Council of Moms

Lisa Valentine Clark, Geraldine “G” Fitisemanu, Tammy Hall, and Julie Suazo tackle one of motherhood’s most endless realities: laundry. From Tide pods in glass jars and tiny laundry rooms to letting go of clothes your kids will never wear again, the Council of Moms share the systems, frustrations, and little victories that come with keeping up on the never-ending piles.

Teaching kids responsibility sounds good in theory until every chore turns into twenty follow-up questions. Lisa Valentine Clark, Ruth Aguirre, Whitney Call, and Emilie Campbell respond to a relatable parenting frustration: what do you do when your kids seem completely unable to problem solve on their own? From half-finished chores and ignored instructions to constantly answering questions kids co...

Feeling distant from your spouse doesn’t mean something is broken, it often means you’re both exhausted. Lisa Valentine Clark, Ruth Aguirre, Amy Hackworth, and Erika Price respond to a tender question about marriage feeling more like a partnership than a relationship after the demands of parenting take over. They share honest insights on why disconnection happens, why scrolling alone won’t truly r...

Wanting to raise kind kids sounds simple until you’re in the middle of sibling fights, eye rolls, and moments that don’t exactly scream “kindness.” Lisa, Emilie Campbell, Julie Suazo, and Michelle Love-Day share what it actually looks like to teach kindness in real, everyday life—from modeling it in your own reactions to helping kids practice empathy, even when it’s inconvenient.

Trying to give your kids every opportunity can start to feel like a full-time job, and an expensive one at that. Lisa, Whitney Call, Tammy Hall, and G Fitisemanu talk through the pressure to keep up with packed schedules, how to tell the difference between what’s actually beneficial and what’s just “what everyone else is doing,” and how they decide what’s worth the time (and money).

It’s an awkward moment when you realize your kids might be well-meaning but still missing some of the “unspoken” rules everyone else expects them to know. When those expectations start coming from extended family, it can feel equal parts frustrating and overwhelming. Lisa, Ruth Aguirre, Amy Hackworth, and Erika Price talk through the etiquette really matters and how to guide kids without making th...

Realizing your child might need extra support at school can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re not even sure what the next step is. Lisa, Emilie Campbell, Julie Suazo, and Michelle Love-Day talk through what an IEP actually looks like, how it’s different from a 504 plan, and what it means to work with your child’s school instead of feeling like you have to figure it out alone. They also ope...

Watching your child struggle to make friends can be heartbreaking, especially when they turn to you for help. Lisa, Whitney Call, Tammy Hall, and Geraldine “G” Fitisemanu share how to support kids, from building social skills to finding the right activities. They also talk through when to step in, when to hold back, and how to stay a safe place your child can turn to.

They swear they’ll feed it, walk it, clean up after it but will they actually follow through? When kids start begging for a pet, it can feel like a sweet milestone or a fast track to more stress. Lisa and her Council of Moms (Ruth Aguirre, Amy Hackworth, and Erika Price) weigh in on how to tell if kids are truly ready, what expectations to set before bringing an animal home, and some interesting w...

AI is everywhere and somehow our kids seem to understand it better than we do. When one mom wonders what parents our age are actually supposed to teach kids about AI (especially when they’re still figuring it out themselves), Lisa and her Council of Moms (Emilie Campbell, Julie Suazo, and Michelle Love-Day) share how to start the conversation, what kids really need to understand about AI, and how...

Allowance disappears. Venmo requests appear. And somehow that thing on TikTok Shop becomes a “need.” When one mom wonders how to raise teenagers who can actually support themselves someday (and maybe start spending their own money now) Lisa, Allison Dayton, Juhi Raizada, and Steffani Raff share their thoughts. They talk about teaching teens the value of work, setting boundaries around spending, an...

When the bickering never seems to stop and someone is always running to you in tears, it can feel impossible to know whether to step in or step back. Lisa is joined by Whitney Call, Julie Suazo, and Juhi Raizada to respond to a mom who’s caught between protecting her kids and wanting them to learn how to work things out on their own. From tattling to full-blown meltdowns, the moms share practical...

Everyone else seems to know about that free class, that program, or that community thing, and somehow you missed the memo. If you’ve ever wondered where all these magical resources are hiding, you’re not alone. Lisa and her council of moms, Geraldine “G” Fitisemanu, Erika Price, and Wendy Mar, talk about why parenting resources can feel so invisible, how moms actually find them, and where to start...

Parenting gurus love to say “just let it go,” but seldom do they get specific about what exactly you’re supposed to let go, or how to deal with the aftermath when you do. When letting everything go feels like letting your whole house fall apart, the Council steps in. Lisa and her Council of Moms-- Julie Taylor, Emilie Campbell, and Sunny Mahe talk honestly about holding firm to your principles and...

What do you when your child cuts ties with a loved one? What's the role of a parent when extended family relationships break down? Lisa Valentine Clark and the Council of Moms—Ruth Aguirre, Liz Palmer-Bastian, and Hilary Craner—take on one of the hardest parenting positions: being stuck in the middle. These moms talk honestly about navigating resentment, holding empathy for both sides, and the emo...

Do family goals ever actually work? Lisa Valentine Clark and the Council of Moms—Whitney Call, Tammy Hall, and Geraldine “G” Fitisemanu—tackle this question every parent has asked. With lots of laughs, plenty of very relatable goal-setting fails, and real-life stories, they dig into why goals fall apart, when it’s time to pivot, and how asking “why” can reveal what we’re really trying to accomplis...

Feeling overwhelmed by holiday chaos and expectations? You're not alone! Christmas magic, as it turns out, is a lot of work—especially for moms. Lisa Valentine Clark and the Council of Moms—Hilary Craner, Ruth Aguirre, and Liz Palmer-Bastian—get real about the challenges of project-managing family Christmases and memories, and how to prioritize your mental health and well-being without sacrificing...

Lisa and the Council of Moms--Dr. Juhi Raizada, Julie Suazo, and Whitney Call--talk about setting boundaries, delegating, and choosing appropriate milestones for kids to help boost their independence and save mom's sanity. They'll also talk strategies for couples to keep the load evenly divided so that everyone's needs are met.

Halloween is supposed to be fun, but for many parents, it can feel more like a haunted house of sugar highs, late nights, and expensive costumes. Lisa Valentine Clark and the Council of Moms—Geraldine “G” Fitisemanu, Erika Price, and Wendy Mar—share how they handle the chaos with humor and heart. From navigating candy with a child who has Type 1 diabetes, to deciding how old is too old to trick-or...

When chores turn into daily battles, how do you get kids to actually help without the endless reminders or frustration? Lisa and the Council of Moms—Julie Taylor, Emilie Campbell, and Sunny Mahe—share how they’ve learned to make chores a family effort instead of a fight. From dividing jobs by principle (not just convenience) to teaching accountability in everyday routines, they explore what it rea...

What happens when your child seems unfazed by consequences? Lisa Valentine Clark and the Council of Moms—Cree Taylor, Amy Hackworth, and Michelle Love-Day—talk about how to reset your approach. They share how to shift from punishment to purpose while finding ways for kids to connect their choices to meaningful learning.

With endless streaming options and constant new content, it can feel nearly impossible to keep up with what your kids are watching. Ruth Aguirre, Hilary Craner, and Liz Palmer-Bastian join Lisa on The Council of Moms to talk about teaching media literacy at home—how to help kids build their own filter for what’s appropriate, even when you can’t preview everything first.

Screens can be a lifesaver in some moments—but what happens when the habit has gotten bigger than you’d like? Lisa Valentine Clark and the Council of Moms—Whitney Call, Julie Suazo, and Juhi Raizada—take on the guilt so many parents feel about screen time. It’s easy to wonder if it’s already “too late” to change course once the precedent has been set, but the moms remind us that there are always w...

It’s easy to scroll through social media and feel like every other parent is doing it better—handling emotions, avoiding mistakes, and saying all the “right” things. So what do we do when we get it wrong? Lisa Valentine Clark and the Council of Moms—Geraldine “G” Fitisemanu, Erika Price, and Wendy Mar—open up about their own parenting missteps and what recovery really looked like. From overreactin...

Asking for help can feel tricky—especially when you worry about burdening others. Lisa and her Council of Moms—Emilie Campbell, Sunny Mahe, and Julie Taylor—open up about how to move past people-pleasing habits and embrace honesty with the people around you. From building a support system you can lean on, to offering service in return when you’re able, to learning that true friendship makes space...