August 20, 2025 • 18 mins
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Hey Mama!
Is your little one starting kindergarten while you're feeling lost about your own identity? In this first episode of our Transition Mini-Series, we explore that powerful "Who am I now?" moment when your child steps into the classroom and you're left wondering what happens next in your own story. Join me as I unpack the identity shift, guilt, and emotions that come with this significant transition. Learn biblical wisdom and practical strategies to navigate back-to-school season with confidence while rediscovering who you are beyond motherhood.
Key Takeaways
- Your identity is evolving, not diminishing. Embrace this new season God has for both you and your child.
- Reclaim your God-given identity. Rediscover passions and gifts that have been waiting while you raised your children.
- Create intentional connections. Your outlook sets the emotional tone for how your child navigates this transition.
More FREE Resources:
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Email: Hello@restoredmindllc.com
Ways You Can Give Back:
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It's time to become to the mom you want to be. Remember, you can do hard things!
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me"- Philippians 4:13
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Sending your little one tokindergarten, but feeling lost
yourself.
Today we're unpacking that.
Who am I now?
Moment when your child stepsinto the classroom and you are
left wondering what happens nextin your own story.
Welcome to the first episode ofour transition mini series.
Over the next four weeks, we'llbe exploring how to navigate
(00:22):
this back to school season withconfidence from identity shifts
to guilt, managing overwhelm,and, perfectionism, this is the
place you're going to want tobe, especially if you're wanting
to break free from mom guilt.
Now, speaking of finding yourplace, I've created a supportive
home for moms just like you.
(00:43):
My break free from Mom GuiltCommunity is where Christian
moms gather to rediscover theiridentity beyond the carpool
line.
Inside you'll find biblicalencouragement.
Simple challenges that bringpeace to your motherhood.
And of course you're going tofind other mamas who understand
exactly what you're goingthrough.
(01:03):
So click on the link in the shownotes to join us because I would
love to welcome you personallyand walk alongside you during
the season of transition.
Hey Mama.
Overwhelmed by Mom Guilt.
I'm Caroline Tao, helpingChristian moms trade
(01:25):
perfectionism for freedom andrest.
Welcome to the Restored Mind,where Biblical wisdom meets
practical strategies forbecoming the mom You've always
wanted to be ready.
Let's do this.
When my kids startedkindergarten, I remember feeling
(01:48):
nervous.
I mean, if I'm being honest, Ithink I was actually more
nervous than they were.
Even the days leading up to thefirst day of school.
I remember being sad that mylittle babies were going to be
in a classroom for the firsttime, that they wouldn't be near
me and.
I had this irrational fear thatthey would no longer need me.
(02:10):
I felt like I would be forgottenabout.
I know pretty irrational, right?
But I could not help my mindgoing straight into the thought
that I would be forgotten aboutbecause we had spent the first
four to five years of their lifewith each other.
And within those years I wastheir entire world.
(02:31):
And now that was going tochange.
I still remember the exactmoment I realized my identity
was changing.
My oldest daughter was startingkindergarten and on just the
second day, Her tiny littlevoice said, mom, you can wait in
the car.
I want to walk to class bymyself.
I thought, absolutely not littlelady, but I also didn't wanna
(02:56):
take the independence that shereally wanted away from her.
So of course I let her go toclass by herself.
And that moment honestly shookme to my core because.
As I looked back into the rearview mirror at my youngest
daughter, who was not old enoughto start school at the time, I
just knew that there was gonnabe a day where she would start
as well, and I wasn't readybecause I started thinking about
(03:20):
who I am without a baby attachedto my hip.
And so suddenly I began to feelguilt just well up inside of me.
I was so full of guilt, feelingso bad, and I thought, is this
my punishment for the lack ofpatience that I had with them
when they were younger?
And for me, wishing all of thosehard years away where I was
(03:40):
lacking sleep, lacking patience,and I didn't know how to be the
mom that I wanted to be.
So all of a sudden, as mydaughter's walking to class and
I'm watching her leave, I had noclue who I was without my babies
attached to me.
And it was not a good feeling.
But this feeling of identityshift isn't just about
kindergarten, it's abouttransition we face as moms, and
(04:04):
that's why I created thisspecial four part series to help
you navigate back to schoolseason and all the changes it
brings, So where can we startwhen we begin to ask the
question, who am I without ababy attached to my hips?
The first step is acknowledgingthat your identity as a mom is
(04:25):
evolving, not diminishing.
You are a forever mom, and yourrole changes as your children
grow when they're home with you,changes happen gradually, but
school represents a big suddenshift that's more noticeable and
this often triggers the negativeself-talk, like when I thought I
was being punished for wishingthe years away.
(04:48):
This transition is especiallychallenging because for the
first four to five years,everything you did included
them, and so they were yourentire world.
And when they go to school andyou're watching them walk away
from you, it makes it a lotharder to let them go.
But I've said this a lot inprevious podcast episodes, and
I'll continue to shout it fromthe mountaintops and sprinkle it
(05:10):
throughout future episodes, butI want you to hear me when I say
this.
Your inner dialogue plays a hugerole in your mindset and how you
navigate this transition.
When you acknowledge thattransition is happening,.
it is going to be way easier toprocess what is actually
happening.
(05:31):
Take it from a fellow mama anddon't be like me.
Don't fight to keep everythingthe same because that is going
to cause you a lot of grief.
You'll find yourself wrestlingwith guilt and thoughts that are
not particularly true, andyou'll begin to feel like you're
being left behind in that.
They don't care about youbecause now they're making new
(05:52):
friends and discovering lifewithout you, which by the way,
are all untrue.
Okay?
You are still needed justdifferently, so.
The intense season of physicalattachment is transitioning, and
we as mamas need to findstrength in ourself as we learn
(06:12):
to embrace this change and letour children grow a healthy
sense of independence.
So yes, while I really wanted totell my daughter, No, you can't
walk yourself to class.
I had to let her go so that shecould grow that healthy
independence and.
You know, it broke me.
But as I'm talking about thischange and thinking about it, my
(06:36):
mind continues to keep goingback to Solomon and what he says
in Ecclesiastes, because hesays, for everything there is a
season and a time for everymatter under heaven.
You can find this inEcclesiastes chapter three verse
one, but the reason my mind goesto that is because God designed
life to have seasons.
(06:57):
We cannot escape it or hold onto time and fight against them
because it's only gonna bring usunnecessary pain.
So when those thoughts ofpunishment, or who am I now
arise?
Try this simple reframingtechnique.
The first step is to notice thethought without judgment and
(07:19):
then intentionally replace itwith truth alternative.
So you might, instead of saying,I'm being punished because I
wished all the guilt away, andthat's why I'm feeling this way.
Instead you would say, thisisn't punish.
This is a new season God has forme and he will see me through it
because there is a season and atime for every matter under
(07:40):
heaven.
It not only shifts your focusinto the present moment, but
also anchors your faith in Himand sets your eyes on him.
So now that we've acknowledgedthis identity shift is
happening, let's move to thenext step.
Reclaiming your God-givenidentity and that extends beyond
(08:04):
motherhood.
And while your role is a mom.
You are still a child of Godwith a mission for the Lord's
Kingdom.
So we as moms, we take our roleas the mom.
Seriously.
Right?
We love that.
It's such a huge blessing thatwe get to be moms and as moms,
most of us have pressed pause onour intentional interest, our
(08:26):
hobbies and dreams while raisingour kids.
Everything gradually becameabout them, and for good reason,
because there are babies.
We want to give them the best.
We want to create as manymemories as we can with them.
But during the season oftransition, let's answer the
question of who am I without ababy attached to my hip?
(08:47):
And remember that your identityin Christ extends beyond your
role as a mom.
So I want you to remember thatGod created you with unique
gifts and passions that havebeen there, honestly, all along,
just waiting to be rediscoveredor maybe something new has
piqued your interest.
And this is gonna be a greattime for you to explore those
(09:10):
interests.
So I have just recentlyreferenced Ecclesiastes and I
honestly encourage you to readChapter three verse one through
eight, and take your time withit.
I'm being serious.
Pause after every stanza andjust let it soak in.
It is such a beautiful reminderbecause Ecclesiastes three
(09:31):
reminds us for everything.
There is a season and a time forevery matter under heaven, a
time to weep and a time tolaugh, a time to mourn, and a
time to dance.
And these words of wisdom fromSolomon reminds us that life
naturally flows.
Through different phases.
(09:53):
This transition to school issimply a new season God has for
both you and your child as theystart the school year.
And so as you are slowly readingEcclesiastes, I hope that your
eyes are set on the Lord, and itreminds you of his goodness that
God's timing is perfect, evenwhen we feel like time has flown
(10:17):
by way too fast or is going waytoo slow.
Seasons come and go and whetheror not we're ready for them,
it's going to happen.
And let me tell you.
Wrestling with this change isnot easy because I found myself
caught up in thoughts about howfast time has gone and how I had
taken it for granted, and thatwas really the spark of the
(10:38):
guilt that I was carrying forquite some time.
But this passage slowed me downwhen I paused after every stanza
because it forced me to slow mymind down.
And when I did that, I wasreminded of how precious life is
and how much more we can get outof it when we become intentional
(11:02):
instead of resisting.
So yes, I was sad that mydaughter didn't want me to walk
her to class, that she wantedthis independence that I wasn't
quite ready to give her.
But the beauty of it is that.
She was so confident and sosure, and she carried the light
of the Lord with her.
So she was fine.
It was me who was not fine.
(11:23):
And honestly, mama, reclaimingyour God-given identity is not
selfish.
It's stewardship.
It's stewardship of the giftsthat he's given you beyond
motherhood, so during thistransition.
Make time to revisit forgottenpassions.
You might find that you hadloved it so much at one point,
(11:44):
or that you probably moved onwith something else, and it
doesn't give you that same sparklike it used to.
Reconnect with friends orexplore new interests that
you've placed on your list ofthings to do when you have the
time, because now is the time.
Again, God's timing is.
Perfect.
So rediscover who you are anddon't be afraid to partner with
(12:06):
God in the process.
'cause you might have forgottenwho you are outside of being a
mom, but our heavenly fatherhasn't.
So invite him into this space inthis time.
And so how does all of this cometogether in one seamless way?
Well, we're going to bridge bothworlds together, which means
(12:27):
developing practical strategiesthat honor both your evolving
identity and your child'sgrowing independence.
This is about creating a healthybalance where you can process
your own emotions while stillshowing up as the supportive
parent your child needs duringthis transition because the
thoughts that they might notneed you anymore.
(12:49):
That one is a straight up.
Lie.
Okay.
Your children still need you.
So rather than separating theseexperiences, like keeping your
identity struggles separate fromyour parenting, we're looking
for integration.
Because this isn't aboutchoosing between your needs and
theirs, but rather finding thebeautiful overlap where both can
(13:10):
thrive.
And that's.
The beauty of being in arelationship with Christ because
everything bleeds and comes fromhim, and so when we can mesh all
of this together, it just meanswe have less things to worry
about.
We don't have to worry aboutmanaging the world where we are
struggling with our identitiesand the world where we're trying
(13:31):
to give them their independence.
No, we can let it go and blendthe two together, your
relationship with God, bleedinginto how you mother, how you see
things in life with yourparenting and.
Your child's growths and theirneeds as well.
But at the end of the day, allis well because we have our Lord
(13:52):
and Savior because we have aloving father.
So even though they areexploring this new season, their
outlook is going to depend onyou.
Mama.
Because you set the pace, themindset, and the emotion behind
all of these changes.
When my youngest startedkindergarten last year, she
cried every single morning whenI dropped her off at the door.
(14:14):
And as a mom, I wanted to crytoo, because I was sad that she
was sad, but I knew if I cried,it would probably make her panic
even more, and the anxiety andthe nervousness would actually
be magnified within her.
So instead, I took her hand andI told her that she didn't need
(14:35):
to be extremely brave.
So if she cried while she was inclass, it was okay.
But if she was a little bitbraver each day, it would
eventually add up over time.
And before she knew it, shewould be excited and very brave
to go into a classroom byherself.
And you know what?
It also helped that her teacherhad them on a routine.
(14:57):
So she knew after a certainactivity she would be cleaning
up, and then she looked forwardto seeing me as I picked her up
from school, which was great.
So as you're bridging bothworlds, what are some practical
steps that you can take?
The word connection comes tomind.
Create a new time and space foryou to reconnect with your
(15:18):
children after school byspending maybe 15 minutes asking
them not only how their day was,but digging into the things that
they're telling you, My daughterused to tell me that every
Monday she would have to writecurrent event papers for what
happened over the weekend, Andshe would share with me some of
the things that stuck out to herover the weekend,, which were
(15:39):
things that I didn't quite thinkabout in passing.
But I loved it that she wouldpick up on these small, little
detailed things.
And it was also a really goodconversation to have too.
And of course, my other two kidswould get involved, and then we
would just kind of go aroundtalking about what our day was
like and what we did.
It got to the point where mykids asked me what I did in my
(16:00):
day, and you know what?
That honestly kept meaccountable to follow through
with my plans while they were inschool, because then I had
something to tell them when wemet up again after school,
instead of just wasting the day.
Other ways that you can processthrough your emotions is to
connect with other mamas whohave gone through or is still
going through similartransitions.
(16:22):
It's a great way to buildfriendship and to get support
from a community of people who.
Understand and if you could usethat right now in your
motherhood journey.
Mama, don't forget about my freeonline community.
It's linked in the show notesfor you.
So as we wrap up today's episodeon this hidden struggle of
(16:42):
motherhood, let's remember thesethree truths that will help you
navigate this transition withconfidence, leaving guilt
behind, and embracing this newseason.
First, remember to acknowledgethat your identity is evolving
and not diminishing.
Embrace this new season, mama,instead of fighting it.
To avoid this unnecessary griefthat I went through because I
(17:07):
100% don't recommend it.
Get off that struggle buss.
And then secondly, reclaim yourGod-given identity beyond
motherhood.
Rediscover your passions andgifts that have been waiting for
you while you raised yourchildren.
And of course, we just talkedabout bridging both worlds by
creating strategies that honoryour ever evolving identity,
(17:30):
while supporting your child'sgrowth.
Independence through intentionalreconnection.
All right, mama.
I know that you've got thisbecause you can do hard things.
Thanks for hanging out with metoday, mama.
If this episode helped you inany way, would you do me a favor
(17:53):
and please share it with afellow mom that could also
benefit from this episode.
Until then, I'll see you nextWednesday, right here on this
podcast.
Go in peace.
Sending your little one tokindergarten, but feeling lost
yourself.
Today we're unpacking that.
Who am I now?
Moment when your child stepsinto the classroom and you are
left wondering what happens nextin your own story.
Welcome to the first episode ofour transition mini series.
Over the next four weeks, we'llbe exploring how to navigate
(00:22):
this back to school season withconfidence from identity shifts
to guilt, managing overwhelm,and, perfectionism, this is the
place you're going to want tobe, especially if you're wanting
to break free from mom guilt.
Now, speaking of finding yourplace, I've created a supportive
home for moms just like you.
(00:43):
My break free from Mom GuiltCommunity is where Christian
moms gather to rediscover theiridentity beyond the carpool
line.
Inside you'll find biblicalencouragement.
Simple challenges that bringpeace to your motherhood.
And of course you're going tofind other mamas who understand
exactly what you're goingthrough.
(01:03):
So click on the link in the shownotes to join us because I would
love to welcome you personallyand walk alongside you during
the season of transition.
Hey Mama.
Overwhelmed by Mom Guilt.
I'm Caroline Tao, helpingChristian moms trade
(01:25):
perfectionism for freedom andrest.
Welcome to the Restored Mind,where Biblical wisdom meets
practical strategies forbecoming the mom You've always
wanted to be ready.
Let's do this.
When my kids startedkindergarten, I remember feeling
(01:48):
nervous.
I mean, if I'm being honest, Ithink I was actually more
nervous than they were.
Even the days leading up to thefirst day of school.
I remember being sad that mylittle babies were going to be
in a classroom for the firsttime, that they wouldn't be near
me and.
I had this irrational fear thatthey would no longer need me.
(02:10):
I felt like I would be forgottenabout.
I know pretty irrational, right?
But I could not help my mindgoing straight into the thought
that I would be forgotten aboutbecause we had spent the first
four to five years of their lifewith each other.
And within those years I wastheir entire world.
(02:31):
And now that was going tochange.
I still remember the exactmoment I realized my identity
was changing.
My oldest daughter was startingkindergarten and on just the
second day, Her tiny littlevoice said, mom, you can wait in
the car.
I want to walk to class bymyself.
I thought, absolutely not littlelady, but I also didn't wanna
(02:56):
take the independence that shereally wanted away from her.
So of course I let her go toclass by herself.
And that moment honestly shookme to my core because.
As I looked back into the rearview mirror at my youngest
daughter, who was not old enoughto start school at the time, I
just knew that there was gonnabe a day where she would start
as well, and I wasn't readybecause I started thinking about
(03:20):
who I am without a baby attachedto my hip.
And so suddenly I began to feelguilt just well up inside of me.
I was so full of guilt, feelingso bad, and I thought, is this
my punishment for the lack ofpatience that I had with them
when they were younger?
And for me, wishing all of thosehard years away where I was
(03:40):
lacking sleep, lacking patience,and I didn't know how to be the
mom that I wanted to be.
So all of a sudden, as mydaughter's walking to class and
I'm watching her leave, I had noclue who I was without my babies
attached to me.
And it was not a good feeling.
But this feeling of identityshift isn't just about
kindergarten, it's abouttransition we face as moms, and
(04:04):
that's why I created thisspecial four part series to help
you navigate back to schoolseason and all the changes it
brings, So where can we startwhen we begin to ask the
question, who am I without ababy attached to my hips?
The first step is acknowledgingthat your identity as a mom is
(04:25):
evolving, not diminishing.
You are a forever mom, and yourrole changes as your children
grow when they're home with you,changes happen gradually, but
school represents a big suddenshift that's more noticeable and
this often triggers the negativeself-talk, like when I thought I
was being punished for wishingthe years away.
(04:48):
This transition is especiallychallenging because for the
first four to five years,everything you did included
them, and so they were yourentire world.
And when they go to school andyou're watching them walk away
from you, it makes it a lotharder to let them go.
But I've said this a lot inprevious podcast episodes, and
I'll continue to shout it fromthe mountaintops and sprinkle it
(05:10):
throughout future episodes, butI want you to hear me when I say
this.
Your inner dialogue plays a hugerole in your mindset and how you
navigate this transition.
When you acknowledge thattransition is happening,.
it is going to be way easier toprocess what is actually
happening.
(05:31):
Take it from a fellow mama anddon't be like me.
Don't fight to keep everythingthe same because that is going
to cause you a lot of grief.
You'll find yourself wrestlingwith guilt and thoughts that are
not particularly true, andyou'll begin to feel like you're
being left behind in that.
They don't care about youbecause now they're making new
(05:52):
friends and discovering lifewithout you, which by the way,
are all untrue.
Okay?
You are still needed justdifferently, so.
The intense season of physicalattachment is transitioning, and
we as mamas need to findstrength in ourself as we learn
(06:12):
to embrace this change and letour children grow a healthy
sense of independence.
So yes, while I really wanted totell my daughter, No, you can't
walk yourself to class.
I had to let her go so that shecould grow that healthy
independence and.
You know, it broke me.
But as I'm talking about thischange and thinking about it, my
(06:36):
mind continues to keep goingback to Solomon and what he says
in Ecclesiastes, because hesays, for everything there is a
season and a time for everymatter under heaven.
You can find this inEcclesiastes chapter three verse
one, but the reason my mind goesto that is because God designed
life to have seasons.
(06:57):
We cannot escape it or hold onto time and fight against them
because it's only gonna bring usunnecessary pain.
So when those thoughts ofpunishment, or who am I now
arise?
Try this simple reframingtechnique.
The first step is to notice thethought without judgment and
(07:19):
then intentionally replace itwith truth alternative.
So you might, instead of saying,I'm being punished because I
wished all the guilt away, andthat's why I'm feeling this way.
Instead you would say, thisisn't punish.
This is a new season God has forme and he will see me through it
because there is a season and atime for every matter under
(07:40):
heaven.
It not only shifts your focusinto the present moment, but
also anchors your faith in Himand sets your eyes on him.
So now that we've acknowledgedthis identity shift is
happening, let's move to thenext step.
Reclaiming your God-givenidentity and that extends beyond
(08:04):
motherhood.
And while your role is a mom.
You are still a child of Godwith a mission for the Lord's
Kingdom.
So we as moms, we take our roleas the mom.
Seriously.
Right?
We love that.
It's such a huge blessing thatwe get to be moms and as moms,
most of us have pressed pause onour intentional interest, our
(08:26):
hobbies and dreams while raisingour kids.
Everything gradually becameabout them, and for good reason,
because there are babies.
We want to give them the best.
We want to create as manymemories as we can with them.
But during the season oftransition, let's answer the
question of who am I without ababy attached to my hip?
(08:47):
And remember that your identityin Christ extends beyond your
role as a mom.
So I want you to remember thatGod created you with unique
gifts and passions that havebeen there, honestly, all along,
just waiting to be rediscoveredor maybe something new has
piqued your interest.
And this is gonna be a greattime for you to explore those
(09:10):
interests.
So I have just recentlyreferenced Ecclesiastes and I
honestly encourage you to readChapter three verse one through
eight, and take your time withit.
I'm being serious.
Pause after every stanza andjust let it soak in.
It is such a beautiful reminderbecause Ecclesiastes three
(09:31):
reminds us for everything.
There is a season and a time forevery matter under heaven, a
time to weep and a time tolaugh, a time to mourn, and a
time to dance.
And these words of wisdom fromSolomon reminds us that life
naturally flows.
Through different phases.
(09:53):
This transition to school issimply a new season God has for
both you and your child as theystart the school year.
And so as you are slowly readingEcclesiastes, I hope that your
eyes are set on the Lord, and itreminds you of his goodness that
God's timing is perfect, evenwhen we feel like time has flown
(10:17):
by way too fast or is going waytoo slow.
Seasons come and go and whetheror not we're ready for them,
it's going to happen.
And let me tell you.
Wrestling with this change isnot easy because I found myself
caught up in thoughts about howfast time has gone and how I had
taken it for granted, and thatwas really the spark of the
(10:38):
guilt that I was carrying forquite some time.
But this passage slowed me downwhen I paused after every stanza
because it forced me to slow mymind down.
And when I did that, I wasreminded of how precious life is
and how much more we can get outof it when we become intentional
(11:02):
instead of resisting.
So yes, I was sad that mydaughter didn't want me to walk
her to class, that she wantedthis independence that I wasn't
quite ready to give her.
But the beauty of it is that.
She was so confident and sosure, and she carried the light
of the Lord with her.
So she was fine.
It was me who was not fine.
(11:23):
And honestly, mama, reclaimingyour God-given identity is not
selfish.
It's stewardship.
It's stewardship of the giftsthat he's given you beyond
motherhood, so during thistransition.
Make time to revisit forgottenpassions.
You might find that you hadloved it so much at one point,
(11:44):
or that you probably moved onwith something else, and it
doesn't give you that same sparklike it used to.
Reconnect with friends orexplore new interests that
you've placed on your list ofthings to do when you have the
time, because now is the time.
Again, God's timing is.
Perfect.
So rediscover who you are anddon't be afraid to partner with
(12:06):
God in the process.
'cause you might have forgottenwho you are outside of being a
mom, but our heavenly fatherhasn't.
So invite him into this space inthis time.
And so how does all of this cometogether in one seamless way?
Well, we're going to bridge bothworlds together, which means
(12:27):
developing practical strategiesthat honor both your evolving
identity and your child'sgrowing independence.
This is about creating a healthybalance where you can process
your own emotions while stillshowing up as the supportive
parent your child needs duringthis transition because the
thoughts that they might notneed you anymore.
(12:49):
That one is a straight up.
Lie.
Okay.
Your children still need you.
So rather than separating theseexperiences, like keeping your
identity struggles separate fromyour parenting, we're looking
for integration.
Because this isn't aboutchoosing between your needs and
theirs, but rather finding thebeautiful overlap where both can
(13:10):
thrive.
And that's.
The beauty of being in arelationship with Christ because
everything bleeds and comes fromhim, and so when we can mesh all
of this together, it just meanswe have less things to worry
about.
We don't have to worry aboutmanaging the world where we are
struggling with our identitiesand the world where we're trying
(13:31):
to give them their independence.
No, we can let it go and blendthe two together, your
relationship with God, bleedinginto how you mother, how you see
things in life with yourparenting and.
Your child's growths and theirneeds as well.
But at the end of the day, allis well because we have our Lord
(13:52):
and Savior because we have aloving father.
So even though they areexploring this new season, their
outlook is going to depend onyou.
Mama.
Because you set the pace, themindset, and the emotion behind
all of these changes.
When my youngest startedkindergarten last year, she
cried every single morning whenI dropped her off at the door.
(14:14):
And as a mom, I wanted to crytoo, because I was sad that she
was sad, but I knew if I cried,it would probably make her panic
even more, and the anxiety andthe nervousness would actually
be magnified within her.
So instead, I took her hand andI told her that she didn't need
(14:35):
to be extremely brave.
So if she cried while she was inclass, it was okay.
But if she was a little bitbraver each day, it would
eventually add up over time.
And before she knew it, shewould be excited and very brave
to go into a classroom byherself.
And you know what?
It also helped that her teacherhad them on a routine.
(14:57):
So she knew after a certainactivity she would be cleaning
up, and then she looked forwardto seeing me as I picked her up
from school, which was great.
So as you're bridging bothworlds, what are some practical
steps that you can take?
The word connection comes tomind.
Create a new time and space foryou to reconnect with your
(15:18):
children after school byspending maybe 15 minutes asking
them not only how their day was,but digging into the things that
they're telling you, My daughterused to tell me that every
Monday she would have to writecurrent event papers for what
happened over the weekend, Andshe would share with me some of
the things that stuck out to herover the weekend,, which were
(15:39):
things that I didn't quite thinkabout in passing.
But I loved it that she wouldpick up on these small, little
detailed things.
And it was also a really goodconversation to have too.
And of course, my other two kidswould get involved, and then we
would just kind of go aroundtalking about what our day was
like and what we did.
It got to the point where mykids asked me what I did in my
(16:00):
day, and you know what?
That honestly kept meaccountable to follow through
with my plans while they were inschool, because then I had
something to tell them when wemet up again after school,
instead of just wasting the day.
Other ways that you can processthrough your emotions is to
connect with other mamas whohave gone through or is still
going through similartransitions.
(16:22):
It's a great way to buildfriendship and to get support
from a community of people who.
Understand and if you could usethat right now in your
motherhood journey.
Mama, don't forget about my freeonline community.
It's linked in the show notesfor you.
So as we wrap up today's episodeon this hidden struggle of
(16:42):
motherhood, let's remember thesethree truths that will help you
navigate this transition withconfidence, leaving guilt
behind, and embracing this newseason.
First, remember to acknowledgethat your identity is evolving
and not diminishing.
Embrace this new season, mama,instead of fighting it.
To avoid this unnecessary griefthat I went through because I
(17:07):
100% don't recommend it.
Get off that struggle buss.
And then secondly, reclaim yourGod-given identity beyond
motherhood.
Rediscover your passions andgifts that have been waiting for
you while you raised yourchildren.
And of course, we just talkedabout bridging both worlds by
creating strategies that honoryour ever evolving identity,
(17:30):
while supporting your child'sgrowth.
Independence through intentionalreconnection.
All right, mama.
I know that you've got thisbecause you can do hard things.
Thanks for hanging out with metoday, mama.
If this episode helped you inany way, would you do me a favor
(17:53):
and please share it with afellow mom that could also
benefit from this episode.
Until then, I'll see you nextWednesday, right here on this
podcast.
Go in peace.
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