Equal-ish

One year. Fifty episodes. Twenty-seven incredible guests. Hundreds of hours of conversations, editing, voice notes, and learning.
In this special anniversary episode, Rachel Childs and Kate Mangino look back on the biggest ideas that have shaped their thinking over the first year of Equal-ish and discover that the podcast has become something much bigger than they ever imagined.
We revisit the moments that completely changed how they think about parenting, relationships, gender, the mental load, power, and community. We share the questions we're still wrestling with, why we believe the conversation around equality needs to move beyond household chores, and where we're taking Equal-ish next. 
Whether you've listened from episode one or you're joining us for the first time, this is the perfect place to reflect on how far we've come and where we're heading next.
In this episode we discuss:
The guest insights that fundamentally changed our thinking

Why Equal-ish is becoming about more than gender and parenting

Individual responsibility versus broken systems

Why relationships, not independence, may be the key to lasting change

The biggest unanswered questions we're taking into Year Two

What we've learned from 50 episodes and 27 expert guests

Why your conversations matter more than ever

Find out more about your hosts Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs. Contact us with your feedback and future podcast ideas: equalishpod@gmail.com

Over the last four episodes, we've spoken to four very different guests, but one theme kept appearing.
What if adulthood isn't about becoming completely independent? What if love isn't about fixing other people's problems? And what if the greatest gift we can give our children (and our partners) isn't rescuing them, but believing they're capable?
In this Equal-ish Edit, Rachel and Kate unpack the unexpected connections between conversations with Paige Connell, Nick Shackleton-Jones, Deborah Porter and Dr Stephen Blumenthal.
Together we explore:
Why we've confused love with doing.

The difference between rescuing someone and creating safety.

Why curiosity may be a greater marker of adulthood than independence.

How stepping back can be one of the hardest—and most loving—things we ever do.

Why building an equal partnership starts by examining ourselves, not changing our partner.

This isn't an episode about having all the answers.
It's an invitation to stay curious, sit beside discomfort, and rethink what it really means to care for the people we love.
Find out more about your hosts Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs. Contact us with your feedback and future podcast ideas: equalishpod@gmail.com

From childhood, many boys are taught to be tough, independent and resilient. What is the cost of the lessons they’re taught?  
In this episode of Equal-ish, psychotherapist Stephen Blumenthal explores why so many men struggle to express vulnerability, seek help, or even recognise when they're suffering. Drawing on decades of experience working with men, Stephen explains how shame, biology, culture and early attachment all shape the way men experience emotions and relationships.
Together, Rachel, Kate and Stephen unpack why fatherhood often feels less clearly defined than motherhood, why talking therapies can unintentionally miss men's needs, and how creating a genuine sense of safeness rather than simply telling people to "open up" could transform relationships.
This is a thoughtful conversation about imperfection, intimacy, emotional connection and why equal partnerships aren't built by having all the answers they're built by creating spaces where both people feel safe enough to be themselves.
Subscribe to Equal-ish on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to be the first to hear the coaching edit from our interview. 
Meet Stephen Blumenthal: https://stephenblumenthal.com/

Guardian article: ‘They’re taught that showing feelings is shameful’: eight reasons men don’t go to therapy – and why they should

Don’t forget to buy your copy of Kate Washington’s Midstream: A Life Remade in 50 Swims
Find out more about your hosts Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs. Contact us with your feedback and future podcast ideas: equalishpod@gmail.com

Everyone talks about the sleepless nights of having babies. Almost no one talks about what happens when your children become adults.
In this episode of Equal-ish, Rachel Childs and Kate Mangino speak with workplace parenting consultant Deborah Porter about one of the least discussed stages of family life: when adult children move back home.
Whether it's rising living costs, an impossible housing market, career uncertainty or simply needing a reset, more young adults are returning home than ever before. But while parents often expect life to get easier once children leave, many discover that the mental load simply changes shape.
Deborah shares why parents need to stop seeing this as a "failure to launch" and instead view it as an opportunity to help young adults relaunch successfully. She explores why default parenting often continues long after childhood, how rescuing can unintentionally hold children back, and why every birthday should be an opportunity to hand a little more responsibility back to your child.
This is a conversation about boundaries, identity, parenting with intention, and learning that sometimes the greatest act of love is stepping back rather than stepping in. 
Subscribe to Equal-ish on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to be the first to hear the coaching edit from our interview. 
Meet Deborah: www.deborahporter.net
Find out more about your hosts Kate Mangino and Rachel Childs.

Meet Kate Mangino @kate_mangino and Rachel Childs @parents_that_work.
Everyone says they want more equal partnerships. So why do so many couples still end up falling into traditional roles?
In this thought-provoking conversation, organisational psychologist and behaviour change expert and author of How We Learn, Nick Shackleton-Jones explores the invisible forces that shape how we work and lead. From the surprising psychology behind return-to-office mandates to why workplace cultures continue to disadvantage caregivers, Nick challenges many of the assumptions we've accepted as "normal."
Together, we explore why information alone rarely changes behaviour, why emotions drive lasting change far more than logic, and what organisations and families can learn from human-centred design.
We also dive into the future of AI, the hidden biases built into technology, why younger generations are rejecting outdated definitions of success, and how leadership culture continues to influence equality at home.
Follow Nick’s TikTok musings @shackletonjones or find out more about his work shackleton-consulting.com/ 

This episode is proudly sponsored by Midstream: A Life Remade in 50 Swims by Kate Washington