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

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--- 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!

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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.

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Download these resources I mentioned for [Free]

👉 Matrescence Video Series

👉 Calm Parent, Calm Child Guide

👉 Self-Connect Calendar

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🔔 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:

1. How parenthood transforms your self-image, your role expectations & what you didn’t see coming.
2. Communication tools for couples: naming patterns, navigating the unspoken, co-regulation in moments of mismatch.
3. Practical micro-movements you can begin at home to restore connection & feel seen again.
4. 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]

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🔔 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.

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Episode Transcript HERE.

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🔔 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

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.

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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

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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.

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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!

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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:

1. Why every family has a “vision bearer” and the hidden costs of carrying it alone
2. How to transform control into genuine invitations for your partner to join you
3. The power of small microculture moments that quietly shape family identity
4. 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.

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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!

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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.

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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!

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Markella Kaplani, M.A. Clinical-Counseling Psychologist Parenthood & Relationship Coach www.markellakaplani.com