About

Welcome to The Cultured Baby

I’m Brandi Wiatrak – a candid mama who helps moms stay sane and cultured while navigating motherhood.

I started The Cultured Baby to help moms who are trying to master it all. For moms who could use a little encouragement. For moms who lack a village. For moms who like to laugh at themselves. And lastly, for moms who want to stay cultured on their parenting journey.

I offer research-supported articles on raising happy respectable kiddos, ways to maintain your mental health, and other feel-good news.

When I’m not writing, you can find me hosting the popular motherhood podcast Mom After Hours. Mom After Hours holds candid conversations on taboo topics related to mom life, relationships, sex, wellness, and everything in between. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, and other major podcast platforms.

The Fam Bam

Before we get too much farther, let’s meet the rest of the rock stars keeping me on my toes each day.

Jason: The hubby. He’s an awesome dad & coach who would live on steak and potatoes if he could. He’s the ultimate handyman and rocks at car karaoke.

Chris: My fun-loving 16-year-old bonus son who loves to crack jokes and do TikTok dances 24/7. He’s a super athlete and Violet’s BFF.

Violet: My curious three-year-old daughter who laughs a lot, prefers to wear Disney Princess gowns, and loves anything to do with Elsa, PJ Masks, and Paw Patrol.

My Story in a Nutshell

I’m sort of obsessed with everything related to travel, adventure, and excitement. After trekking in Mexico in my early twenties, I got bit hard by the travel bug.

I climbed the Pyramids of Giza, ate with nutty Irishmen in the Isles, then moved to Madrid, Spain, where sangria, croquetas, and español melodies flowed like the Mississippi River.

In Spain, I taught English as a Second Language and continued exploring Europe and the rest of the world.

Once the current slowed, I returned to the city by the bay, San Francisco, California.

It wasn’t long, however, before I felt stuck in a rut. The crazy rat-race, and life in general, started to wear on me. I decided to jump on the road in my old pick-up truck, armed with only a few possessions: books, clothes, and dark chocolate (no joke).

A week later, I arrived in the land of deep-dish pizza, hot dogs sans ketchup, and funny accents: Chicago!

I enrolled in grad school, then worked nonstop to get ahead in my career.

Then one day, the unthinkable happened.

A situation I was completely and utterly unprepared for.

I became a mother.

And …the comment floodgates opened.

“You’ll finally have to slow down with all that traveling.”

“Wait, you’re going to be a mom?!”

“This is going to be hilarious to watch!”

And, just like that, ready or not, The Cultured Baby was born.

What’s Next?

Peep the mental health page for some sanity hacks + advice, the parenting page for some giggles and all things mom life, or find the next spot for your family vacation. Like what you see? Subscribe to the weekly newsletter. Or let’s connect and partner on something?

If you need a cheerleader, sounding board, or funny friend, I’ll be right here, mama. This mom thing is hard. Let’s do it together.

Peace, ♥, and sanity,

Brandi