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As imperfect moms, we sometimes try to keep our heads above water. We are the ultimate “Mom Treading Water.” Whether you are a SAHM (stay-at-home mom), a mom who works out of the home, or somewhere in between, we all have challenges, benefits, and experiences. However, what we do share in common is that we are all imperfect moms. As an imperfect mom, wife, and human, I am exposing myself, intending to normalize the sisterhood of imperfect moms. None of us are perfect, no matter what image someone attempts to portray. Mom Treading Water encourages being kind to yourself while discovering your imperfections with compassion. As we learn about ourselves, we become better moms and humans. Thank you for joining me on this imperfect journey. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others.
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Adopting a child is a life-changing experience that brings joy and fulfillment to many families. However, it is also a complex process that can be filled with stress and uncertainty. As someone who has gone through the journey of adoption twice, I understand the challenges and emotions that come with it. That's why I believe it is essential to share some insider tips to help make the adoption journey smoother and more successful. These tips are often overlooked or not commonly discussed, bu...
**TRIGGER WARNING** Depression, Anxiety, Child Sexual Abuse For moms struggling with mental health, please know you are not alone. Like many, I have battled my mental health even before motherhood My whole life, I have always felt inadequate, unworthy, and full of self-loathing. Like many, my existence focused on being a people pleaser without regard for my mental health. The worst part is that others accepted this because it met the expected standard. Unfortunately, I was the perfect targe...
Before motherhood, my life always included anxiety. It was all I knew because it was how I lived. "What if..." was one of the most common phrases in my vocabulary. Risks and dreams were squashed by the "what if...". Parental anxiety is a well-known worry that moms often feel. Even before becoming a mother, anxiety was constantly present in my life. It was a familiar feeling I had grown accustomed to, and I always thought, "What if...". This phrase seemed to be one of my v...
Momma, have you ever felt inadequate, unworthy, and paralyzed by self-hatred? My life has been centered around pleasing others without regard for my needs. Constantly, I felt like I was taking space that I did not have a right or deserve to do. To say I felt like a possession or a hindrance is an understatement. Only with a few months of therapy my self-hatred is slowly changing. Realizing that I genuinely do not know myself feels like a rebirth...
Boundaries - Momma, Do You Struggle In Setting Healthy Boundaries With Your Child? You are not alone. Going to therapy has been full of discoveries. I have realized that I struggle to set healthy boundaries with my children. As a trained people pleaser, the guilt of setting boundaries has been engrained. The other realization is that my husband and I need to allow our children to set healthy boundaries with us so they learn how to set boundaries. &n...
As a mom living with anxiety, depression, and ADHD, my feelings could become overpowering. Yet, during the past few years, I have found ways to cope and calm my body and mind. The other day was one of those days; fortunately, my supportive husband was home. I told him I needed to meditate to calm my body and mind. Although this might not seem like a huge milestone, for me, it truly was empowering. Therapy teaches me to know myself better and value my ne...
Mom, Are You Feeling Overwhelmed? I Know How You Feel! This mom has been extremely overwhelmed! I felt pulled in multiple directions and didn’t know where to start. No matter what I did, it was never enough, or I struggled with following through. Full disclosure, I am still feeling overwhelmed but processing more constructively. Information overload, self-induced pressures, and toxic triggers impacted my physical and mental health. However, my past impacted the major...
SAHM and Working Moms: Treading Water Requires Strength, and Women Are Strong Undoubtedly, women are strong, making moms strong as a mother. Treading Water demands strength and stamina. As a SAHM, I know being a mom is not for the weak. We are imperfect and always will be, but we are strong as SAHMs and Working Moms! Check out our Strong as a Mother merch and much more at https://mom-treading-water.square.site/ Please be sure to join our mailing list to learn about ne...
As a continuation from last week’s episode, here are ways we live on an average income allowing me to be a SAHM. The following tips are not just for SAHMs but all moms and anyone looking to make some easy financial adjustments. Please note that I am not a financial advisor, and this is not financial advice. I am sharing our experiences in hopes of helping others. Rakuten: Rakuten is one of my favorites and a FREE APP! You search where you plan to shop, cl...
Both moms and dads ask us how we can financially survive on 1 income, allowing me to be a SAHM. Learn our tips and tricks for fast and easy savings on managing our food and grocery bills. Please note that I am not a financial advisor. This is not financial advice. I am sharing our experiences in hopes of helping other moms and dads keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets. Rakuten: Rakuten is one of my favorites and a FREE APP!&n...
Confidence Within: Mothers and Daughters Learning From Each Other My 5-year-old daughter, Mickey, shares her voice and claims her rightful space. She is her own person, and her confidence within has changed my life. To try and mold her to be who I think she should be is wrong. She has a right to be herself. She is not a reflection of me and to treat her as such is projecting my own insecurities onto her. When I feel challenged or fearful of findi...
Positive Parenting: 5 Things I Would Never Do As a Mom Positive parenting is not always easy. We partially learn based on our own parental experiences. With each generation, positive parenting improves. Here are 5 things I would never do as a mom: Hit my childrenAllow my children to play around or in water without responsible supervisionObsessively talk about my weight and negative body imageMake my kids kiss, hug or touch someone Let my children think I a...
Moms, Say Yes to Your Physical, Mental, and Emotional Health After reflecting on saying no as a way to set boundaries, I realized the importance of saying yes. As moms, we NEED to say yes to ourselves. When we say yes to our needs, it is a step in improving our physical, mental, and emotional health. Say yes to your happiness, so we teach our children that we can say yes to ourselves without it being inconsiderate. Challenge yourself to say yes to your needs.&...
Friends, the past year has been beyond anything I expected with Mom Treading Water. To enjoy the summer with my children and family, I am to publish every other week until early fall. There have been moments my ADHD brain has wanted to do a million things with Mom Treading Water, but I know I need to take a step back, refocus and hone in on my goals. Thank you for all your support and a new episode will be available soon! Check out the mom self-love journal ...
All moms know the power of saying no. Whether you are saying no to your children or your children are saying no to you, the word no creates a multitude of positive and negative emotions. There is an opportunity to learn from our children by saying no more often. Saying no is a way to create boundaries and place a priority on ourselves. Challenge yourself to say no to something that is not right for you. Beyond saying no, offer no apology or expla...
Traveling with children can be a fantastic opportunity for the whole family! However, it is understandable how traveling can feel intimidating, especially if your child falls on the autism spectrum or has attention and/or mood disorders. Award-winning author, Dawn M. Barclay, explains how parents can successfully incorporate travel into their families’ lives. Her new book, Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and ...
***Please note, that this episode contains explicit language and topics that may not be appropriate for young listeners.*** In part 2 of the interview with Dr. Fanike Young, she continues to share her own journey of making decisions from a healed place of trauma. Dr. Fanike Young is a doctor of behavioral health, a clinically trained licensed trauma therapist, and a trauma survivor. Her goal is to help women make life decisions from a healed place vs. from a trauma place. ...
***Please note, that this episode contains explicit language and topics that may not be appropriate for young listeners.*** If you or someone you love thinks they might have experienced trauma, this is an important episode. Dr. Fanike Young is a doctor of behavioral health, a clinically trained licensed trauma therapist, and a trauma survivor. Her goal is to help women make life decisions from a healed place vs. from a trauma place. She is the author of What the F*ck Is Your Pr...
My husband, James, is the best husband, dad, and man. If you have any doubts about good men, be sure to check out Single Moms, Why Is It Hard to Find a Good Man? As we celebrate one year of Mom Treading Water, he and I discuss what makes a good dad and a good husband. He is supportive of me as his wife, mother of his children, and a woman embarking on a new venture. Openly, he reminds me that sometimes the work and dedication as a father, husband, an...
Working moms and.SAHMs both have a challenging but fulfilling jobs of being moms. However, there seems to be this discussion on whether working moms or SAHMs have it tougher? Does it really matter? As moms, women, and parents, we should be supporting each other. Sometimes we get into this cycle of trying to see who is more of the martyr or has the most challenging situation. Whether you are a working mom or a SAHM, each has pros and cons. We a...
My children are school-aged, yet I can still feel like a new mom. Yes, the days of diapers and middle-of-the-night feedings are done, but as our children grow and learn, we grow and learn with them too. Watching our children develop and mature is exciting. However, with all people being different, one way to work with one child but not be the same as working with another. At that phase of their lives, we are new moms. Fortunately, our chil...
Are there good men? Yes! The easy answer is yes. Moms, there are good men. How do I know? I am married to a good man and we are fortunate to have many friends who are good men. These good men share the same characteristics, including honesty, respect, and prioritizing their families. No matter how you define a good man, no one should ever be in an abusive situation. If you need support, there is help available 24/7. National Domestic Violence ...
Passionate about meditation, Heather Nieves shares the benefit of sharing meditation with our children. We discuss the physical and mental benefits of meditation we have experienced with our children. As a bonus, she ends the episode with some breathing to ground down. Heather is a podcast host of Let’s Talk Meditation with Heather Nieves, a Women’s Empowerment Coach & Founder of I Love Me Yoga. To learn more about Heather and the benefits of medita...
Our family had a much-needed vacation, and I am happy to say it was close to perfect. Even the mommy shamer could not spoil our great time. If this were 2 years ago or even last year, the mommy shamer stating my child was having a “hissy fit” would have consumed my thoughts and overall experience. Although, I do regret trying to justify my child’s “hissy fit” to the mommy shamer. No matter what, she was going to continue her ignorant judgment. Al...
SAHM Happiness (Discovering How to Feel Fulfilled) SAHM happiness is absolutely possible and it is not impossible to feel fulfilled. Including myself, I have placed a focus on content of not feeling happy as a SAHM. Without a doubt, those moments I'm not being happy as a SAHM are far fewer. Finding SAHM happiness, like everything in life, requires work as well as a change in mindset. A Day In The Life Of A Stay-At-Home Mom journal provides 2 pages for each...
SAHM and working moms, does your husband refuse to help? Well, without question, my husband refuses to help at home and with our children. As a SAHM (stay-at-home mom) what might shock you more is that I am in 100% agreement! When my husband refuses to help, especially as the breadwinner, he will always have my support. No, I have not set the women’s movement back 100 years by fully supporting my husband by refusing to help. Listen to learn more… He is not helping because we ...
Amanda Tice is an international curve model, author, new mom & body positivity advocate. Amanda is the author of the Amazon bestseller ‘The New Mode Code: Shatter Expectations and Crush It at Motherhood’. In her book, Amanda takes you through her clumsy journey into motherhood and shares how she learned to embrace her new self — stretch marks, rolls, and all. With journal prompts, exercises, and “Tice Advice,” Amanda helps you understand what really takes place postpartum, both men...
Undoubtedly, many stay-at-home moms feel lonely. From my perspective, here are my honest reasons why: Lack of adult interactionMy identity as an individual feels lostDays can feel repetitiveSocietal views of stay-at-home moms However, the real question should be, "How do you reduce feeling lonely as a stay-at-home-mom?" Understandably, saying that stay-at-home moms feel lonely seems confusing but it is very real. It is hard to identify those feelings of loneliness, anxiety, depression,...
TEDx talk presenter, Michelle Enjoli is sharing with us, the importance of routinely reconnecting with yourself as a human aside from being a mother, partner, etc. She routinely helps mothers reinvent themselves by working with them through a career pivot, new job search, or personal branding. Michelle is a first-generation college student who landed her dream job as a television producer before graduation. She has worked and developed content for global brands in television broa...
Mindful Eating, Am I Hungry? With Dr. Michelle May, Founder of Am I Hungry? As a former family physician, Dr. Michelle May saw that many of her patients, like her, struggled with their relationship with food. In her own words, her unhealthy relationship with food was her “dirty secret.” Dr. May is the founder of Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs and Training (www.AmIHungry.com), and author of the Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat book series that teaches mindful eating...
Getting our children outside more is not always the easiest task. Carrie Herzberger, Founder of Go Outside Now, shares insight on the importance of getting our children outside more plus getting out the door easier and the benefits of having less stuff. Go Outside Now, helps families increase connection and spend more time outside as part of a healthy and happy lifestyle. To subscribe to the Free Go Outside Now Guide and be added to a raffle drawing for a FREE spot...
Yes! I became a first-time mother in my 40s. To be precise, I was 42 years old when my son was born. In this episode, here are the reasons why becoming a first-time mom in my 40s was best for our family. We each have our own paths that should be free from judgment. When loving people want to be parents, it is a win-win for everyone. Please listen with an open mind on why becoming a first-time mother in my 40s worked perfectly for us. Thank ...
Social media has many positive benefits and the forum to provide support and understanding. Unfortunately, it also presents opportunities to criticize and speak to people in ways we would never do in person. Upon reflection, here are a few ways I learned from my own mistakes and imperfections, to choose my words with kindness and compassion. If you’d like to show some kindness to this gal, please rate, review, subscribe, and share Mom Treading Water. Thank you...
February 17th is National Random Act of Kindness Day. It is a reminder to share kindness with others (and ourselves). However, being kind is very easy. It does not have to be time consuming or financially driven. To learn more simple and fast acts of kindness, visit http://momtreadingwater.com/20-fast-and-simple-ways-to-express-kindness/ To order the postcards mentioned today, please visit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B091V8XDPF/ref=as_li_tl?i...
This week, my son and I had a conflict as he was getting ready for school. (Really, it was his lack of getting ready for school.) I made it worse by raising my voice and not deescalating the situation,. As the adult, I own the situation and I needed to apologize. I did not adhere to the structure we try to provide in our home of being happy, healthy and respectful. It was a week of learning and growing for all of us by acknowledging o...
As moms, we tell our children we love them but parenting means showing our children "I love you." Here are 6 very simple ways, we can learn to listen more and take interest in the easiest of ways. Please rate, review, subscribe and share Mom Treading Water. Episodes are available on app podcast apps or by visiting our website: https://www.momtreadingwater.com/podcast-episodes/ If you have suggestions or comments about Mom Treading Water comme...
What Is a “Good Mom?” Spoiler alert!!! You do not need to be a perfect mom, to be a good mom. We hear moms say, “I want to be a good mom.” Heck, I say I want to be a good mom all the time. But what does it truly mean to be a “good mom?” Inspired, I reached out to some of my favorite moms and mom groups to get their thoughts on what they think it means to be a “good mom.” Some of their answers might surprise and provide a sigh of relief. Please be...
Living with ADHD, depression, anxiety and Type 1 diabetes along with a type A personality, can make everyday feel like a mixture of oil and water. Accepting that I am unable to have control of all aspects of my life is a daily struggle. In my journey to grow, I am trying to change my mindset and by setting an action plan. It is helping me gain more acceptance of what I am unable to control. Finding the confidence and faith ...
Insecurities and Confidence (Encouraging Positivity) Constantly judging and negative criticism creates insecurities in yourself and others. In my own struggles with criticizing others, I now realize it is a behavior that stems from my own insecurities. My insecurities cover most aspects of my life from my physical appearance to my artistic abilities. It has stopped me from challenging myself to go beyond my comfort zone and has hindered my own growth.&nbs...
We have all overstepped our boundaries. When it comes to family planning, infertility and adoption, there is no place for gossip. It is important to recognize that no one is obligated to share information they feel is private. Although there might not be and intent of malice or unkindness, making light or jokes can be insensitive. Many people feeling anxiety and stress trying to start their family. Placing pressure or prying for information i...
We all have moments we offer unsolicited opinions, especially in a tone that is not inviting. I have definitely had “put my foot in my mouth” moments and the filter was non-existent. It is something I am trying to do better by changing my mindset and approach. If you have suggestions or comments about Mom Treading Water, either contact me through Facebook or by email at momtreadingwaterpodcast@gmail.com Please join our Facebook Group, Mom Treading Water: https://ww...
***Trigger Warning* Depression, Anxiety and Seasonal Depression*** This year I have given myself the gift of imperfection. It still causes me some anxiety but I realized focusing on what is not perfect, I’m missing all the moments of perfection. The holidays are not always a joyous time for children or adults and watching others always wearing a happy face can make it tougher. The depression people feel is absoluety real and should be validated. With Christmas...
Finding the right medical care provider, whether that is your doctor, dentist, NP or anyone who partners with you in managing your healthcare is crucial. Notice I say “partner” because as patients, we need to own our health and work with providers that are open to listening. Angela Tillotson, FNP supports me in managing my type 1 diabetes. She takes all my concerns seriously, stays current on advancements and technology but most importantly, she listens to me withou...
As the year is ending, many of us start to create our New Year’s resolutions. This is probably a very unpopular opinion, but I do not like New Year’s resolutions. It seems like a way to procrastinate or delay achieving goals and allowing your fate being defined by a calendar start. We set these enormous expectations upon ourselves because it is January 1st and it can feel forced. Ditch the New Year’s resolutions and start achieving your goals now! The ep...
Right when you think you know your kids, you discover something new. During episode 27, Getting To Know You, this is exactly what happened while interviewing my kids. Most of the answers my husband and I expected but we both uncovered things we did not know. We have dinner as a family, spend time 1 on 1 and as a family, but without asking real questions beyond “How was your day? , there might be vital information that you are missing. As we continue to know o...
If you are looking to save money, teach your children about money, create a budget or tidy up your current budget or information on student loans and college saving, this is a must listen episode! Jane Stevens has been successful financial advisor for over 9 years and provides valuable tips and tools to best utilize your hard earned money. She shares how she and her husband have taught their son about money management. Mint (Intuit) for budgeting and credit mo...
This week’s episode was very eye-opening. As we approach the holiday season, I was reflecting upon my gratitude for my children, Jackson and Mickey. They are kind, loving, fun, creative, and all-around wonderful people. My conversation with each of my children, in the form of playing questions, provided some insight I did not expect. I asked questions that I normally would not ask. For example, what could mom do better? It was a wonderful o...
If you are looking for LEGITIMATE ways to work from home, you need to listen to my interview with founder of Tried and True Mom Jobs, Whitney Bonds. She has earned over 6-figures in less than 2 years working from home plus she is a mom of 3 small children. It definitely takes work, but Whitney provides the blueprint to get you started faster. https://triedandtruemomjobs.com/ Whitney has over 40.3K followers and 1.3 million views on Pinterest, 21.4K...
As part of our Inspiring Without Defining series, Jillene Jones is giving a free meditation session to all Mom Treading Water listeners. Episode 24 is my interview with Jillene and is available on all podcast apps. Please reach out to Jillene to learn more and explore the services she provides. Pure Prana Yoga Website at https://thepurepranayoga.com Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/681050582735614/ Email ThePurePranaYoga@gmai...
As part of our Inspiring Without Defining series, Jillene Jones is discussing the multitude of health benefits associated with meditation. She is the owner of Pure Prana Yoga located in Maine and is sharing her years of expertise with Mom Treading Water listeners. In an additional bonus episode, she is giving a free meditation session to all Mom Treading Water listeners. Please reach out to Jillene to learn more and explore the services she provides. &nb...
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