SYPM 010: From Anxious Overwhelm to Optimistic Calm

In this Sharing Your Parenting Mojo episode we hear from listener Anne, who has been in my Parenting Membership for a year now.  In our conversation we discussed the anxiety she used to feel about every aspect of parenting, including the things she wanted to teach her son to do (Spanish! Coding!) and how she interacted with both him and with her husband.   She actually joined the Parenting Membership to learn how to become the perfect parent, and I'm sorry to say that I failed as her teacher/guide in that regard.  She is not a perfect parent (and neither am I), but she is now a perfectly good enough parent, and has been able to relax into her relationship with her son because of that.   I hope you enjoy this raw, vulnerable conversation where Anne reflects on the changes she has made in her life over the last year.   Jump to highlights 03:44 Introduction to the episode and guest Anne 04:55 The values Anne wanted to build her parenting around 06:00 Why Anne joined the membership: wanting to be the "perfect parent" 08:08 The tipping point: anxiety, exhaustion, and what it was costing her 12:36 Standing up to her mother about a comment for the first time 15:36 A breakthrough during a three-week visit: naming childhood trauma around toys 18:38 Letting go of "perfect parent" pressure and reconnecting with her son 21:36 Anne's one piece of wisdom: change ripples outward from yourself