(Barely) Surviving Motherhood

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Motherhood, vented with Southern humor.

The gist

Chris and Rachel turn motherhood’s daily overload into loose, candid conversation. The show moves from sick-season exhaustion and harsh inner critics to holiday traditions, favorite things, kid sports, digital media literacy, and the small hopes attached to a new year.

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About (Barely) Surviving Motherhood

(Barely) Surviving Motherhood is built around the feeling that parenting is rarely one clean topic at a time. Chris and Rachel talk like two relatives catching up before the next interruption. The show’s center of gravity is motherhood, but its route is often wonderfully sideways: favorite gum, kids’ soccer, World Cup drama, American football dread, high school cheer memories, dream trips to Bora Bora and Italy, and the foods one person simply cannot tolerate. It is personal without trying to sound profound. A new-year episode becomes a conversation about habits, harsh self-talk, motivation, picky eaters, and the strange logic of doing nothing because uninterrupted time never arrives. That is where the show is strongest. It catches the tiny mental loops of family life before they get edited into advice. Holiday episodes bring the same energy to Christmas traditions, Branson trips, extended family logistics, gifts, and the emotional weight of a house full of children at a special time of year. Sick-season episodes are more openly weary. High fevers, school germs, medicine battles, doctor appointments, and the drama of keeping everyone functioning become material for venting and recognition. The show also makes room for useful outside voices. Episodes with guests or featured conversations touch on organizing, decluttering, and helping children navigate technology without falling into all-or-nothing screen-time arguments. Pop culture shows up, too. A 2022 recap quiz lets the hosts test what they remember from celebrity stories, sports headlines, and scandals, with plenty of jokes about mom brain along the way. The pacing is loose and conversational. The appeal is not expert polish; it is the relief of hearing parenthood described by people still in the middle of it. The humor stays close to ordinary life. So does the stress. For listeners who prefer parenting media that sounds lived-in, candid, and lightly exasperated, this show offers familiar company. It treats survival as both a joke and a real operating mode.

Made for: Best for parents, especially moms, who want candid conversation about family routines, kid chaos, seasonal stress, and small attempts at self-improvement. It fits listeners who prefer relatable talk over polished parenting systems.

What sets it apart: The show stands out for its sister-in-law chemistry and its willingness to let everyday parenting detours stay in the episode. It mixes survival humor, family specifics, and occasional practical topics without pretending every problem has a tidy answer.

In their own words

Cris and Rachel discuss parenthood and all things in between. We go into the good and the bad and try to sprinkle some motivation in along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why you'd press play

That uninterrupted hour you keep imagining has company: Cris and Rachel, plus your doomed to-do list.

Press play if you want

  • to hear another parent admit how frightening a kid's stubborn fever can be
  • to laugh at the logic of doing nothing because you might be interrupted
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
motherhood stresssick season and school germsholiday traditionsnew-year habitskid sportsfamily traveldigital media literacyorganizing and decluttering

Talks about

Best episodes of (Barely) Surviving Motherhood

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

Some of Our Favorite ThingsJan 30, 2023

A cheerful favorites list finds family stories in gum, sports, nostalgia, and one deeply unwelcome food.

A loose, cheerful tour of current favorites turns gum, sports, and food into small windows on family life. Chris's Juicy Fruit nostalgia starts with a nanny who always had it nearby, while Orbit sweet mint connects to the practical ritual of chewing gum during plane takeoffs and…

Looking Forward to 2023!Jan 23, 2023

A funny, candid reset for parents whose best intentions keep running into real life.

Looking Forward to 2023! works best as a loose new-year check-in, with Chris and Rachel trying a word-of-the-year generator and talking through the habits they would like to adjust.

Looking Back at 2022Jan 2, 2023

Rachel and Chris turn a 2022 memory quiz into a warm, funny round of mom-brain pop-culture recall.

Rachel and Chris make a 2022 year-in-review quiz feel less like a trivia segment than a friendly check-in between two tired moms trying to see what stuck.

Christmas Time and TraditionsDec 19, 2022

A relaxed holiday conversation about childhood traditions, Chris's first complete-family Christmas, and the Branson trip the kids look forward to.

Christmas lands here as a family checkpoint, with Chris and Rachel easing through childhood holiday traditions, the rituals they are now building for their own kids, and the familiar rush around the season.

Don't Get Us Started... Sick SeasonDec 11, 2022

A candid sixth-season vent where fevers, school, medicine, and dark humor sit in the same uneasy room.

Sixth season gives Chris and Rachel room to talk through the kind of grievances that pile up when kids are sick, school keeps moving, and a fever refuses to break.

Podcasts like (Barely) Surviving Motherhood

Episodes

  1. 1

    Some of Our Favorite Things

    Hidden gem

    Target Drive Up gets praise for 42-minute pickup and multiple same-day orders.

    Jan 30, 2023·33m·2 clips
  2. 2

    Looking Forward to 2023!

    Chris and Rachel open by saying they are not “resolution makers,” then use a word-of-the-year generator to test ideas like “simplify,” “dazzle,” and “family.” Rachel keeps returning to meal planning and cooking, while Chris focuses on waking up before the children and getting 20 minutes alone.

    Jan 23, 2023·24m·1 clip
  3. 3

    Looking Back at 2022

    Rachel and Chris, the cohosts of Surviving Motherhood, run through a 2022 New York Post quiz after opening with their own year-in-review from a South-based family life with eight kids combined.

    Jan 2, 2023·22m·1 clip
  4. 4

    Christmas Time and Traditions

    Hidden gem

    Chris says Christmas Eve at her grandparents' house always ended with "I saw him" over Santa in the sky.

    Dec 19, 2022·22m·1 clip
  5. 5

    Don't Get Us Started... Sick Season

    Hidden gem

    Chris and Rachel use Surviving Motherhood’s “Don’t Get Us Started...

    Dec 11, 2022·27m·1 clip
  6. 6

    Worth It! December Gift Ideas

    Dec 5, 2022·17m
  7. 7

    Worth It! November 2022

    Nov 28, 2022·16m
  8. 8

    Thankful! Thanksgiving 2022

    Nov 22, 2022·17m
  9. 9

    Don't Get Us Started... Mom Guilt

    Nov 14, 2022·14m
  10. 10

    10 Questions with Cris and Rachel

    Hidden gem

    Two moms discuss the challenges and joys of motherhood with a lighthearted spin, and announce a new Patreon page for extra content.

    Nov 7, 2022·33m·2 clips
  11. 11

    Boo! It's Halloween!

    Oct 31, 2022·14m
  12. 12

    Worth It! October 2022

    Oct 24, 2022·23m
  13. 13

    Mom Hot Takes on Current Fashion Trends

    Oct 17, 2022·25m
  14. 14

    Kids Sports... Don't Get Us Started!

    Oct 10, 2022·14m
  15. 15

    And we're back for Season 5!

    Oct 3, 2022·16m
  16. 16

    Worth It April

    Apr 12, 2021·31m
  17. 17

    Grocery Store Problems

    Apr 5, 2021·21m
  18. 18

    Our Health(ish) Journey

    Mar 22, 2021·20m
  19. 19

    Covid- One Year in and Our Covid Story

    Mar 15, 2021·27m
  20. 20

    Things That Make Us Feel Old S4, E2

    Mar 8, 2021·16m
  21. 21

    Welcome Back to Season 4!

    Mar 1, 2021·15m
  22. 22

    Worth It November S3, Ep10

    Nov 23, 2020·18m
  23. 23

    Decorating for Christmas S3, E9

    Nov 16, 2020·17m
  24. 24

    Currently Up To S3,E8

    Oct 19, 2020·19m
  25. 25

    In the News October S3,E7

    Oct 12, 2020·28m
  26. 26

    Hurricane Sally and Social Media Rant

    Sep 28, 2020·22m
  27. 27

    Worth It September S3E5

    Sep 21, 2020·26m
  28. 28

    Shepard's Birth Story S3, E4

    Sep 14, 2020·22m
  29. 29

    September In the News S3, E3

    Sep 7, 2020·33m
  30. 30

    Worth It: School Supplies Edition S3, E2

    Aug 31, 2020·21m
  31. 31

    Back to School S3, E1

    Aug 24, 2020·18m
  32. 32

    In the News March S2, E28

    Mar 16, 2020·32m
  33. 33

    Worth It March S2, E27

    Mar 9, 2020·35m
  34. 34

    Politics with Cris and Rachel S2, E26

    Mar 2, 2020·27m
  35. 35

    Digital Media Literacy with Letters and Sense

    The hosts interview experts about managing children's technology use in the digital age.

    Feb 24, 2020·33m
  36. 36

    In the News February, S2, E24

    Feb 10, 2020·30m
  37. 37

    Love and Dating S2, E23

    Feb 3, 2020·30m
  38. 38

    Organizing in the New Year with Paige S2, E22

    Two moms discuss organizing and decluttering for the new year, sharing personal experiences and tips.

    Jan 27, 2020·32m
  39. 39

    Worth It January S2, Ep 21

    Jan 13, 2020·22m
  40. 40

    In The News January S2, Ep20

    Jan 6, 2020·27m
  41. 41

    End of the Year and New Year's Eve Party Chat S2, E19

    Dec 30, 2019·36m
  42. 42

    In the News December S2. E18

    Dec 9, 2019·26m
  43. 43

    School and Illness, S2, Ep 17

    Dec 2, 2019·31m
  44. 44

    Cold and Flu Season S2, E16

    Nov 25, 2019·36m
  45. 45

    Worth It November S2, Ep15

    Nov 18, 2019·31m
  46. 46

    Holiday Season S2, E14

    Nov 11, 2019·28m
  47. 47

    In the News Nov. S2, E13

    Nov 4, 2019·39m
  48. 48

    Dealing with Destructive Anger with Natalie Hixson S2, E12

    Two sister-in-laws discuss the ups and downs of motherhood, sharing real talk and interviews.

    Oct 28, 2019·36m
  49. 49

    Worth It October, S2, E11

    Oct 21, 2019·32m
  50. 50

    Weather and Fall S2, E10

    Oct 14, 2019·24m