Less Drama More Mama

Just before the pandemic hit, Susan started her own event planning business. So, when no one was traveling or planning events anymore, she found herself stuck in a victim mentality and no longer feeling good about herself and her life. When she reached out to me, she was feeling angry, resentful, out of control, and powerless. She hesitantly, but bravely made the decision to invest in herself and...

Katie reached out to me last summer, right before returning to her job as a Kindergarten teacher. She was in the middle of a divorce after 16 years of marriage, had 3 young kids, and felt completely stuck when it came to rebuilding her life as a single mom. Katie started referring to herself as "Katie 2.0" about three months into our coaching because her transformation was so striking. Tune into t...

This episode is a bit more personal than most. I share about two experiences of mine when I've had what I refer to as "Mama Meltdowns." My hope in sharing these experiences with you is that you'll feel less alone/ashamed/defeated, you'll stop judging yourself so harshly, and you'll have ideas for how to move on after a Mama Meltdown of your own.

A strong connection is the foundation of a great parent-child relationship. So, how do you stay connected when you sense your kids emotionally distancing themselves from you? When they physically move away from you? What do you do when they show little to no interest in spending time with you because they'd rather be with their friends or on their devices? In this episode, I share about my own eff...

As moms, we're very familiar with the importance of physical safety for our kids. Even before they're born, we make sure to buy the safest car seats, high chairs, and cribs we can afford, we baby proof our homes as soon as they're able to crawl, and we attend to every scrape, rash, and fever vigilantly. But what about emotional safety? There's far too little information and training for parents wh...

If you're anything like me, connecting with your kids feels effortless when things are going well – when your kids are following your expectations, everyone's in a good mood, and everyone wants to be together. It's all those other times in the day or week when connection can feel challenging: when they don't cooperate, when they talk back, when you're trying to get that project for work finished b...

You might think of unconditional love as a gift you give your kids. But in reality, it's a gift you give yourself. When you choose to feel unconditional love, you're the one who benefits. Your kids don't feel your love, only you do. But when you show up in a loving way, they'll be more likely to experience love, too. Tune into today's episode to learn more about loving your child unconditionally....

You've probably heard the advice to make family dinners a priority. In my experience, moms either run themselves ragged living up to a perfectionist standard, or they feel guilty and defeated when they don't. Tune in to today's episode to get practical advice and lots of resources to help you make family mealtimes easier and more enjoyable for everyone.

Are you an emotional eater? Do you use food to numb out so you don't have to deal with feelings of stress, overwhelm, boredom, or frustration? My guest on today's episode lost 85 pounds, but she did it through shaming herself and restricting her diet. Through life coaching, Alison Cady learned how maintain her goal weight without beating herself up, cutting out her favorite foods, or following a s...

When I was a little girl, my mother told me, "Mommies don't get sick." And I believed her. Little did I know, my mother did get sick, but she just kept going no matter how miserable she felt. Can you relate? If you've ever felt guilty for slowing down to take care of yourself, this episode is for you. https://lessdramamoremama.com/179

Do you expect your kids to follow rules that you're not willing to follow yourself? Do you sometimes have a "do as I say, not as I do" attitude? Yeah, me too. 😕 In this episode, I shine a light on some areas where I've engage in hypocritical parenting and where you might be, too. Then, I encourage you to choose one of those areas and commit to being an example of the kind of person you want your...

How do you want to feel a year from now, at the end of 2022? Why do you imagine you'd feel that way? What will be different? In this episode, I'll share the key to getting what you want sooner, so you don't have to wait a whole year to feel the way you want. https://lessdramamoremama.com/177

It's that time of year when people are thinking about New Year's resolutions and how they want next year to be different. But before you start looking to the future and where you want to go, it's important to look at the past year and see how far you've come. Not many moms take the time to do this. They spend their energy focused on what isn't working and what they still have left to do to achieve...

If you want to do better in the new year -- to stop yelling so much, be more present with your kids, and get more done in less time and with less stress, you need a plan and you need support. Many moms have a practice for maintaining or improving their physical health. They understand the importance of taking care of their bodies and strengthening their muscles so they can stay in physical shape a...

Do you know the Saboteurs who live in the survival region of your brain? They're the ones who lie to you and tell you something's wrong with you and/or your kids. They keep you from doing what you say you want to do, like sticking to your limits and staying calm. They convince you that you can't handle life's challenges, and you shouldn't bother trying. In this episode, I'll introduce you to the t...

The New Year is often a time when people set goals related to their physical fitness. But what about their mental fitness? Is there even such a thing? The answer is YES! In this episode, I share what mental fitness is, why it's vital for living a better life, and how to strengthen your mental muscles in 2022. https://lessdramamoremama.com/174

Every parent – whether they realize it or not – has ideas about the kinds of adults they hope their kids will become. And although we can't control the choices our kids make as they get older, we can certainly try to influence them. In this episode, I share how to identify which values to teach your kids, different ways of teaching them, and the most challenging (but probably the most important) s...

Knowing and understanding your personal values is the first step in passing them along to your kids. In this episode, I walk you through a series of five questions to help you get clear about your values and turn them into action. When your actions align with your values, you'll feel grounded, centered, and connected to yourself, because you'll be living with a sense of meaning and purpose based o...

As moms, we often think we're supposed to have all the answers. We're supposed to tell our kids what to do because we know better as adults. But what if that's not true? What if, instead, we're supposed to ask our kids great questions to help them figure out their own answers? Join me for this episode, where I give examples of great questions you can ask your kids...starting today! https://lessdra...

It has long been believed that college is the best option after high school to prepare kids and set them up for career success and financial security. Now, the rising cost of college tuition is forcing many families to reconsider this belief and question whether a four-year degree makes sense for their teens. My guest on this episode is Education Coach and Consultant, Stephanie Haynes. She provide...

Courage isn't the ability to do something without fear. It's the ability to do something despite fear. Courageous people feel fear, but they don't let it stop them from taking action. As moms, we experience a lot of fear that holds us back from doing what we know is effective. When we can accept that fear is just part of our job description and doesn't necessarily signal danger, we can feel it and...

I believe that kids have a better chance of school success when parents and teachers work together as a team. After all, kids probably spend more of their waking hours involved with school than they spend at home, so it's important to build positive relationships with the people who are with them all of those hours every day. Several years ago, and then again this year, I asked my teacher friends...

While it's normal for every child to struggle socially from time to time, it can be difficult when it's your own kids who feels left out. You might feel compelled to protect them and take immediate action by calling the school or the offending child's parents. You might be quick to assume your kids are at fault, and ask how they brought on the problem themselves. As always, the best course of acti...

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an estimated 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experienced mental illness in 2019 (pre-pandemic!) and approximately 48 million adults in the U.S. are diagnosed annually with anxiety disorders. The most common treatment for anxiety focuses on uncovering unhealthy thought patterns and understanding how they relate to feelings and behavior. Sound familiar...

Conflict with your kids is inevitable. But the way you handle conflict either helps or hinders your relationships with them. In this episode, I introduce the concept of the Conflict Escalator to help you become more aware of what actions (and reactions) make a conflict better or worse, and whether you're contributing to, or contaminating, your relationships. https://lessdramamoremama.com/165