![Don't Mom Alone Podcast - Marriage after kids :: Mentor Series Wk 1 [Ep 580]](https://audioboom.com/i/39842989.avif)
Marriage after kids :: Mentor Series Wk 1 [Ep 580]
Don't Mom Alone Podcast
07/06/26
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Motherhood changes everything—including your marriage.
In this first episode of my summor of mentorship series, I'm sharing the conversation I wish someone had invited me into years ago. If we were sitting across from each other with a cup of coffee, these are the things I'd want every mom to know.
Parenting is one of the greatest blessings, but it can also become one of the biggest stress tests on a marriage. The shift from dating and dreaming together to managing schedules, diapers, sports, meals, and endless logistics can leave even the healthiest couples feeling disconnected.
The good news? You're not alone, and your marriage doesn't have to become another casualty of the busy parenting years.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Why parenting often creates tension in marriage—and why that's completely normal.
- How different parenting styles can actually become one of your family's greatest strengths.
- The danger of keeping score and how resentment quietly grows.
- Practical communication habits that help couples stay connected.
- A simple weekly marriage check-in you can start this Sunday.
- The power of praying together, especially when parenting feels overwhelming.
- How small daily habits shape a strong marriage over time.
One truth I hope you'll remember this week:
Your parenting differences don't have to divide you. They can become one of your greatest strengths when you choose to work as a team.
God never intended for us to navigate marriage and motherhood alone. The Holy Spirit is our Helper—the One who comes alongside us, gives us wisdom, and strengthens us for the work He's called us to do. When we bring our parenting struggles to Him first, we make room for His peace, wisdom, and perspective.
Connect with Dr. Kim Kimberling:
- Website: Awesome Marriage — Marriage, Relationships
- Instagram: Christian Marriage | Help and Education (@awesome_marriage)
- Facebook: Awesome Marriage
- How to Align with Your Spouse in Parenting :: Dr. Kim Kimberling [Ep 491]
- Self-Differentiation and Why it Matters :: Nancy Houston [Ep 335]
- Talking, Teens, and Twenty-four Years :: Bruce + Heather [Ep 399]
Featured Sponsors:
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- Greenchef: Head to greenchef.com/50alone and use the code 50alone to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months.
- Lola: For a limited time, our listeners can get 40% OFF select Lola Blankets products with code [DMA] at checkout. Just head to LolaBlankets.com and use code [DMA] to get 40% OFF your order.
Previous Episode
Friendship isn't something most of us are taught. We often find ourselves fumbling through the trial and error of making and keeping friends while navigating busy schedules, family responsibilities, and a culture that celebrates independence.
In this top 10 replay episode, author and speaker Jennie Allen joins us to discuss why meaningful friendships can feel so difficult to build as adults. Drawing from her own experience of moving to a new city and intentionally creating a close-knit community, Jennie shares practical insights on overcoming loneliness, embracing vulnerability, and finding the people who will walk through life's highs and lows with you.
We explore why new friendships often feel awkward, how shame and pain keep us from being vulnerable, and why many of us expect one or two people to meet all of our relational needs. Jennie challenges us to move beyond comfort, create a "village mentality," and become the kind of people who show up with pizza, sit in the mess, and do life together.
In This Episode
- The difference between transparency and complaining
- How many hours it takes to feel like close friends
- How shame and pain keep us from vulnerability
- Jennie's "5 Miles, 5 Friends" approach to building community
- Why friendship requires embracing awkwardness
- How to create a village in today's culture
- The truth about disappointment, expectations, and healthy friendships
- Deep friendships don't happen by accident—they require intentionality
- Website: Jennie Allen
- Facebook: Jennie Allen
- Instagram: Jennie Allen (@jennieallen)
- Fighting Toxic Thoughts :: Jennie Allen [Ep 272]
- How to Stop Shame Spirals :: Dr. Curt Thompson [Summer of Mentorship Wk 6]
- Redeeming Shame through Community :: Dr. Curt Thompson [Ep 308]
Featured Sponsors:
- Thrive Causemetics: Amplify your look with Thrive Causemetics. Go to thrivecausemetics.com/DMA to get 20% off your first order.
- Hiya Health: We've worked out a special deal with Hiya. Receive 50% off your first order on any of their products. To claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/DMA. This deal is not available on their regular website. Get your kids the full-body support they deserve.
Next Episode
Welcome back to the Coffee with Heather series! This week, we're talking about something that has completely transformed the way I parent: connection before correction.
For a long time, I believed it was my job to control my boys' behavior. I thought that if I could just get them to listen better, behave better, or make fewer mistakes, then I would be doing my job as a mom. But if I'm honest, that mindset left me feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected from the very people I wanted to love well.
The more parents, mentors, and experts I interviewed over the years, the more I realized something beautiful: God never called me to control my children. He called me to guide them, disciple them, and build a relationship where they know they are deeply loved and safe.
When connection becomes the foundation, correction becomes so much more effective.
In this episode, I share some of the parenting lessons that have given me freedom, including insights from Jim and Lynne Jackson and the biblical reminder that God's kindness leads us to repentance. That verse has changed the way I think about discipline—not as punishment, but as teaching, guiding, and helping my children grow.
When our children know they are loved, enjoyed, and accepted, trust begins to grow. And trust creates partnership. From that place, correction feels less like control and more like discipleship.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
- The difference between behavior management and heart transformation.
- Why discipline is really about teaching, not punishing.
- How to become a safe place for your children.
- The importance of staying calm and regulating your own emotions.
- Why giving your child—and yourself—a "do-over" can strengthen your relationship.
- Practical ways to create meaningful one-on-one connections, even during busy seasons.
- Website: Home | Connected Families
- Instagram: Connected Families | Parent with Confidence and Grace (@connectedfams)
- Facebook: Connected Families
- Heartfelt Discipline: By Clay Clarkson
- Discipline that Connects by Jim and Lynn Jackson
- Don’t Mom Alone book
- Discipline 101 (LIVE Event–Friday Night) :: Jim and Lynne Jackson [Ep 221]
- Parenting a Spicy Child: How to Stay Calm, Set Boundaries, and Keep the Connection :: Mary Van Geffen [Ep 558]
- Choosing Connection Over Critique :: Rachel Macy Stafford [Ep 280]
Featured Sponsors:
- Hiya health: We've worked out a special deal with Hiya. Receive 50% off your first order on any of their products. To claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/DMA. This deal is not available on their regular website. Get your kids the full-body support they deserve.
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