Interview: Elysia Rotaru on Her Parenting Podcast ‘You Did It!’

Actress, producer, and voiceover artist Elysia Rotaru’s new podcast YOU DID IT! aims to help parents and caregivers cut through the bulls#*t while discussing gadgets, gear, goodies, and guidance. With topics like self-care, adjusting to parenthood, weighted sleepsacks, and infant swimming, the podcast offers a wide range of useful conversations.

I recently had the chance to ask Rotaru a few questions about the podcast, why she decided to start it in the first place, and what listeners can look forward to with upcoming episodes.

Eulalie Magazine: Tell me a little bit about why you decided to start your podcast, You Did It!

Elysia Rotaru: As I was heading down this new journey — and still am on it — I think the biggest thing I wanted to do was help share the things that have been working for my family and pay it forward.

I had a lot of friends, who were having kids — or were around kids, or going to a baby shower, or a birthday party, etc, reaching out for advice and intel. And rather than having one-on-one conversations with people all the time about the same stuff over and over, I thought it would be maybe more fun to share it all in a podcast, but then also have the podcast be a place of information and learning for myself and others.

Plus, I thought it would be a really great way to meet other people and also maybe learn some things for myself and my family, and of course, gain advice for future experiences.

Eulalie Magazine: What audiences are you hoping to reach?

Rotaru: The show is great for anyone who is in a caregiver position, for those that aren’t parents yet, but are around kids a lot or those helping support parents in their orbit. It’s also really great for those that just don’t have kids or don’t want kids but have friends that do. It’s also great for the grandparents.

The conversations that I’m having with people now are important because times are changing, and have changed, especially with the way kids are being raised and nurtured and cultivated in this time. So pretty much it’s great for everyone, kids included.

Eulalie Magazine: I know part of the podcast’s goal is to “help cut through the bulls#*t.” What do you mean by that, exactly?

Rotaru: I’m not sure if you have kids or not, but if you do, you know exactly what I’m saying here. But for
those who might not resonate with that statement yet, there is a lot of bulls#*t out there in terms of how information is brought to the public, and there is a lot of information just about parenting being spewed at you all the time.

So I’m actually talking to quite a few experts to help possibly debunk any weird stuff we might see on social media (or just information that maybe doesn’t resonate with the times anymore), but also to bestow some truth and grounding, so we don’t feel too bombarded.

Plus, there’s also a lot of crap out there in terms of things you really might not need as a parent that everyone is trying to sell you on, which I totally understand because, as a new parent, you can easily get swept up in buying so much s@#$ for your kid and yourself. And it could be a lot of fun, but then, at the end of the day, you might be looking around your house, thinking, “Omg, why do I have so much S@#$ in my house that I don’t use?”

I’ve had the pleasure to work with a few brands so far that I’ve really vibed with, and love to share that information with people. But of course, to each their own. And each family has to do all the work for themselves. But through my journey so far, I found really amazing things that I think could help benefit a lot of families and parents.

I’m sure these pieces of information have already been circled through before by other people already with shows and podcasts. I mean, we’ve been having babies for thousands and thousands of years, so I feel like a lot of the stuff that I’m finding not only throws back to super foundational things, but also helps us maintain sanity in the century that we’re in.

Eulalie Magazine: The first episode with David Heil is so interesting. What did you learn from talking to him, specifically?

Rotaru: Well, the thing about David is not just what I learned from talking to him, but also from having our kid enrolled in his classes for the good part of the year. So being around him and watching him work with the kids taught me a lot. My babe went from being able to float before she could walk and then float, turn over, and swim to the edges of the pool stairs before she was two years old. It was so beautiful to see her learn and put it all together!

I think what was the most shocking thing that I heard from David is how many deaths are caused by drowning, and how it can really be prevented in a way. With the biggest part being the safety of having a ‘water watcher’ around all the time. And I think one of the biggest threats to that is probably having a cell phone in your hand, trolling social media poolside, or being around other distractions when you are watching kids. They really must be your main focus.

Eulalie Magazine: What are some of the other things you’ve learned through doing the podcast that have helped you with your own parenting journey?

Rotaru: There’s been a lot of people that I’ve met so far who have given me some great information for future instances, as my child gets older. One of them is just being more understanding of the neurological side of things, and understanding how our child’s brain and hormones work at certain stages of their life. I’m a total geek like that and for some reason, knowing that helps me help her a lot better, and then putting it into action in those ‘big’ trying moments.

But honestly, the biggest thing that I’ve taken away, is that my husband and I are doing pretty well at the parenting thing, and we have to keep reminding ourselves of that.

And that sometimes what we see on social media could be inspiring, but also a gentle reminder for it to f@#$ off, because every household is different and every parenting style is different, and people have to really remember not to compare themselves to others. And you are doing great!

Oh, and listen to your intuition! You know your child better than anyone. Tap in and trust that.

Also, really make sure that you’re taking care of yourself as a parent. Your kids watch everything you do, so for me, I like to be a good role model for my child, so that she sees that I am nourishing myself, mind, body, and spirit, and trying to still have fun in my life amongst all the chaos.

Eulalie Magazine: What other guests can listeners look forward to? Who are you most looking forward to speaking with?

Rotaru: I have some amazing experts coming up on the podcast talking to us about neuroscience and child development. As well as sleep, sleep training, nurturing, pre-postnatal care, and, of course, some amazing people within the parenting community that are offering wonderful services.

And, I’m so stoked to say that I have a pretty well-known podcaster coming on who, I think, has the number one mom podcast out there, and she was a blast to talk to. I can’t wait to share that.

I have so many other guests coming up that I can’t even begin to tell you how cool they are, so the best thing to do is to tune in weekly on Tuesdays, wherever you listen to podcasts, and then also give us a follow on our Instagram account, @youdidit_thepodcast.

Eulalie Magazine: Are you working on any other projects at the moment?

Rotaru: Yeah, actually, I have a really abundant and prosperous voiceover and on-camera career, and I have a few video games that are coming out in 2024. And this past summer, a movie came out on Tubi called Deadly Midwife that you can still watch starring Jessica Lowndes and myself.

I have also started producing more over the last year so I’m gonna be jumping onto some projects in the future. My short film that I co-produced, alongside my production partner Stephen Sawchuk, is going to be seen by the world in 2024. It’s called Hell is a Teenage Girl. Stay tuned on my social media as to where you can watch that.

Eulalie Magazine: Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Rotaru: Honestly, I’m just grateful for your time. And it would just be really lovely if everyone could tune into the podcast, give it a like, review, rating, share it, download it, and feel free to give us a follow on Instagram at @youdidit_thepodcast. You can also follow me @ElysiaRotaru.

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Ashley Bissette Sumerel

Ashley is the Editor-in-Chief of Eulalie Magazine. Favorite Movies: Sunset Boulevard, Garden State, Modern Times. Favorite TV Shows: Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Grey's Anatomy. Favorite Books: Interview with the Vampire, Dracula, City of Glass.