Breakroom Mom

(00:00:00) Episode 16: Leaving the LDS Church & Ditching the "Perfect Mom" Script with Audra Phelps (00:00:05) Introducing Audra Phelps and Mama Audra (00:06:36) The Challenges of Leaving the LDS Church (00:07:41) The Impact of Purity Culture and Shame (00:13:08) The Struggle with Mental Health and Identity (00:22:20) Education and Career Transition (00:29:08) The Journey of Leaving the Church (00:39:00) Reparenting and Redefining Motherhood (00:44:52) Navigating Family Relationships After Leaving the Church (00:45:41) The Importance of Boundaries in Family Dynamics (00:46:41) Perspective-Taking and Reframing Triggers In this episode of Breakroom Mom, Julie sits down with Audra Phelps, founder of Mama Audra, to unpack the deeply emotional journey of leaving the LDS (Mormon) church and navigating life on the other side.With over 15 years of experience in international education and coaching, Audra now focuses her work on supporting ex-Mormon moms who are grappling with grief, identity loss, and intense mom guilt after a faith crisis.She opens up about her own "mom gut" moment, the sudden isolation of losing a tight-knit community overnight, and how she learned to trust her own parenting intuition without a religious rulebook telling her who to be.As Audra beautifully says: "You already left the church. I help you leave the woman it made you into."Tune in to hear:The "Mom Gut" Moment: The exact turning point where Audra realized she had to leave the church for the sake of her children.Deconstructing Perfectionism: How the "righteous mother" blueprint impacts maternal mental health and how to break free from it.The Identity Vacuum: Navigating the overwhelming loneliness and sudden isolation of losing your social safety net.Reparenting Yourself: Practical, daily steps to shed decades of religious guilt and shame.Generational Healing: How to handle awkward or heavy collisions with believing extended family and grandparents.Culture Shock "Firsts": Laughing through the chaos of experiencing mainstream culture (like ordering coffee or navigating free Sundays) for the first time as an adult.Whether you are navigating a high-demand religion exit yourself, rebuilding your identity from scratch, or simply trying to ditch societal perfectionism as a mother, Audra’s insights offer a powerful masterclass in rewriting your own rules.Connect with Audra Phelps & Mama Audra:Website & Training: https://mamaaudra.com/trainingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamaaudraofficial/Connect with Julie & Breakroom Mom:Instagram: @breakroommomsocialWatch the Video Version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uMpdC-jGcgUIf this conversation resonated with you, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating and review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts—it helps other moms find our village in the breakroom!

This week, I’m sitting down with my friend and fellow mom, Genevieve Stewart, for a conversation that most of us are terrified to have, but all of us need to hear. Genevieve isn't an "expert" with a PhD—she’s a mom of a teen and a pre-teen who decided that the "purity culture" many of us grew up with stops with her. We’re diving deep into the messy, awkward, and incredibly important world of introducing sex and body autonomy to our kids.In this episode, we cover:Breaking the Cycle: Moving away from shame-based "purity culture" and toward open, honest communication.The "One-Talk" Myth: Why sex ed is a series of 10,000 tiny conversations, not one big, scary event.Body Autonomy: How teaching kids they are the "boss of their body" starts way earlier than you think.The Resource Toolkit: Genevieve shares the exact books—from It’s Not the Stork to Boys & Sex—that helped her navigate these waters with her girls.Whether you have a toddler asking where babies come from or a middle-schooler navigating social media, this episode is a judgment-free zone designed to help you feel a little less alone in the "juggling and struggling" of modern parenting.Resources Mentioned in This Episode:"The Happiest Kids in the World" by Rina Mae Acosta & Michele Hutchison"Beyond the Birds and the Bees" by Bonnie J. Rough"Girls & Sex" and "Boys & Sex" by Peggy OrensteinThe "Family Library" Series by Robie H. Harris (It's Not the Stork!, It's So Amazing!, and It's Perfectly Normal)

What happens when the joy of a new baby is met with the shock of a life-altering diagnosis? In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend Lauren Bygland, who was diagnosed with breast cancer when her son was just five months old. In Episode 3 of Breakroom Mom, Lauren shares her journey through treatment, the emotional impact of mastectomy and hysterectomy, and how she used her runner’s mindset to battle the disease. Join us for a vulnerable conversation about motherhood, identity, and the unrealistic pressures we face as parents today.

Welcome to the very first episode of Breakroom Mom. If you’ve ever felt like you’re failing at a job that was supposed to come "naturally," this episode is for you. Today, I’m pulling back the curtain on why I started this podcast and tackling the big question: Why does parenting feel so much harder for us than it did for the generations before? We’re diving into the unique pressures Millennials and Gen Z face—from the digital overload of "perfect" parenting to the lack of a traditional village. Grab your coffee (even if it’s cold) and join me in the breakroom.