Couples Counseling For Parents

Holiday Stress, Family Rules, and What to Do About Them


Listen Later

Got a question, comment, or just want to drop some encouragement? Send us a text.

Holiday plans rarely fall apart over turkey—they crack at the fault lines of family rules, nervous system triggers, and the pressure to keep traditions intact while raising small kids. We take you inside a relatable case with Hunter and Manu, whose baby’s bedtime collides with Grandma’s set-in-stone dinner time, and show how a small scheduling issue becomes painfully personal. Along the way, we unpack why these conversations feel “cellular,” how generational roles like don’t challenge the matriarch get carried into adult partnerships, and why safety can mean opposite things to two people who love each other.

We dig into the hidden drivers: the urge to protect beloved rituals, the fear of losing what felt like home, and the way partners polarize—one minimizing the hard, the other minimizing the good. You’ll hear a clear framework to calm the room before you fix the plan, plus a simple script to validate effort, name a concrete need, invite collaboration, and make a small ask without heat. We also talk about presenting as a team, giving elders the chance to surprise you, and building memories not just from events but from how you treat each other while planning them.

If you’ve ever argued about a start time and ended up questioning each other’s character, this conversation is your reset. Expect practical language you can borrow today, a reframe for navigating extended family with less rigidity and more curiosity, and a path to align on shared hopes even when answers are no. If this helped, follow the show, leave a quick rating, and share it with a friend who’s bracing for holiday negotiations—we’d love to hear the tradition you’d tweak first.

Get your copy or audiobook of Too Tired to Fight today!: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/059371427X

Want some personalized help. Schedule a free coaching consultation here: https://calendly.com/ccfp/meet-the-mitchells


...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Couples Counseling For ParentsBy Dr. Stephen Mitchell and Erin Mitchell, MACP

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

109 ratings


More shows like Couples Counseling For Parents

View all
Respectful Parenting: Janet Lansbury Unruffled by JLML Press

Respectful Parenting: Janet Lansbury Unruffled

3,654 Listeners

The Lazy Genius Podcast by Kendra, The Lazy Genius

The Lazy Genius Podcast

6,674 Listeners

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms

1,005 Listeners

EmPowered Couples with The Freemans by Aaron & Jocelyn Freeman

EmPowered Couples with The Freemans

590 Listeners

Calm Parenting Podcast by Kirk Martin

Calm Parenting Podcast

1,456 Listeners

Dear Dr. Tracy by Cloud10

Dear Dr. Tracy

158 Listeners

Raising Good Humans by Dear Media, Aliza Pressman

Raising Good Humans

1,902 Listeners

HERself by Abby and Amy

HERself

1,739 Listeners

The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom by Dr. Mona Amin

The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

1,492 Listeners

The Mom Room by Renee Reina & Podcast Nation

The Mom Room

574 Listeners

Good Inside with Dr. Becky by Dr. Becky Kennedy

Good Inside with Dr. Becky

4,523 Listeners

Toddlers Made Easy with Dr Cathryn by Dr. Cathryn

Toddlers Made Easy with Dr Cathryn

165 Listeners

The Child Psych Podcast by Institute of Child Psychology

The Child Psych Podcast

90 Listeners

CALLING HOME with Whitney Goodman, LMFT by Calling Home

CALLING HOME with Whitney Goodman, LMFT

337 Listeners

Robot Unicorn by Nurtured First

Robot Unicorn

323 Listeners