Mama's Gonna Make It

Some parenting moments stretch you to your limits—and others stretch you past them. In this episode, Sarabeth and Anne get real about the challenges that push us to grow: bedtime standoffs, running out of parenting strategies in the heat of the moment, and juggling alone time, family time, and adult time without losing our minds. Anne also shares how PCIT (Parent-Child Interaction Therapy) has exp...

Okay but… what even is occupational therapy?! In this juicy and joyfully neurospicy episode, Anne and Sarabeth sit down with Jess Irvin-Spears (OT and founder of MoonBeam Therapies Clinic) to break it all down, complete with tangents and zero shame, as we embrace the chaotic magic of neurodivergent brains info-swapping! We cover: The basics of OT (spoiler: it’s not just handwriting and fine motor!...

In this tender episode about navigating grief, Sarabeth and Anne open up about their own recent experiences with loss. Guided by the insights of Brené Brown’s Atlas of the Heart, we discuss different types of grief and how grief is most often associated with death, but in reality, we grieve the loss of many things we love, including missed opportunities, unmet expectations, relationships, careers,...

We are thrilled to host Emily Hughes, a Conscious Parenting Coach and founder of Finding Flow Parenting, from across the pond in East London. Emily works with parents (1:1 and with co-parents) who feel stuck in frustration, overwhelm and conflict to find more ease and flow in family life. She empowers parents to stay centred and grounded, to improve their communication skills, emotional intelligen...

In this episode, we take some time to reflect on our first season of Mama’s Gonna Make It and our excitement for the season ahead! We return to some questions we asked each other in the first-ever episode, questions like “What about this venture scares you?” We reflect on our own growth as facilitators and friends, and we explore some of the collaborative background work that we do to make every e...

In this episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, we set out to learn from each other—and ourselves. From timers to labels to avoiding the infamous “doom bag,” we’re sharing the ADHD-friendly hacks that help keep our chaotic brains just a little more on track. 🧠 Life Hacks We Love: Make things visible –  Out of sight, out of mind is real. Label everything – Future You will thank you. Use timer...

She’s back! In our second conversation with author, educator, and mom Lily Rosene, we explore her resilient journey of becoming a mother- one that didn’t follow the script. From spontaneous pre-term labor at 30 weeks to supporting her baby in the NICU, Lily opens up about her real, raw experience navigating a different entry to motherhood than she planned for. We talk about those first weeks...

This week on Mama’s Gonna Make It , we’re getting lit (literally!) with local children’s book author, award-winning former high school English teacher, and literacy advocate Lily Rosene ! Join us as we dive into all things reading: sparking joy, building lifelong habits, and how literacy can shape connection, curiosity, and confidence in our kids. We talk about: 📚 What made Lily fall in love with...

Welcome to our very first Book-Ish Segment! Anne and Sarabeth—lifelong readers and narrative nerds—have been itching to dedicate an episode to the joy, function, and nuances of reading. In this conversation, we dive into our personal relationships with books: what we read, how we read, and how those habits have shifted over time. Of course, sitting in our life experiences as moms we also touch on...

In this rich and reflective episode, we welcome back our friend Thao Nguyen to talk about love in all its complexity. From the 7 types of Greek love to the Buddhist concept of metta (loving kindness, compassion, equanimity, and joy), we discuss love in many forms. Within that conversation, we explore how naming our emotions helps us understand and navigate them. We talk about anger—where it comes...

In this inspiring episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It , we’re joined by the radiant and multi-talented Thao Nguyen —performer, coach, director, actor, traveler, and all-around incredible human. Together, we dive into the language of music , its healing power, and how group singing and sound practices can ground us in community and calm. We explore how music and mindfulness can soothe our “monkey mind”...

In this powerful episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It , we’re joined by Karon McKinney—stepmom to a grown child, community builder, co-founder of Siren Series Jazz, and Trauma Resilience Trainer through the Center for Trauma Resilient Communities. Karon shares her perspective on the joys and some of the challenges of step-parenting a beloved now-adult child, as well as her expertise on the topic of tra...

In this week’s special episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It , Anne, Sarabeth, and Producer Tim sit down with two truly inspiring guests, Roseann Calabritto —neuroscientist, grandparent, academic, and fellow neurospicy mama, and the one and only Karen McKinney — Advocate and Trauma Resilience Train the Trainer, step-mom to a full-grown kiddo, community builder, and co-founder of Siren Series Jazz. ...

In this week’s episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, Sarabeth and Anne sit down with an inspiring guest: Roseann Calabritto, a neuroscientist, grandparent, and fellow neurospicy mama navigating academia and family. Producer Tim is along for the ride as we dive into a conversation that bridges science, lived experience, and a whole lot of curiosity. We talk about what it means to be a “grandfam”, balanc...

In this heartfelt episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, cohosts Anne and Sarabeth dive into the power of vulnerability with Producer Tim and explore the beauty of building authentic connections. We reflect on how grateful we are for you—our listeners—who continue to show up, share your stories, and let us know when something resonates. Your responses remind us that we’re not alone (and neither are you)...

We’re popping into your feed with a little bonus episode—because why not? Anne and Sarabeth chat about the funny (and slightly suspicious) things kids do, like imaginary friends from outer space who  just happen  to have birthdays. They also dive into the unique (and often hilarious) ways kids interpret the world—like Anne’s experience with Sunday School boogeymonsters. Producer Tim shar...

Whitney Hsu joined us again for a fun and heartfelt friend chat where we talked about some of our recent growing edges! Anne reflected on the release of Episode 2, “Mom Guilt,” which served as both a humorous and humbling reminder of growth and gratitude. Whitney laid down some wisdom around the importance of allowing people to love us via tangible care. Tim shared memories from his triple bypass...

For our first-ever guest episode, we’re joined by Whitney Hsu (@hsumanityreads) to chat about parenting kids with ADHD, recognizing certain traits in ourselves and our partners, and the power of labels—when they help, when they hurt, and why they matter. We also dive into excuses vs. reasons, what true fairness really means, and why deadlines (even the ones we make up) can actually work in our fav...

In this episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It , we’re unpacking the complicated relationship we have with routines—how do they help us, do our kids need them, and how do we make them work in a way that supports our lives without feeling constricted? We dive into the accommodations and coping mechanisms we’ve learned along the way, from structuring our days to trying to embrace flexibility when things do...

Are you a meticulous planner, someone who goes with the flow, or a bit of both? In this episode, Anne, Sarabeth, and producer Tim explore the joys of planning—and the challenges that arise when things don’t go as expected. Anne dreams of being more spontaneous but finds herself deeply attached to her plans. Sarabeth envisions the future as a multiverse of infinite, semi-planned possibilities—struc...

In Episode 7, Anne introduced a personal challenge in her journey of self-growth and motherhood: shifting from survival mode to endurance mode—and ultimately, from simply enduring life to truly enjoying it. In this episode, we dive deeper into that transition, exploring the rough, raw edges of the privilege that is parenting. Anne shares how self-care and intentionality helped flip the switch towa...

In this go-with-the-flow episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, Sarabeth, Anne, and Producer Tim take an unexpected dive into the world of names. Anne finally learns Sarabeth’s name, and they all laugh over the name change process (quite a feat for anyone to navigate, but we assert it’s especially challenging as a person with ADHD). From there, the conversation turns tender as they share the stories beh...

After much discussion, we have concluded that “Gentle Parenting” is a misleading name for a parenting approach that emphasizes a child’s personhood while also upholding boundaries and following through with predictable consequences. In this episode, we explore what gentle parenting really means—validating emotions, setting limits, and implementing consequences with respect. We also share our perso...

In this sincere episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It , we take inspiration from the lyrics of Dear Theodosia by Lin-Manuel Miranda and the children’s book The Breaking News by Sarah Lynn Reul to explore the profound impact of world events and the news on our kids. We reflect on how differences in opinions about running the world often stem from a shared desire to create a safe, hopeful future for our c...

In this episode, we dive into the world of big feelings—ours, our kids’, and how we try to navigate it all with grace. We open up about the challenges of processing our own emotions while guiding our children through theirs and modeling a full spectrum of feelings while making it clear that they’re not responsible for carrying the weight of our adult stress or struggles. With humility, heart, and...