No Guilt Mom | Overcoming Mom Guilt, Mental Load & Parenting Tips for Moms

Latest Episodes:

Why You Can't Stay Calm with Your ADHD Kid (It's Not a Character Flaw) Oct 29, 2026

Show notes

If you've ever dealt with mom guilt after losing your cool and wondered why you can't stay calm with your ADHD kid, this episode is for you.

You get interrupted, your emotions go from zero to 100, and then the guilt shows up. In this solo episode, JoAnn shares how ADHD shaped her own childhood and parenting, why big emotional reactions are not a verdict on you as a mom, and how to start noticing your triggers so you can pause and repair.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why ADHD comes with an emotional component, and why a big reaction to criticism is not proof that you are a bad mom
Why being pulled away from a project can drain your motivation, and how interest works as fuel for an ADHD brain
Why you can't promise to always stay calm, but you can promise to notice your triggers and repair
How to tell your family your triggers, and how to plan a pause for the situations that set you off
A simple trick to stay present in a conversation when your attention wants to wander

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Some links above are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Thank you to T Town Homeschooler for the kind review! If this episode helped you, leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It only takes a minute and it helps other moms find the show.

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Why You Keep Saying 'I Thought You Were Going To' (and How to Stop the Resentment) with Julia Dhar Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

If you've ever felt the weight of the mental load and wondered why you always seem to do everything at home, this episode is for you.

You say yes to the plan, your partner says yes to the plan, and then somehow you are the one who is disappointed. Julia Dhar, a world champion debater and author of How Change Really Works, joins me to show you how to have the hard conversation without it turning into a fight. We talk about making a clear and specific request, why false agreement quietly builds resentment, and what to do when you catch yourself thinking "I thought you were going to."

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why anticipating a conflict feels so physical, and why most people say they feel relieved after the hard conversation
How to make a clear and specific request instead of asking "can you help me?"
The difference between false alignment and true agreement, and how true agreement lowers your mental load
Why "I thought you were going to" is an early warning sign that your expectations and theirs are out of step
The "I don't care / I care a lot" technique for letting small things go without losing yourself

Resources mentioned in this episode:

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Why You're Still Carrying Everything (And How to Hand It Back) Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

If you've ever felt the weight of the mental load and wondered why you keep doing everything yourself, even when you're exhausted, this episode is for you.

You're not tired from the tasks on your plate. You're tired from the parts of the job nobody can see: the noticing before and the checking after. In this episode, I share the research behind that invisible work, a few of my own stories (including moments where I got it wrong), and a simple way to hand over the whole job, not just one more task.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why the heaviest part of your load is the part nobody can see
The four stages of every household job and which ones moms tend to hold
What I call the default loop, and why it keeps you doing it all
Why taking a job back costs you more than it saves (my holiday gift-wrapping story)
How to hand over the whole job this week, and why their frustration is part of the learning

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Happy Home Ladder: a cooperative family game that does the asking for you
No Guilt Mom Inner Circle
The Best Mom is a Happy Mom
Tell me which job you're handing off: @noguiltmom on Instagram

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Why You're the Only One Who Notices What Needs Doing (and How to Fix It) with Sam Kelly Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

If you've ever felt the weight of the mental load and wondered why you're the only one who notices what needs to be done around the house, this episode is for you.

Sam Kelly, author of Notice and Do, joins me to talk about the moment she realized she was teaching her kids to rely on her for all the noticing, just like her husband had. We talk about the rage that comes with carrying the mental load, why a chore system only gets you half of the way there, and how to hand over ownership without hovering.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why noticing is a teachable skill, just like brushing your teeth or tying your shoes
How to turn grief and rage about the mental load into fuel for change
What the Big Three and learning ladders are, and how they give kids real ownership
Why a chore chart relies on you to do all the noticing and delegating, and what to do instead
How pre-existing motivators work for strong-willed and ADHD kids, and why the pushback is temporary

Resources mentioned in this episode:

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Why You Still Yell at the Same Moment Every Day (And How to Break the Pattern) Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

If you've ever felt mom guilt after yelling and wondered why you yell at the same time every day, this episode is for you.

New here? Start with our ⁠Start Here playlist⁠ — five episodes that will change how you think about motherhood.

Your yelling probably has a timestamp, and that does not mean something is wrong with you. I share three stories, from a childhood kitchen sink to a 5 p.m. toddler "no" to a 10 p.m. bedtime request, and walk you through why your yelling window happens and the smallest possible plan for changing it.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why you tend to yell at the same moment almost every day, and why that makes it a pattern instead of a character flaw
The sequence behind a yelling moment: the trigger, the feeling, and the sentence your brain adds a half second later
Why the belief that your kid did it on purpose fuels anger, and how to start rewriting that sentence when you are calm
How to make an if-then plan that says what you will do instead of what you are trying to stop
Why you don't need more patience in your yelling window, you need a plan

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Happy Home Ladder: a simple cooperative family game so you don't have to ask daily
The Best Mom is a Happy Mom by JoAnn Crohn
The No Guilt Mom Inner Circle
Follow the show on Spotify

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Why You Pass Your Stress Onto Your Kids Without Meaning To with Dr. Edith Shiro Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

New here? Start with our Start Here playlist, five episodes that will change how you think about motherhood.

If you've ever felt the weight of the mental load and wondered why you pass your own stress onto your kids without meaning to, this episode is for you.

Ever wonder why your reaction to something small, like your kid not eating dinner, feels way bigger than the moment itself? In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Edith Shiro, author of The Unexpected Gift of Trauma, breaks down how stress and trauma pass from parent to child without either of you realizing it, and what you can actually do to interrupt the cycle.

In this episode, you'll learn:

How to tell when your reaction to your kid is really about something from your own past
A 5-minute script to repair with your child after you react in a way you're not proud of
Why validating your child's feelings, even before you set a limit, makes discipline actually work
How to handle a teenager's rejection without taking it personally
What to say when your child is being bullied, or is the one doing the bullying

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Ready to stop the yelling and guilt cycle in your own home? Grab your spot in The Happy Mom Reset.

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Why You're So Hard on Yourself as a Mom (and Whose Voice That Really Is) with Sabrina Bendory Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

If you've ever struggled with mom guilt and wondered why you're so hard on yourself as a mom, this episode is for you.

New here? Start with our Start Here playlist — five episodes that will change how you think about motherhood.

That harsh voice in your head may not be yours. Bestselling author and relationship coach Sabrina Bendory joins JoAnn to explain the mother wound, the role you learned to play as a child, and how both show up in your relationships and your parenting. You'll also hear what to say to your child after you've yelled, and why your child's neediness can stir up feelings that have nothing to do with them.

In this episode, you'll learn:

What the mother wound is, in plain terms, and why it shapes how you treat yourself
Why two things can be true: your mother did her best and your needs still weren't met
How the "role self" you built as a child to feel safe still runs your adult relationships
Why your child's needs can trigger anger, and the grief that may be underneath it
A simple repair after you yell: "That was not your fault"

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Happy Home Ladder
The Feminine Code by Sabrina Bendory
Detached by Sabrina Bendory
You Will Be OK podcast on Instagram
Sabrina Bendory on Instagram
No Guilt Mom Inner Circle
The Best Mom is a Happy Mom by JoAnn Crohn
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents (book mentioned in the episode)

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Why You Go Passive Aggressive With Your Husband (And The Rule That Stops It) with Jackie Kelley Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

If you've ever dealt with mom guilt after losing your cool with your husband and wondered why you get so mad at him over little things, this episode is for you.

New here? Start with our ⁠Start Here playlist⁠ — five episodes that will change how you think about motherhood.

Author Jackie Kelley and her husband run their marriage on a set of rules they made up themselves, and her new book, So You Married a Human, comes out today. In this honest and funny conversation, Jackie and JoAnn trade stories about passive aggression, shared-space chaos, and the unrealistic expectations so many of us carry into marriage.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why "use your words" became Jackie's first marriage rule, and how to say what hurt you without slamming cabinets and hoping he notices
The "you also suck a bunch" rule, and how to tell which little annoyances are worth letting go
How the "wait for it" rule helps a fast emotional processor and a slow one talk without a fight
Why so many fights come from mismatched expectations, and the questions to ask before the dinner, the party, or the holiday gift budget
Why rules written for marriage also work with kids, coworkers, and in-laws

Resources mentioned in this episode

Jackie Kelley on Instagram: @stayathomejackie
Jackie's book, So You Married a Human (out October 6, 2026)
The Happy Mom Reset (free class)
No Guilt Mom Inner Circle
JoAnn's book: The Best Mom is a Happy Mom
No Guilt Mom Podcast page

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/omnin6le #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. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement, for the Sutton debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-sutton and for the Bancorp debit flex card at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-bancorp. Savings and Offers provided by Cash App, a Block Inc. brand. Offers may not be affiliated with third party merchants.

Parents and legal guardians can open a managed account for kids 6-12.

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What To Do When Your Kid Tells You To "Shut Up" Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

New here? Start with our Start Here playlist — five episodes that will change how you think about motherhood.

If you've ever tried gentle parenting and still wondered what to do when your kid says shut up to you, this episode is for you.

When your kid tells you to shut up, your face gets hot and your brain can go blank. In this solo episode, I explain what is usually going on underneath those words and walk you through five calm steps for kids third grade and up, plus an easy adjustment for younger kids. You'll also hear why your own triggers matter and why you deserve the same pause you give your kids.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why "shut up" usually means overwhelm or a need for more say, not disrespect
The question that gets you further than "what do I do?": what happened right before
Five calm steps for kids third grade and up: let the shock land, get quiet and don't tower, name it and leave, take the time you need, and come back to repair
How to adjust for younger kids with a simple "I need to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back"
How to work with your own triggers and why you deserve a tap out

Resources mentioned in this episode

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Why Your Kid Still Won't Listen No Matter How Many Times You Say It with Dr. Siggie Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

New here? Start with our Start Here playlist, five episodes that will change how you think about motherhood.

You validate your kid's feelings. You explain the reasoning behind every rule. And your kid still melts down anyway. Child development specialist and author Dr. Siggie Cohen joins JoAnn to explain the missing piece: why kids speak the language of emotion while parents default to logic, and exactly what to say when bedtime, screens, or "get ready" turns into a nightly fight.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why explaining the "why" behind a boundary doesn't get your kid to comply
The real reason "how many times do I have to tell you" backfires every time
How to validate your kid's feelings without caving to what they want
The exact language to use during transitions like bedtime and screen time
Why staying calm and confident, not permissive, is what actually helps your kid through a meltdown

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Ready to feel calmer and more confident in your parenting? Join us for the free Happy Mom Reset class.

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