Ep #209 Weakness

“Weakness simply means your capacity is lower than what the moment requires.”

I recorded this episode in the middle of a full, emotional, end-of-year season. The kind where you want to soak up every moment with your kids, make the holidays meaningful, and still somehow hold it all together… while feeling stretched, tired, and not quite like yourself.

And that’s exactly why I wanted to talk about weakness.

Because what we usually call weakness isn’t failure. It isn’t a character flaw. And it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you as a parent or a human. Most of the time, it simply means the demand of the moment exceeds your current capacity.

In this episode, I walk you through how I’ve learned to understand weakness differently and what actually helps when it shows up, especially during high-demand seasons like the holidays.

In this episode, I share:

• Why weakness tends to surface when life gets full, loud, and emotional
• The reframe that changed everything for me: weakness is about capacity, not character
• How shame turns moments of weakness into yelling, spiraling, shutting down, or control
• The four ways I see parents (and myself) respond to weakness:
  • Projecting it onto our kids
  • Attacking ourselves with “I should be better”
  • Trying to overpower it with willpower
  • Hiding it and calling it “fine”
• Why self-attack does not create strength and what it actually does to your nervous system
• How truth and honesty stabilize your body and open the door to growth
• What I do now when I realize my capacity is lower than the moment requires
• Why repair matters more than perfection and what really builds resilience in kids

The shift I’m inviting you into:

Instead of asking yourself, What’s wrong with me?
Try asking, What support do I need right now?

Because capacity can be rebuilt. Regulation can return. And when weakness is met with compassion instead of shame, it often becomes the place where connection deepens and growth begins.

What I encourage you to practice this week:

• Stop running from weakness and get honest about what’s happening
• Replace criticism with curiosity
• Lead with compassion first because safety is what allows change
• Decide what actually needs support, not what needs to be fixed
• Let go of performance and focus on repair and honesty instead

A question to sit with:

Where do you notice weakness showing up for you right now?
 And what might you need to adjust or ask for so you can show up with more kindness instead of more pressure?

You don’t need to be strong all the time to be a great parent. You just need to stay honest, keep noticing, and be willing to repair.

xoxoAndee :) 

Learn more here --> https://connectmethodparenting.com

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