Modern Mom Probs

In this thoughtful and refreshingly honest conversation, Tara Clark sits down with Katie Mulvaney to unpack the layered realities of weight loss, health, and motherhood. Together, they move beyond the oversimplified “eat less, move more” narrative and explore how mindset, identity, and daily habits truly shape long-term wellness. Katie shares insights from her book The Missing Links to Weight Loss, reframing the idea that the “missing link” isn’t another diet or program, but often a deeper understanding of ourselves. From navigating busy mom schedules to redefining what health looks like on an individual level, this episode offers a grounded and empowering perspective.

Tara and Katie also dive into the subtle but powerful forces influencing modern moms from mindless eating and time scarcity to the pressures of consumerism and comparison. They highlight the importance of micro habits, community support, and treating personal health as a non-negotiable “glass ball” that deserves protection. Listeners will walk away with practical, realistic strategies for integrating movement into everyday life, along with a renewed sense that small, consistent shifts, not perfection, are what lead to meaningful, lasting change.

Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Missing-Links-Weight-Loss/dp/B0GJFX8VPG

https://www.instagram.com/missinglinkshealth/

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In this insightful episode, Eli Weinstein, relationship therapist, author, and host of The Dude Therapist podcast, joins the conversation to unpack the realities of modern parenting and partnership. Drawing from his work and his book From I Do to We Do: Navigating Marriage In The Parenting Years, Eli explores the often-overlooked transition from being a “dude” to a fully engaged dad, and why parenting works best when it’s approached as a true team effort. He sheds light on how unspoken expectations can quietly build resentment between partners, and why shifting from an “us vs. them” mindset to a united front is essential for a healthy family dynamic.

Throughout the conversation, Eli emphasizes the power of open communication, emotional awareness, and mutual support in navigating both parenting and relationships. He discusses the importance of creating a “protective bubble” around the partnership, acknowledging the emotional load carried by both parents, and finding a version of balance that works for your unique family, rather than comparing to others.

With honesty and practical insight, this episode serves as a reminder that strong relationships don’t just happen; they’re built through intentional effort, understanding, and a commitment to doing the work together.

Links:

https://www.eliweinsteinlcsw.com/

https://www.eliweinsteinlcsw.com/book

https://www.instagram.com/eliweinstein_lcsw/?hl=en

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In this candid conversation, Ali Prato, journalist, author, and host of the Infertile AF podcast, opens up about her deeply personal journey through secondary infertility, including several miscarriages before ultimately welcoming her son through IVF. Feeling isolated and frustrated by the lack of honest dialogue and resources around infertility, Ali transformed her experience into advocacy, launching her podcast to share real stories and build a supportive community for others navigating similar paths. She also discusses the creation of the Fertility Rally, a powerful space designed to connect and uplift people facing infertility.

Ali and Tara explore why open conversations about fertility are so essential to reducing stigma and helping families feel less alone. Ali also shares how her children’s books aim to normalize discussions around assisted reproductive technology and modern family building. The conversation expands into broader modern parenting challenges, from navigating technology and social media to raising kids in an increasingly high-pressure world, while emphasizing the importance of honesty, empathy, and community support when talking with children about their origins and family stories.

If you are experiencing infertility, listen to this episode and remember you are not alone.

Links:

https://www.infertileafgroup.com/

https://www.infertileafgroup.com/books

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/infertile-af-infertility-and-modern-family-building/id1457516002

https://www.instagram.com/fertilityrally/

https://www.fertilityrally.com/

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In this honest and energizing conversation, Tara sits down with Tyler Moore, known online as Tidy Dad, to talk about what it really means to raise a family in a world obsessed with perfection. Tyler opens up about how his own mental health journey led him to organization, and why decluttering isn’t just about having a picture-perfect home. It’s about creating peace. They dive into the pressure modern moms feel to maintain Instagram-worthy spaces, how social media fuels unrealistic comparisons, and why the concept of “just enough” living might be the permission slip so many of us need.

Tyler shares practical, doable strategies for overwhelmed parents, starting with a powerful mindset shift, organize yourself before you organize your family. They discuss why communication around clutter matters, how parents must take ownership of what enters their homes, and why decluttering can actually be therapeutic. Most importantly, Tyler reminds us that balance doesn’t come from meeting society’s expectations. It comes from honest conversations, self-awareness, and building rhythms that work for your unique family. If you’ve ever felt buried under stuff (or standards), this episode will feel like a deep, cleansing exhale.

Links:

https://thetidydad.com/

https://thetidydad.com/qrbook

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tidy-tidbits/id1816271318

tidydad.substack.com

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In this episode, Tara sits down with Sydney Quiseng of Echosmith for an honest, grounding conversation about music, identity, and parenthood. Sydney opens up about the joy and anticipation she feels as she prepares to become a mom, and how that season inspired her newest song, “That’s My Baby (On Main Street).”

Tara and Sydney talk about the evolution of her sound toward a more coastal-country feel, the role nature plays in her creativity, and how past songs like “Cool Kids” were born from her own journey toward self-acceptance. She also shares her deep love for Japanese culture and language, and how those influences quietly shape her artistry.

Sydney doesn’t shy away from the real conversations, what it means to slow down, be present, and intentionally step back from work to bond with her baby. They dive into the complicated role the internet plays for modern parents, both as a lifeline and a source of anxiety, and why tuning into your own instincts matters more than ever.

This conversation is a reminder that becoming a mother doesn’t end creativity. It transforms it, and Sydney is just beginning to imagine how this next chapter will show up in her music and her life.

Links:

https://www.sydneyquiseng.com/

https://www.instagram.com/sydneyquiseng

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In this episode, Tara sits down with Cameron Normand of Stepfamily Solutions and host of the Stepmom Diaries podcast to unpack the realities of blended family life and why stepmoms face a unique (and often overlooked) emotional load. Cameron shares her own path into stepfamily coaching and explains why stepfamilies aren’t just “nuclear families with extra people.” They’re a completely different dynamic that requires patience, boundaries, and a lot of self-compassion.

Together, they explore the mental health challenges stepmoms face, the impact of ex-partners, the emotional weight of transition days, and why striving to be the “perfect” stepmom is a fast track to burnout. This conversation is honest, validating, and full of reminders that doing your best doesn’t mean doing it all.

If you’re a stepmom, love a stepmom, or are part of a blended family, this episode will make you feel seen and remind you that you’re not failing, you’re figuring it out.

Links:

https://stepfamilysolutions.com/

https://stepfamilysolutions.com/podcast/

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FIRST AIRED APRIL 25, 2023

As parents, we often want to shield our children from the realities of the world, but it's ultimately impossible to do so. When children do hear about the news, it's important to have open and honest conversations with them. 

In this episode of the "Modern Mom Probs" podcast, Tara interviews Tracy Leeds Kaplan, the founder of Small But Mighty Media and creator of the popular podcast "The Ten News," about how to talk with children about the news. They discuss the importance of age-appropriate news sources for kids, the challenges of discussing sensitive topics, and the need for giving yourself space to be emotional. They also touch on the challenges of parenting in the digital age and finding time for family discussions. Tracy emphasizes the importance of listening and using age-appropriate language when discussing heavy news topics with kids.

If you’ve ever been at a loss for words, listen to this episode. 

Links:

https://www.thetennews.com/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ten-news-news-for-curious-kids/id1514325670

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-the-grown-ups-how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-gun-violence/id1514325670?i=1000607581233

Support the show

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BLAST FROM THE PAST: FIRST AIRED DECEMBER 26, 2023

Tara welcomes Dr. Aliza Pressman, developmental psychologist, author, and host of the wildly popular podcast Raising Good Humans. She shares insights from her groundbreaking new book, "The Five Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans."

Tara and Dr. Aliza discuss the challenges of modern parenting, what it means to raise good humans, the importance of maintaining strong parent-child relationships, and the concept of repair in relationships. Dr. Aliza explains that rules are not meant to hinder the relationship or sensitivity of caregiving, but rather to ensure safety and provide structure. She emphasizes the importance of finding support that resonates with each individual parent's values and beliefs, as well as filtering out the noise and focusing on what truly matters, which can be difficult given today’s climate of information overload.

Dr. Aliza acknowledges that no parent is perfect and through storytelling, she illustrates that it is essential to show children that perfection is not attainable and that being flawed is part of being human.

If you want to foster a stronger parent-child relationship and want to tap into the five principles of parenting, listen to this episode!

Links:

Website: https://draliza.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raisinggoodhumanspodcast/

Newsletter: https://dralizapressman.substack.com/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-good-humans/id1473072044?i=1000622613224

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BLAST FROM THE PAST: FIRST AIRED NOVEMBER 14, 2023

In this episode, Tara welcomes Alyssa Blask Campbell, CEO of Sew and Seed. Alyssa is a trusted expert in emotional development and the host of the popular podcast "Voices of Your Village." The conversation centers around Alyssa's new book, "Tiny Humans, Big Emotions: How to Navigate Tantrums, Meltdowns, and Defiance to Raise Emotionally Intelligent Children."

Alyssa shares that the book is based on Collaborative Emotion Processing (CEP), a method for being with and moving through hard things. She and her colleague, Lauren Stauble developed this method after realizing that traditional behavior-focused approaches were not effective in real-life parenting situations. They wanted to create a comprehensive approach that focuses on the adult's self-awareness and self-care, as well as the interaction between adults and children.

Tara and Alyssa discuss the importance of emotional intelligence and its impact on daily life. Alyssa shares how her perspective on emotional intelligence shifted when she started envisioning a world where these tools were accessible to everyone, including her own child and future generations. She emphasizes the need for emotional intelligence in adults, especially those in positions of power, so they can support others and model healthy ways of navigating difficult situations.

Alyssa explains that emotional intelligence consists of five components: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skills, and motivation. She highlights the significance of self-awareness, as it is the foundation for regulating emotions and accessing the other components. Alyssa uses personal examples, such as a social media backlash, to illustrate the importance of recognizing dysregulation cues and taking a step back before responding.

They also touch on empathy and how it is best taught through modeling. Instead of claiming to understand exactly how someone feels in a given situation, she suggests connecting with the emotions someone is experiencing, rather than focusing on why they are feeling that way.

If you’re interested in teaching your children empathy, you should listen to this episode!

Links:

https://www.seedandsew.org/

https://www.instagram.com/seed.and.sew/

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In this episode, Tara Clark sits down with developmental psychologists Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Dr. Roberta Golinkoff to talk about what kids actually need to thrive and why so many well-meaning parents are more stressed than they need to be. Drawing from their book Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Our Children Really Learn and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less, the conversation tackles the pressure cooker of modern parenting and gently reminds us that kids aren’t falling behind because they’re not memorizing enough… they’re learning through connection, curiosity, and play.

Together, they debunk some of the biggest parenting myths out there, including the idea that learning has to be forced, formal, or screen-based to count. Kathy and Roberta explain why play and imagination are foundational to child development, how everyday moments can be surprisingly powerful learning opportunities, and why children learn best when they’re ready. They also highlight how games and playful interactions help build crucial skills like self-regulation, social connection, and emotional understanding.

The conversation also takes a thoughtful look at technology and its role in family life, encouraging parents to use it as a tool, not a replacement for real human interaction.

This episode is a permission slip to relax, tune into your child’s feelings, and enjoy the parenting journey a little more. With practical insights and deeply reassuring wisdom, Kathy and Roberta remind us that caring for ourselves and savoring the small moments may be one of the most impactful things we can do as parents.

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/drkathyanddrro/

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/594245/einstein-never-used-flash-cards-revised-edition-by-kathy-hirsh-pasek-phd-and-roberta-michnick-golinkoff-phd-with-diane-eyer-phd/9780593980767/

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