Is our 2-year-old actually ready for potty training... or are we about to make a huge mistake?

In this episode of The Jones Family Playbook, we talk about the next big parenting milestone: getting Keith III out of diapers. He’s starting to show some signs of readiness, but we debate whether parents should simply wait until their kids are ready or actually push them to learn new skills.

We also get unexpectedly emotional talking about something every parent eventually faces: your baby growing up. Keith doesn't fall asleep in our arms anymore. He doesn't want Dad to sing to him anymore. And even though he's still affectionate, those little baby moments are starting to disappear.

We talk about raising two boys, Holly becoming the "queen" of a house full of boys, the example Keith sees in his mother, and the pride that comes with watching your son start to look up to you.

And then there's the question that somehow becomes a full-blown debate: If you hold the door open for someone at Chipotle, do they have to let you go ahead of them in line? We have very different opinions.

Plus: Keith's dentist appointment, the pressure parents feel when their child gets their teeth checked, an unfortunate incident involving our dog, and what it's really like trying to record a podcast while raising two little boys.

This is The Jones Family Playbook: an honest, unscripted conversation about parenting, marriage, family, and figuring it out as we go.

If you enjoy the show, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who would relate.

OUR LINKS

https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilyplaybook

👋🏻 ABOUT US

The Jones Family Playbook is where real love, laughter, and parenthood meet. Hosted by Holly and Keith, two broadcast journalists and working parents, this weekly podcast brings a blend of humor, honesty, and heart to every conversation, creating a trusted space that feels like a growing family.

Follow Holly!

www.instagram.com/HollyHarrarTV

Follow Keith!

www.instagram.com/KeithJonesNews

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2026.

#Parenting #ParentingLife #MomLife #DadLife #FamilyLife #ToddlerLife #Marriage #TheJonesFamilyPlaybook

🎂 Keith turned TWO… so we threw a party and put a giant bounce house in his bedroom. 😂

There were more than a dozen little kids running around our house.

There was a missed nap, a very late bedtime, and - because we're apparently not allowed to have a normal family outing - a diaper blowout all over Dad's white shorts at the zoo. 💩

But somewhere in all of that chaos, we started talking about something a lot bigger:

How becoming parents changes the way you see your own parents. ❤️

We talk about how hard it can be to actually slow down and be present when you're exhausted and constantly thinking about the next thing that needs to get done.

Then Keith blows out his birthday candles, feeds himself his own cake, looks around the room… and suddenly we're both getting emotional.

Because wait… wasn't he JUST a baby?

And now he's TWO. 🥹

We also talk about the different stages boys go through with their dads, why Holly now thinks of her mom every year on her own birthday, and why raising our second child somehow feels completely different from the first time around.

Plus, we answer the important questions:

👉 Was putting a 15-foot bounce house in our house a terrible idea?

👉 Can a toddler survive a birthday without a nap?

👉 How do you actually stay present when you're completely exhausted?

👉 And are we really going to have five kids like Keith once joked about? 😳

This is one of those episodes that starts with a birthday party and somehow turns into a conversation about our childhoods, our parents, and the kind of parents we're trying to become.

If you're a parent, you probably know the feeling. ❤️

What stage are you in right now: newborn chaos, toddler years, school-age kids, teenagers? And, what has surprised you most about it?

Thanks for being part of The Jones Family Playbook. ❤️

OUR LINKS

https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilyplaybook

👋🏻 ABOUT US

The Jones Family Playbook is where real love, laughter, and parenthood meet. Hosted by Holly and Keith, two broadcast journalists and working parents, this weekly podcast brings a blend of humor, honesty, and heart to every conversation, creating a trusted space that feels like a growing family.

Follow Holly!

www.instagram.com/HollyHarrarTV

Follow Keith!

www.instagram.com/KeithJonesNews

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2026.

#Parenting #ParentingLife #MomLife #DadLife #FamilyLife #ToddlerLife #Marriage #TheJonesFamilyPlaybook

We don't agree on everything when it comes to managing our two boys—and some of our opinions might be controversial.

Is sleep training actually good for babies? Do anxious parents create anxious children? Should you take a sick kid into a public play place? And does the way you talk about your children actually shape who they become?

We also have a much more serious conversation about postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and postpartum psychosis, including the difficult questions surrounding the Lindsay Clancy trial and the challenges of understanding what can happen to a parent's mental health after having a baby.

As two journalists, we also talk about what it's like to cover traumatic stories for a living, and why some stories stay with you long after you leave the newsroom.

Plus, we're celebrating 20 episodes, showing off our brand-new podcast studio, talking about our night out at Main Line Today's Best of the Main Line & Western Suburbs party, and getting real about balancing work, parenting, marriage, and two young kids.

This is what The Jones Family Playbook is all about: honest, sometimes funny, sometimes serious, and occasionally uncomfortable conversations about parenting, marriage, babies, toddlers, and family life.

Which of our parenting opinions do YOU agree or disagree with? Tell us in the comments.

And if you're enjoying the show:

OUR LINKS

https://linktr.ee/jonesfamilyplaybook

👋🏻 ABOUT US

The Jones Family Playbook is where real love, laughter, and parenthood meet. Hosted by Holly and Keith, two broadcast journalists and working parents, this weekly podcast brings a blend of humor, honesty, and heart to every conversation, creating a trusted space that feels like a growing family.

Follow Holly!

www.instagram.com/HollyHarrarTV

Follow Keith!

www.instagram.com/KeithJonesNews

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2026.

#Parenting #ParentingPodcast #ParentingTips #SleepTraining #NewParents #ToddlerParenting #Postpartum #FamilyPodcast #MarriageAndParenting #JonesFamilyPlaybook