Podcasts by Our Parents Did What?!

Playgrounds - Safety from 2022-02-16T19:00

This week Diane shares her research into modern playgrounds and the leaps and bounds we have made in terms of safety. We'll go over some of the playground materials of old and how we'v...

Mini Episode - The Secret World of Alex Mac from 2022-02-08T06:00

Jen's first mini episode brings us some 90's tween drama like only Nickelodeon could bring us with "The Secret World of Alex Mac". What was this wacky show about and why can&...

Playgrounds - The Slide from 2022-02-01T06:00

In our second full episode of this season, Jen gives some more information about the history of playgrounds, focusing in this time on the slide. We were shocked to learn about when slides were i...

Mini Episode - The Magic School Bus from 2022-01-25T06:00

We're introducing something new this year - Mini Episodes! These bite sized episodes will come out in between our regular episodes and during Season 2 we'll be exploring our favorite T...

Playgrounds - The Swing from 2022-01-18T06:00

It's Season 2! Diane and Jen are back with a new set of wild episodes all about the history of parenting and child rearing. In this season, we'll be spending a few episodes diving deep...

Episode 42: Congratulations! from 2021-08-23T06:00

Since beginning this podcast in early 2020, Jen and Diane haven't been able to see each other in person. In this episode, they are reunited and recording for the very first time in the same room! A...

Episode 41: Moms in the Workforce from 2021-07-29T09:00

In this episode, we have a very special guest joining us to explore a topic that the three of us are highly invested in. LaWann Moses, from the More Than a Mother podcast, joins us to talk all abou...

Episode 40: Gripe Water from 2021-07-10T14:23:50

Way back in February of 2020, before the pandemic and before we had honed our sound quality, Jen and Diane recorded this episode about the origins of gripe water. So join us as we travel back in ti...

Episode 39: Conversion Therapy from 2021-06-21T10:36:35

Jen provides some personal and timely research in this episode in honor of Pride. We discuss the practice of conversion therapy, how it has changed over time, and the impact it has had on the queer...

Episode 38: Rise of the Helicopter Parent from 2021-06-11T10:45:25

Helicopter Parent. The term is usually uttered with rolled eyes and snide remarks. But when you take into account the circumstances of the 1980s & 1990s, it seems that this shift to overbearing p...

Episode 37: Jell-o Salads from 2021-05-25T01:54:29

What do the history of women in America and Jell-O have in common? More than you probably realize! In this episode, Jen explores the incredible road to the Jell-O salad and how this bizarre status ...

Episode 36: The Tea Party from 2021-05-18T02:09:48

It all started when Jen bought Diane’s daughter an adorable unicorn and rainbow themed play tea set for her 2nd birthday. It got Diane thinking about how much she loved her own toy tea set growing...

Episode 35: The Brothers Grimm from 2021-05-10T19:56:36

Snow White. Hansel and Gretel. The Frog Prince. Stories that are well known and beloved the world over. We can thank the very famous and very prolific Brothers Grimm for collecting and sharing thes...

Episode 34: The Baby Cage from 2021-05-03T14:49:15

In this episode, we are joined by friend of the show Rachel Kuberry, who tells us all about the history of the baby cage and the historical importance of airing out babies. Why did these devices ev...

Episode 33: The Dark Origins of Birth Control from 2021-04-27T02:57:24

Birth control is ubiquitous in society today. It is so commonplace that we just refer to it as "the pill." But have you ever wondered how that pill came to be? Like many medical advances, its his...

Episode 32: Hospital Nurseries from 2021-04-19T06:00

Throughout visual media, there are countless examples of the big window looking over a room of newborn, swaddles babies. The hospital nursery is a sight that most people are familiar with, but has ...

Episode 31: Baby Wearing from 2021-04-14T19:26:15

If you are a 21st century mom you are probably familiar with the term baby wearing. It is very “in” right now, with wraps and carriers seen as not only functional, but also a fashion statement. Li...

Episode 30: Child Beauty Pageants from 2021-03-24T01:15:27

Few things are as quintessentially American as child beauty pageants. And it turns out, they also originated from our home state of New Jersey! In this episode, Jen takes us back to the mid 1800's ...

Episode 29: Infant Inclined Sleepers from 2021-03-05T03:31:58

Note: Today's episode contains some sensitive content related to infant deaths.  Please use caution when listening.



If you had asked me 2 years ago what an infant inclined slee...

Episode 28: Spit from 2021-02-06T14:47:21

Spit has seemingly endless examples of cultural significance throughout the world. It's with that in mind, that Jen travelled down the spit in parenting rabbit hole. At times shocking and gross (es...

Episode 27: Presidential Kids from 2021-01-19T15:04:27

Growing up is hard enough when you're just a regular kid. But can you imagine growing up at the most famous address in the country, while the whole world watches? On today's episode, Diane tells ...

Episode 26: The Baby Zoo from 2020-12-30T16:02:22

In order to celebrate the end of this truly miserable year, we are sharing a story that is similarly upsetting. Jen presents her findings on the Dionne Quintuplets and the absolutely unbelievable s...

Episode 25: Christmas Toy Riots from 2020-12-16T02:35:09

Nothing gets us in the holiday spirit like an angry mob of customers fighting over a children's toy. With the advent of online shopping, crazy store riots may seem like things of the past. So let'...

Episode 24: Thanksgiving Masking from 2020-11-24T22:34:07

If you live in America, you may be under the assumption that Halloween has always cornered the market on dressing up in costumes. But you would be wrong! From the late 1800s to the 1930s, Thanksgiv...

Episode 23: Griswold v Connecticut from 2020-11-03T14:14:38

You may be wondering why we are talking about a Supreme Court case on a show about the history of parenting, right? Well, we have the answer! The landmark Supreme Court decision in Connecticut vs....

Episode 22: Dr. William Smellie from 2020-10-21T02:27

Every new mom can attest to the fact that babies, especially newborns, love to suck. Their fingers, their toes, a bottle, a breast, and for some babies even a pacifier. So today, we explore the his...

Episode 21: Pacifiers from 2020-10-08T14:43:46

Every new mom can attest to the fact that babies, especially newborns, love to suck. Their fingers, their toes, a bottle, a breast, and for some babies even a pacifier. So today, we explore the his...

Episode 20: Infant Exposure from 2020-09-22T00:20:43

2020 might not be the craziest year for the US Postal Service after all. Back in 1913, parcel post was introduced and in no time at all, people had started shipping all kinds of unexpected packages...

Episode 19: Maternity Clothes from 2020-09-08T17:50:38

2020 might not be the craziest year for the US Postal Service after all. Back in 1913, parcel post was introduced and in no time at all, people had started shipping all kinds of unexpected packages...

Episode 18: Mailing Babies from 2020-08-25T02:16:17

2020 might not be the craziest year for the US Postal Service after all. Back in 1913, parcel post was introduced and in no time at all, people had started shipping all kinds of unexpected packages...

Episode 17: Mom Shaming from 2020-08-13T01:00:09

We've all heard the term "mom shaming," but what does it really mean? And when did it begin? In reality, we are all probably guilty of playing a part in the mom shame game, often unintentionally. ...

Episode 16: The Family Vacation from 2020-07-28T21:46:41

While the pandemic is keeping many of us from our usual summer plans, we thought we'd share some of the fascinating history of family vacations with you all. We'll look at summer camps for children...

Episode 15: The Prescience of Toys ‘R’ Us from 2020-07-06T22:23:12

“I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a Toys 'R' Us kid!” We all remember the jingle, and the excitement of stepping into a Toys 'R' Us in its heyday. With its rows and rows of toys, the possibilities were e...

Episode 14: The Fabulous Patricia Carter from 2020-06-23T09:15:08

Come join us for a side-splitting episode that looks at the life and times of Mrs. Patricia Carter, the original Free Birthing guru! Pat is a riot and we definitely wish she was still around for us...

Episode 13: Baby Names from 2020-06-08T17:34:39

This week, we have our very first guest host, Whitney from the How She Moms podcast! Whitney joins us to share her fascinating research into the history of baby names in America. She described some...

Episode 12: The Baby Thief from 2020-05-18T13:31:32

Ok everybody - buckle up. On this week’s episode we explore something a little sinister: babies being stolen from their mothers and sold on the black market by a woman you’ve probably never heard ...

Episode 11: The Little Albert Experiment from 2020-05-05T13:00:16

John B. Watson and his infamous Little Albert Experiment may be little more than a footnote in the history of parenting and childrearing. But they are a fascinating and important one. Jen presents ...

Episode 10: Parenting Advice from 2020-04-28T01:26:07

Have you ever tried to find the perfect book to help you cope with the shear terror that is parenthood. Yeah, we've been there, too! In this episode, Diane takes us through the many different eras ...

Bonus Episode: OPDW Live – Fairy Tale Cannibals from 2020-04-25T14:31:49

It's our first ever live episode! Listen in as Jen and Diane host this special bonus episode on Instagram Live. The ladies go over some of the most famous and beloved fairytales from their childhoo...

Episode 9: Nickelodeon from 2020-04-13T14:00:01

Ah, the sweet memories of running home after school to catch your favorite cartoon on what may be the most iconic children’s television network of all time: Nickelodeon. In today’s episode, Jen & D...

Episode 8: Pox Parties from 2020-03-30T20:13:28

This week, we're taking a look at a slightly more recent practice: the pox party! There are plenty of people alive today who have been to one. Jen gives some history on pox parties, their modern da...

Episode 7: The Incubator Babies of Coney Island from 2020-03-16T23:20:42

It's hard to imagine there was ever a time in our history when we lacked the tiny incubators designed for premature babies that we see in the NICU nowadays. We have a man named Dr. Couney and his ...

Episode 6: Knucklebones from 2020-03-02T05:00:26

Jen set out to provide a brief history into children's toys, but quick discovered what a foolish plan that had been. The wealth of information on any one toy is astounding! So Jen dug into one of t...

Episode 5: The Tooth Fairy from 2020-02-17T16:00:55

Of all the mythical figures we know and love, the Tooth Fairy seems to have the most elusive backstory. Where did she come from, and why the heck do we put our teeth under our pillows for her to f...

Episode 4: Clothing from 2020-02-03T05:30:05

Run Time: 32 minutes, 23 seconds







Little boys in "skeleton suits"Teen boy with frilled collarHistoric photo of boy wearing skeleton suit.Illustration of a ...

Episode 3: Diapers from 2020-01-20T09:02:45

Run Time: 30 minutes, 7 seconds







Diapers as we know them today are a fairly new commodity in the grand scheme of the history of parenting. But, before Pamp...

Episode 2: Baby Food from 2020-01-20T09:01:22

Run Time: 37 minutes, 10 seconds







Peas, and apples, and carrots, oh my! When did baby food become commercialized, and what on earth is dessert baby food?? ...

Episode 1: Car Seats from 2020-01-20T09:00:47

Run Time: 31 minutes, 36 seconds







Have you ever heard of the Tot Guard? We hadn't, either! Until we took a deep dive into the history of car seats. In th...

Trailer: Our Parents Did What?! from 2019-08-26T03:44:49

Trailer: Our Parents Did What?! from 2019-08-25T23:44:49

Trailer: Our Parents Did What?! from 2019-08-25T23:44:49