Ep.1/ Welcome to The Family Tree
In this introductory episode of The Family Tree, hosts Jess Rooney and Bree Cosgrove share the story behind the podcast and the values that shaped its creation.
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Recorded in the early, often messy seasons of motherhood, this conversation explores why parenting doesn’t need more noise — it needs better, more supportive conversations. Jess and Bree reflect on how they met through mothers’ group, their shared approach to parenting, and why they felt called to create a podcast that blends evidence, lived experience, and intuition.
Using the metaphor of a family tree, they discuss seasonality in family life, experimentation over perfection, and the importance of trusting yourself to decide what works for your family. This episode sets the tone for what’s to come: thoughtful conversations, expert insights, and real reflections on parenting, identity, and modern family life — without pressure or prescriptive advice.
Ep.1/
Welcome to The Family Tree
In This Episode, We Talk About
• How Jess and Bree met and why their values around parenting aligned
• Why The Family Tree podcast was created
• Parenting as experimentation rather than perfection
• The family tree metaphor — roots, values, seasons, and growth
• Balancing evidence-based guidance with intuition
• What listeners can expect from future episodes
What We Mean by “The Family Tree”
The idea for The Family Tree came from viewing family life like a garden.
Every family is different. There are seasons for planting, growing, pruning, and resting. Some ideas will take root, others won’t — and that’s okay.
The family tree metaphor reflects:
Your values as the roots
Everyday parenting choices as the trunk
Experimentation and learning as the branches
Children growing in their own unique ways
This podcast is an invitation to take what nourishes your family and leave the rest.
What You Can Expect From This Podcast
Some episodes will be reflective conversations led by us. Others will include guests — experts, practitioners, and parents — who bring depth, clarity, and lived experience.
What you won’t find here are rigid rules or prescriptive methods. Instead, we focus on:
Evidence-informed conversations
Real-life application
Strengthening intuition and confidence
Reducing overwhelm and confusion
Parenting is one big experiment, and what works for one family won’t work for another.