I sat down with my bestie Quinn to unpack one of the biggest emotional hurdles so many of us face but rarely speak out loud: What do I do with the heartbreak of not having my kids with me all the time?

This two-part episode was sparked by a powerful listener email that stopped me in my tracks. She put into words the raw grief and fear that can hit you hard when you imagine your children living part of their lives without you… especially when you don’t fully trust the other parent.

Quinn and I come at this from very different mothering frameworks — and y’all, the magic is in that contrast. Together, we dig into:

* 🧠 Why that gut-wrenching pain isn’t just biology — it’s cultural, generational, and deeply conditioned

* 👩‍👦‍👦 What emotional adulthood really looks like when your kids are with their other parent

* 💌 Tender rituals to stay connected without handing your emotional regulation over to your kids

* 🧳 Practical tools for transitions, co-regulation, and redefining what motherhood looks like in two homes

* 🎢 The surprising gifts of shared custody (yes, they exist!), including how it builds resilience in your kids

* 🧘‍♀️ Nervous system regulation when the ache hits (“I miss them so much it hurts”)

* 📖 Redefining “good mom” energy — from martyrdom to sovereignty and self-trust

* 🔁 Reframing that double bind: Stay and suffer? Go and lose time? Nope, babe. There is a third way.

I also get really real about what this has looked like in my life — including the process this year of my oldest son wanting to live primarily with his dad and what it took to accept and facilitate that. It wasn’t easy, and I’m still processing as we go, but I share some around how I managed my mind and found a way to anchor myself in the long game.

Whether you’re navigating shared custody, trying to reclaim your identity beyond motherhood, or just feeling the weight of missing your kids — these episodes are for you.

✨ Part 2 of this conversation, dropping next week, is available exclusively to my paid subscribers on Substack! So if you haven’t signed up yet, head to the show notes to join us there. This is the kind of work that changes lives — yours and your children’s 💌🌱.

Show Notes

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