episodes/when-everyones-needs-are-urgent-and-yours-are-always-last-kX3_6YIm","audio_url":"https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/41cdeba8-a001-48c1-8144-4104a0fae841/episodes/edca0482-73a0-40f1-a924-f0fbaa3d64f6/audio/8eb06817-fa88-41f1-b002-30ef26da6a4a/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=PvLG29MH","summary":"When you’re parenting, it can feel like everyone’s needs are urgent — kids, appointments, school calls, medications, work — and somehow your own stuff always ends up last on the list. This week Melissa, Tracy, and Perl talk about the invisible load parents carry when they’re managing multiple children’s needs and their own. From living at the pharmacy, to juggling appointments, to teaching kids time management when you’re barely keeping your head above water, this is a conversation about what it’s really like behind the scenes. There are no perfect systems here — just real parents sharing what’s helped, what hasn’t, and why letting go of rigid expectations can sometimes be the healthiest choice. If you’ve ever felt like you’re treading water while trying to hold everyone else up, this episode is for you. You’re not failing. You’re carrying a lot — and you’re not alone.","meta_description":"When you’re parenting, it can feel like everyone’s needs are urgent — kids, appointments, school calls, medications, work — and somehow your own stuff alw…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2215,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/this-is-not-what-i-was-expecting-5955665/episodes/when-everyone-s-needs-are-urgent-and-yours-are-always-last/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-not-what-i-was-expecting-5955665/when-everyone-s-needs-are-urgent-and-yours-are-always-last.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}