Kindness On Cloudy Days

Kindness On Cloudy Days

From Pork Pond Gazette by Mike Rathbun

May 14, 2026 · 35 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of naming emotions for better family communication and explores kindness during tough times with guest Kendall Consini Moore.

Send us Fan Mail A lot of us know the feeling: you’re doing your best, your kid needs you, and inside your own head the weather turns. I sit down with Kendall Consini Moore, the writer behind Cloudy Day Chronicles and the author of Mom’s Cloud and the Beach Adventure , to talk about a simple idea that can change family communication: giving big feelings a name kids can actually use. We get specific about how her “cloud” metaphor was born from a bedtime story and a real parenting worry, and how the beach became the perfect setting to explain difference without blame. We also unpack what kindness looks like when you’re not okay, including the self-kindness move that helps parents stop turning one rough moment into the whole story of the day. Kendall shares practical, at-home language tips inspired by Montessori-style narration, plus a refreshing stance on praise: make it real so it stays meaningful. We also talk about mental health boundaries and miscommunication, especially how “I have a cloud” can work as shorthand with a partner or friend when you don’t have the emotional capacity for a long explanation. The conversation goes beyond parenting into anxiety, support groups…

People in this episode

Host: Mike Rathbun

Guest: Kendall Consini Moore

Topics covered

  • parenting
  • mental health
  • emotional intelligence
  • kindness
  • communication
  • self-kindness

Keywords

  • kindness
  • parenting
  • mental health
  • communication
  • emotional intelligence
  • self-kindness
  • anxiety

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Cloudy Day Chronicles, Mom’s Cloud, the Beach Adventure

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