Junk Drawer Mamas: Sorting the Drama and Trauma of Extreme Parenting to Find Hope, Healing and Humor

Mama,

We’re going there. 😬 In this first episode of our 𝟮-𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮 & 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮 get real about something they still wrestle with daily—𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀. From Takis-as-bribes to midnight candy guilt, they lay it all...

🌞👙🩴Summer Without the Stress: Intentional Fun + Extreme Parenting = Yes, It’s Possible!

 In this episode, Deena & Christina continue their real-talk conversation on how to prepare for summer when you're a mom navigating special needs, multiple kids, or extreme parenting—and how to avoid burnout in the process.

This episode also kicks off our Summer Fun Challenge 🎉 and the official launch of the Junk Drawer Mamas Face...

🌞👙🩴Summer's creeping in like a sunburn you didn’t seecoming—and while the kids are dreaming of cannonballs and cotton candy 🍧 you’re just trying to figure out how to survive 90 consecutive days of overstimulation, sensory meltdowns, sibling brawls, unstructured mayhem, andendless snack requests that thrusts you into an hour-by-hour survival mode. 😩

In this episode of Junk Drawer Mamas, Deena and Christina get real about th...

🎙EPISODE 14: “Thanks, But I’ve Tried EVERYTHING” — How to Handle Unsolicited Parenting Without Losing Your Peace or Your Jesus! 😜

 You’re in aisle 6 just trying to buy frozen peas, your child is mid-meltdown, and here comes that lady with “helpful advice.” Sound familiar?

In this brutally honest (and sometimes hilarious) episode, we’re digging into the junk drawer labeled: unsolicited advice.

Deena and Christina get real about what...

Ever feel like you're stuck in a never-ending loop of tantrums, yelling, timeouts, and tears 😭(yours and theirs)?

🎙️In this episode, we’re defining extreme parenting—and no, it’s not just for moms raising kids with special needs. We’re talking about behavior issues, trauma triggers, meltdown moments, and that pit-in-your-stomach feeling when you realize you’ve got nothing left in the tank.

Deena and Christina get real about ...

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 - 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽

 So much of our energy goes into 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀, 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀—𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼...

🎙 Episode 11: What Special Needs Moms REALLY Need in a Friendship & How We Can Be a Good Friend

Friendships can be complicated. Friendship as a special needs mom? Well, that's a whole other level. 🫠

This week, Deena & Christna are unpacking one of the heaviest, messiest, most-overlooked junk drawer items: FRIENDSHIPS—what it means to be a good friend, what special needs moms actually need in a friend, and how we can al...

𝗠𝗮𝗺𝗮, let’s talk about it—𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 when you’re raising kids in extreme parenting situations. Whether you’re a 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗺, 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗺, 𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗷𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀, we see 👀 you. 💜

If you’ve ever skipped a birthday party to avoid the exhaustion of managing your child’s needs in ...

🎙 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟵 |𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗸 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘀 | 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗺Mama, does your to-do list have a to-do list? 😅 Are you trying to balance therapies, meltdowns, grocery lists, school paperwork, and maybe—just maybe—a shower this week? We see you. And girl, we are you.In this episode, we’re talking about the never-endi...

"𝗜’𝗺 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲." "𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲." "𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄." Sound familiar? 🤔

In this episode, we’re digging through the junk drawer and pulling out 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝘀—you know, the ones that keep us stuck in survival mode. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗺, 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗺, 𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀...

🎙 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟳 | 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗸 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘀 | T𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗺𝘆 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗸 & 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘆!

𝗠𝗮𝗺𝗮, 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀, 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴—𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿? 😩

Let’s talk about it.

𝗧...

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝘀 "[𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝗱’𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲]’𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗺" 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲? Or felt like your only purpose is to keep tiny humans alive while running on fumes and stale Goldfish crackers? (Just us? Cool.)

This week on 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗸 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘀, 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗼, and 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻 unpack the ways stress messes ...

✨ Episode 5: When Stress Tips the Scale: The Hidden Weight of Extreme Parenting ✨

Special needs moms and moms navigating extreme parenting often carry a weight much heavier than meets the eye—both physically and emotionally. Chronic stress wreaks havoc on hormone levels, leading to health challenges like weight gain, fatigue, and even shame about self-image. This cycle can feel relentless, and the judgment from others doesn’t help....

Stress—it’s like that extra sock in the laundry. It sneaks in where it doesn’t belong, and before you know it, you’re buried in it. For moms navigating extreme parenting, whether it’s a rough season or a lifetime of challenges, stress isn’t just part of the equation—it’s the headline.

In this episode of Junk Drawer Mamas, Deena and Christina get real about the types of stress moms face, the ways it impacts our hearts, minds, and bo...

In Episode 2, Deena and Christina share more about their personal journeys as moms navigating the unique challenges of extreme parenting. From raising children with special needs to managing the emotional and physical toll of these extraordinary circumstances, this episode dives deep into what it truly means to parent beyond the norm.

Extreme parenting encompasses the relentless demands, emotional struggles, and societal misunderst...

Rediscovering You: Finding Identity Beyond Motherhood and Marriage

In this heartfelt and deeply relatable episode, Deena and Christina open up about their personal journeys as moms, wives, and women navigating the challenges of extreme parenting. They share their life stories, offering an intimate glimpse into how family dynamics, career choices, and the weight of responsibilities have shaped their roles as mothers.

The central foc...

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗸 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘀 – where we’re sorting through the drama and trauma of extreme parenting to find hope, healing, and a side of humor.

 Junk Drawer Mamas is a podcast for moms who are feeling the weight of parenting challenges that go beyond the ordinary, extreme parenting circumstances. Whether you're raising a child or teen with special needs, battling behavior issues, struggling through mental ...

Junk Drawer Mamas:  Sorting through the drama and trauma of extreme parenting to find hope, healing, and a side of humor. 

Welcome to Junk Drawer Mamas – the podcast for moms navigating the treacherous terrain of extreme parenting. Moms who may be feeling the weight of parenting challenges that go above and beyond typical responsibilities whether you're parenting a child or teen with special needs, challenging behaviors, mental hea...