Hope & Humor Podcast

Let’s talk parenting fails. The ones you replay in your head and wish you could redo. Kristina and her producer share their own personal stories of moments they consider parenting fails, read listener submissions, and remind us all that messing up doesn’t make you a bad parent. It makes you human. With Mother’s Day approaching, this is your reminder that your child doesn’t need perfection. They just need you.  

Life can surprise us in the worst ways: health scares, financial stress, grief and loss, relationship struggles, parenting challenges, mental health dips, and those seasons where everything feels uncertain all at once. How do we keep it from taking over everything? In this episode, Kristina shares what has helped her navigate unexpected chaos and hardships and reminds us not to allow the few things that are completely out of our control to control us completely.

Life can be hard, which is why the little things matter. In this episode, Kristina and her producer share fun family traditions that help create connection, bring laughter, and give the family something to look forward to. Kristina also shares creative traditions sent in by listeners, reminding us that joy can be found right in the middle of ordinary life.    

In this episode, Kristina talks about one of the heaviest things so many parents, especially moms, carry: guilt. The constant feeling that you’re not doing enough, not being enough, or completely screwing up. She unpacks how to tell the difference between guilt that can guide us and guilt that just drains us, why prioritizing ourselves is actually healthy for our kids, and how to start letting go of that suffocating guilt feeling. This is the conversation every "guilty" parent needs.

Supporting a child who is struggling with mental health can feel overwhelming, confusing, and at times, heartbreaking. In this episode, Kristina shares simple, everyday actions that helped her support her own son through depression, anxiety, and ADHD. From building trust to communicating in ways that help a child open up, this conversation offers practical, usable guidance.   She also explores how to navigate high-stress moments without escalating, communicate in ways that empower your child, and what it truly means to be a steady, safe presence when they need it most. If you’ve ever felt unsure what to say or do, this episode will help you feel more grounded, confident, and less alone.

Kristina sits down with her friend Amy for an honest, unfiltered conversation about the things no one warns women about when it comes to perimenopause and menopause. From lesser-known (and rarely discussed) symptoms to the emotional and mental shifts that can feel confusing or isolating, they shine a light on what so many women experience but few openly talk about. With humor, candor, and compassion, they explore the importance of advocating for yourself, nand finding the right kind of support. This episode is about feeling seen, less alone, and more empowered to navigate this stage of life on your own terms.

Kristina answers questions listeners have sent in. Should teenagers earn or be gifted a car? Should we be taking our child's phone away as a consequence? How to help a child who worries a lot? How to best support a friend whose teen is struggling? Creative ideas for bonding with your teen, and more.

A pediatrician, Dr Neela Sethi, with over two decades of experience shares whether parents should feel guilt about the thing things we so often feel guilty about, what actually matters, and how to thrive as a parent. You can find Dr Neela on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorneela/

Kristina opens up about something many of us are feeling but don’t always say out loud: life has been heavy lately. She shares honestly about her recent mental health struggles with depression and anxiety, what it’s looked like behind the scenes, and the small ways she’s been working through it. This conversation is a reminder that you’re not alone and you deserve all the help you can get. 

In this episode, we talk honestly about marriage - why many single women are losing interest in it, how the mental load in relationships often goes unshared, and what it takes to have a truly healthy partnership. Kristina also opens up about a season that nearly broke her marriage and what she and her husband did to heal their relationship. This episode is filled with practical, real-life tips for anyone who wants a healthier, more supportive romantic partnership.  

In this episode, we talk about the difficult transition from raising children to parenting adult kids. How do we support them while respecting their independence? How do we respond when our adult children bring up ways we hurt them or mistakes we made while raising them? And how can we build the healthiest relationship possible with them? This conversation explores letting go of control, staying connected, and growing alongside our adult children.

In this episode, we discuss how we’re our own worst bullies, why putting ourselves down feels more natural than complimenting ourselves, and how to shift our self-talk out of self-hatred mode in order to become more confident and thrive.

In this episode, we discuss what we as parents need to do to recognize mental health struggles in our kids and how to approach them in ways that don’t cause them to shut down. We talk about how some kids are often mislabeled as “bad” or rebellious, when in reality they’re kids who are in pain. We also explore how creating an environment rooted in genuine curiosity helps our children feel safe opening up and accepting our support.

So many parents feel like they're constantly falling short. This episode explores the unhealthy expectations placed on parents, the comparison and fear that creeps in, and why “good enough” parenting is actually more than good enough.