The Parenting Lab (Help for the Healing Parent)

Ever lie awake after a hard parenting moment thinking, Why did I react like that when I know better? If part of you wants to be calm and connected, but another part wants to shut down, snap, or walk away - you’re not broken. You’re experiencing inner conflict, and there’s a reason it shows up so powerfully in parenting. In this episode we explore Parts Work for Parents - a compassionate, research-...

Click ⁠HERE⁠ to access Lab Three: AlignedYou know better - so why is it still so hard to change? If awareness was supposed to make things easier, why does healing sometimes feel more frustrating than before? In this episode, we’re talking about the part of growth no one prepares you for: the discouraging middle, where you know what isn’t working but don’t yet feel different. The stage where you’re...

What if the new year didn’t begin with pressure to fix yourself - but with permission to return to yourself? In this episode of The Parenting Lab , we explore a different way to begin the year by shifting from parenting resolutions to a deeper, more meaningful parenting vision. Instead of focusing on behavior change or perfection, this conversation invites you to slow down, release “fixing” energy...

As we close out 2025, I wanted to offer something different - not goals, not resolutions, not another list of things to fix - but a vision . In this final episode of the year, I want to share my vision for you as a parent and as a person. A vision rooted in healing, awareness, and the belief that meaningful change happens in small, gentle, everyday moments. We talk about what it looks like to rele...

As we near the end of 2025, I've been spending some time reflecting on how far I've come in my parenting, so... In today’s episode, I’m sharing three quotes that genuinely changed the way I parent. Not in a dramatic, overnight way... more like those quiet little truths that settle in, speak to something real inside you, and slowly shift how you show up. We talk about: • Why gentleness is actually...

🎄🕎✨In Part Two of How to Holiday , we move beyond boundaries and expectations and step into the heart of the holiday season: meaning . Together, we explore how rituals and traditions help anchor our kids, regulate our nervous systems, and bring us back to what actually matters. Instead of chasing “magic,” we talk about creating moments that feel aligned, sustainable, and emotionally true for yo...

This week on The Parenting Lab, we’re kicking off a two-part series called How to Holiday - and Part One is all about the thing most parents struggle with the most during this season: boundaries and expectations. The holidays are beautiful, but they are also a lot . Extra noise, extra pressure, family dynamics, invisible labor, unspoken rules - all of it gets louder in November and December. And i...

For access to the courses in The Parenting Lab Transformed Series, visit ⁠TheParentingLab.org Parenting is the only job we’re expected to know how to do - with absolutely no training. We’re handed children, a lifetime of conditioning, and an endless list of responsibilities… and then we wonder why it feels so hard to parent with intention, patience, and emotional regulation. In this episode of The...

Are you burned out in your parenting? In this episode of The Parenting Lab, we’re exploring the six types of burnout in parenting - mental, emotional, physical, social, spiritual, and reconnection burnout - and the subtle ways they show up long before we realize we’re running on empty. You’ll learn how to recognize the early signs of burnout, why it’s not a reflection of failure but of effort , an...

If you’ve ever tried to teach your child a lesson while they were melting down - and wondered why it didn’t work - this episode is for you. 💛 We’re unpacking one of the most powerful shifts in parenting: help first, teach later . Because here’s the truth: you cannot comfort and correct at the same time. When emotions are high, your child’s brain can’t learn. What they need in that moment isn’t a...

We say “love” all the time - I love my kids, I love my dog, I love sushi. But is love really enough to sustain our closest relationships? In this week’s episode of The Parenting Lab, we’re exploring a truth that might surprise you: love is the easy part. What’s harder is how we live that love out. From truly knowing the people we care about, to allowing growth and change, to challenging and holdin...

🔬Download Lab Three: Aligned In this episode of The Parenting Lab , we’re unpacking two tiny words that carry enormous weight in our parenting journey: “I Am” vs. “Am I?” On the surface, they look almost the same. But in reality, they shape everything - our confidence, our motivation, even how our nervous system responds in the hardest moments of parenting. “Am I a good mom? Am I enough?” These q...

Click ⁠ HERE ⁠ for your Free Bedtime Connection Guide! Bedtime isn’t just about getting kids to sleep - it’s one of the most powerful parenting tools you have! In this episode of The Parenting Lab , we’re talking about the surprising secret to building stronger connections with your kids of any age: tucking them in. I’ll share the science behind bedtime routines, five powerful benefits of those la...

In this episode of The Parenting Lab , we dive into the heavy, invisible “shoulds” that keep parents trapped in guilt and self-judgment. I share five things I no longer feel guilty about - and how letting go of these rules has transformed my parenting, my relationships, and my own sense of freedom. We explore: How to be honest and share your feelings with your kids without projecting emotional res...

Have you ever looked at your child - whether they’re a toddler, a teen, or a grown adult - and wondered, “Did I miss my chance? Is it too late to change?” In this powerful episode of The Parenting Lab , I’m unpacking one of the most common and painful questions parents ask: Is it too late to change myself… and my relationship with my kids? We’ll explore: Why it’s never too late to transform your t...

Download the FREE Core Values Worksheet Do you ever find yourself stuck in a thought loop - rehashing the same scenarios, worries, or “what ifs” over and over again? In this episode of The Parenting Lab , we’re talking about why our thoughts spiral out of control and what you can do to stop it. You’ll learn: Why spiraling happens in the brain and nervous system How thought loops keep us stuck in s...

✨ Don’t forget: Grab your free ⁠ Core Values worksheet ⁠ to help you define what’s most important in your parenting. Lately it feels like every week a new parenting style is trending - gentle parenting, conscious parenting, empowered parenting, permissive, free-range, helicopter, tiger… even FAFO parenting. The labels alone can spark big feelings: curiosity, defensiveness, judgment, or confusion....

Have you ever felt like you’ve disappeared since becoming a parent? In this episode of The Parenting Lab , we dive deep into the experience of parental invisibility - that quiet loss of identity that happens when we’re seen only as “Mom,” “Dad,” or “the one who keeps everything running.” We’ll explore: Why parents often feel unseen in their partnerships and by their children The Invisibility Wound...

Here’s the truth: most of what we call self-care isn’t care at all - it’s self-maintenance. And while maintenance matters (yes, get your sleep, eat well, do the laundry), it’s not the same thing as the practices that actually bring you back to life. In this episode, I’m breaking down the real difference between self-care and self-maintenance, and why it matters more than you think. We’ll talk abou...

Start your own healing journey with The Transformed Series !In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Madison to talk about her journey through the healing process: awareness → healing → transformation . Even though she’s not a parent yet, the principles of this work have had a huge impact on her relationships with her parents, siblings, and the people closest to her. Madison shares how defining h...

Parenting isn’t black and white - but most of us were taught to believe it is. We think we have to pick a side: calm or chaotic, grateful or overwhelmed, loving motherhood or struggling through it. This “either/or” thinking is a lie - and it’s quietly sabotaging our ability to be present, connected, and compassionate parents. In this episode of The Parenting Lab , I share why contradictory feeling...

Download the ⁠FREE Surrender & Boundaries Toolkit⁠ Lab Four: Connected Lab Five: Regulated Surrender is one of the hardest - and most transformative - skills we can learn as parents, partners, and humans. But let’s be clear: surrender is not the same as giving up or giving in. It’s an intentional choice to release our grip on control, pride, or old survival rules so we can respond from a place...

We were never meant to parent alone. In this episode, we’re talking about the power of community - and why having a village matters more than ever in the parenting journey. From the historical roots of shared caregiving to the modern-day reality of parenting in isolation, we explore how to build (or rebuild) a support system that truly sustains you. I share personal stories of what my village look...

Ever wondered how to actually repair after you mess up with your kids? In this episode of The Parenting Lab , we’re exploring one of the most essential (and overlooked) skills in parenting: how to say “I’m sorry” in a way that truly heals. You’ll learn why the typical “Say you’re sorry” approach falls flat, and get a step-by-step guide to meaningful repair - the kind that builds trust, models emot...

As conscious parents, it’s easy to spiral into guilt after a hard moment with our kids - especially when we’re trying to break generational cycles. In this episode, we explore How to tell the difference between trauma and everyday parenting stress. What trauma actually is (from a nervous system and attachment perspective) How to recognize when repair is enough, and How to stop parenting from fear....