In this episode, I sit down with my real-life friend Kate Strickler—the heart behind Naptime Kitchen and author of I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen—to talk about what happens when we start measuring ourselves against other moms. We dig into the subtle ways comparison creeps in (even for someone you might assume “has it all together”), the relational damage it can cause, and the freedom that comes from embracing how God uniquely made you.Kate shares vulnerably about wanting to be the “fun mom,” the “snack mom,” the high-capacity, doing-it-all-well mom—and what happens when that desire tips into envy. We talk about seasons of life, help, values, morality vs. preference, and how simply saying, “I don’t do that,” can feel like a holy rebellion against shame.I left this conversation freshly reminded: faithfulness is not the same thing as imitation. And the goal is not to become another mom—it’s to become a more joyful version of the one God already designed me to be.

Key Takeaways

• Comparison thrives in silence.
  • Speaking your struggles out loud to a trusted friend robs shame of its power.
• Run it through the filters. When you feel comparison rising, ask:
  • Are we in the same season of life?
  • Do we have the same level of help?
  • Do we share the same values?
• Not everything is a morality issue. 
  • Liking to cook, being crafty, homeschooling, exercising at 5 a.m.—these are preferences, not measures of righteousness.
• Your “ingredients” matter.
  • Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, look at the gifts and wiring God did give you. What can you make with those?
• Comparison distorts relationships. 
  • It tempts us to turn potential friends into competitors.
• Faithfulness looks different in different homes.
  • Obedience to God’s Word may be shared, but its expression will vary from family to family.
    
    

Guest Resources

• I Just Wish I Had a Bigger Kitchen by Kate Strickler
• Website
• Instagram