I Keep Feeling Like I’m Failing My Kids

I Keep Feeling Like I’m Failing My Kids

From Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian Motherhood, Biblical Parenting, Raising Christian Kids by Courtney DeFeo and Christian Parenting

June 4, 2026 · 32 min

About this episode

Scarlet Hiltibidal discusses the pressures of motherhood and how to embrace grace over perfection in parenting.

It’s officially Scarlet Hiltibidal’s first episode as the new host of Pardon the Mess, and she’s kicking things off with a conversation every mom needs to hear. If you’ve ever laid in bed replaying your parenting failures, wondered if your bad moments are shaping your kids forever, or felt crushed under the pressure to “get motherhood right,” this episode is for you. Scarlet shares honest stories from her own home, the parenting advice that radically changed her perspective as a young mom, and the freeing truth that the gospel was never about pretending we’re perfect parents. It’s about pointing our children to a perfect Savior. She explores how our failures can actually become places where grace shines bright, why joy and peace in motherhood cannot be built on performance, and how repentance, humility, and dependence on Jesus create a healthier home than image management ever could. In this episode, Scarlet talks about: • Why motherhood often feels spiritually heavy and emotionally exhausting • The difference between parenting for performance versus parenting from grace • How our identity in Christ changes the way we respond to our failures • The beauty of apologizing to our…

People in this episode

Host: Scarlet Hiltibidal

Topics covered

  • motherhood
  • parenting failures
  • grace in parenting
  • identity in Christ
  • repentance
  • emotional exhaustion

Keywords

  • Christian parenting
  • motherhood
  • parenting advice
  • gospel
  • identity in Christ
  • joy in motherhood
  • repentance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Christian Parenting

More episodes of Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian Motherhood, Biblical Parenting, Raising Christian Kids

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Pardon the Mess with Courtney DeFeo - Christian Motherhood, Biblical Parenting, Raising Christian Kids podcast page.