Don't Mom Alone Podcast

As moms, it can be easy to confuse parenting with controlling. We want our children to make wise choices, succeed, and avoid pain. But fear can quickly turn our desire to help into nagging, manipulation, or control. Sarah Stephens joins me to talk about what it looks like to move from controlling our children to mentoring, discipling, guiding, and loving them well.
Sarah shares how God has taught her that our calling is not to control outcomes, but to remain faithful to the process. We talk about seeking wisdom from above, listening for God’s voice, recognizing the difference between conviction and condemnation, and learning to entrust our children and their choices to God.
In this episode, we talk about:

Why control is often motivated by fear

Learning to focus on the process, not the outcome

How to know when to speak up—and when to let something go

The only control we’re actually called to have: self-control

Seeking God’s wisdom instead of simply collecting more information

Learning to recognize God’s voice

How comparison can steal a mom’s peace

Asking, “Can my child recover from this?”

Parenting, guiding, and loving our children even when we disagree

Praying for our children and leaving it at the feet of Jesus 

What it looks like to say, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done”

Connect with Sarah Stephens: 

Website: Sarah Stephens - Equipping Women for Every Day 

Instagram: Sarah Tunstall Stephens (@sstephenstx)

Facebook: Sarah Tunstall Stephens

Links Mentioned: 

Boundaries: By Dr. Henry Cloud and  John Townsend

Have a New Teenager by Friday: By  Dr. Kevin Leman 

 Related Episodes:

Inner Healing Prayer :: Jennifer Barnett [Ep 323]

How Parents Can Equip Kids to Find Freedom, Healing, and Identity in Christ :: Jennifer Barnett [Ep 577]

How to Hear God’s Voice: Freedom Prayer and Abiding in Christ with Jennifer Barnett [Ep 576]

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Family relationships can be complicated! So how do we navigate changing family roles, competing expectations, boundaries, and communication while protecting the relationships that matter most?
In this episode, Stacy Reaoch joins me to talk about the challenges that can come with family relationships and what it looks like to choose connection, extend grace, and build bridges even when things feel awkward or difficult. Stacy co-wrote Making Room for Her with her own mother-in-law and shares wisdom from interviewing women across different generations about their experiences.
We talk about:

Why family relationships can become challenging when roles and expectations change

Navigating competing expectations around time, holidays, and extended family

Knowing when to speak up and when to let something go

Why unsolicited advice can create tension—and what to do instead

How parenting preferences can create conflict between generations

Choosing the relationship over the small things

What grandparents can do to build trust with their adult children and their spouses

Finding small ways to show love and move toward a family member, even when it feels awkward

How to support your adult child's marriage without taking sides

What to do when you're concerned about your child's marriage

Learning to navigate a new relationship with your daughter-in-law or son-in-law

Practicing patience, humility, and healthy communication

Trusting God with relationships that feel impossible to repair

Connect with Stacy Reaoch: 

Website: Stacy Reaoch 

Facebook: Stacy Reaoch

Instagram: @stacyreaoch

Links Mentioned: 

Making Room for Her: By Stacy and Barbara Reaoch

The Word in Our Home: By Ben, Stacy and Barbara Reaoch

Related Episodes:

How to Have Healthy Conflict :: Lynn Hoffman [Ep 307]

Good Boundaries and Goodbyes :: Lysa TerKeurst [Ep 387]

Adult Child Estrangement: What to Do—and How to Hold On to Hope :: Dr. Jim Burns [Ep 587]

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We know we are called to parent in the power of the Holy Spirit, but then life comes at us like a train and suddenly we are back to doing everything in our own strength. I know I can easily fall into this trap. I can know all the right things, but knowing the truth and actually relying on the Holy Spirit in the middle of motherhood are two very different things.
In this top 10 episode, I talk with Jeannie Cunnion about what it really looks like to parent with the Holy Spirit. We start by taking an honest look at what we actually believe about Him. Do I truly trust that the Holy Spirit lives in me and wants to guide, strengthen, comfort, and help me? Jeannie reminds us that the Holy Spirit is not an "it." He is a person, our Helper, Advocate, Counselor, Comforter, and Champion.
We talk about what it means to lean into His presence instead of constantly trying to figure everything out on our own. We are not parenting alone. God has graciously given us the Holy Spirit, and there is no part of the Christian life that is meant to be lived without His supernatural power.
As moms, we have an incredible opportunity to be a gift to one another. We can encourage each other, pray for each other, and help carry one another when we feel like we can't keep going. We don't have to manufacture the fruit of the Spirit through our own effort. We can stay connected to God and allow His Spirit to produce His fruit in us.
If you have ever felt overwhelmed by motherhood or wondered how you're supposed to keep going, I hope this conversation reminds you that you were never meant to parent alone.

In this episode, we talk about:

What it means to parent in the power of the Holy Spirit

Taking an honest look at what we believe about the Holy Spirit

Learning to recognize the Holy Spirit's promptings

What it means to be the temple of the Holy Spirit

Feeding the Spirit instead of feeding the flesh

Why there is no "junior Holy Spirit" when it comes to our kids

Connect with Jeannie Cunnion: 

Website: Jeannie Cunnion 

Instagram: Jeannie Cunnion (@jeanniecunnion)

Links Mentioned: 

Never Alone By Jeannie Cunnion

Forgotten God: By Francis Chan

Mom Set Free: By Jeannie Cunnion

Don't Miss Out: By  Jeannie Cunnion

The Jesus Storybook Bible: By Sally Lloyd-Jones

Related Episodes:

Cultivating Intimacy with God in Motherhood :: Jeannie Cunnion [Ep 490]

Set Free From Shame :: Jeannie Cunnion [Ep 190] 

Anchoring Our Kids’ Lovability in Christ :: Jeannie Cunnion {Ep 91} 

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What happens when our kids grow up and our role as their mom begins to change?
This is something I think so many moms struggle with, but we don't always talk about it. When our kids are young, there is so much support and conversation around parenting. But once they become adults, the challenges can feel much more complicated and lonely.
We can find ourselves comparing our kids' lives. Where did they go to college? Are they married? Do they have kids? What are they doing with their lives? And then there are the harder questions. What happens when our adult child makes choices we don't understand? What happens when they pull away from us? And what happens when there is little or no contact at all?
In this episode, I talk with Dr. Jim Burns about one of the hardest topics many parents face: estrangement from an adult child. We talk about what estrangement can look like, why parents often ask themselves, "What did I do wrong?" and how we can move from heartache to hope.
One of the biggest reminders in this conversation is that we cannot fix our adult children. But we can learn how to love them well, communicate differently, and keep the door open for reconciliation.
In This Episode, We Talk About:

Why moms often struggle silently when parenting adult children

The comparison game that can happen when our kids become adults

What adult child estrangement can look like

Why parents often blame themselves when a child pulls away

Why unsolicited advice can feel like criticism

How to become the calmest person in the room

Being a safe person without becoming a doormat

Moving from being an advice giver to becoming a mentor

How to respond when we feel defensive or hurt

Connect with Dr. Jim Burns: 

Website: HomeWord 

Instagram: Dr. Jim Burns and Doug Fields (@homewordfamily)

Facebook: HomeWord Family

Links Mentioned: 

When Your Adult Child Strays: By Jim Burns Ph.D

Doing Life with Your Adult Children: By Jim Burns Ph.D

Boundaries: By Henry Cloud and John Townsend

Reconnecting with Your Estranged Adult Child: By Tina Gilbertson

Jim Burns Podcast - HomeWord 

Related Episodes:

Strengthening the Relationship with Your Adult Child :: Kathy Cunningham [Ep 543]

How to {really} Parent with Grace :: Jeannie Cunnion {Ep 55}

“How do I connect better with my kids?” [Ep 475]

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In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Alison Cook to talk about attachment, emotional healing, and the ways our relationships shape how we understand ourselves, others, and God.
We all have a deep need for connection, safety, and belonging, but we can sometimes place too much pressure on the people around us to meet those needs. Dr. Cook explains why human relationships are important while also reminding us that no person can be the ultimate source of everything our souls need. There is a deeper attachment available to us through God.
We also talk about what happens when old wounds surface, particularly when we finally feel safe enough for those parts of us to emerge. Dr. Cook describes these experiences as “soul ruptures”, moments when core memories and beliefs about ourselves can become activated. Instead of responding with shame or criticism, we can learn to slow down, notice what we're feeling, and become curious about what that part of us needs.
This conversation is especially meaningful for moms who spend so much of their time caring for everyone else. When we’re constantly focused on our children’s needs, it can be easy to lose touch with what’s happening inside of us. Dr. Cook encourages us to make space for our own souls, tend to the younger parts of ourselves that still need care, and allow God’s healing presence into those places. Our souls are worth tending to, too.
In This Episode

Why attachment is such a fundamental human need

Why we can’t expect another person to meet all of our emotional needs

What divine attachment means and how God becomes our ultimate source of connection

Why parts of us can surface when we finally feel safe

What a soul rupture is and how core memories can continue to affect us

How shame and blame show up when we feel like we don’t belong

Learning to recognize and care for the younger parts of ourselves

What it means to “parent your soul”

Recognizing our internal bids for connection

Why healing requires space for difficult emotions

How moms can make more room for their own emotional and spiritual needs

Why we don’t change through shame or criticism 

Connect with Dr. Alison Cook: 

Website: Dr. Alison Cook

Instagram: Dr. Alison Cook | Psychotherapist + Secure Attachment (@dralisoncook)

Facebook: Dr. Alison Cook

Links Mentioned: 

The Secure Soul: By Dr. Alison Cook

Boundaries for Your Soul: By Dr. Alison Cook

You Are the One You've Been Waiting For: By Richard Schwartz PhD

Dr. Alison Cook | The Best of You Podcast 

The Best of You Every Day Podcast - 8 minute devotional  

Related Episodes:

Building Healthy Relationships by Exploring Adult Attachment Patterns (Part 1) :: Charissa Lopez [Ep 498]

Building Healthy Relationships by Exploring Adult Attachment Patterns (Part 2) :: Charissa Lopez [Ep 499]

Strengthening the Relationship with Your Adult Child :: Kathy Cunningham [Ep 543]

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