Cat & Nat Unfiltered

Are we too hands-off as parents, or have we somehow stumbled onto a parenting strategy that actually works? We’re getting into the great parenting debate: how involved should we really be in our kids’ schoolwork, academics and future plans? We talk about raising seven kids who, somehow, have become pretty self-sufficient and intrinsically motivated when it comes to school, whether that was intentional or just sheer luck. We get into university pressure, when kids finally start caring about their grades, why fighting over homework might do more harm than good, and using AI to actually help with studying (not cheating). Plus, we question whether we've done a great job parenting or whether our kids have just figured out how to parent themselves. Honestly, we're still not sure.

Keywords
parenting, education, child development, independence, motivation, school, university, homework, parenting strategies

Key Topics
* Changing parenting philosophies over time
* Balancing hands-on and hands-off parenting
* The role of schools and teachers in child success
* Encouraging intrinsic motivation and independence
* The impact of technology and AI on learning
* Pathways and career planning for teens
* The importance of early habits and routines
* Parenting challenges with homework and school involvement
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Free agency season is here, and the hockey parents are NOT okay. 🏒😂
It's November 1st, four games into the season, and everybody's suddenly shopping for a new team. This week Cat & Nat cover:
Free agency chaos:the secret chats, the rumors, and the time a whole team watched one mom talk to two men in suits.
Ice time panic:the power play at the end of a game, when parents stop watching the game and start watching who's on the ice.
The case for a losing team:why the worst team might be the best place for a goalie, and why losing means learning.
The coach who said it out loud:"In 20 months, some of you will be playing against men." Also, a 15-year-old with a grown man's body doesn't have a grown man's brain.
Connor McDavid:the best player in the world, and he is no fun when he loses.
Life as a hockey parent: a questionable rink angle, a speed trap near the rink, a McDonald's that's the only saving grace, and a family-sized logistics operation just to get to a 4:15 practice.
Come for the hockey, stay for the potato-on-ice test. 🥔

Keywords
youth sports, hockey, free agency, team dynamics, sports parenting, hockey training, athlete development, sports culture, hockey season, youth hockey

Key topics
Youth hockey free agency and team changes
Parenting and coaching in youth sports
The mental and physical development of young athletes
Team strategies and player positioning in hockey
Life lessons learned through sports and competition
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why does nobody prepare us for perimenopause and menopause? One minute we’re managing our lives just fine, and the next we can’t sleep, can’t remember a word, feel irritated by literally everyone, and wonder what is happening to our bodies.

We were so excited to talk to board-certified OB-GYN and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner Dr. Mary Claire Haver to talk about what’s actually happening during the menopause transition, from brain fog, mood changes and weight gain to hormone therapy, sleep and long-term health. We get into the confusion around HRT, why hormone blood tests aren’t the answer everyone thinks they are, and how to know when it’s time to ask for help.

Plus, Dr. Haver shares why strength training and protein matter, and what we can do now to feel stronger and healthier as we age. Because we’re not just trying to survive our 40s and 50s. We want to feel good at 60, 70 and beyond.

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s you, your hormones, or everyone around you suddenly becoming unbearable, this episode is for you. You’re not crazy, you’re not alone, and you do not have to suffer through it.

Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of The New Menopause and The New Perimenopause and founder of The ‘Pause Wellness, a clinic dedicated to comprehensive menopause care. She also hosts unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver and is a leading voice in menopause education, translating complex science into accessible, evidence-based information for women. For more on Dr. Mary Claire Haver follow her @drmaryclaire. You can find her books and so much more at https://thepauselife.com/.

Keywords
perimenopause, menopause, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, hormone therapy, HRT, brain fog, bone health, osteoporosis, vaginal estrogen, menopause symptoms menopause, perimenopause, hormone replacement therapy, HRT, GLP-1, bone density, muscle, visceral fat, women's health, strength training

Key topics
Dr. Haver explains why perimenopause’s effects on sleep, mood, cognition, and the whole body were historically under recognized in medical training.
The conversation distinguishes common brain fog, such as losing words or keys, from dementia-related loss of understanding; Haver notes that brain fog is not itself a formal diagnosis.
Dr. Haver describes steadier moods, stronger boundaries, and positive changes in her own post-menopause life.
Dr. Haver says hormone levels fluctuate too much for a simple perimenopause blood-test baseline; diagnosis relies on symptoms, clinical assessment, and tests to check for other causes.
Dr. Haver says every woman deserves an individualized conversation, not a default prescription.
Dr. Haver emphasizes that hormone therapy is not a weight-loss drug and that body composition, including muscle and bone, matters beyond the scale. Weight alone can be misleading; maintaining bone and muscle matters, with strength training and adequate nutrition as important supports.
She describes increased visceral fat accumulation during the menopause transition and explains why waist measurements and body-composition tracking can reveal more than appearance or scale weight.
Dr. Haver says hormone therapy may slow visceral fat accumulation but does not melt fat; she discusses GLP-1 medications as another clinical tool, alongside attention to muscle and bone.
She outlines a clinic approach she calls “GPS”: GLP-1 medication, protein tailored to body composition, and strength training.
Dr. Haver explains that people with a uterus need endometrial protection when using systemic estrogen, such as with a progestogen or, in some cases, an IUD; she also notes progesterone may be calming and support sleep.
The conversation highlights gaps in clinician menopause training, ways to seek informed care, and Haver’s advocacy for better education, care, and insurance coverage.
Dr. Haver frames long-term health around strength, quality nutrition, sleep, community, boundaries, and putting health ahead of thinness.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much money are we actually supposed to give our kids when they go off to university? We’re paying for tuition, residence and meal plans, and somehow they still need money for Uber Eats, clothes, nails, groceries and pretty much everything else. How much allowance is reasonable? Should we be giving them a set amount or letting them figure it out themselves? We also get into credit cards, debt, and the things we wish we’d known at their age. Because at some point, we have to stop managing every dollar for them and teach them how to manage it themselves. But how much is too much, and when do you cut them off? We want to hear what you’re budgeting for your kids each month and how they’re making it all work!

Keywords
university expenses, student budgeting, financial independence, parental guidance, student life, money management, university costs, financial literacy, student habits, budgeting tips

Key topics
University expenses and costs
Student budgeting habits and habits
Parental guidance on financial independence
Realistic spending for students living away from home
Lessons in financial literacy for young adults
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hockey parents know that the game is about so much more than what happens on the ice. We’ve encountered so many different types of hockey coaches over the years, from the young, energetic coaches full of promise to the cranky, win-at-all-costs coaches. And then there are the ones who seem to have a little anger management issue.
We’re talking screaming coaches, kids getting benched for things that are completely out of their control, brutal mid-season cuts and the parents who are somehow still paying thousands of dollars for the privilege. Because youth sports can bring out the best and the absolute worst in grown-ups. And somewhere in the middle of all the yelling, pressure and team drama, someone needs to remember that these are literally just kids playing a game.

Keywords
youth hockey, coaching styles, parental involvement, youth sports chaos, hockey coaching humor

Key topics
Different coaching styles and their impact
The role of yelling and discipline in coaching
Parent and coach dynamics in youth sports
Challenges of team selection and coaching quality
Humorous and chaotic moments in youth hockey
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.