More Human More Kind: Guidance for Parenting LGBTQ+ Teens & Growing Into a Courageous Ally

• "I Believe You" - The Most Important Thing You Can Say to Your LGBTQ+ Child

  When your child comes out or shares something vulnerable do you freeze, fumble, or fear saying the wrong thing?Whether it’s about gender, sexuality, faith, or mental health, what your child is really asking in that moment is, “Can I trust you?” In this essential episode, Heather Hester shares the neuroscience, parenting wisdom, and personal stories behind why believing your child, even without full understanding, can literally save lives.✔️ Learn 8 powerful tools to communicate belief, safety, and love even when you’re still learning✔️ Discover how trauma-informed parenting strengthens your child's mental health and self-worth✔️ Hear why “I believe you” is more powerful than any answer you could give✔️ Let go of the myth that support requires full comprehensionIdentity doesn't need your permission to existPress play now to learn how to meet your child’s truth with trust, not fear, and why your belief may be the very bridge that keeps your connection (and their well-being) alive.Key TakeawaysBelief doesn’t require full understanding, it requires trust and presence.LGBTQ+ youth with one accepting adult are 40% less likely to attempt suicide.Pause before reacting: Your calm nervous system is the safety signal your child needs.Curiosity over correction is key: Replace “Are you sure?” with “Tell me more.”Repair matters more than perfection; own your mistakes with grace and keep growing.Every affirming act, like using their name or pronouns, tells your child: “You are safe with me.”Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Become a private clientAttend Friday Reflection LIVE on Substack - guided journaling and Q&AInvite me to speak at your workshop or event Receive a free excerpt and reflection guide from my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect [email protected] on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ+ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and foster courageous, compassionate connection.If you’re in the thick of parenting, allyship, or pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in—I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just

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• Human First. Kind Always. A Guide For Parents of LGBTQ Teens

  Are you overwhelmed by the speed, noise, and pressure of the season and craving a moment of genuine connection?In a world obsessed with performance and big gestures, we often forget the transformative power of the quiet, small moments: eye contact, a text, a name used correctly. Heather shares how these micro-moments of humanity can reset our nervous systems and ripple out more powerfully than we realize, especially for parents and allies of LGBTQ+ kids.✔️ Discover how small acts of kindness affect the brain and body in measurable, healing ways✔️ Learn a 3-step daily ritual to bring more presence, empathy, and grounding into your life✔️ Understand why tiny affirming behaviors are life-saving for LGBTQ+ youth✔️ Challenge the myth that if it’s not big, it doesn’t matterPress play now to reconnect with what really matters: being human, being kind, and being here.Key TakeawaysKindness is not a performance, it’s a nervous system reset for everyone involvedLGBTQ+ youth thrive on small affirming acts, which drastically reduce risk of depression and suicideMaking eye contact, offering silent blessings, or simply listening with presence are radical acts of loveYou don’t need to “fix” everything, just feel, notice, and act from empathyKindness isn’t weakness. Kindness is healing.What if kindness wasn't about being noticed, but about noticing? This simple shift in intention can change the way we parent, partner, and participate in the world.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Become a private clientAttend Friday Reflection LIVE on Substack - guided journaling and Q&AInvite me to speak at your workshop or event Receive a free excerpt and reflection guide from my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect [email protected] on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ+ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and foster courageous, compassionate connection.If you’re in the thick of parenting, allyship, or pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in—I see you. And I’m so glad you’re part of this journey.More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive...

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• Can Empathy Be Taught? Raising Inclusive Humans with Maria Gallucci

  BOUNUS Interview Episode!What if empathy wasn’t something you had to be born with but something you practiced, moment by moment?In today’s bonus episode, Heather sits down with Maria Gallucci, a CODA, LGBTQ+ parent, bestselling author, and fierce advocate for underrepresented voices. Her story will challenge how you think about empathy, identity, and belonging, and might just change how you show up in the world.Hear how growing up in a deaf family taught Maria the power of nonverbal communication, deep listening, and compassionUnderstand the emotional impact of being believed when coming out as LGBTQ+Learn why “just trying” can change someone’s entire dayDiscover how inclusive schools, small gestures, and language access ripple into lifelong healingPress play now to hear Maria’s powerful story and walk away with renewed commitment to connection over perfection.Key Themes & Takeaways:Empathy begins with presence not perfectionYou don’t have to understand someone to support themSilence, when shared with love, becomes a bridgeChildren thrive when they are believed, seen, and supported“Just try” is more powerful than you think whether in communication or allyshipInclusive environments save lives (especially in schools)Everyone has a story and those on the margins deserve center stageBuy Raised In SilenceLearn more about Maria's workHi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Become a private clientAttend Friday Reflection LIVE on Substack - guided journaling and Q&AInvite me to speak at your workshop or event Receive a free excerpt and reflection guide from my book, Parenting with Pride. Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!Connect [email protected] on YouTubeListen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ+ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I...

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• How to Lead, Parent, and Live with More Humanity and More Kindness

  What if the most radical thing we can be right now is fully, imperfectly human and deeply, fiercely kind?In this foundational episode of More Human, More Kind, host Heather Hester pulls back the curtain on the heart of the podcast and the movement behind it. Born out of advocacy for LGBTQ+ youth and expanded into a space for universal healing, this episode outlines the four pillars that guide every conversation: curiosity, compassion, courage, and connection.Whether you're a parent raising brave kids, an LGBTQ+ ally, or simply someone navigating life in a divided, demanding world, this episode is both a gentle guide and a powerful call to action.Learn the 4 foundational pillars of being more human and more kind and why they matter now more than everHear how these principles can transform how you parent, lead, love, and healUnderstand why kindness is not weakness, and how to pair it with boundaries to build trust and courageReceive real-life practices for choosing empathy, curiosity, and connection even in conflict or fearIn a world that rewards perfection and punishes vulnerability, kindness has become a revolutionary act. This episode reminds us that being human isn’t about being flawless, it’s about being real, present, and willing to keep showing up. Especially when it’s hard.And for parents of LGBTQ+ kids, or anyone committed to true allyship, this is how we change the emotional climate one conversation, one breath, one brave act of empathy at a time.This week’s kindness challenge:Think of someone who's been a quiet, steady presence in your life, a friend, teacher, barista, coworker, and send them a note or voice memo that simply says:“I notice the light you bring.”Let it be simple. Let it be real. That’s how we start rewiring the world.Ready to go deeper?Visit MoreHumanMoreKind.com to explore private coaching, join Heather’s guided journaling series, or find resources to raise brave kids, show up as an ally, and stay grounded in your values even when the world feels hard.Press play now and return to what’s most real: your humanity and the kindness that grows from it.Resource SpotlightBook: Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown - exploring the language of compassionPodcast: The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos (Episode: “The Power of Tiny Connections”)Book: Born to Be Good by Dacher Keltner — the science of compassion.Study: Epley & Schroeder, “Mistakenly Seeking Solitude,” Journal of Experimental Psychology (2018).Research: Barbara Fredrickson, “Love 2.0” (UNC, 2013) — the biology of micro-moments of connection.Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Become a private clientAttend Friday Reflection LIVE on Substack - guided journaling and Q&AInvite me to speak at your workshop or event Receive...

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• Parents, Relearning Love is a Gift for the Soul - Yours and Your LGBTQ Teen's

  What if love was never meant to be earned, just allowed?In this powerful and tender episode of More Human, More Kind, Heather Hester invites you to examine the stories you carry about love, especially the ones you learned before you even had the words to question them. Through science, psychology, and personal reflection, she explores how childhood attachment patterns shape our adult definitions of love and how to rewrite those stories with compassion, curiosity, and conscious parenting.Whether you're an LGBTQ+ ally, a parent trying to raise emotionally healthy kids, or someone healing from conditional or weaponized love, this episode is an invitation to stop performing for love and start remembering what real, safe, expansive love actually feels like.Understand how your earliest relationships shaped your attachment style and love blueprintLearn how to identify the old stories that tell you love requires sacrifice, silence, or sufferingGet practical tools to begin repairing your relationship with love through journaling, micro-moments of self-compassion, and nervous system careReflect on how to model secure, respectful, and inclusive love for yourself, your children, and the people you care about mostMany of us, especially LGBTQ+ individuals and parents, were taught that love means staying no matter the cost. But love that asks you to disappear isn’t love. It’s survival.Real love makes room for truth, safety, and freedom and when we unlearn fear-based attachment, we become better allies, better parents, and more whole humans.Try This Journaling Prompt:"The future version of me will thank me for..."or"I'm learning to speak to myself like..."Write it. Read it aloud. Let it be your new evidence of love.Want to Go Deeper?Join Heather every Friday on Substack for live guided journaling sessions and Q&A: a soft, brave space to reconnect with your heart, especially before the holidays. MoreHumanMoreKind.comPress play now to begin unlearning fear-based love and to remember what it feels like to be held without condition.Resource SpotlightBook: All About Love by bell hooks — foundational wisdom on redefining love as an active choice.Research: Dr. Kristin Neff, Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself (HarperCollins, 2011).Therapy Resource: Attachment Theory in Practice by Dr. Sue Johnson — how early bonding shapes our adult relationships.Study: Barbara Fredrickson, “Love 2.0” (University of North Carolina, 2013) — the science of micro-moments of love.Book: How We Love by Milan & Kay YerkovichPodcast Episode: “Healing the Inner Child” – Unlocking Us with Brené BrownHi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!Become a private clientAttend Friday Reflection LIVE on Substack - guided journaling and Q&AInvite me to

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