The Idol of Control: Behavior and the Three Rs of Surrender and Unconditional Love

The Idol of Control: Behavior and the Three Rs of Surrender and Unconditional Love

From Happy, Holy Mama by Emily Brown

March 9, 2026 · 24 min · Season 1 · Episode 208

About this episode

Emily reflects on her journey of letting go of control over her children's behavior and embracing unconditional love.

This week my oldest child turns 19 and I am truly marveling at the man he is becoming. But it didn't always feel like a sigh of relief. I used to lie awake at night worrying that I was messing up my kids. I used to worry if they weren't learning what they needed, if their behavior meant I had made the wrong choices, or too many mistakes. I would dread the day and would look back and blame me for all of their stress, lack of preparation, and pain that I was sure they would have in the future. And it would all be my fault. But that's not where we actually are all these years later! In today's podcast episode, I'm reflecting on the journey of how I have worked on giving up control over other people's behavior, and really stepping up into the identity of the happier, holier mama that I always dreamed of being. It doesn't mean I have it all figured out. It just means that I have learned how to fall in love with the journey, even when it's hard (which it often still is!). And I want to share some of that knowledge with you! If you've ever felt like your peace depends on your child's behavior, or gotten stuck second-guessing your decision to homeschool because of it, grab your earbuds…

People in this episode

Host: Emily Brown

Topics covered

  • parenting
  • surrender
  • unconditional love
  • control
  • self-improvement

Keywords

  • parenting
  • control
  • surrender
  • unconditional love
  • self-improvement
  • homeschooling
  • peace

More episodes of Happy, Holy Mama

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Happy, Holy Mama podcast page.