3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms

Latest Episodes:

487: How to Raise Patriotic Kids When It Feels Complicated // Sharon McMahon Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

I'm a word person. (Occupational hazard of spending years as an English teacher, I suppose.) I notice when words shift — when something that used to feel simple and clear starts carrying extra weight, or gets claimed by one group of people until the rest of us feel uncertain about whether we're still allowed to use it the way we always meant to.

That's what's happened, at least in my experience, to the word "patriotic." And more than my own discomfort, I started to feel genuinely unsure how to teach my kids how to be patriotic in a country that often feels so divided by partisan politics.

That question is exactly what brought Sharon McMahon back to 3 in 30. Sharon is known as America's Government Teacher and is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Small and the Mighty and her new children's book, We Are Mighty.

This conversation will give you language and a framework for the patriotism conversations you've been wanting to have with your kids, but haven't quite known how to start.

🇺🇸 Why loving your country and criticizing your country are not opposites

🇺🇸 Why narrating your small acts of service out loud shapes how your child understands what it means to love their neighbors — and their country

🇺🇸 Why getting your child to the polls just three times in a row may be one of the most lasting things you ever do for democracy

With the 4th of July coming up this week, and especially this year as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we hope you find this conversation helpful.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Related Episodes:

429: How Ordinary Moms Can Make a Difference // Sharon McMahon

392: How to Have Grace-Filled Political Conversations with Family & Friends // Sarah Stewart Holland & Beth Silvers of Pantsuit Politics

031: Three Easy Ways to Teach Children the True Meaning of Patriotic Holidays // Brittany Richman and Andrea Reeve, The American Moms

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486: Let Go of the "Shoulds" That Don't Fit Your Family // Amy Marie Hann Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

For years, I had a vision in my head of the kind of mom I was going to be. I would be present and patient. I would have snacks ready after school and summers full of creative activities. When I finally became a mom, I struggled to match the realities of the daily motherhood grind and the ideal images of motherhood I had in my head.

This week's guest is Amy Marie Hann, author of Master the Mundane. I asked Amy Marie to come on the show because of a Substack article of hers I read all about letting go of "shoulds." Amy Marie shares three big things she finally let go of and what opened up for her once she did.

✨ The difference between liking the idea of something and actually wanting to do it, and how to tell which one you're dealing with

✨ What changed when Amy Marie stopped trying to be the house all the kids wanted to be at

✨ How Amy Marie found a way to work that didn't require choosing between two extremes

If you've ever felt like you're forcing yourself into "shoulds" that don't quite match your reality, this one's for you.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Announcements:

If this episode has you thinking about your own "shoulds," my course Motherhood Decluttered walks you through how to figure out what to keep and what to let go of — in a way that fits your life. Use code SUMMER through the end of June to get a 10% discount.

Related Episodes:

463: How to Let Go of Mom Guilt

473: How to Get Through a Busy Season

354: Letting Go of Heavy Expectations of Yourself // Sneak Peek from the Declutter Your Motherhood Audio Course

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485: The Resentment that Moms Don't Talk About // JoAnn Crohn Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

I have a friend named Laney who genuinely does not experience mom guilt. Not because she's a perfect mom, but because she's decided her kids are lucky to have her — and she means it! I used to laugh when she said things like that. But, now, after working for years on myself (I've come so far!), I understand that what I was struggling with wasn't only guilt over my shortcomings as a mom, but it was also guilt over the resentment I felt for everything I was carrying that led me to not enjoy my motherhood very much. The guilt was coming at me from every direction!

If any of that sounds familiar, this episode is going to feel like a very welcome exhale. This week's guest is JoAnn Crohn, certified life coach and author of The Best Mom is a Happy Mom. She helps moms go from martyr to model, and this conversation is full of honest, practical tools for getting there.

✨ Why JoAnn's husband didn't even realize the imbalance until they did this one exercise together

✨ The "guilt equation" from a psychologist that will completely change how you think about your own expectations

✨ The thing JoAnn's therapist said that cut through all the noise and told her exactly what being a good mom actually requires

If you've ever felt like the mental load of your family's life is sitting entirely on your shoulders, and if you've ever felt the guilt coming from every side, this episode is for you.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Related Episodes:

445: How to Set Boundaries without Damaging Relationships // Rachel on Happy Mom Summit

436: Embrace the Mom You Are—Not the One You Think You Should Be // Julie Bastedo

270: Simplifying Mom-Life // Chanelle Neilson

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484: In Memory of Logan McKenna: A Conversation with my Beloved Brother-in-Law Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

I am recording the intro to this episode during one of the saddest weeks of my life. My beloved brother-in-law, Logan McKenna, died unexpectedly last Sunday morning. He was only 44 years old, and we are simply shattered by this loss.

As soon as I got the call, I got into my car and started driving to Utah to be with my sister and her two teenage children. And as I was driving, trying to wrap my mind around the immensity of this loss, I thought, "I am so glad that Logan agreed to be a guest on my podcast a year ago so that we can have his goodness and wisdom recorded forevermore."

This episode originally aired in February of 2025, where Logan talked about how to support a loved one who's struggling with mental illness. I decided to re-air it today as a tribute to him, so everyone who listens will get a taste of just how good he was — and will understand just how much he will be missed.

The world has lost one of the most special souls who ever lived. I will be clinging to his memory and his legacy this week and always.

483: Types of Support that Every Mom Needs Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

I've spent a lot of time thinking about what the word "self-assured" actually means in the context of motherhood. And I think somewhere along the way, a lot of us accidentally absorbed this idea that being self-assured means being self-sufficient — that if we were really emotionally healthy or mature or confident, we would just… handle everything on our own.

But what I observed at my SAM Retreat last month completely reframed that for me. The women who seemed most grounded and alive and resilient weren't the ones who never needed support. They were the ones who knew how to seek it, receive it, and offer it to others.

In this episode, I'm sharing three takeaways from the retreat, and I hope you walk away feeling more convinced than ever that thriving in motherhood was never meant to be a solo endeavor.

💜 The nature phenomenon I learned about that made me almost tear up (and I'm not a crier!)

💜 Why "just think more positively" wasn't working — and what my nervous system actually needed instead

💜 How I turned a financially impossible dream into the best event I've ever hosted (hint: I didn't do it alone)

So here's to letting other people in. Here's to asking for what we need, receiving what's offered, and growing stronger because of the roots we share.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Mary Oliver Poem

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Episode Sponsors:

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Related Episodes:

433: Making Friends as a Mom: Why It's Hard—and How to Do It Anyway // Dr. Marisa G. Franco

448: Join Our Team! A Word from our SAM Sisters

453: How to Travel for FREE with Your Family (Really!) // Amber Paul

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482: It's Never Too Late for a Fresh Start // Wendy Snyder May 25, 2026

Show notes

If you've ever worried that you've messed up your relationship with your kids — whether it happened this morning or years ago — this episode is going to bring you a lot of comfort.

This week's guest is Wendy Snyder, founder of Fresh Start Family and author of the brand new book Fresh Start Your Family, and she is living proof that it is never too late to start fresh.Wendy shares some of her own biggest parenting mistakes in this episode with a vulnerability that I find so rare and so refreshing — and the hope she offers on the other side of those mistakes is something every mom needs to hear.

💜 The reason Wendy's 84-year-old father begged her not to write this book — and what he texted her when he finally read it

💜 What Wendy's four-year-old said to her after one of her worst parenting moments

💜 Why the parenting patterns you inherited aren't your fault — and how to update your system

It is never too late for a fresh start. I hope this episode feels like hope.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Announcement:

Buy Wendy's Book Fresh Start Family!

Related Episodes:

452: You Yelled… Now What? How to Repair and Reconnect // Devon Kuntzman

465: When Your Spicy Child Takes All Your Energy (And What That Means for Their Siblings) // Mary Van Geffen

266: Parenting Strong-Willed Kids // Wendy Snyder

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481: What to Do When Your Child Says "I'm Fat" // Steph Wood May 18, 2026

Show notes

Last week, Dr. Lexie Kite gave us tools for our own body image resilience. But there's a particular kind of helplessness that comes from watching your child struggle with theirs. It can be heartbreaking to hear them say something and not know what to do with it.

This week's guest is my Communications and Podcast Manager, Steph Wood, who has done deep personal and practical work in this area and brings both wisdom and hard-won experience to this conversation.This episode is the perfect companion to last week's — if you haven't listened to that one first, I'd love for you to start there, and then come back and hear about:

💜 The YouTube video about poodles and bulldogs that Steph says changed how she talks about bodies with her kids

💜 How a conversation with her dad helped Rachel find the courage to start her own body image work

💜 What Steph's teenage daughter says to herself when she's spiraling about her body (and how she learned it)

These conversations aren't easy to have, and knowing how to show up for your child in them takes practice and grace. I hope this episode gives you a little more of both.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

***

Announcements:

Steph put together a list of her favorite body image resources for parents, you can find that here.

Poodle Science: YouTube Video about Body Diversity

Related Episodes:

480: How to Stop Letting Your Body Image Steal Your Summer // Lexie Kite

322: How to be a Body-Positive Parent // Zoë Bisbing

302: How to Heal Your Relationship with Food // Natalie Shay

Episode Sponsors:

BetterHelp: 3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms is sponsored by BetterHelp. Go to betterhelp.com/3in30 to get 10% off your first month of online therapy.

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480: How to Stop Letting Your Body Image Steal Your Summer // Lexie Kite May 11, 2026

Show notes

I have spent so many summers halfway out. Physically present at the lake, the pool, the family barbecue — but mentally somewhere else entirely, cataloguing how I looked instead of actually living. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.

This week's guest is Lexie Kite, PhD, co-author of More Than a Body and leading expert in body image resilience.Lexie and her twin sister Lindsay have spent decades researching how women can stop letting their bodies hold them back from their own lives — and in this conversation, she gave me some of the most practical, grounding tools I've heard on this topic. In this episode, you'll hear:

💜 Why Lexie — a body image resilience researcher — says she doesn't love how she looks in a swimsuit, and why that's actually the point (this reframe genuinely surprised me)

💜 The three paths we all take when a body image disruption hits — and the one that actually leads somewhere good

💜 What Lexie said to her daughter about dressing for practicality over pretty that you can start using with your own kids today

So here's to getting in the water this summer. Here's to being in the pictures. Here's to enjoying the only summer — and the only body — you've got.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Related Episodes:

322: How to be a Body-Positive Parent // Zoë Bisbing

302: How to Heal Your Relationship with Food // Natalie Shay

434: How to Actually Enjoy Summer as a Mom

Sponsors:

Knix Teen: Finally period protection that keeps up with long school days and everything in between. Go to KnixTeen.comand use code 3IN30 for 15 percent off.

Quince: Head to Quince.com/3in30 for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns

Download Cash App Today: #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at CashThis Cash App Prepaid Card Program Agreement outlines the terms and conditions governing the Cash App Prepaid Card Program.. Direct deposit and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit CashCash App Podcast Disclosures for full disclosures.

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479: Teaching Kids Life Skills This Summer // Katie Kimball May 04, 2026

Show notes

My kids are 11 and 14, and I will be the first to tell you that teaching them practical life skills is not my strongest suit. I am genuinely good at the emotional work, the hard conversations, the staying connected through difficult seasons. But the cooking, the chores, the keeping-a-home-running piece of parenting is an area where I know, with great compassion for myself, that we have room to grow.

Summer has a way of opening up just enough space to do something new, and this episode will give you a clear and hopeful place to start if you're like me and it's not your biggest strength.

This week's guest is Katie Kimball, founder of Kids Cook Real Food and a life skills educator who has been doing this work with her own four kids long enough to be living the results.She gave me so much hope that it is not too late — even if your kids are older, even if you feel like you've missed the window, even if you've been meaning to do this for years and just haven't gotten there yet, and even if, like me, you sat down with a life skills expert and within the first five minutes had to ask what a chef's knife was.

Come join us to hear:

💜 Why Katie's 14-year-old was vacuuming the stairs unprompted on his day off from school, and the surprisingly simple system behind it

💜 The exact language shift Rachel made with her own son that reframed how he thinks about contributing to the family — and why the words matter more than you'd think

💜 Why Katie says letting your kid use a sharp knife might be one of the best things you can do for their mental health If you've been meaning to do more of this and just haven't quite known where to start, this conversation is for you.

For full show notes, including takeaways, click here.

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Announcements: Katie's Life Skills Now Summer Camp is happening June 8–12, 2026 — a free, week-long event where over 70 teachers (including me!) teach kids practical and emotional life skills. Register here. Flecks of Gold: This week is also the last week of our Mother's Day Sale — all journals are 10% off through the end of the week!

Related Episodes:

373: Teaching Children to Work Without Being a Drill Sergeant // Danielle Porter

369: How to Teach Your Kids about Money // Abby Chipman

350: Rethinking Chores: A Quick Mindset Shift to Help with Overwhelm

Episode Sponsors:

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Download Cash App Today: #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at CashThis Cash App Prepaid Card Program Agreement outlines the terms and conditions governing the Cash App Prepaid Card Program.. Direct deposit and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit CashCash App Podcast Disclosures for full disclosures.

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478: What Every Mom of a Teenager Needs to Hear // Emily Ricks Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

There comes a point in parenting where you realize the approach that worked when your kids were little just doesn't work anymore. The rules, the structure, the ability to redirect and reset — it all starts to feel like it's slipping. And if you have a teenager, you might already know that feeling well (iykyk 😅).

The older our kids get, the more we bump up against a humbling truth most of us weren't quite prepared for: We never really had control to begin with. And once we accept that, we can finally ask a much better question — not "how do I get my teenager to behave?" but "how do I stay connected to this person I love so much while they figure out who they are?". That's exactly what today's episode is about.

This week's guest is Emily Ricks, a certified life coach who especially loves working with moms of teenagers. She shares three mindset shifts that can help any mom of a teen move from white-knuckling the relationship to genuinely enjoying it, including:

💜 Why Emily admitted that having a teenager "woke the Kraken" in her — and how she found her way back to connection

💜 Why the rules you're enforcing are likely costing you the very thing you're trying to protect

💜 What it actually looks like to take back your "emotional remote control" in the middle of a heated moment with your teen

If you're in the trenches of raising teenagers, this one's for you.

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Announcements:

Flecks of Gold Mother's Day Sale: Shop the Mother's Day Sale! Get 10% off every journal, plus free shipping! Use code MOMS10.

Emily's Free Guide

Related Episodes:

393: How to Enjoy (Not Just Endure) the Teen Years // Amie Anger

396: How to Help Your Teen Live a Better Story

303: How to Talk to Teenagers // Brooke Romney

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