Catholic Mom Calm

Latest Episodes:

Summer Jealousy Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

Sterling Jaquith caught herself feeling a very particular brand of summer jealousy. Friends whose parents are stable enough, healthy enough, and trusted enough to take the grandkids for a week or two. And watching that feeling rise was a perfect window into something we all do: we never question why we feel good, but the moment a negative feeling shows up, we start poking at it, and the poking spins into a storm.

In this episode Sterling slows the whole thing down so you can see the difference between prayerfully feeling your feelings and indulging in what a friend called "tornado thinking." One is slow, grounded, and resolves. The other is fast, grows as it goes, and turns a bad mood into a bad day into a "bad season." Nobody is doing that to you, and that's actually the good news. You have more control over the weather in your mind than you think.

WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE:

The summer jealousy Sterling noticed in herself, and what it was actually about (hint: not the free time)
Why we interrogate our negative feelings but never stop to question the happy ones
The real difference between feeling your feelings (slow, grounded, done with the Lord) and tornado thinking (fast, growing, catching everything in its path)
How a bad mood becomes a bad day becomes a "bad season," and why you control that weather more than you think
The three choices in any triggered moment: think about it later, feel it all the way through, or spin
How to walk yourself back gently and lovingly, never in an authoritarian "just get it together" voice

EPISODE TIMELINE:

[00:00] – The summer jealousy Sterling noticed, and why we never question feeling good
[04:00] – Tornado thinking versus actually feeling your feelings
[08:00] – How a bad mood becomes a bad day becomes a bad season (the weather you forget you control)
[12:00] – What feeling your feelings really looks like: slow, named, and sitting with the Lord
[16:00] – Why jealousy reveals your unresolved work (Europe versus the grandparents)
[18:00] – Calming the storm by speaking to yourself with love

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Calm Catholic Kids: https://calmcatholickids.com

CONNECT WITH STERLING JAQUITH:

Website: https://catholicmomcalm.com
Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catholicmomcalm

Our Love/Hate Relationship with Summer Jun 27, 2026

Show notes

We're handed a script that summer is supposed to be fun and relaxing, beach days and popsicles and bucket lists. Then the fantasy meets the reality of little kids off their routine, eating sugar, tracking sand everywhere, and a lot of moms find themselves feeling something they didn't expect: angry. Sterling Jaquith says that's not a sign you're doing it wrong. It's cognitive dissonance, and it's incredibly common.

This episode starts with a 30-second check-in you can do ten times a day, then unpacks why the gap between expectation and reality turns into anger, and what to do about it. Sterling walks through exactly how she thinks about her own Northern Idaho summers, lake days, outside time, and all, so she makes memories instead of yelling. And she hands you permission you may not know you needed: you don't have to do anything this summer.

WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE:

The 30-second self-check-in (touch your skin, ask "how am I feeling?" and "what do I need?") and why most moms never do it
Why summer creates a love-hate relationship, and the clash between the sparkly fantasy and the real thing
Why anger is the surprisingly common summer emotion for moms, and the shame or fear sitting underneath it
The one question to ask the second you feel frustrated: "What did I think should be happening?"
Setting yourself up to win (the 40-minute lake math, the outside water and bathroom systems, deciding about the food ahead of time)
Permission to do nothing this summer, and why "we're just hanging out" is a complete and good answer

EPISODE TIMELINE:

[00:00] – The 30-second check-in: touch your skin, ask how you feel and what you need
[03:00] – Why we all have a love-hate relationship with summer
[07:00] – Anger as the summer emotion, and the fantasy-vs-reality clash underneath it
[11:00] – "What did I think should happen?" and the 40-minute lake math
[14:00] – Outside time, the water and bathroom systems, and managing your mind when they come back in
[17:00] – You don't have to do anything this summer, and being kind to yourself

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Calm Catholic Kids (Summer of Kindness stories free now, Collections 4 and 5 coming soon): https://calmcatholickids.com

CONNECT WITH STERLING JAQUITH:

Website: https://catholicmomcalm.com
Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catholicmomcalm

Vacationing With Kids Jun 25, 2026

Show notes

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Every summer it happens. You pack up the little kids, drive to the beach or the grandparents, and somewhere around day three in an unfamiliar Airbnb with no blackout curtains and a toddler who won't sleep, you wonder why you thought this would be fun. Sterling Jaquith has a reframe that changes the whole thing: stop calling it a vacation.

In this evergreen episode you can come back to before any trip, Sterling walks through why little kids won't remember the vacation anyway, what they do remember, and the three honest questions to ask before you go. It's permission to stop chasing "relaxing" with a houseful of tired, dysregulated humans, and to plan the trip like the world's best personal assistant instead. Because the answer, through all of it, is always love. Including love for yourself.

WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE:

Why calling it a "vacation" is the first trap, and treating the trip like a business trip with a mission and a plan instead
The honest truth that you may not enjoy it with little kids, and why that doesn't mean anything has gone wrong
The three questions to ask before you go: What's my mission? What three feelings am I actually going for? How do I set myself up for those?
Creating novelty on the cheap (crazy straws, Goodwill toys, stovetop popcorn, pop rocks, and the screen time you'd normally say no to)
Planning something that's just for you, whether it's before, during, or after the trip
Why Catholic moms living only for everyone else isn't how God designed you, and how to love yourself hard through the hard parts

EPISODE TIMELINE:

[00:00] – Why this is your reference episode for every future summer, holiday, and spring break
[04:00] – "I don't think you can enjoy it." The coaching conversation that started this
[08:00] – What kids actually remember, and why Sterling makes a photo book every year
[12:00] – The three questions: mission, the top three feelings, and setting yourself up to feel them
[16:00] – Creating novelty, building in real breaks, and planning something for you
[19:00] – The answer is always love, and why God doesn't want you at the end of your rope

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Rhythm of War which is Book 4 of the Stormlight Series by Brandon Sanderson (the audiobook Sterling and her husband listened to on their cross-country drive): https://amzn.to/4w34nwC
Calm Catholic Kids (Summer of Kindness stories free now, Collections 4 and 5 coming soon): https://calmcatholickids.com

CONNECT WITH STERLING JAQUITH:

Website: https://catholicmomcalm.com
Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catholicmomcalm

How to Solve Any Problem Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

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It's a wild claim, and Sterling Jaquith makes it anyway. After asking her email list what they're struggling with right now, she read more than 200 responses, and reading every single one she kept thinking the same thing: oh, I could help her feel so much better about that.

Not because the hard things aren't real. They are. But because underneath every one of them is the same skill, the number one skill, and almost nobody is actually practicing it. This episode walks through several of the things moms wrote in about, completely anonymously, and shows you the one thing that changes how you experience all of it.

WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE:

Why the number one skill is noticing how you think and choosing it on purpose, until you feel the way you want to feel
Older kids who've walked away from the faith, and the thoughts keeping you in pain (including the story of Sterling's own return at 23)
Perfectionism, negative self-talk, and low self-image, and why "I struggle with this" is just a thought you're not doing anything about
The yellow walls metaphor: paint them, or genuinely make peace with them, but stop suffering in between
The messy house, ranking what's actually worth your energy, and choosing thoughts that are true and feel better
Why managing your mind is the most Catholic thing of all, and why you learn it now so you can teach your kids

EPISODE TIMELINE:

[00:00] – The 200 emails, and the one skill underneath every problem
[05:00] – "Do you have anything for teens?" Why Catholic Mom Calm is for every mom, period
[10:00] – Older children who've left the faith, and choosing a thought that gives you peace
[15:00] – Perfectionism and negative self-talk, the yellow walls, and the messy-house reframe
[20:00] – Managing your mind like physical fitness, the "spoiled" and baby-belly stories, and the unfinished house
[24:00] – The most Catholic thing: peace, playing with your thoughts, and raising a calmer generation

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Catholic Mom Calm (Good Mom Summer): https://catholicmomcalm.com
Calm Catholic Kids (Summer of Kindness stories free now): https://catholicmomcalm.com/calm-catholic-kids-collection-3-kindness/
Catholic Finishing School (join anytime this summer if your daughter is a teenager): https://www.catholicfinishingschool.com/
France pilgrimage/trip (a few spots left): https://catholicmomcalm.com/france/

CONNECT WITH STERLING JAQUITH:

Website: https://catholicmomcalm.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catholicmomcalm

Do You Actually Want Your Life To Get Better? Jun 13, 2026

Show notes

We all say we want our lives to be better. But what if most of us don't actually want to do the one thing that would make it better? This episode is the mirror-moment question, plus a summer update on closing loops, a 30-second way to make decisions, a new puppy, and the letter that changed how she thinks about holy water.

WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE:

Why no amount of thinking makes a decision for you (it always comes down to a 30-second moment where you just decide)
The open loops draining moms, and the Saturday-close-loops, Monday-fresh-start rhythm you can borrow
Clean pain vs. dirty pain, and why feeling powerless hurts worse than admitting you're choosing not to change
How Sterling redirects her own dramatic, melancholic brain toward what's amazing instead of what's terrible

EPISODE TIMELINE:

[00:00] – The school decision, and why thinking longer doesn't actually help [05:00] – Closing loops, and Saturdays and Mondays as reset days [10:00] – Cozy summer: tea, puzzles, audiobooks, and using AI for everyday life [15:00] – A new puppy, plus what's coming for Calm Catholic Kids and mom meditations [20:00] – The Letter From Beyond: holy water and the signal graces we ignore [24:00] – The real question: do you actually want your life to get better?

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Good Mom Summer in Catholic MoM Calm: https://catholicmomcalm.com
Summer of Kindness Stories FREE: https://catholicmomcalm.com/calm-catholic-kids-collection-3-kindness/
The Letter From Beyond (public domain): https://americaneedsfatima.org/articles/a-letter-from-beyond
Rook by Daniel O'Malley (witty, some swearing): https://amzn.to/4uxJHvy
Spirit Dog Training: https://spiritdogtraining.com
Octopus puzzle: https://amzn.to/3S6srQE
Read-Aloud Revival booklists (Sarah Mackenzie): https://readaloudrevival.com
Equip protein: https://www.equipfoods.com/STERLING

CONNECT WITH STERLING JAQUITH:

Website: https://catholicmomcalm.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catholicmomcalm/

Handling It... When Life is Anything But Simple Jun 06, 2026

Show notes

Six kids home for summer, a pilgrimage to France, a schooling decision on a deadline, and a Goodwill trip that produced an accidental gel bead gun. Sterling Jaquith walks through what's actually on her plate right now and shows the move that keeps her calm in the middle of it: stop trying to engineer a simple life, simplify your thinking instead.

WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE:

Why "just live simply" advice usually comes from people holding very different cards than you
The Summer of Kindness experiment after one week (and why Peter prayed for it out loud)
How to feel real frustration in your body without making it mean something has gone wrong
The decisions and uncertainties Sterling is actively sitting with this June — including her own food struggle

EPISODE TIMELINE:

[00:00] – Why a "simple life" is the wrong goal for most moms [06:00] – The Goodwill trip, the gel bead gun, and weighing risk against sparkles [14:00] – Summer of Kindness update — what's working one week in [22:00] – France pilgrimage, French class, and Catholic Finishing School kickoff [30:00] – The schooling decision Sterling has to close the loop on [36:00] – Why her thinking is simple even when her life isn't

LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Summer of Kindness - Family script
Summer of Kindness Calendar - Template Link
Calm Catholic Kids (Kindness stories coming June 10th): https://calmcatholickids.com
Good Mom Summer at Catholic Mom Calm: https://catholicmomcalm.com
France Pilgrimage (age opened up — reach out if interested): https://catholicmomcalm.com/france
Summer French class for girls (coupon code: Calm50): https://canafeast.com/frenchclass
Catholic Finishing School: www.catholicfinishingschool.com/
Rack-O Jr. board game: https://amzn.to/4akdGQn
Spirograph kit: https://amzn.to/43jNh1m
Modest long-sleeve bathing suit dress: https://amzn.to/4dTVHCL
The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher: https://amzn.to/43fIVbw

CONNECT WITH STERLING JAQUITH:

Website: www.catholicmomcalm.com
Follow on Instagram www.instagram.com/catholicmomcalm/

Good Mom Summer May 22, 2026

Show notes

⛱️ Fun & Simple Summer: https://catholicmomcalm.com/fun-simple-summer

😎 Good Mom Summer: https://catholicmomcalm.com/good-mom-summer

🥰 Catholic Finishing School: https://catholicfinishingschool.com/

I'm a good mom. (And so are you. We're going to practice that all summer.)

Sterling had a light bulb moment while recording the Fun & Simple Summer program — and it changed her entire summer plan.

All the pressure moms feel about screen time, summer camps, boredom, sibling bickering, what the kids are eating... it's all sitting on top of one belief: I'm not a good mom.

In this episode, Sterling shares what she's doing about it — for herself, for the moms inside Catholic Mom Calm, and (in a roundabout way) for her own teenagers who definitely do not want to be life coached by their mother.

You'll hear:

Why telling yourself you're a bad mom for 40 years is genuinely crazy — and the pilot analogy that makes it impossible to unsee
What Sterling is personally working on with her own kids this summer (hint: it involves catching people being kind)
Why she's sneaking into Catholic Finishing School this summer to teach teenage girls how to believe new things
How believing you're a good mom makes you a better problem solver — immediately
The 30-second version of changing what you believe about yourself

⛱️ Fun & Simple Summer: https://catholicmomcalm.com/fun-simple-summer

😎 Good Mom Summer: https://catholicmomcalm.com/good-mom-summer

🥰 Catholic Finishing School: https://catholicfinishingschool.com/

Fun & Simple Summer May 19, 2026

Show notes

A Fun and Simple Summer (How to Decide Right Now What Kind of Summer You're Going to Have)

Grab FREE Fun & Simple Summer Here: https://catholicmomcalm.com/fun-simple-summer

You've seen "analog summer" all over the internet — but Sterling's going with fun and simple. Because when you choose simplicity, especially simplicity in your mind, you stop yelling at the kids so much. Funny how that works.

In this episode, Sterling walks you through the radical idea that you actually get to decide what kind of summer you're going to have — not based on what happens, but based on what you think about what happens. She shares the exact thoughts her brain wants to offer ("there's so many kids, it's so hot, it's only 9 AM…") and the thoughts she's choosing instead. Plus a peek at her real summer plans: a daily reading hour, skipping the Costco pool this year, more lake days (crunchy 11 minutes and all), and what to do when an ant invasion threatens your good vibes.

No comparison summers here, my friend. Eyes on your own paper.

Grab the FREE Fun & Simple Summer Workbook + 15-minute class here: https://catholicmomcalm.com/fun-simple-summer

Sterling walks you through deciding ahead of time about screen time, snacks, "I'm bored," sibling bickering, scheduling, plus 50 mom hacks, a thought-swap chart, and a Reset the Day plan for when everything blows up at 9:15 AM. (Because it might.)

Being Okay with an Uncertain Future May 14, 2026

Show notes

What are you doing with your life? (The answer is simpler than you think.)

Sterling's 15 and 12-year-old came to her in genuine distress. They didn't know if they were going to be nuns or moms, and their brains were convinced that figuring out the future was the key to feeling settled today.

Sound familiar?

In this episode, Sterling shares the conversation she had with her girls — and what she told them that changed everything. Spoiler: knowing your vocation doesn't fix the uncertainty of being human. Being married doesn't fix it. Having six kids doesn't fix it.

But there is one thing that does.

You'll learn:

Why obsessing over the future is actually a trick that keeps you from living today
What the Baltimore Catechism has to do with your anxiety about next year
The 5-minute prayer practice that makes everything clearer
Why "what do you want me to do today, Lord?" is the most powerful question you can ask
And why Idaho wasn't even a state to Sterling before she moved there — and what that means for your plans

This episode is for the woman who is waiting to feel settled before she starts living. The good news: you don't have to wait.

Overwhelmed Mom May 13, 2026

Show notes

"The melancholy side of me just isn't having it."

A mom wrote in with paragraphs of feelings — the wounds work, the hormones, the hard days, the confusion about why she still can't seem to get on top of it all. Sterling read every word. And then she said something that might surprise you.

In this episode, Sterling breaks down one of the most common ways we use self-help work against ourselves — and why "learning land" might be keeping you more stuck than you realize.

You'll learn:

Why confusion is often a spiritual attack — and what to do about it
The difference between wounds work and managing your mind today
Why seven bad days a month is actually normal (and what changes when you know that)
How to stop indulging thoughts that are creating your suffering — without toxic positivity
Why bad days don't mean your life is bad

This one is for the woman who is doing all the work and still having hard days. You're not broken. You're just human. And there's something available to you right now — no healing required.

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