In a world where boys are told to "toughen up" before they even understand what they're feeling, how do we raise sons who stay connected to their hearts?

In this episode, we sit down with writer, editor, and media critic Joanna Schroeder to talk about what it really means to raise emotionally healthy boys today. Not perfect boys. Not "alpha" boys. Not fragile boys. But boys who can feel.

Together, we unpack what's often called the "boy crisis" — and move beyond headlines to the real, lived experiences happening in our homes. From emotional suppression to loneliness, from screen time to algorithm-driven messaging, we explore the cultural forces shaping our sons — and what we can actually do about it as parents.

This conversation isn't about fear. It's about awareness. And responsibility. And repair.

We talk candidly about:

• Why boys' mental health deserves our attention — without ignoring the bigger picture

• The subtle ways society teaches boys to disconnect from their emotions

• How to help boys regulate anger without shaming their feelings

• What emotional safety at home actually looks like (especially when we're dysregulated ourselves)

• How social media and online content shape boys' identity earlier than we think

• Practical boundaries around screen time, smartphones, and tech in the bedroom

• Why repair matters more than perfection in parenting

• How to raise boys who are both strong and soft

One of our favorite takeaways? You don't have to protect your son from the world entirely. But you can make your home the safest place for him to land.

This episode is for the moms raising sons. For the parents trying to break cycles. For anyone who has ever been told to "stop crying" and is determined to do it differently.

The goal isn't to raise boys who never struggle.

It's to raise boys who know they don't have to struggle alone.

Links & Resources
👉 Joanna's book Talk to Your Boys: 16 Conversations to Help Tweens and Teens Grow into Confident, Caring Young Men
👉 Talk To Your Boys website
👉 Joanna on Instagram
👉 2024 Recap Episode (where we talk about trying to do it all)

For more honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — and follow along on Instagram @mightyasamotherpodcast.

In a culture that still glorifies hustle and resilience, what happens when the very grit that built your success starts quietly depleting you?

In this episode, Jenn sits down with Amanda Goetz—two-time founder, four-time CMO, mom of three, and author of Toxic Grit—for a conversation that feels like a deep exhale for ambitious women everywhere. Amanda has built brands, raised millions, navigated divorce, and reinvented herself more than once. And somewhere along the way, she realized that the same grit that fueled her rise was also quietly burning her out.

Her book, Toxic Grit: How to Have It All and Actually Love What You Have, is already resonating with thousands of women questioning hustle culture and craving something more sustainable. Today, we go there with her.

Together, we talk candidly about:

• The difference between healthy ambition and "toxic grit"—and how to know when you've crossed the line

• Why "alignment" can feel impossible when you're juggling multiple identities at once

• Amanda's Character Theory and how naming the different parts of yourself can reduce guilt and increase presence

• The concept of "spin cycles" and why intentional resets—both daily and seasonally—are essential for ambitious women

• How to set an "enoughness line" so you can push in one season without losing yourself in the process

• The seasonality of ambition—blooming, going back into the dirt, and trusting the cycle

We also dive into practical rituals for transitioning between roles (from CEO to caregiver to partner to solo human), and how even small boundaries—like a commute bath or a 20-minute phone-free walk—can radically shift how you show up.

This conversation is for the woman who's been praised for her grit. The steady one at home. The overachiever at work. The one who "just gets it done," even when she's running on fumes. It's for anyone who has quietly wondered why doing it all still doesn't feel like enough—and who is brave enough to imagine something different.

Amanda reminds us that ambition isn't the enemy. But unchecked ambition without reflection, rest, and recalibration? That's where it gets dangerous. Balance, she argues, isn't about every day feeling even. It's about zooming out and honoring the macro rhythms of your life.

If you've been living in hustle mode for longer than you'd like to admit, this episode might just be the permission slip you didn't know you needed.

Links & Resources
👉 Toxic Grit: How to Have It All and Actually Love What You Have by Amanda Goetz
👉 Amanda's newsletter, Life's a Game
👉 Toxic Grit Workbook

For more honest conversation at the intersection of motherhood, ambition, and identity, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen—and follow along on Instagram @mightyasamotherpodcast

What does burnout really look like for high-functioning women and mothers?

In this powerful episode of Mighty as a Mother, we sit down with clinical psychologist and maternal mental health expert Dr. Lilit to unpack the emotional and physical toll of modern motherhood. Together, we explore why so many women feel exhausted, disconnected, and stretched too thin—and why those feelings often go unnamed and untreated.

If you've ever asked yourself, Why am I so tired even after I sleep? Why do I feel like I'm falling apart even when things look fine?, this conversation is for you.

Dr. Lilit brings both professional expertise and lived experience to our dialogue, offering real-world insight into how stress manifests in the body, why so many mothers struggle with identity loss, and what we can do—practically and compassionately—to feel more like ourselves again.

In this episode, we explore:

• Signs of maternal burnout and chronic stress that often go unnoticed

• How emotional overload shows up in the body (think: shoulder pain, tight chest, irritability)

• The difference between functioning and feeling well

• How to create micro-moments of nervous system regulation, even in a packed day

• The importance of self-repair and modeling emotional honesty for our kids

• Why many moms carry guilt for simply needing a break—and how to release it

Key topics we cover:
maternal mental health support, burnout in motherhood, nervous system tools, mental load of parenting, working mom wellness, somatic signs of stress, how to set emotional boundaries, postpartum mental health, emotional regulation for moms

Links & Resources

👉 The CDC on connected playtime and child development: Link
👉 Follow Dr. Lilit on Instagram: @dr.lilit
👉 Learn more about her practice: www.drlilit.com
👉 Jenn's favorite mindfulness tool: Calm App
👉 Our most-downloaded episodes on burnout:

🎧 E39: Boundary Setting, Beating Burnout, and Reclaiming Yourself – Part 1
👉 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e39-boundary-setting-beating-burnout-and-reclaiming/id1687678053?i=1000679065346 (podcasts.apple.com)

🎧 E40: Boundary Setting, Beating Burnout, and Reclaiming Yourself – Part 2
👉 https://podcasts.apple.com/vn/podcast/e40-boundary-setting-beating-burnout-and-reclaiming/id1687678053?i=1000680685965 (podcasts.apple.com)

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For more conversations on motherhood, identity, and mental health, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @mightyasamotherpodcast for more honest reflections on modern motherhood.