This week on Nurture, we’re talking about leadership. Not the old authoritarian kind that many of us grew up with. Not the permissive kind that leaves us feeling unanchored. But something different — something deeply relational.

Because real leadership in parenting isn’t about control. It isn’t about staying calm at all costs. It’s about co-regulation, attunement, and offering a steady presence our children can lean into — even when emotions are big and messy.

In this episode, we explore:✨ Why leadership in parenting is regulatory, not just behavioural✨ How warmth and structure walk hand in hand — and why “good enough” is powerful✨ What leadership looks like in neurodivergent families✨ How shame, trauma, or attachment history can make stepping into authority feel unsafe✨ The cultural pressures that tell mothers especially that they’re “too much” or “not enough”✨ And how we can begin to reclaim leadership as relational, not control

🔗 Mentioned in this episode: Watch the Still Face Experiment

💛 Reflections & ResourcesAs always, I’ve created gentle resources to help you carry this conversation with you:

* A Reflection Sheet to explore how leadership feels in your own body, your own story, and your family.

* Lock Screen Reminders — short grounding mantras to bring you back to connection on the harder days.

* A Summary of the Episode so you don’t need to hold all of this in your head.

You’ll find everything waiting for you here.

If this episode landed with you, it would mean the world if you:💌 Share it with a friend who needs this reminder.⭐ Leave a rating or review to help others find the podcast.📱 Follow me on Instagram @themotheringpsychologist and @nurturepod for daily reflections and behind-the-scenes shares.

And — if you’d like to be the first to know what’s unfolding behind the scenes in NurturePod, or to the the first to grab a spot on the upcoming Parenting in Public workshop you can join the waitlist right here:👉 Join the waitlist

Thank you for being here, for listening, and for showing up in this messy, beautiful work.

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