Not The Mama

Auntie Julia quickly checks in to let you know NTM is hard at work recording new eps for the coming weeks! 

No kids, no reason. Has justifying the childfree choice gone too far?  Auntie Julia and two of her great friends, Liza Treyger and Lil Frex discuss the apocalypse. 

Tommy McNamara, NTM FANATIC, comedian and host of the fabulous podcast, Stand By Your Band, joins Auntie Julia this week to discuss all things Euphoria. SPOILERS ABOUND! 

The Zendaya-led teen drama may not seem on brand for Not the Mama but it meets all the requirements: Bad parents? Check. Messed up kids? Check. Sensible abortion? Check. Tommy and Julia discuss all the helpful warnings Euphoria provides for those who have yet to decide whether or not they want to become parents. Ice skate your dreams and enjoy this super fun episode! 

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Not The Mama is blessed with the presence of comedian Ashley Hamilton on this week's brand new episode! She and Auntie Julia discuss "The Adventures of Lady No-Kids cartoon as well as Ashley's thoughts on adoption vs pregnancy. 

Welcome to Season 2! Officially in our second year of Not The Mama, Auntie Julia and guest Paula Rondon discuss their childfree summer fun. Did you know some people don't LOVE people who don't have kids????

Happy 4th of July! We'll be back next week with new episodes including our first ever live episode! Hope your summers are going amazing! We're working on great new eps and can't wait to continue the NTM journey with all of you! xoxo Happy Summer! 

Auntie Julia is joined by author Rachel Carter to discuss mastering your own story and keeping an open mind as you piece together your life. She shares her thoughts on dating and finding a partner in her 30s but not defining her life's success by her relationship status. As a creator, she values her free time which plays a part of why she hasn't yet decided if she wants to have kids. They also discuss the importance of the desire to have kids and how that should be a larger part of the decision to become a parent. You should want them if you're going to have them! And if you don't know, you should take the time to figure that out. As Rachel says, "Just because something is hard, doesn't mean you have to tackle it." 

Auntie Julia recorded an amazing episode with comedian and host of "Dear Nana: Advice from and Idiot" and repeat NTM guest Irene Morales BUT it got DESTROYED somehow. She made a mini ep to try to make up for it but then got a cold out of nowhere. Not her night. She powered through to give some thoughts on all the anti-choice nonsense happening in the states right now. Sorry but we have no need for "pro life progressives." If you don't stand up for the rights of people who can get pregnant, you don't understand how to fight for progress. If you're able, please give to The Yellowhammer Fund which funds abortions in Alabama.

Next week a full ep will be up but she's happy to connect in this mini version as well. Thank you for listening! 

Vonetta Moses joins Auntie Julia this week to talk about choosing to be childfree even when you've always pictured the romantic fairytale ending for your life. Vonetta got what she wanted without having to give up her full happy ending. She also shares her experience of being childfree in a huge family. Even with nieces, nephews, cousins and god children she still faces a bit of pressure to have kids of her own. She is also a step mom and talks about how she has defined that role to fit into her childfree status. They also discuss the "girlie girl" renaissance and how feminine power is having a moment. Oh, and, they work in some Vanderpump Rules chats, specifically Ariana's childfree storyline . 

Listener Check In! Auntie Julia shares some previews on what's to come from Not The Mama as well as a request for more ratings on iTunes! Take a second and help us out! She was recently interviewed by Author and Childfree Advocate Tanya Williams for her Childfree Choices program. Watch their chat and join the convo. Julia also plugs the NYTs podcast, The Daily's two-part series, The Abortion Wars. She's noticed an uptick in anti-choice trolling so she wanted to double down on our ENTHUSIASTICALLY PRO CHOICE POSITION. The Daily shares insights from both sides of the abortion fight with an excellent interview with Planned Parenthood board member and 101 year old activist, Vivian Zwick. When asked if the days before legalized abortion seem old fashioned and long ago, Zwick ominously replies, "I'm afraid not." We've got to keep up the fight! 

Artist and Educator Damien Davis joins the pod to discuss being happily single and childfree. Damien is currently in residence at the Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling in Harlem, NYC. His experience working with kids reaffirms his desire to not have children because the work of raising them doesn't fit into his life. We talk about what family means and the importance of being a self actualized person. Damien reminds us to protect our concept of family so that the system as it is can't take away what and who we value. Check out Damien's art at his website and in our Instagram stories!

Do you ever feel like your answer to the question, "Why don't you want kids?" isn't good enough? Do you feel guilty because you don't like kids? On this week's ep, artist and designer Megan Brown joins the pod to talk about how hard it is to talk about being childfree. We work out some good answers and complain about the typical questions like, "Who will take care of you when you're old?" Why don't people see the Golden Girls as the perfect pop culture answer to that dumb question. Their kids all sucked and they seemed to be doing just fine. (Yes, yes we know Sophia and Dorothy were mom and daughter.) We also discuss fulfillment without kids and how that is fulfillment enough. People who are childfree by choice are brave! 

Do you worry that being #childfree will mess up your friendships with friends who have kids? Auntie Julia and her first parent guest & bestie Jenny Hoskins chat about their relationship and how it's grown, changed and strengthened along the two different paths they've chosen. They share their perspective on what works for them and how you can confront any fears or anxieties you have about how parenthood and not-parenthood will affect your own friendships. Jenny shares some great insights about the pressures society puts onto women no matter their choices and talks about what her life will look like when her kids are all grown up. They also discuss March's NTM bookclub pick, My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem. Auntie Julia confesses that she loves the book because it's self help disguised as a memoir, the only way she can take advice. 

Lane Pieschel makes his triumphant return to the pod to talk about the best Childfree show of all time, Seinfeld. We discuss the greatness of Elaine and how wonderful it is to watch a show with no children on it. We also chat about what shows we were or weren't allowed to watch as kids. Are you sponge worthy?