The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast | Matrescence | Relationship after baby | Motherhood life

The holidays are supposed to feel magical, but for many couples, they quietly become a season of exhaustion, tension, and unspoken resentment. Behind the twinkling lights and wrapped gifts often sits one overwhelmed partner (usually a mother) carrying dozens of invisible tasks: remembering, planning, budgeting, anticipating everyone’s needs, and holding the emotional weight of “making it special.” In this episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast, we peel back the glitter to talk honestly about the mental load of holiday gift giving - why it feels so heavy, why it’s often gendered, and what it’s doing to your relationship. Drawing from research, real client stories, and lived experience, this conversation isn’t about blaming partners or canceling holidays altogether. It’s about making the invisible visible, understanding how cultural expectations and perfectionism fuel burnout, and learning how couples can share the load more equitably, without losing joy, connection, or meaning. You’ll hear why stress around money and gifts so often turns into resentment, how socialization quietly assigns “holiday management” to mothers, and why many well-intentioned partners genuinely don’t see the cognitive labor involved. Most importantly, you’ll walk away with practical tools to reduce overwhelm, redistribute responsibility, and protect your relationship during one of the most emotionally loaded times of the year. Today we explore: Why holiday gift giving creates a unique mental and emotional burden How invisible labor fuels resentment between partners Practical ways to share the holiday mental load fairly How reducing mental load strengthens intimacy, trust, and presence This episode is for parents who want holidays that feel connected instead of chaotic and relationships that feel like partnerships, not silent scorecards.   👇 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 🤝 Grab resources to support your parenthood and relationship journey 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

Holidays are supposed to bring us closer… but if I’m honest, for a lot of couples, they do the opposite. They quietly surface tension, resentment, and those unspoken power dynamics no one wants to name. Have you ever paused mid-holiday chaos and thought, wait… whose holiday is this really? Whose traditions are being centered? Whose are politely tolerated? And what happens when the family traditions we grew up with no longer fit who we’ve become, especially after kids? That question is what led me to record this episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast. In it, I talk about family traditions after kids and why they can suddenly become such a sensitive issue in relationships. Using psychology, family systems work, and real stories from couples I work with, I invite you to rethink holidays not as sacred rules you have to follow, but as living rituals you get to shape together. We talk about holiday traditions conflict, cultural invisibility, and those unexamined “this is how it’s always done” norms that carry a lot more weight than we realize. We also look at mental load during the holidays, and why some traditions feel grounding and comforting, while others quietly leave one partner feeling unseen or pressured. You’ll hear how couples navigate interfaith relationships, intercultural differences, and intergenerational expectations, and how shifting from obligation to intention can genuinely reduce stress and strengthen connection, not just during the holidays, but in the relationship overall. This isn’t about creating a perfect multicultural celebration or doing more. It’s about designing family rituals that feel like home for everyone in the family. In this episode, we explore: Why inherited holiday traditions can create tension after parenthood How cultural dominance and invisibility affect couple relationships The psychology of family rituals, bonding, and stress regulation How co-creating traditions supports belonging, identity, and couple connection If you’re juggling different family backgrounds, feeling pressure to “make everyone happy,” or noticing resentment creep in every holiday season, this episode offers insight and practical, grounded steps, without guilt, perfectionism, or performing the holidays “right.” Think of it as a gentle reset. One that asks:  What would it look like if our holidays actually reflected who we are now?   👇 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 🤝 Grab resources to support your parenthood and relationship journey 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

The holidays promise magic, but for many parents, December brings something very different: pressure, exhaustion, emotional overload, and a quiet sense of “I should be enjoying this more.”    In this tender and insightful episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast, we look at why the season that’s supposed to bring joy so often creates tension between partners, overstimulation for parents, and a mental load that silently grows heavier with every school event, family dinner, and shopping list.    Drawing from real stories and psychological research, we explore the gap between holiday expectations and reality, and how it disproportionately affects couples navigating parenting.    Many parents carry scripts from childhood, cultural pressure from social media, and the emotional residue of “good family” myths that don’t match lived experience.    Add financial pressure, uneven task distribution, and emotional labor, and the holidays can become an annual relationship stress test instead of a bonding moment.   But this season doesn’t have to drain you. In this episode, you’ll learn how to set boundaries that actually stick, lower holiday stress by realigning expectations, and create micro-rituals that strengthen connection rather than fragment it.    Using evidence-based strategies, we can create a holiday that feels calmer, more authentic, and more aligned with the family you’re building, not the one you think you “should” be recreating.   This is an invitation to simplify, soften, and reclaim the heart of the season.  A reminder that connection matters far more than perfection.   Let’s explore: Why seasonal overwhelm intensifies the mental load for parents The psychology behind holiday expectations vs reality How to reduce relationship stress by communicating early and clearly A deeper emotional insight: how your childhood scripts shape the pressure you feel during December   👇 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 🤝 Grab resources to support your parenthood and relationship journey 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

When a baby arrives, two births happen at once: a child AND two brand-new parents.    Yet somewhere inside the chaos of sleep deprivation, emotional overload, invisible labor, and identity shifts, couples often look at each other and quietly wonder:    What happened to us?   In this deeply honest conversation with fatherhood mentor Jason Seeman, we explore the profound but rarely-discussed experience of patrescence, the identity shift men go through when they become fathers.  While mothers are often flooded with support, societal narratives, and conversations around matrescence, fathers are handed a baby, a role, and a silent expectation to “figure it out.”   And when they struggle?  Most don’t say a word.   Drawing from Jason’s work supporting fathers, we dive into the emotional terrain beneath the surface: the fatherhood identity shift, the retreat response so many women misinterpret as indifference, and the invisible fatherhood overwhelm that can quietly erode connection.   This episode isn’t about blame. It’s about understanding the psychological, emotional, and relational forces at play so couples can begin reconnecting as parents, not as adversaries.   You’ll hear why so many relationships after baby fall into cycles of misunderstanding… why couples after kids misread each other’s intentions… and why even a loving, well-meaning partner can feel like they’re drifting away.   But most importantly, you’ll learn what brings them back.   Jason shares clear, compassionate, practical tools that help both partners feel seen, supported, and respected in the massive parenthood identity changes they’re navigating.   This is an episode for mothers who feel alone in the emotional labor. It’s for fathers who carry quiet shame about not “doing it right.”   And it’s for couples who know they’re meant to be a team, but feel like they’re speaking two different emotional languages.   Today we explore: Why men retreat emotionally during new fatherhood and what they’re really feeling underneath How women can support without over-functioning (and without becoming the “parent” of their partner) Why emotional labor becomes so unbalanced and how to rebalance it A powerful relational insight: the birth of the parent is also the death of the previous self… and both partners must grieve and grow. This episode will challenge you, validate you, and, hopefully, bring you closer. 🎧 Tune in! 👇 For 1 insight, 1 exclusive tool, and one 3-minute reset, Get on The Sunday Reconnect — ABOUT JASON SEEMAN Jason Seeman is a fatherhood mentor and the founder of Raising Fathers, an organization dedicated to supporting men through the emotional, psychological, and relational transition into fatherhood. Through courses, men’s circles, and 1:1 mentoring, Jason helps fathers move from overwhelm and isolation into grounded, connected, emotionally engaged parenting. Drawing on his experience with The Man Cave and the Rites of Passage Institute, Jason brings a rare blend of empathy, depth, and practical wisdom to modern fatherhood, offering men the tools, community, and guidance they often never received. Connect with Jason: 🌐 Website: https://www.raising-fathers.com 📸 Instagram: @raising_fathers 🎧 Podcast / Events / Courses: Available on his website –- 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Join the Reconnect with Your Partner Challenge 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

Parenthood has a way of making the invisible suddenly very, very loud. Especially when you’re the one keeping track of school emails, birthday gifts, doctor’s appointments, holiday planning, emotional stability, and which child currently refuses the “wrong” pair of socks. This week on The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast, we’re taking you inside the mental load, the relentless cognitive and emotional labor that keeps a household running but often goes unseen, unshared, and deeply unacknowledged. If you’ve ever said, “Why am I the only one who knows all of this?” or felt more like your family’s operations manager than an equal partner, then this episode will land close to home. Together, we unpack the psychological, cultural, and structural forces that shape this inequality. We look at why moms statistically carry up to 79% of household responsibilities, why dads often genuinely believe they’re helping more than they are, and why “helping” is very different from ownership. But this conversation isn’t about blame. It’s about clarity, compassion, and rebuilding teamwork. You’ll hear real, anonymized client stories, and we walk through practical strategies, from the Fair Play Method to weekly check-ins, emotional labor sharing, and communication shifts, that help couples rebalance the load and reconnect as partners, not adversaries. Whether you’re drowning in the invisible work or realizing you’ve been unintentionally handing it to your partner, this episode offers both insight and relief: a way forward that honors everyone involved.   👇 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 🤝 Grab resources to support your parenthood and relationship journey 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

The “tradwife” trend is everywhere - soft dresses, sourdough starters, spotless kitchens, angelic lighting. It’s presented as serenity, simplicity, and the antidote to overwhelm.  But beneath the aesthetic lies a deeper story about real motherhood, pressure, identity, and what women are actually yearning for.   In this episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast, we dismantle the trad-wife aesthetic with compassion and context, not judgment.  Because this trend isn’t just about homemaking. It’s emerging from the exhaustion, contradictory expectations, and emotional labor that mothers carry today.   Many women tell me they’re torn between two impossible standards: “Work and prove your worth” vs. “Stay home and prove your worth.” Both come with shame.  Both come with mom guilt.  Both shrink maternal identity into a performance.   And so the trad wife trend promises something tempting: Rest.  Clarity.  Being cherished.  A simpler life. But the truth is more complex…and much more human.   Together, we explore the psychology behind why this aesthetic is so appealing in a time of rising childcare costs, rigid workplaces, and unequal mental load at home.  We look at the risks of financial dependence, the loss of autonomy, and the emotional isolation that “traditional roles” can create for both mothers and fathers.  We also uplift the legitimate desires behind the fantasy: slowness, intentional rituals, emotional safety, and shared responsibility.   This episode is both grounding and liberating; an invitation to honor motherhood without romanticizing systems that historically harmed women, and without dismissing the beauty of nurturing, homemaking, or soft living.  It’s about reclaiming choice, partnership, and the dignity of being multidimensional humans raising multidimensional children.   Whether you’re a stay-at-home mother, a working mom, or a father wanting to understand these dynamics better, this conversation is designed to leave you feeling seen, strengthened, and supported.   Today we explore: Why the trad wife trend is surging (and what women are actually craving beneath the aesthetic) How modern motherhood became a double-bind of contradictory expectations The mental load + emotional labor gap that quietly shapes family life A compassionate path forward based on choice, partnership, autonomy, and respect   👇 Grab these resources I mentioned 👉 For Dads: Reconnection Roadmap 👉 The Sunday Reconnect 👉 ALL my [free] resources –- 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Join the Reconnect with Your Partner Challenge 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

When was the last time you truly asked a new dad how he’s doing? Not how the baby sleeps, not how mom is coping, but how he really feels. Because while we often picture fathers as the steady anchor while mothers weather the storm, research shows that paternal postpartum depression, also known as postnatal depression in dads, is far more common than we think. In fact, 1 in 10 men experience what’s sometimes called male postpartum depression or PPD in men, a reality that still hides behind workaholism, irritability, silence, or anger. Can men get postpartum depression? The answer is YES. They can and they do. This episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast lifts the silence on that truth, revealing the emotional, biological, and relational layers that make fatherhood depression one of the most misunderstood aspects of parenthood. Through two powerful stories of real fathers, we explore what postpartum depression in men looks like beyond stereotypes, and how its symptoms often go unnoticed. It doesn’t always appear as sadness; sometimes it’s snapping at small things, zoning out, or working until midnight. Sometimes it’s feeling like you’re failing at the one role you’ve always wanted to get right, being a good dad. Together we discuss the hidden factors that contribute to paternal postpartum depression and fatherhood anxiety, from hormonal changes and identity loss to sleep deprivation and inherited emotional silence. You’ll discover how these forces create a perfect storm: biological shifts that drain motivation, cultural scripts that glorify stoicism, and emotional contagion when both partners are struggling in silence. This isn’t about comparing pain between mothers and fathers. It’s about completing the picture, because when we include fathers in the conversation, the entire family begins to heal. Supporting dads doesn’t take empathy away from mothers; it multiplies it. Today we explore: Why paternal postpartum depression often hides behind anger, overworking, or withdrawal. How hormonal changes, identity loss, and sleep deprivation combine to create fatherhood depression. What partners can do to rebuild connection and share the mental load when one parent struggles. The deeper truth: Supporting fathers isn’t dividing empathy. It’s multiplying it for everyone. When fathers’ mental health is supported, children thrive, couples reconnect, and society begins to redefine what strength truly means. You’ll walk away from this episode knowing how to recognize the signs, open up a conversation, and start the healing process, together. If you or someone you love is navigating early parenthood, this conversation is an invitation to see beyond the surface - to see the man behind the mask. Because postnatal depression in men isn’t weakness; it’s the body and mind’s way of saying, “I need care too.” 👇 Download these resources I mentioned 👉 Reconnect Roadmap for Men 👉 The Sunday Reconnect   –- 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Join the Reconnect with Your Partner Challenge 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

Becoming a parent changes everything… your body, your sleep, your relationship, your identity.  But for many mothers, that transformation also brings something much heavier: an invisible weight that few dare to name. In this episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast, we dive deep into the emotional reality of postpartum mental health, from depression and anxiety to rage, intrusive thoughts, and the quiet guilt that shadows new motherhood.   This isn’t another “baby blues” conversation.    It’s a compassionate, science-backed exploration of what really happens when hormones crash, sleep disappears, and expectations collide with human limits.    Through powerful stories and practical tools, I invite you to replace shame with understanding and to see these struggles not as weakness, but as the body and mind’s way of asking for care. Whether you’re a mother, partner, or simply someone who wants to understand what new parents truly go through, this episode will help you see that healing after birth is not about bouncing back, it’s about moving forward. Today we explore: The difference between baby blues and clinical postpartum depression or anxiety How hormones, identity loss, and invisible labor collide to create distress What postpartum rage really means and how to manage it without shame How couples can rebuild connection and emotional safety after birth This episode is your gentle reminder that survival is love in action and that every parent deserves to feel supported, not judged.   👇 Download these resources I mentioned 👉 Matrescence Mini-Course [Free] 👉 The Sunday Reconnect   –- 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Join the Reconnect with Your Partner Challenge 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

What if the version of you that’s struggling right now, with perfectionism, exhaustion, or that endless loop of “I should be better,” isn’t broken, but wired for survival? In this week’s episode, I sit down with Dr. Ashleigh Moreland, neuroscientist and founder of the Re-Mind Institute, for a conversation that might just change how you see yourself, your mind, and even your parenting. Together, they explore what it truly means to unbecome who you had to be in order to survive, and why real healing often looks less like “self-improvement” and more like returning to who you were before you learned to hide your feelings. Dr. Moreland unpacks the difference between the brain and the mind, explaining why understanding this distinction changes how we experience emotion, addiction, burnout, and even our relationships.  Through her work on neuroplasticity, she shows how every human being can rewire their nervous system, moving from a pattern of protection to one of connection. This episode will speak to anyone who’s ever felt “stuck” in old reactions:  the parents who lose patience, the partners who feel disconnected, the perfectionists who can’t rest.  It’s not about fixing yourself.  It’s about finally feeling safe enough to stop performing. Today we explore: The difference between the brain and the mind — and why it matters. How your nervous system wiring affects your emotions, relationships, and sense of self. Why unbecoming (who your mask is) can be more powerful than becoming (your ideal self). How to create emotional safety in your family so your kids inherit healing, not trauma.   Dr. Moreland and I bring warmth, humor, and clarity to the science of human transformation as a reminder that change is not about effort, but about safety. 🎧 Tune in to discover how understanding your wiring can help you stop fighting yourself and start leading with compassion.   👇 For 1 insight, 1 exclusive tool, & one 3-minute reset, Get on The Sunday Reconnect   — ABOUT DR. MORELAND Dr Ashleigh Moreland is a neurophysiologist, therapist, and founder of Re-MIND Institute. She specialises in trauma-aware, nervous-system-informed approaches to parenting, relationships, and personal growth. Drawing on her expertise in neuroscience and human behaviour, Ash helps people break cycles of stress and disconnection to create safer, more connected relationships at home and beyond. See how you can get in touch and her work HERE. –- 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Join the Reconnect with Your Partner Challenge 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

Have you and your partner ever argued about something trivial, a birthday cake, a chore, or a tone of voice, and realized it was really about something deeper?  In this episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast, I unpack how love, once effortless, can begin to feel like an obligation when unspoken fears and fatigue take over. This isn’t an episode about blame.  It’s about understanding. Why resentment builds even in loving relationships. Why partners often feel unseen despite their effort. And how to move from scorekeeping to soulkeeping  …rebuilding connection not through equality, but empathy. We look at the psychology behind resentment, the gendered conditioning that fuels emotional misfires, and the small yet profound acts that reignite warmth in long-term love. You’ll learn why overgiving turns into quiet bitterness, why “help” is never the same as “partnership,” and why even care, when performed out of fear, can feel like rejection. Whether you’re the partner who over-functions or the one who freezes, this conversation will help you decode the hidden messages behind your conflicts, and guide you toward a relationship that feels emotionally generous again. In a gist we talk about: Why resentment isn’t proof your relationship is broken. In fact, it’s proof you’ve both been trying hard in mismatched ways. 2. How gender conditioning creates invisible emotional roles that breed fatigue. 3. Practical tools to move from obligation to choice — including weekly check-ins and reframing “help” into true partnership. 4. The emotional truth behind the phrase “I shouldn’t have to ask,” and what it reveals about unseen labor, love, and longing. You’ll walk away not just with insights but with heart-level clarity: love isn’t about doing more… it’s about doing from truth. Because when you stop trying to earn love, you finally start to feel it again.   👇 Download these resources I mentioned 👉 7-Day Reconnect Challenge 👉 The Sunday Reconnect   –- 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Join the Reconnect with Your Partner Challenge 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

Do you wonder if you’ve fallen out of love with your partner? Is this more intense after kids? When love starts to feel like labor, and home feels more like a to-do list than a refuge, it’s not because you’ve fallen out of love.  It’s because you’re both carrying A LOT - more than anyone can see.   In this episode we break down the silent struggles of parenthood:  the mental load, emotional labor, and invisible pressures that quietly reshape relationships after children enter the picture.   We’ll look at how mothers often carry emotional vigilance born from generations of conditioning, and how fathers quietly bear expectations of strength, provision, and stoicism.  Both end up exhausted, one managing life’s invisible chaos, the other crushed under invisible pressure.   Together we discuss how these unseen weights lead to disconnection and resentment. By the end of the episode, you walk away with 5 small, but powerful recalibrations that help couples rebuild empathy, teamwork, and appreciation. Because partnership isn’t about perfect balance - it’s about shared gravity.   Today we explore: 👉 The unseen mental load that drains mothers and fathers differently. 👉 How inherited family scripts shape emotional labor. 👉 Five daily practices to rebalance love and responsibility. 👉 Why appreciation, empathy, and rest are radical acts of repair.   Find and Download all my [Free] resources 👉 HERE –- 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Join the Reconnect with Your Partner Challenge 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

Have you ever found yourself explaining your parenting choices a little too much?  …Not because someone attacked them, but because something inside you felt the need to justify?   In this episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast, we explore what’s really happening beneath those subtle moments of parental defensiveness … the guilt, the identity shifts, and the deep desire to feel like we’re doing enough.   Through a real-life story of two moms at a school gate - one working full-time, one a stay-at-home-mom (SHAM) - we unravel how easily conversations about “what’s best for the kids” become reflections of our own insecurities.   I reveal how matrescence (the psychological transition to motherhood) reshapes identity and why every comment about parenting choices can feel personal.    But more importantly, I guide you through 3 steps to soften the sting of comparison.   Because when we can meet ourselves with kindness, other people’s choices stop feeling like threats.   Today we explore: 👉 Why we defend our parenting choices and what we’re really trying to prove. 👉 The link between mom guilt, identity shifts, and societal pressure. 👉 Three practical tools to stop feeling judged and start feeling secure. 👉 How self-compassion transforms comparison into connection.   If you’ve ever felt that quiet pit in your stomach after hearing how another parent does things differently, this episode will feel like a deep exhale.   There is no perfect way to parent. There's only your way, done with presence and compassion.   👇👇👇 Download these resources I mentioned for [Free] 👉 Matrescence Video Series  👉 Calm Parent, Calm Child Guide 👉 Self-Connect Calendar   –- 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Join the Reconnect with Your Partner Challenge 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

Parenthood doesn’t just change your schedule. It shifts who you believe you are.    In this episode, we dive into those quiet, sometimes painful cracks in identity that open once kids arrive: the lost “you”,  the unseen tensions in your relationship,  the unmet expectations, and the longing to feel whole again.   We explore how couples can hold space for one another, learn tools to rebuild intimate connection, and begin to reclaim identity without resentment, guilt, or disconnection.    This isn’t about returning to “pre-kids you.” It’s about integrating growth, grief, love, and change so your relationship and your sense of self can thrive.   Today, we explore: How parenthood transforms your self-image, your role expectations & what you didn’t see coming. Communication tools for couples: naming patterns, navigating the unspoken, co-regulation in moments of mismatch. Practical micro-movements you can begin at home to restore connection & feel seen again. The emotional insight: you don’t need to “fix” everything. Sometimes, being witnessed, naming the change, and leaning into vulnerability is the bridge to deeper intimacy. If you’re feeling like you’ve lost bits of who you were, or if the person you’re in relationship with is changing in ways you didn’t expect, this episode is for you.  Listen in, let the discomfort teach you, and find space to rebuild together.   👇👇👇 Download the [free] Reconnection Roadmap [for him]   –- 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 👉 Get the [FREE] Calm Parent, Calm Child Guide 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Join the Reconnect with Your Partner Challenge 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

Download the [free] Reconnection Roadmap [for him] !!   Fatherhood is more than showing up at bedtime or paying the bills. Yet too often, dads enter parenthood without the same acknowledged transformation that mothers undergo.   This episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast pulls back the curtain on patrescence - the emotional, psychological, and relational journey of becoming a father.     While society expects women to evolve when they become mothers, men are still told to “provide, not process.”   The result? Emotional disconnect, intimacy breakdowns, and couples who love each other but feel worlds apart.   In this episode, we dive deep into what happens when fathers aren’t invited into their own becoming, and why that gap leaves both partners lonely.   With warmth, honesty, and practical tools, we unpack the barriers that hold men back from fully stepping into fatherhood, from cultural conditioning to fear of failure.   More importantly, you walk away with a roadmap for reconnection that doesn’t blame men, but instead calls them into deeper presence, courage, and love. This isn’t about fixing your partner. It’s about understanding the unseen layers of patrescence and reclaiming connection — for yourself, your relationship, and your children.   Today we explore: 1. What patrescence is and why it’s rarely talked about. 2. How men experience fatherhood differently (and why it often goes unnamed). 3. The barriers that stop dads from fully shifting. 4. Practical micro-movements couples can use to rebuild closeness.   Moms, if you’ve ever wondered why your partner seems unchanged while you feel completely transformed, or if you’re a dad who feels “not enough” no matter what you do, this conversation will meet you right where you are.   👉 Don’t miss the free resource mentioned in the episode: The Reconnection Roadmap, a simple 7-step guide to help couples rediscover admiration and affection without needing a heavy emotional talk. --- Episode Transcript HERE. –- 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 👉 Get the [FREE] Calm Parent, Calm Child Guide 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Download the [free] Reconnection Roadmap [for him]  -- Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources 👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Join the Reconnect with Your Partner Challenge 📩 Get in touch with me (Instagram @markella.kaplani; website; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

Get the [free] Reconnection Roadmap [for him] that I referred to!!    Have you ever looked over at your partner in bed and thought, we’re right next to each other… but it feels like we’re living on different planets? If so, you’re not alone.  This episode is all about what psychologists call emotional drift: that quiet, subtle distance that creeps into so many relationships after kids arrive. Today, we unpack one of the most common questions couples ask: “Why do couples feel like roommates after kids?”   Because let’s be honest: Parenting together can sometimes feel more like project management than partnership. You share a home, a schedule, maybe even a Google calendar… and yet, there’s this ache of where did we go?   In this conversation, I’ll walk you through: What emotional drift in marriage actually is and why it’s not the same as resentment or incompatibility. The hidden reasons why marriage after kids struggles even when the love is still there. Why moms often feel invisible carrying the mental load, and why dads often feel they’re “still not enough” no matter what they do. What research from The Gottman Institute shows about bids for connection and why missing them slowly erodes intimacy. Simple, science-backed tools for how to reconnect with your partner after having children without forcing awkward conversations or waiting for “date night.” You’ll learn practical ways to shift the emotional temperature in your home through what I call micro-moments - small, doable gestures that rebuild safety and closeness over time. Think six-second hugs, honest one-liners like “I miss us”, or learning to regulate your body before you try to relate with your partner.   If you’ve been Googling things like feeling alone in my marriage after kids, emotional distance in marriage, or how to save your relationship after children, this episode will meet you right where you are.    Because the truth is: the drift isn’t proof you’ve fallen out of love. It’s a signal that your nervous systems are overloaded, your emotional labor is uneven, and your relationship needs small acts of repair, not blame.   And here’s the most important part: your kids are watching. They’re learning what love looks like by seeing how you and your partner reach for each other, or drift apart. Repairing emotional distance isn’t just about saving your marriage. It’s about giving your children a model of resilience, tenderness, and connection they’ll carry into their own lives.   So if you’ve been feeling like roommates in the same bed, press play on this episode. You’ll walk away with compassion for yourself, insight into your partner, and clear steps for creating connection again. And if you want to go deeper, don’t forget to grab my free Reconnection Roadmap — seven simple steps to reawaken admiration and intimacy without long talks or therapy jargon.   Because love after parenthood is a whole new game… and with the right tools, you can win it together. –- 🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights 📩 Join my [FREE] newsletter for extra support 👉 Get the [FREE] Calm Parent, Calm Child Guide 📢 Share this with a parent who needs to hear it! --- Full Transcript HERE. — The [free] Reconnection Roadmap [for him] that I referred to — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources  👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Work with Me 📩 Get in touch with me Instagram @markella.kaplani; website: https://markellakaplani.com; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 📢 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com  

In this deeply moving and highly intentional episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast, we explore what happens when parenthood collides with identity, neurodiversity, and the gentle yet powerful art of designing your life with purpose. I sit down with Dr. Leonaura Rhodes, whose unique journey as a physician, neurofeedback therapist, life coach, and parenthood strategist moves beyond the clichés to the core questions: How do we grieve the life we thought we’d have? How do we rebuild a family culture that reflects both challenge and deep love? Dr. Rhodes brings clarity, heart, and practical wisdom. You'll learn: Why living on autopilot is the opposite of thriving. How even unexpected diagnoses can open doors to deeper intentionality. Ways to reshape your identity as a parent without losing yourself—or your connection as a couple. This episode is for you if you’re in the heart of confusion or awaiting clarity—parents navigating an identity shift, couples trying to tether their bond while juggling new roles, or anyone wondering, Can I design a life that feels real and true? Through stories, laughter, and guiding strategies, Dr. Rhodes and I dig into the messy, beautiful process of conscious family design.   ----- MORE ABOUT DR. LEONAURA RHODES   Dr. Leonaura Rhodes is a physician from UK (Family medicine, public health and developmental pediatrics). She moved to USA 16 years ago and became a neurofeedback therapist and a life coach for parents and high achieving professionals. In 2015 she published "Beyond Soccer Mom: Strategies for a fabulous balanced life" - a book to help parents intentionally design their life so that they can thrive while they raise children. Dr. Rhodes is also a podcast host, corporate trainer and teacher for a large wellness platform. Website: https://www.drleonaurarhodes.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonaurarhodes/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drleonaurarhodes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonaurarhodes/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2IIJj_hnHZJO8BwcKPqInQ   — 🎁 GET THE CALM PARENT, CALM CHILD GUIDE! https://www.markellakaplani.com/calmparentcalmchild 💌 Don’t forget: This week’s newsletter includes an exclusive tool to help you track small emotional wins get it at markellakaplani.com/newsletter. --  Full Transcript HERE. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zrYvxzn2CBbhaZauMeG9LYhr7uhiw4prmQZPShBgQHA/edit?usp=sharing — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources (https://www.markellakaplani.com/resources) 👉 Link to my Newsletter (https://markellakaplani.com/newsletter) 👉 Work with Me (https://markellakaplani.com/) 📩 Get in touch with me Instagram @markella.kaplani; website: https://markellakaplani.com; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 📢 Listen, share, and leave a review! https://podcasts.apple.com/gr/podcast/the-parenthood-and-relationship-podcast/id1739098480 Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

Have you ever felt like the invisible leader in your home? Like you’re the one carrying the emotional weight, asking the big questions, and trying to shape a family culture while your partner seems to coast? You’re not alone. In this week’s episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast, we explore the reality of being the “vision bearer,” the parent who notices the gaps, feels the tension, and holds the dream of what family life could be. While it’s a powerful role, it can also lead to exhaustion, resentment, and loneliness if carried alone. Through real-life examples and practical strategies, I guide you through three ways to lead without burning out. This episode is about reclaiming the energy to lead intentionally while also protecting your boundaries and emotional well-being. It’s for parents who long to build a loving, resilient family culture, but need to know they don’t have to do it all. Today we explore: Why every family has a “vision bearer” and the hidden costs of carrying it alone How to transform control into genuine invitations for your partner to join you The power of small microculture moments that quietly shape family identity How to protect yourself from burnout and resentment while leading with love Your family culture doesn’t have to collapse under pressure. With the right tools and mindset, you can create something lasting, human, and deeply connected, without losing yourself in the process.   🎁 GET THE CALM PARENT, CALM CHILD GUIDE!   💌 Don’t forget: This week’s newsletter includes an exclusive tool to help you track small emotional wins get it at markellakaplani.com/newsletter. --  Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources  👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Work with Me 📩 Get in touch with me Instagram @markella.kaplani; website: https://markellakaplani.com; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 📢 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

GET THE WORKSHEET HERE   In today’s episode, we explore a deceptively simple, but deeply messy, question: Whose values are you parenting from? It’s a gentle, courageous invitation to uncover the scripts we’ve inherited; values absorbed from our families, communities, even the culture at large, and ask: Are these values yours… or just familiar? Join me as we unravel what “values” really mean: not slogans, but the guiding principles that show up when you’re tired or triggered. We'll look at where those values come from, how they can misalign with the family you actually want, and how to begin choosing values that reflect your own vision, not just the one you inherited. You'll hear: Why many of us parent by default, using values we never consciously chose A simple but powerful framework: Keep • Rewrite • Release, used to redefine what matters most Real-life stories of couples navigating differences in meaning and merging into a shared, intentional value system This isn’t about blame or perfection. It’s about awareness, courage, and alignment. Because values like presence, kindness, rest, or respect deserve a lived definition that you and your partner both own. This episode’s breakdown: 1. How inherited values shape your parenting without you realizing it 2. The three-column framework to keep, rewrite, or release values 3. What happens when you and your partner define the same words differently 4. The emotional power of choosing values that align with the family you truly want Take this episode as your mirror: a chance to pause, get curious, and reclaim the values that light you up. You don’t need a manifesto. You need clarity and courage.   🎁 GET THE CALM PARENT, CALM CHILD GUIDE!   💌 Don’t forget: This week’s newsletter includes an exclusive tool to help you track small emotional wins get it at markellakaplani.com/newsletter. --  Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources  👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Work with Me 📩 Get in touch with me Instagram @markella.kaplani; website: https://markellakaplani.com; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 📢 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

Here’s the truth: You’re shaping your family culture every single day — not through grand gestures, but in the tiny, repeated choices that give your home its emotional tone. What you say when someone’s upset. How you transition between activities. Where your attention lands. That’s all culture. In this episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast, we break down the Three Rs of shaping an intentional family life: Rituals, Rhythms, and Roles. These are the invisible building blocks that can transform a home from reactive and scattered… to grounded, connected, and harmonious. Rituals are the glue of connection — small, intentional moments that say this matters. Rhythms are the nervous system’s love language — predictable flows that help every member of the family exhale. Roles are the unspoken scripts we act out — often inherited, sometimes limiting, and always worth re-examining. If your days feel chaotic, your routines inconsistent, or your relationships stuck in the same patterns, this episode will give you tools to pause, notice, and choose differently. We’ll explore how to gently reclaim rituals, anchor rhythms, and loosen roles so your family culture reflects what you actually value — not just what you’ve inherited.   Today we explore: How to identify and create meaningful family rituals. Why rhythm brings calm to children (and adults) without turning into rigid schedules. How to spot inherited family roles — and update the script. The emotional impact of conscious family culture on connection and security. This isn’t about perfection — it’s about awareness and one small change at a time. Because the way you live today becomes the emotional home your children will remember tomorrow.   --   🎁 GET THE CALM PARENT, CALM CHILD GUIDE!   💌 Don’t forget: This week’s newsletter includes an exclusive tool to help you track small emotional wins get it at markellakaplani.com/newsletter. --  Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources  👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Work with Me 📩 Get in touch with me Instagram @markella.kaplani; website: https://markellakaplani.com; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 📢 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com

Many parents don’t even realize they already live within a culture - an emotional ecosystem fueled by inherited patterns, repeating phrases, rituals (or the lack thereof), and relational rhythms. You might feel like your family is stuck on autopilot, responding to tantrums or tensions without curiosity or clarity. You might rely on bribes, punishment, or reactive conflict, with no sense of intentional design. But here’s the good news: shifting your family culture doesn’t require a revolution. It starts with a pause… a breath between the stimulus and your response. Today, we explore how intentional parenting can grow from the soil of small rituals, creating safety, rhythm, and deeper connection. You’ll learn: - What family culture really is and why it lives in the “air between you.” - How most family culture is unconsciously inherited and ways to consciously choose what to keep, rewrite, or release. - Signs your home might be on autopilot and how that cycle silently shapes both children and parents. - How tiny, sacred patterns (think bedtime phrases or Sunday check-ins) form the anchors of a thriving emotional ecosystem. Stay tuned till the end for the Three‑Bucket Reflection: a tool to map what you keep, rewrite, and release. If you’ve ever wondered how to parent with intention instead of reaction, or how to build a home that holds space for curiosity, kindness, rest, and emotional safety, this episode calls to you.   🎁 GET THE CALM PARENT, CALM CHILD GUIDE!   💌 Don’t forget: This week’s newsletter includes an exclusive tool to help you track small emotional wins get it at markellakaplani.com/newsletter. --  Full Transcript HERE. — Want to take our relationship to the next level? 👉Here are my top Resources  👉 Link to my Newsletter 👉 Work with Me  📩 Get in touch with me Instagram @markella.kaplani; website: https://markellakaplani.com; e-mail: info@markellakaplani.com) 📢 Listen, share, and leave a review! Your support means the world! --- Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com