Podcasts your tweens and teens will listen with you
It’s been more than 20 years since the first audio blogs started downloading. We now have millions of topics at our fingertips in every format imaginable: interviews, casual convos, tutorials and serial dramas. Yet, why is it so hard to find a good podcast for the whole family?
In a world where we are inundated with 20-second doses of content, I long to be captivated by a person or topic. Rather, I long for my kids to be fascinated by someone other than a so-called celebrity or a random person playing a video game. Is that too much to ask?
Over the past few years, we have come across a few audio gems that interested us parents as well as our teens and TOw.
Here is a list of podcasts that had us all locked in to listening (and learning) mode.
1. We Regret to Inform You: The Rejection Podcast
This series produced by Apostrophe Podcasts is a mix of history and pop culture. There are no interviews or extra audio. It sometimes feels like an audio book report, but that’s not a bad thing. The podcast is well researched and host Sidney O’Reilly is a great storyteller.
Most of all, the stories illustrate how success doesn’t and shouldn’t come easy. Those who are at the top of their game failed miserably over and over again before they became a household name.
A few of our favourites:
- Rejecting Jim Carrey
- Rejecting Hayley Wickenenheiser
- Rejecting Elf
- Rejecting Milton Hersey
- Rejecting Colonel Sanders (the founder lived in Mississauga from 1965-1980!)
- Rejecting the Rubik’s Cube
2. How I Built This
Speaking of the road to success, NPR’s How I Built This with Guy Raz features interviews with famous entrepreneurs. I prefer the episodes from the early days that touch on some iconic brands that will interest the whole family and your budding entrepreneur in TOw. I’m not a big fan of Guy Raz’s interview skills, but he certainly provides listeners with engaging conversations and inspiring stories.
A few of our favourites:
- Shopify: Tobias Lütke (from 2019)
- Canva: Melanie Perkins (from 2021)
- Fitbit: James Park (from 2020)
- reCAPTCHA and Duolingo: Luis von Ahn (from 2020)
3. Sports History This Week
Our kids love sports but you don’t have to be a hardcore athlete or superfan to appreciate these stories. The 30-minute episodes produced by the History Channel focus on iconic sports figures and teams and showcase important need-to-know (in my opinion) moments in history. These have certainly helped us pass many hours driving to and from practices and games.
Here are a few that stuck with us:
The Great One Becomes King takes listeners back to 1988 Edmonton. While some kids nowadays may only recognize Wayne’s Gretzky as one of the faces promoting gambling apps, this episode paints a picture of Gretzky at his peak and gives listeners a peek into what happened when he was traded to L.A.
Canada’s Oldest Rivals Battle on the Ice travels back to the beginnings of the Leafs vs. Habs rivalry, centering on the December 9, 1953 game between the only two Canadian NHL teams playing at the time.
The Dream Team Debuts Against the World goes back to 1992 for a behind-the-scenes look at the legendary roster of NBA stars who travelled the world and competed at the Barcelona Olympics in ‘92. (PS: For another interesting look at basketball, NBA Forces a Fit Check explores the rise of hip-hop culture and introduction of younger players to the NBA and the big changes that ensued.)
4. Come by Chance
It’s a heart-wrenching story that many of us probably read in the news: two baby boys switched at birth at a rural hospital in Newfoundland. This CBC-produced series talks to the two children, now men, and their families and friends on what transpired and what it means to belong to a family. For my kids, this story really comes alive when you hear the local accent and descriptions of life in Newfoundland.
Have a listen: Come by Chance
For parents with teens in TOw, you may also like these two CBC podcasts:
- Who Broke the Internet? is the fifth season of CBC’s series Understood. Who Broke the Internet? dives into the decline of the modern internet and how the heck it got here. Some good history for the kids on the beginnings of the world wide web.
- Recall: How to Start A Revolution is an incredibly interesting look into the radical political movements in 1950s-1970s Canada, specifically the October Crisis and the FLQ. This one ties into themes my son was studying in his grade 10 Canadian History class.
5. Tested
Produced by NPR & CBC, Tested examines women’s sport, specifically track & field, and the recent news about some female runners who have been told they can no longer race as women because of their biology. The six-episode series explores the 100-year history of sex testing and shares conversations with some of the athletes about their journeys.
Have a listen: Tested
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