The Motherkind Podcast

If the thought of being around your family this Christmas makes you feel a mix of excitement… and mild dread, you’re in the right place. For many mothers, Christmas isn’t hard because of the cooking, wrapping or logistics—it’s hard because of the people. The comments, the expectations, the old patterns and the familiar triggers that somehow resurface the moment you walk through the door. In the final of our December pep talks, Zoe shares practical tools to help you stay calm, grounded and drama-free when the family dynamics get intense In this pep talk, Zoe covers: How to stay grounded when family dynamics and old triggers show up What you can control (and what you can’t) when tensions rise Simple, kind ways to set boundaries and protect your energy Practical tools to prepare for tricky moments and avoid drama You are not imagining it—family dynamics at Christmas really can be tough.But with a few simple tools, you can protect your energy, stay grounded and enjoy the moments that truly matter. Have an amazing Christmas, and make sure to tune in on the 25th… there’s something special coming your way. Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Ready to feel like yourself again? Download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Get 40% off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com/motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our Most-Listened to Episode of 2025. It resonated so deeply with our community that we knew we had to share it again. If you’ve ever felt torn between who you were before motherhood and who you’re becoming now, this episode will change something in you. We’re re-releasing our number one most downloaded episode of 2025, and it’s easy to see why. In this conversation, I sit down with the incredible Martha Beck, whose wisdom has supported millions of women through life’s biggest transitions. Martha reveals one of the most powerful truths about parenting: your children won’t treat themselves the way you treat them - they’ll treat themselves the way you treat yourself. We talk about why mothers feel so stuck, how cultural expectations pull us in opposite directions, and what it really takes to break free. Martha shares her own extraordinary story, from Harvard to raising a child with Down syndrome, and the moment she stopped living for approval and started living for joy. This episode will leave you feeling seen, soothed and braver in your own motherhood journey. In this conversation, you’ll learn: Why modern motherhood creates impossible pressure and how to step outside it The shift from “stuck” to “free” using Martha’s definition of true freedom A simple self-talk practice that calms anxiety fast and rewires old patterns How self-compassion transforms you and shapes how your children see themselves If you’re exhausted, overwhelmed or craving a gentler way of mothering, this is the episode to revisit whenever you need grounding and hope. Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. If you liked this episode, listen to this next: Link to a past episode on a similar topic Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and  download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Get 15% off OneSkin with the code MOTHERKIND at https://www.oneskin.co/  #oneskinpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If your December feels like one long attempt to keep everyone happy, here’s the truth: you never will — and it’s costing you more than you realise. ​​So many mothers are exhausted before Christmas has even begun—pulled in every direction, saying yes to everything, and trying desperately to keep everyone happy. If that’s you, you’re absolutely not alone… and this pep talk is for you. In the third of our December Pep talk series, Zoe unpacks the pressure to please everyone at Christmas, why so many of us fall into this pattern, and how to break free so you can actually enjoy the magic you’re creating for everyone else In this pep talk, you’ll hear: Why it’s literally impossible to please everyone (and why we keep trying anyway) How being raised as “good girls” trained us to put ourselves lastThe real cost of people-pleasing — burnout, resentment, disconnection Three powerful questions to help you reclaim your energyOne simple challenge to start shifting the pattern today You can’t please everyone—and you don’t need to. This Christmas, start by asking yourself: What do I need? What do I really want? What am I doing only because I think I should? Then choose one small change that brings you closer to a calmer, more connected holiday season. You deserve it. Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Feeling like you’re carrying it all? Download your FREE Mental Load Cheat Sheet and learn how to start feeling lighter, even if nothing in your life changes. Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Get 15% off OneSkin with the code MOTHERKIND at https://www.oneskin.co/motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve been carrying the invisible weight of family life, the planning, the remembering, the organising, the worrying, this episode will help you feel understood, validated, and far less alone. When I asked the Motherkind community what felt hardest right now, the same theme kept coming up again and again: The mental load is relentless. And so many of us are quietly drowning under it. So in this episode, I’ve brought together three powerful voices to help us understand what the mental load really is, why it falls so heavily on mothers, and how we can start to rebalance it. First, Dr Samantha Hiew explains why modern mothers feel so overwhelmed — not because we’re failing, but because we’re carrying more cognitive and emotional labour than ever. She breaks down what overload does to our memory, mood and sense of self. Next, Dr Morgan Cutlip shares the five common behaviours that quietly block partner involvement and contribute to resentment. She introduces her “within work” and “between work” framework and offers simple, compassionate steps to shift long-standing patterns. Finally, Eve Rodsky reframes communication in a way that changes everything. She shows how we’re already communicating the load — often indirectly — and why shifting how we talk about domestic life unlocks shared responsibility. Her CPE “mustard” method explains why full ownership (not reminders) is the real game-changer. In this episode, you’ll learn:✨ What the mental load is and why it lands so heavily on mothers The habits that unintentionally shut down partner involvement How to communicate more effectively and reduce friction What “full ownership” looks like and why it frees up mental space This conversation is for every mother who’s ever wondered why she’s so tired, why she holds everything in her head, and why it feels like there’s no space left for herself. You’re not imagining it, and you’re not failing. The load is simply too heavy to carry alone. Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing If you liked this compilation, you can listen to the full episodes:  ⁠Is it ADHD, or is it the mental load? With Dr Samantha Hiew⁠⁠ Why you're resentful in your relationship—and how to fix it starting today, with Dr. Morgan Cutlip⁠⁠ The new game-changing solution for when you have too much to do with Eve Rodsky⁠ Feeling like you’re carrying it all? Download your FREE Mental Load Cheat Sheet and learn how to start feeling lighter, even if nothing in your life changes. Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Get 40% off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com/motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If December already feels like ‘too much’, this pep talk is your permission slip to breathe again. This month can feel like the mental load Olympics for mothers—pressure, perfectionism, school events, work deadlines, matching pyjamas, curated magic… and somehow we’re meant to smile through it. In the second of our December pep talks, Zoe shares five powerful steps to help you stop being so hard on yourself and bring the pressure down. In this pep talk, Zoe covers: Why you’re not failing – December really is intense How to drop the “Good Mum Myth” and stop comparing yourself to an imaginary perfect motherThe simple mindset shift that reduces self-criticism instantly Why lowering the bar actually raises connection with your children Tiny, nervous-system resets to help you stay grounded through the chaos This December, be softer with yourself. Let something go on purpose. Choose connection over perfection. Your children won’t remember the wrapping paper, the curated Santa visit, or whether you had it all together. They’ll remember how it felt to be with you ♥️ Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Feeling like you’re carrying it all? Download your FREE Mental Load Cheat Sheet and learn how to start feeling lighter, even if nothing in your life changes. Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Get 40% off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com/motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices