How to Stop Overparenting: Trust Yourself, Not Your Fear Episode Summary:
Are you doing everything for your child…and calling it love?
In this episode, Sue peels back the curtain on overparenting and calls out the subtle ways control shows up (micromanaging, rescuing, rushing, rewriting their essays) and how it can backfire. With insightful stories (including the moment a Montessori teacher politely called her out for still packing lunches), and real talk about self-awareness, fear, and the difference between leadership and control, Sue walks you through how to step back without falling apart. 

What We Talk About:
The sneaky ways control hides in “good parenting”

• Why micromanaging robs your kids of confidence, and you of your sanity
• How fear fuels overparenting (and how to stop letting it drive the car)
• The “structure not a script” strategy to give kids autonomy within boundaries
• Why overcontrolling kids can turn them into rebels, people-pleasers… or liars
• A decision-making skill you’re accidentally preventing your kids from developing
• Instrument practice, friend choices, and the tightrope between encouragement and control
• The parenting question that will change your day: “Am I helping or hovering?”
• Your challenge for the week: Pick one place to loosen your grip and watch what happens

One-Liner to Remember:
"When we prevent our kids’ discomfort, we also prevent their growth. You want to raise a problem-solver, not a puppet." Parenting Power Tools From This Episode:

• Boundaries vs. control checklist
• Facilitator parenting model (structure, not a script)
• Micro-moment practice: let them fail safely
• Mantra: “Am I helping… or hovering?”
• Connection-first strategy to build trust, not obedience

Listener Challenge:
Pick one area where you’re over-involved. Is it homework? Doing laundry? Friend drama? Step back…on purpose. Let your child try. Let them fail safely.
Then watch them rise. Rate + Review:
Loving these no-filter conversations? Drop us a review and share this episode with a friend who needs to hear, “Hey, you don’t need to do it all.”

🔗 Links & Resources:
    · Free Facebook Group: Yell-Free Parenting for Exhausted Moms
    · Sue’s Book: Secrets to Parenting Without Giving a F^ck
    ·  Want 1-on-1 coaching? Book here
    ·  Get Sue’s Weekly Newsletter: Subscribe now

Mom Guilt is Lying to You - Here's How to Shut it Down
In this raw and real episode, we’re unpacking one of the most toxic emotions moms carry: guilt. Spoiler alert - guilt feels useful, but it’s actually hijacking your parenting, sabotaging your credibility, and weakening your connection with your kids.  

We break down how to spot guilt in action, how it messes with your authority, and why it’s time to stop letting it drive your decisions.  

You’ll learn the 4 categories of guilt, what to do when guilt creeps in, and how to parent with intention—not from a place of shame, regret, or people-pleasing.  

“Guilt is a wasted emotion. Its only strength is deception…and you’re too damn strong to fall for it.”    

What We Talk About:
    · Why mom guilt is so common—and so destructive 
    · How guilt leads to overcompensating, flip-flopping, and emotional parenting
    · The four categories of guilt and how to identify which one’s creeping in 
    · Why second-guessing yourself weakens your parenting power 
    · What it means to release guilt without losing accountability 
    · Practical mindset shifts and reset phrases you can use immediately 
    · How to stop guilt from living rent-free in your mind
    · What to say when you’ve made a mistake—and how to move on fast  
Tools You’ll Walk Away With: 
    · “I made a thoughtful decision, not a perfect one. That’s enough.” 
    · A guilt reset phrase you can use on repeat 
    · A new question to ask yourself when you’re spiraling: “Is this guilt mine—or did I absorb it?” 
    · A better way to model emotional resilience to your kids 
    · How to draw a hard boundary around your energy and stop the guilt cycle before it starts    

One-Liner to Remember:  

Guilt is not a parenting strategy. It’s a distraction dressed up as concern.  

🔗 Links & Resources:
    · Free Facebook Group: Yell-Free Parenting for Exhausted Moms
    · Sue’s Book: Secrets to Parenting Without Giving a F^ck
    ·  Want 1-on-1 coaching? Book here
    ·  Get Sue’s Weekly Newsletter: Subscribe now  

Thanks for listening! Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a mom who needs to hear it.

The Ask Mom Podcast is part of  WordofMomRadio.com - sharing the wisdom of women, in business and in life

Everything You Learned About Parenting is Wrong!!!

Join us for the debut of the Ask Mom Podcast, Sue Donnellan, mom of four, parenting coach, and reformed yeller, has real, no BS conversations with Randee Moore about what really works in parenting.

Sue shares her powerful transition from old-school, authoritarian tactics to a leadership-based approach that actually improves behavior without power struggles. They dive into the research-backed reasons yelling, punishment, and timeouts backfire and why the “gentle parenting” trend often misses the mark by lacking clear leadership. Randee brings the data from the National Institute of Health, while Sue brings real-life experience and practical tools that shift family dynamics fast.

If you’ve ever asked yourself:
 “Why won’t my kid listen?”
 “Why do I feel like I’m losing control?”
 “How do I raise kids who respect me without fearing me?”
…this one’s for you.

What You’ll Learn:
– Why authoritarian parenting creates more defiance, not less
– The hidden downside of “gentle parenting”
– What it means to lead your child instead of managing behavior
– How to stop reacting and start role modeling
– A simple mindset shift to transform your home dynamic

Key Questions Discussed:
 When did you realize something had to change in your parenting?
 What’s your take on gentle parenting?
 What’s one area in your parenting you know isn’t working and how can you lead it differently?

Perfect for:
Parents who are tired of yelling, exhausted by power struggles, and ready to raise emotionally healthy, self-accountable kids without giving up their authority.

 Book a FREE Discovery Call
 FREE Parenting Resources
 AskMomParenting.com
 Join the Yell-Free Parenting For Exhausted Moms Facebook Group
 Get the Book: https://amazon.com/Secrets-Parenting-Without-Giving-Non-Conformist/dp/0578843838/

Our show is part of  WordofMomRadio.com - sharing the wisdom of women, in business and in life