173. Why Motherhood Feels So Triggering and What Your Inner Child Has to Do With It with Lavinia Brown

Register today for The FREE Busy Working Mom's Blueprint Summit** - January 19th-26th** Some of the hardest moments in motherhood aren't about our children at all. They're about parts of us that never felt fully safe, seen, or supported, and get awakened by the intensity of caregiving.   In this episode of Electric Ideas, Whitney sits down with inner child healing expert Lavinia Brown to explore why motherhood can stir up so much guilt, overwhelm, and reactivity, and why those responses often have roots far deeper than the present moment. What looks like irritation over a spilled drink or a standoff about screen time may actually reflect an old emotional pattern surfacing in a nervous system that's already stretched thin.   Together, Whitney and Lavinia examine how unhealed parts of ourselves can quietly shape our parenting, why adding more strategies without tending to our inner world often keeps us stuck in the same cycles, and what it means to meet ourselves with compassion instead of defaulting to self-criticism. They unpack how many of the behaviors that drain mothers today were once effective survival strategies in childhood, and how becoming a parent can reactivate them if we're not aware.   Lavinia explains why you don't need a single, obvious trauma for inner child work to matter, how triggers often signal unmet needs or unprocessed experiences, and why moments of rupture with our children don't define us. What matters most is repair: honest, regulated repair that teaches children big feelings don't break relationships and that connection can be restored.   The conversation also names the double standard many mothers carry around anger and emotional expression, explores why pushback from children isn't inherently a problem to fix, and offers grounded guidance for caring for yourself after a moment you wish had gone differently. It's a conversation about breaking cycles, nervous system awareness, and reclaiming motherhood as a space for growth rather than constant self-judgment.   Press play if you're ready to stop blaming yourself for the hard moments and start understanding what they're really pointing to.   In this episode, we explore: How inner child work shapes the way we show up as mothers Why you don't need a capital T trauma for this work to be meaningful Seeing our reactions as information rather than personal failure What to do after you react in a way you regret How to have a repair conversation that builds trust instead of shame The double standard around anger for moms versus dads Why pushback and defiance from kids can actually be healthy Reflection question to ponder: How old is the part of me that's feeling this way?   Learn more about 1:1 coaching with Whitney - book a 15-minute Spark Session   Connect with Whitney: Instagram l Website l 5 Days to Less Stress, More Satisfaction l Tend to Your Soul Toolkit l 10 Soulful Journaling Prompts | Electric Ideas Podcast   Connect with Lavinia: Instagram | Website | Facebook | Podcast: Becoming Untriggered