Get Mom Ready Podcast

For the mom trying to give her kids a magical summer without losing herselfSubscribe so you don’t miss an episode:Apple | Spotify | GetMomReady.comYou know those conversations that start with Slip ’N Slides, splash pads, Costco pools, and “’90s summer”…and somehow end up at the deep emotional truth that maybe your kids are not the only ones who need screen time boundaries?That was today’s episode.We started with summer. The kind where the kids are home, the hose is out, the $20 backyard pool is doing the heavy lifting, and everyone is trying to make “low-lift fun” feel like enough. Honestly? We support this math.But then Mary Scott (our guest this week & one of Meredith’s best friends who quickly become one of ours) said something that reset the conversation: I wonder if my inability to hold personal boundaries is gonna pour over into my inability to keep boundaries with my kids.And there it was.The conversation turned into: what happens when motherhood gets loud, overstimulating, repetitive, and relentless, and we find ourselves reaching for whatever gives us a little escape. A phone, p podcast, audiobook, Instagram. Anything that makes the backyard, the whining, the snack requests, the 5:30 a.m. wakeups, and the 14th “Mommy?” feel a little less consuming.Because we love our kids…and we’re only human.The hard part of summer is not just the kids being homeSummer with little kids can sound so simple from the outside. Let them play outside, give them popsicles, fill up the kiddie pool, go to the library, let them be bored. Bring back the ’90s summer!!Great. Love that. Fully on board.But the actual experience can feel very different.Because you are still managing sunscreen, snacks, sibling fights, hydration, towels, “watch this,” “watch this again,” and someone crying because the hose water is too cold.And if you are a mom with young kids, you may not be getting the clean, quiet morning routine people on the internet are always trying to sell you.If you’re like Mary Scott, you may be trying to read at 5:08 a.m. while one kid crawls into your bed, another kid wakes up at 5:38 asking for cheese balls, and you are whisper-yelling because one wrong floorboard creak could wake the whole house.So when we talk about boundaries, we are not talking about cute, aesthetic boundaries. We are talking about the kind you need when you are already overstimulated before 6:00 a.m.What we walked away withThis episode was not a neat and tidy “five ways to survive summer with kids” conversation, but there were a lot of takeaways that felt immediately useful:* Set yourself up before the day starts bossing you around.Sometimes the most regulating thing you can do is put the water cups out the night before. Or set breakfast bowls where the kids can reach them. Or put a basket of quiet toys, books, or the Toniebox by the couch where you actually sit in the morning. Not because you are trying to become a perfect systems mom, but because 5:30 a.m. you would love those small acts of prep.* Notice what you are reaching for.This conversation was never really just about phones. It was about the constant input. Instagram, podcasts, audiobooks, music, noise, anything that keeps us from sitting in the discomfort of the moment. Sometimes the question is not, “Why am I on my phone again?” Sometimes it is, “What am I trying not to feel right now?”* What down what you love.Literally, make a list and put it on the fridge like Hannah did. That way, when you do have pockets of downtime, you don’t have to reach for more noise, you have a reminder of hobbies that refuel you without having to do the mental gymnastics of remembering what you even like with the 15 minutes you have.* Let jealousy give you information.Mary Scott talked about looking back on the school year and feeling frustrated that she had childcare hours but still did not do some of the things she wanted to do. Write. Create. Start the Substack. Have something that felt like fruit. Hannah’s response was so helpful: what if the things you feel jealous of are not there to shame you, but to show you what you really want?* Reset the day when it starts sideways.If the morning starts in full reactive mode, you are allowed to call a redo. You can literally say, “You know what? We’re starting over.” Go back into your room, walk out again, make it silly and fun, and let your kids see that a bad moment does not have to become a bad day.* Repeat after me, “I am the mom”One of the biggest themes in this conversation was how easy it is to parent from a reactive place. Staying calm is sometimes as easy as remembering that you are the one in charge. You get to decide your family’s rhythms, routines, and habits. And that’s a gift, not a burden.This episode is for the mom who wants to be present but also wants to be a personThere are so many competing messages in motherhood.Be present, but let them be bored. Enjoy every second, but have your own hobbies. Don’t make your kids the center of the universe, but remember this is their only childhood. Take care of yourself, but also be emotionally available, regulated, patient, playful, structured, flexible, and somehow not annoyed when someone asks for a snack 11 minutes after breakfast.No wonder we are tired.This conversation does not tie all of that up in a neat bow, because real motherhood rarely works that way. But it does give language to something a lot of moms are living right now.You can love your kids deeply and still want to escape sometimes. You can set boundaries with your kids and realize you need some with yourself too. You can create a magical summer without making yourself the cruise director. You can be present without being constantly available. You can be the mom and still be a person.And maybe this summer doesn’t have to be about doing more. Maybe it can be about noticing what is not working, releasing some shame, making a few tiny changes, and remembering that you are allowed to lead your home with calm, confidence, and a little more mercy for yourself.If this episode hit close to homeIf you’re anything like Mary Scott, maybe you noticed a gap between the mom you are in real life and the mom you want to be in your head because motherhood has a way of exposing the places where our own boundaries, rhythms, expectations, and coping mechanisms are not quite working anymore.And sometimes, you just need someone to help you name what’s happening, get curious about what’s underneath it, and find a few practical next steps that actually fit the season you’re in.If you loved the way Hannah and Meredith helped Mary Scott walk through what she was feeling, our coaches would love to do the same for you.You can learn more about coaching by booking a call with Meredith, or send us a DM on Instagram @getmomready.Get Mom Ready is the community for driven moms living full lives and figuring out how all the pieces work together. Subscribe to get every episode and article delivered to your inbox.Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode:Apple | Spotify | GetMomReady.com Get full access to Get Mom Ready at www.getmomready.com/subscribe

Holly’s onsite with a client today, so it’s just Anna + Hannah + Meredith on the mic, talking about something that quietly shapes your whole motherhood experience:Friendship.Not “how to make more mom friends.”But how to know who’s safe… and how to be safe when someone hands you something tender.Because motherhood has a way of turning friendship into both:* lifeline* and landmineAnd a lot of us are carrying a low-grade question in the background of our lives:Who can I really bring my real life to?The word we’re side-eyeing: “loyalty”We started with a spicy-ish take from Anna:“Loyalty” feels like a weird expectation to place on friendship.Not because commitment isn’t beautiful, but because friendship isn’t a contract.When people say “I value loyalty,” sometimes what they mean is:* “I need you to prove you’re on my side.”* “I need you to show up the same way forever.”* “I need you to be available when I’m not.”* “Don’t change. Don’t drift. Don’t evolve.”And motherhood will absolutely test that.We talked about the difference between:* desire (“I miss you. I wish we had more time.”)* expectation (“If you cared, you would.”)That line matters.Thanks for reading Get Mom Ready! This post is public so feel free to share it.A safe friend doesn’t demand your nervous systemOne of the most freeing ideas in the episode:A safe friend understands that availability can’t be “drop everything, always.”Instead of “prove you’re loyal,” a safe friendship sounds like:* “Do you have it to give right now?”* “Can I put something here?”* “Do you want validation or feedback?”* “No pressure to respond fast, I just needed to say it.”That’s not distance. That’s respect.The most practical tool we sharedHannah brought in something we wish every adult friendship had language for:Before someone shares something hard, ask:What do you want right now?* Validation?* Support?* Feedback?* Suggestions?* A solution?* Just a place to vent?Because a lot of friendship tension isn’t “bad friend energy.”It’s misaligned expectations:* One person is venting.* The other is fixing.* Someone leaves feeling unseen.* Someone leaves feeling rejected.This one question fixes so much.Get Mom Ready is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.How do you know someone is safe?We didn’t give a cute listicle answer… because honestly, you learn over time.But some clear “tells” came up:Safe friends tend to:* treat other people’s stories with care (no “she wouldn’t mind me telling you…”)* disagree respectfully (no contempt, no reduction)* handle your hard moments without pearl-clutching* let you be human without making it about them* disappoint you sometimes… and let you disappoint them sometimes (without punishment)Safety isn’t perfection.Safety is trust + emotional maturity + respect.Next week: money talk (anonymous + no questions off the table)We have a finance guru joining us next week and no questions are off the table and everything stays anonymous.Send anything you want us to ask to info@thereadynetwork.com and we’ll get answers on next week’s episode.Question for you (comment and tell us)When you think about a “safe friend,” what’s the #1 trait that makes you feel like you can exhale and be fully yourself?Sponsor: Pediped makes developmentally appropriate kids shoes. Use code MOMREADY for 20% off at pediped.com. Get full access to Get Mom Ready at www.getmomready.com/subscribe

Sometimes the most “emotionally healthy” thing you can do as a mom is admit the truth: you’re overwhelmed, you’re over-functioning, and social media is not helping.In this episode, Holly, Hannah, and Meredith sit down with Alli Worthington (author, speaker, business coach (Holly’s actual business coach!), and mom of five) to talk about what it looks like to become an emotionally healthy mom… so we can raise emotionally healthy kids.What we unpack in this conversation1) Why moms feel so much guilt (and why it’s getting worse)Alli doesn’t mince words: social media can be toxic for moms. Because your brain starts believing “everybody is doing everything,” when you’re really watching a highlight reel + a business model.Instead, find your trusted people, and go to them when things feel merky.2) Confidence doesn’t come first… reps come firstWe talk about how confidence is built through action, mistakes, and evidence over time, especially in motherhood. Stop believing the lie that one mistake can mess everything up and instead put effort into becoming the mom you want to be...over and over again.3) What “regulation” actually means in real lifeNot in a fluffy way. In a “how do I calm myself down before I snap” way.Tools that came up:* Counting down (and saying out loud what you’re doing)* Taking a pause before disciplining* Naming what’s happening in your body (hot, sweaty, escalated)* Preparing for your predictable “activation moments” (car line, dinner rush, bedtime)4) Overwhelm makes reactivity inevitableWe talk about how chronic overload pushes you into emotion-brain (amygdala) and takes your thinking-brain offline, which is why you say things you don’t even agree with later…and how to stop this hamster wheel.5) “Over-functioning” (aka: doing too darn much)One of the biggest mic-drop themes: over-functioning doesn’t just exhaust you, it quietly trains everyone around you to do less.Alli’s practical gut-check:If someone can do it 75% as well as you, let them.6) The long game: don’t make your kids your identityThis part matters: if your worth comes from being needed, you’ll accidentally rescue too much, and your kids won’t build competence or confidence.Get Mom Ready isn’t here to tell you how to parent. We’re here to help you stay connected to who you are while you’re doing it, so both you and your kids can thank you later.A question to sit with this weekWhere am I over-functioning right now… and what’s one “75% solution” I can accept without fixing it?Mentioned + linked in this episode (Alli’s stuff)* Alli’s book: Remaining You While Raising Them: The Secret Art of Confident Motherhood* Finding Your Secret Superpower Quiz* Alli’s Instagram: @alliworthington* Alli’s website: alliworthington.com* The Alli Worthington Show (podcast)If you’ve been doing everything and calling it “being a good mom,” consider this your permission slip (actually, your order) to stop over-functioning.And if you know a mom who’s drowning in decision fatigue and trying to do it all perfectly…send her this episode as a little love note. Get full access to Get Mom Ready at www.getmomready.com/subscribe

If you’ve ever thought, “If I could just get more organized, everything would feel easier,” this episode is for you.This week on Get Mom Ready, we’re welcoming someone we trust deeply and couldn’t be more excited to introduce to this community: Jennifer Sise.Jennifer is a time and productivity coach, author, podcast host, and mom who has worked with hundreds of women to help them stop managing time and start owning it. She’s also someone who understands motherhood seasons from the inside out, not from a pedestal.This conversation is honest, practical, and surprisingly gentle.It’s not about waking up earlier, doing more, or finally getting your life together.It’s about understanding why so many moms feel behind…even when they’re doing everything they can.The Real Issue Isn’t Time. It’s Decision Fatigue.One of the most grounding moments in this episode is when Jennifer names what so many of us are experiencing:When you’re making decisions all day long, you end up in chronic decision fatigue.So you default to survival mode.You get through the day, but you’re not building the life you actually want.That doesn’t mean you’re bad at time management.It means you’re tired.What You Want Is Actually PossibleJennifer gently but confidently reminds us of something many moms have stopped believing:What you want is possible.Not all at once.Not without trade-offs.And not without intentional decisions.But you don’t have to choose between being a present mom and having dreams.You don’t have to sacrifice what matters most in order to build something meaningful.You can have both.And the path forward doesn’t start with more effort…it starts with clarity.Why Structure Can Actually Feel Like ReliefThis is the counterintuitive shift many of us need:The more decisions you make in advance, the more margin you create.Structure isn’t about rigidity.It’s about fewer emotional spirals when life goes sideways (because it will).When time is already “set apart,” interruptions feel less personal and less overwhelming.The Recovery HourJennifer introduces a concept we immediately wanted to implement:A weekly recovery hour.A block of time where all the things that didn’t get done have a place to go.Because so much mom stress isn’t about unfinished tasks…it’s about feeling like there’s nowhere to put them.When there’s a plan for recovery, missed tasks stop feeling like failure and start feeling like life.The “Should” ShiftAnother powerful moment in this episode is Jennifer calling out how often we use the word should.I should be able to do more.I should be able to keep up.I should have this figured out by now.She invites us to replace should with want.Not to lower standards.But to bring honesty and ownership back into our choices.Because when you choose something because you want to, you carry it differently.A Gentler Question for the Week AheadInstead of asking:“What’s wrong with me that I can’t keep up?”Try asking:“What decision can I make in advance that would support me?”That one question has a way of quieting the noise.🎧 Listen to Episode 16 of Get Mom Ready for super practical tips on managing your time, cancelling the “shoulds” in your life, and more on the ever-freeing recovery hour.You can also connect with Jennifer here:* Instagram: @jennifersise* Podcast: In Nine Minutes* Book: It’s Only a Matter of TimeIf this episode resonated, share it with a mom who feels stretched thin right now.These conversations land differently when you don’t feel alone.You’re not behind.You’re getting ready in real time.With you,- Holly, Anna, Meredith, and Hannah Get full access to Get Mom Ready at www.getmomready.com/subscribe