Katherine Ryan: How I Choose To Raise My Kids (People Say It's Controversial!)

In this episode of Begin Again, comedian, writer and mother Katherine Ryan opens up about the fierce, funny and sometimes controversial journey that shaped who she is today. Katherine shares her unfiltered take on feminism, aging, and identity from her early years navigating beauty standards and working at Hooters, to embracing her femininity and her candid thoughts on getting surgery without shame. She speaks openly about her parenting choices, including co-sleeping, early potty training, and raising her children in a way that challenges convention. The conversation dives into the emotional complexity of family life, including Katherine’s experience brokering her parents’ divorce at 15, her mother’s influence, and the story behind the face lift she gifted her. She also reflects on rekindling love with her high school sweetheart, and how their shared small-town values created an unexpected foundation for her family today. With trademark wit and remarkable vulnerability, Katherine Ryan invites us into her world, a space where contradictions coexist, shame is optional, and motherhood, feminism, and identity are all up for redefinition. 👉 Follow us on Instagram: @beginagain 🎥 Watch more on TikTok: @beginagainpod 00:00 Intro 00:32 Who Is Katherine Ryan? 00:59 Embracing Femininity and Feminism 03:09 Why Turning 40 Is Actually Great 06:19 Oversharing, Shame, and Owning Your Story 08:41 Protecting Children on Social Media 11:05 Katherine on Her Parents and Childhood 14:31 Learning to Stop Caring What Others Think 16:23 Dealing With Offense, Annoying People, and Growing Thick Skin 19:41 How Katherine Brokered Her Parents' Divorce at 15 25:59 Single Motherhood and Spoiling Her Kids 30:39 Do Parents Really Have a Favourite Child? 31:43 Ancient & Brave Ad 32:49 Reuniting With Her High School Sweetheart 42:36 Working at Hooters: The Untold Story 48:47 Starting Stand-Up at 20 and Being a Woman in Comedy 55:43 Misogyny, the Patriarchy, Plastic Surgery, and Self-Love 01:05:06 Inside Katherine’s Parenting Style 01:14:33 Working in British Television 01:21:28 What Legacy Does Katherine Ryan Want to Leave? Sponsored by: Ancient + Brave - https://ancientandbrave.earth/pages/p... and use code BEGINAGAIN for 20% off your order Sync ID: MB01VOQHXCMVZZP