Catholic Mom Calm

Thought process Thought process 5 title options Vacationing With Kids (Without Pretending It's a Vacation) — clear, evergreen, leads with the reframe. (My top pick — you said you'll reference this every summer, so the title should say exactly what it is and survive out of season.) Why Your Family "Vacation" Isn't Actually a Vacation — the reframe as the hook You're Probably Not Going to Enjoy It (And That's Okay) — pattern-interrupt, very you Treat the Trip Like a Business Trip — leads with the practical metaphor How to Travel With Little Kids and Still Love Yourself Full show notes below using the top pick. Title: Vacationing With Kids (Without Pretending It's a Vacation) Every summer it happens. You pack up the little kids, drive to the beach or the grandparents, and somewhere around day three in an unfamiliar Airbnb with no blackout curtains and a toddler who won't sleep, you wonder why you thought this would be fun. Sterling Jaquith has a reframe that changes the whole thing: stop calling it a vacation. In this evergreen episode you can come back to before any trip, Sterling walks through why little kids won't remember the vacation anyway, what they do remember, and the three honest questions to ask before you go. It's permission to stop chasing "relaxing" with a houseful of tired, dysregulated humans, and to plan the trip like the world's best personal assistant instead. Because the answer, through all of it, is always love. Including love for yourself. WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE: Why calling it a "vacation" is the first trap, and treating the trip like a business trip with a mission and a plan instead The honest truth that you may not enjoy it with little kids, and why that doesn't mean anything has gone wrong The three questions to ask before you go: What's my mission? What three feelings am I actually going for? How do I set myself up for those? Creating novelty on the cheap (crazy straws, Goodwill toys, stovetop popcorn, pop rocks, and the screen time you'd normally say no to) Planning something that's just for you, whether it's before, during, or after the trip Why Catholic moms living only for everyone else isn't how God designed you, and how to love yourself hard through the hard parts EPISODE TIMELINE: [00:00] – Why this is your reference episode for every future summer, holiday, and spring break [04:00] – "I don't think you can enjoy it." The coaching conversation that started this [08:00] – What kids actually remember, and why Sterling makes a photo book every year [12:00] – The three questions: mission, the top three feelings, and setting yourself up to feel them [16:00] – Creating novelty, building in real breaks, and planning something for you [19:00] – The answer is always love, and why God doesn't want you at the end of your rope LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED: Rhythm of War which is Book 4 of the Stormlight Series by Brandon Sanderson (the audiobook Sterling and her husband listened to on their cross-country drive): https://amzn.to/4w34nwC Calm Catholic Kids (Summer of Kindness stories free now, Collections 4 and 5 coming soon): https://calmcatholickids.com CONNECT WITH STERLING JAQUITH: Website: https://catholicmomcalm.com Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catholicmomcalm

We all say we want our lives to be better. But what if most of us don't actually want to do the one thing that would make it better? This episode is the mirror-moment question, plus a summer update on closing loops, a 30-second way to make decisions, a new puppy, and the letter that changed how she thinks about holy water. WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE: Why no amount of thinking makes a decision for you (it always comes down to a 30-second moment where you just decide) The open loops draining moms, and the Saturday-close-loops, Monday-fresh-start rhythm you can borrow Clean pain vs. dirty pain, and why feeling powerless hurts worse than admitting you're choosing not to change How Sterling redirects her own dramatic, melancholic brain toward what's amazing instead of what's terrible EPISODE TIMELINE: [00:00] – The school decision, and why thinking longer doesn't actually help [05:00] – Closing loops, and Saturdays and Mondays as reset days [10:00] – Cozy summer: tea, puzzles, audiobooks, and using AI for everyday life [15:00] – A new puppy, plus what's coming for Calm Catholic Kids and mom meditations [20:00] – The Letter From Beyond: holy water and the signal graces we ignore [24:00] – The real question: do you actually want your life to get better? LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED: Good Mom Summer in Catholic MoM Calm: https://catholicmomcalm.com Summer of Kindness Stories FREE: https://catholicmomcalm.com/calm-catholic-kids-collection-3-kindness/ The Letter From Beyond (public domain): https://americaneedsfatima.org/articles/a-letter-from-beyond Rook by Daniel O'Malley (witty, some swearing): https://amzn.to/4uxJHvy Spirit Dog Training: https://spiritdogtraining.com Octopus puzzle: https://amzn.to/3S6srQE Read-Aloud Revival booklists (Sarah Mackenzie): https://readaloudrevival.com Equip protein: https://www.equipfoods.com/STERLING CONNECT WITH STERLING JAQUITH: Website: https://catholicmomcalm.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catholicmomcalm/

Are you struggling to hear God's voice? If you're trying to discern a decision — about your family, your home, your work, or something deeper — and you're not getting clarity, it may not be because God isn't speaking. It may be because something is blocking Him. In this episode, we talk about four common ways we unintentionally block God's voice: Hardness of heart and lack of forgiveness Asking God… but being afraid of the answer Only giving Him Option A or Option B When God says, "It's up to you" We also talk about: Why forgiveness (even of God) is about releasing yourself How fear reveals whether you trust His goodness The subtle difference between unrest and peaceful freedom Why discernment and obedience are two separate skills The goal of motherhood is not performance. It's not image. It's not measurable success. It's learning to hear God's voice — and doing what He tells you. If you're not getting clarity in prayer, gently examine your heart. There may be something blocking what He's trying to say. Do whatever He tells you. 💜 Sterling

Calming Down Won't Make Your Life Easy (The Cross Still Remains) | Catholic Mom Learning how to calm your nervous system is powerful. Breathing slowly. Stepping outside. Drinking water. Getting out of fight-or-flight. These tools matter. But they do not mean your life will suddenly become easy. In this episode, we talk about where psychology meets Catholicism — and why even the most regulated, peaceful Catholic mom will still have a cross to carry. You'll hear about: Why calming down helps you think clearly — but doesn't remove suffering The difference between reducing chaos and eliminating the Cross What redemptive suffering really means Why no one escapes the Cross (and why that's actually mercy) The temptation to carry crosses poorly — or carry ones God never asked for How to stop trying to "out-hack" your suffering The grace God always gives for the day you're in God does not forget you. He does not accidentally assign you the wrong life. He does not ask you to carry something without giving you the grace for it. You may still have hard days. You may still say, "I'm having a very human day." But the goal isn't a cross-free life. The goal is to carry your cross well. And strangely — that is the easiest life available to us. You are not alone in your suffering. And your cross is not meaningless. 💜 Sterling

Accepting the Day You're Given | Interior Peace for the Catholic Mom Part of having real interior peace as a Catholic mom comes from accepting your day the way it actually is — not the way you planned it. You wake up with a picture in your mind: Quiet morning prayer Kids waking at reasonable times Smooth breakfast Shoes on, backpacks packed Maybe even a little cleaning done And then… A child wakes up at 5:15. Someone is sick. Shoes are missing. A glass of juice shatters on the floor as you're trying to get out the door. Now you have two choices. You can resist: "This shouldn't be happening." Or you can receive: "Alright, Lord… I guess this is what we're doing now." In this episode, we talk about: Why resisting reality drains your energy How the thought "this shouldn't be happening" creates tightness and stress in your body The Marian posture of receptivity What "fiat" looks like in everyday mom life How accepting the moment actually makes you a better problem solver Why receiving your day gives you more energy than fighting it This isn't about being passive. It isn't about being a doormat. It's about living the feminine genius — receiving what God allows, then asking: "How do You want me to show up right now?" Interior peace begins when we stop arguing with reality. You are not behind. You are not failing. You are being invited into deeper surrender. 💜 – Sterling

Are you telling yourself you're a lazy mom — even though you're exhausted, overwhelmed, and doing a million things every day? In this episode, I want to lovingly but firmly tell you the truth: You are not lazy. You are tired. And those are not the same thing. I've had six kids in eight years, and I know what it feels like to sit on the couch and wonder what is wrong with you… even though you've been giving everything you have all day long. In this video, we talk about: - why "lazy mom" is almost always the wrong diagnosis - the difference between exhaustion, burnout, and true laziness - how mental load fries your nervous system (even when your body still has energy) - why negative self-talk makes motherhood feel heavier than it has to be - how silence, prayer, and compassion for yourself restore capacity - why managing your mind gives you hours of energy back This is especially for Catholic moms who love their families deeply but feel worn down, overstimulated, and discouraged. Nothing is wrong with you. You don't need to try harder. You need more peace. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. 💜 Sterling

If your husband feels negative a lot, this video is for you. Maybe he complains about the kids. Maybe he points out what's wrong more than what's right. Maybe you leave conversations feeling heavy, irritated, or unseen. In this episode, I'm sharing a mindset shift that has helped so many Catholic moms restore peace in their marriage — without changing their husband's personality or starting another argument. In this episode, you'll learn: - why "negativity" often isn't negativity at all - what your husband is usually asking for (without realizing it) - how to respond in a way that lowers tension instead of escalating it - a loving, charitable approach that actually works long-term This is not about excusing bad behavior. And it's not about silencing yourself. It is about responding with wisdom, clarity, and peace — especially when personalities are very different. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. 💜 Sterling

If the noise in your house is driving you crazy — the screaming, the banging, the constant sound of someone needing something — you are not broken. And you're definitely not a bad mom. As a Catholic mom, you were never meant to live in a constant stress state, even if your house is loud and chaotic and full of little kids who don't understand volume control. In this episode, I teach you how to actually increase your tolerance to noise so you can stay calm when your home is at full volume. We talk about: * Why sensory overload is so common in moms (and it's not weakness) * The brain science behind why noise triggers your stress response * Simple techniques to calm your nervous system in real time * How to build long-term tolerance without numbing yourself out If you liked this episode, you'll also enjoy: Tired from Overthinking? Mental Rest for Catholic Moms Listen in your browser here Finding Peace When You Can't Control Everything Listen in your browser here Everyone Knows Moms Are Stressed: Here's What to Do Listen in your browser here If you're ready to stop feeling on edge every day and start building real, lasting calm — that's exactly what we do inside Mary's Heart Martha's Order. It's coaching, community, and practical tools for Catholic moms who want peace that sticks. Learn more at catholicmomcalm.com/marysheart