Miles recently said to me “I don’t do well with mental silence”. In that moment I struggled to understand what he meant but, in a world, where we are encouraged to always be on, I totally understood where he was coming from. In the morning, we listen to music to get our day started. At night before bed, he listens to his favorite stories like Peter Pan or Willy Wonka. On the weekends, he plays the game pretty much all day. In the car, we are either listening to music or a podcast. So, after Miles said that to me, I became intentional about having quiet time in the morning and during the day. But when we are not enjoying “mental silence” we love listening to podcast.
I have found that listening podcast is a great way to keep Miles engaged in storytelling and it allows his imagination to grow. Here are some of Miles’ favorite podcasts and what they are about:
“Brains on is a science podcast for curious kids and adults from American Public Media. Each week, a different kid co -host joins Molly Bloom to find answers to fascinating questions about the world sent in by listeners. Like, do dogs know they’re dogs? Or why do feet stink? Plus, we have mystery sounds for you to guess, songs for you to dance to, lots of facts – all checked by experts”- Brains On! Podcast, About Section
“Smash Boom Best is a debate show for kids and families from the makers of the award-winning podcast, Brains On! Every episode takes two cool things, smashes them together and lets you decide which is best. Our debaters use facts and passion to make their case – teaching listeners how to defend their own opinions along the way” Smash Boom Best, About Section
“Million Bazillion is a collaboration between Brains On! And Marketplace. It is all about money – how we earn it, how we save it and how we spend it” Million Bazillion, About Section
“Forever Ago is a history show for the whole family. Every episode explores the origin of one thing – like sandwiches, video games and clocks – while teaching listeners to critically think about the past. It is produced by APM ns Brains On” Forever Go, About Section
“Moment of Um is your daily answer to those questions that pop up out of nowhere and make you go… ummmmmmmmmm. Brought to you by your friends at Brains on at APM Studios.” Monet of UM, About Section
“Meet Niki Maxwell! She’s starting eight grades in a new school – and her very first dairy. In 15 fully dramatized episodes, an animated cast of characters hilariously presents Nikki’s Tales from a Not So Fabulous Life. Adapted from Rachel Renee Russell’s bestselling series, the Dork Diaries podcast offers family entertainment for longtime fans and those meeting Nikki for the first time.” Dork Diaries: Tales from NOT SO Fabulous Life, About Section
“Welcome to the exciting world of Cairo Carter! Cairo is seven years old and lives in the big city, and he loves to explore the world around him. Cairo has lots to learn about kindness, safety and even the values of a dollar, so it’s lucky he can always depend on his family, his friends, and his community to help him learn and have tons of fun along the way. Come join him in the ADVENTURES OF CAIRO!” The Adventures of Cairo, About Section
We find so much value in each podcast that we listen to with Miles, and he also learns so much. So much so that he knows facts about things we have no clue about. So, whenever we are not practicing “mental silence” we are almost always listening to one of his favorite podcasts. Ps, I have all the podcasts on my Apple iPhone, and we also have them on our Alexa’s at home. Does your child listen to podcast? If so, what are your favorites?
Kiara, TBMx