Send us Fan Mail
Your kid drops a line like “My teacher hates me” and you can feel your brain sprint toward fixing it, correcting it, shutting it down. We dig into why that instinct is so common for overwhelmed parents, and how it can accidentally create distance instead of comfort, even when you’re trying your hardest.
I sit down with parenting coach and author Mary Wilcox Smith to talk about the messy reality behind “doing everything right” and still ending up in dark, confusing seasons. Mary shares her path through perfectionism, control, and the high-pressure years of raising four daughters, including serious medical challenges that drained bandwidth and changed the entire family system. We also reflect on how neurodivergence, sensitivity, anxiety, and ADHD can shape what a child needs, and why “one-size-fits-all parenting” often fails both the child who struggles loudly and the child who looks fine on the outside.
Mary’s Micro Step Method for the overwhelmed parent focuses on tiny moments that matter. One of the most useful is “accepting is not agreeing” meaning we can validate our child’s perspective without endorsing the story or abandoning boundaries. We also get into repair after rupture, the compounding power of small connection wins, and a practical “five, five, five” mindset to keep the long-term parent-child relationship in view.
If this conversation helps, subscribe, share it with a parent who’s carrying too much, and leave a review so more families can find it. What’s a moment you want a better script for right now?
Support the show
SJ CHILDS - SOCIALS & WEBSITE MASTER LIST
WEBSITES
- Stream-Able Live — https://www.streamable.live-COMING SOON
- The SJ Childs Global Network — https://www.sjchilds.org
- The SJ Childs Show Podcast Page — https://www.sjchildsshow.com
YOUTUBE
- The SJ Childs Show — https://www.youtube.com/@sjchildsshow
- Louie Lou (Cats Channel) — https://www.youtube.com/@2catslouielou
FACEBOOK
- Personal Profile — https://www.facebook.com/sara.gullihur.bradford
- Business Page — https://www.facebook.com/sjchildsllc
- The SJ Childs Global Network — https://www.facebook.com/sjchildsglobalnetwork
- The SJ Childs Show — https://www.facebook.com/SJChildsShow
INSTAGRAM
- https://www.instagram.com/sjchildsllc/
TIKTOK
- https://www.tiktok.com/@sjchildsllc
LINKEDIN
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjchilds/
PODCAST PLATFORMS
- Spotify — https://open.spotify.com/show/4qgD3ZMOB2unfPxqacu3cC
- Apple Podcasts — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sj-childs-show/id1548143291
CONTACT EMAIL
- sjchildsllc@gmail.com
