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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Comment
Arwa Mahdawi

What have I done? I forced my kid to listen to Usha Vance’s podcast - now she’s a fan

A woman in a blue dress smiles and stands in front of a microphone
‘If you can ignore the rank hypocrisy of the second lady talking about the joys of kids reading while the Trump administration bombs schoolchildren abroad … the podcast is pretty wholesome.’ Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

I know that child labour is generally frowned upon but, in this economy, sometimes you’ve got to put your kid to work. Last week I gave my four-year-old an important assignment: she had to watch all four episodes of Usha Vance’s new video podcast and provide a detailed review. Forty minutes later, her verdict was in: “I love it, mama.”

To be fair, my kid loves pretty much anything on a screen. Still, I didn’t hate Usha’s new children’s podcast either. Launched a couple of weeks ago, Storytime With the Second Lady is aimed at promoting literacy. In the first instalment, Usha reads The Tale of Peter Rabbit; in subsequent episodes, a celebrity guest reads their favourite book.

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