The Cost of Always Being On with Lizzie Assa, MS Ed

What happens when toxic productivity reaches childhood?As parents, many of us feel pressure to enrich, entertain, supervise, and optimize every moment of our children's lives – all while navigating the demands of work, family, and everything else competing for our attention.In this episode, Sara sits down with parenting coach, educator, founder of The Workspace for Children, and writer behind one of Substack's most popular parenting publications, Lizzie Assa, MS Ed. A former teacher with a master's degree in education from Bank Street College, former Head of Play and Development at Lalo, author of But I'm Bored!, and mother of three, Lizzie has spent years helping parents better understand how children learn, grow, and develop.Together, they explore what happens when our discomfort with boredom, uncertainty, and unstructured time spills into the way we parent—and why creating more space to explore, experiment, and become may be one of the most important gifts we can give both children and ourselves.They discuss how our ability to trust our children is often connected to our ability to trust ourselves, what both children and adults gain when every moment doesn't have a purpose, and why achievement culture may be shaping childhood in ways we rarely stop to question.In this episode:• Why boredom has become so uncomfortable for modern adults• The connection between trusting yourself and trusting your child• What parents get back when children learn to play independently• What we gain when every moment doesn't have a purpose• Why not every hobby needs to become an achievement track• How achievement culture shapes the way we work, live, and parent• How play, curiosity, and experimentation shape a meaningful life• Building a career around education, creativity, and familyWhether you're raising young children, navigating a demanding career, or simply questioning the pressure to always be productive, Lizzie's perspective is both practical and deeply refreshing.Episode links:Substack: theworkspaceforchildren.substack.comWebsite: www.workspaceforchildren.comBook: But I’m Bored! available on Amazon and wherever books are sold: https://www.amazon.com/But-Bored-Independent-Confident-Resilient/dp/B0F4QDZKHT******⭐️ Follow The Mothers and leave a 5-star review if this resonated💬 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it📱 Join The Mothers on Instagram @themotherspod✍️ Subscribe to Sara's Substack for reflections on life, work, meaning & motherhood💼 Find Sara on LinkedInThe Mothers is a production of Backline Media.