More Human. More Kind. | Parenting LGBTQ Kids, Unlearning Fear, Becoming More Human

DAY 5

MORE HUMAN MOMENTS FOR THE MOST WONDERFUL (AND COMPLICATED!) TIME OF THE YEAR!

12 Tiny Rebellions to Counter Holiday Chaos

You're at the holiday table. Your child walks in. A relative misgenders them on purpose. The room freezes, your heart races, and you feel that internal tug between protecting your child and keeping the peace.

In this holiday capsule episode, Heather Hester shares a grounded, loving framework to handle this common but painful moment with grace. You’ll learn how to regulate your nervous system, speak up with clarity, and model fierce allyship without fueling the fire.

You’ll walk away with:

1. A 3-step response formula: Pause, Protect, Pivot
2. Grounded language to correct misgendering without escalating
3. A powerful Breath of Safety ritual to calm your nervous system and release shame
4. Journaling prompts to support your courage and confidence in real time

Your Strategy: Prepare one neutral corrective sentence (e.g. “We use they/them for Riley”) + a pivot phrase (e.g. “Let’s move on”)

Your Ritual: Try the 3-part Breath of Safety

1. Inhale: My love protects → Exhale: Shame is not mine
2. Inhale: My clarity guides → Exhale: Their reaction is theirs
3. Inhale: We belong → Exhale: We are okay

Journal Prompt: What does courage look like for me in moments like this?

💌 For deeper allyship support, visit heatherhester.net or share this episode with a fellow parent, advocate, or LGBTQ+ ally navigating similar territory.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Stay informed - visit my website

Join the Conversation on Substack

Read my book, Parenting with Pride.

Support the Show - Learn more here!

Watch on YouTube

Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out.

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous connection.

For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re on this journey with me.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers the wisdom of lived experience and practical guidance and education to parents and allies, teaching empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals, through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.

DAY 4

MORE HUMAN MONETS FOR THE MOST WONDERFUL (AND MOST COMPLICATED!) TIME OF THE YEAR!

12 Rebellions Against Holiday Chaos

Is your stomach in knots before a holiday gathering, already dreading that one comment you know is coming? You’re not alone. Conflict is hard enough. But when you're an LGBTQ+ parent or ally, it comes with an emotional cost most people don’t see.

In this holiday capsule episode of More Human, More Kind, Heather Hester offers a calm, clear strategy to handle those moments when tension bubbles up without spiraling, freezing, or feeling like you have to fight. You’ll learn how to stay grounded, protect your nervous system, and exit hard conversations with dignity and intention.

You’ll walk away with:

1. The real reason anticipated conflict is so draining especially for LGBTQ+ parents and advocates
2. A set of shame-free, emotionally neutral exit lines you can use to shut down tension without escalating
3. A 30-second breathwork ritual to reset your system, wherever you are
4. A powerful reframe: you don’t have to “win” the moment, you just need to protect your peace

🎯 Your Strategy: Pre-script 1–2 clear exit lines to carry into every holiday space

🧘‍♀️ Your Ritual: Try the Peace Over Proving breathwork practice: inhale for 4, exhale for 6, repeat the mantra: I choose peace

📓 Bonus prompt: What am I choosing not to engage with to protect my peace?

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Stay informed - visit my website

Join the Conversation on Substack

Read my book, Parenting with Pride.

Support the Show - Learn more here!

Watch on YouTube

Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out.

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous connection.

For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re on this journey with me.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers the wisdom of lived experience and practical guidance and education to parents and allies, teaching empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals, through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.

DAY 3

MORE HUMAN MOMENTS FOR THE MOST WONDERFUL (AND MOST COMPLICATED!) TIME OF THE YEAR

12 Tiny Rebellions Against Holiday Chaos

The holiday lights are twinkling, the house is full, and yet, you feel... alone. If you're parenting or advocating for an LGBTQ+ child, this ache is more common than you think. You’re not imagining it. And you’re not alone.

In today’s holiday capsule episode Heather Hester speaks directly to the invisible load carried by parents, caregivers, and allies during the holidays. Through gentle insight and a grounding ritual, she helps you shift the narrative around loneliness from shame to sacred rest.

You’ll learn:

1. Why holiday loneliness can hit even when you're surrounded by others, especially for LGBTQ+ parents and allies
2. A powerful reframe: how solitude can become your sanctuary
3. A comforting ritual involving warmth, music, and reflection to return to yourself
4. Plus: how to recognize that emotional labor counts, even when it's unseen.

☕ Make a warm drink, hold it with both hands, and feel its comfort as permission to rest

🎵 Create your “My Belonging” playlist: songs that help you return to you

📝 Ask yourself: Where can I rest today, even for a few minutes?

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Stay informed - visit my website

Join the Conversation on Substack

Read my book, Parenting with Pride.

Support the Show - Learn more here!

Watch on YouTube

Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out.

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous connection.

For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re on this journey with me.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers the wisdom of lived experience and practical guidance and education to parents and allies, teaching empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals, through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.

DAY 2

MORE HUMAN MOMENTS FOR THE MOST WONDERFUL (AND MOST COMPLICATED!) TIME OF THE YEAR!

12 Tiny Rebellions Against Holiday Chaos!

The holidays are magical, but they’re also messy, especially when you're parenting or supporting an LGBTQ+ child. Old family patterns, loaded conversations, and invisible emotional labor can leave you feeling like you’re managing landmines while trying to spread cheer.

In today’s holiday capsule episode Heather shares why boundaries aren't just allowed, they’re essential. If you're already feeling that lump-in-your-throat stress before the next family gathering, this moment is for you.

You’ll learn:

• Why LGBTQ+ families face unique pressures during the holidays
• A shame-free, simple way to script your boundaries in advance
• A calming, 60-second visualization ritual to help you hold your ground with grace
• Plus: the reminder you didn’t know you needed: being kind doesn’t mean accommodating harm.

✔️ Grab your journal and reflect: What boundary protects my peace the most in this situation?

✔️ Practice your personalized boundary script before your next family event

Click PLAY to listen now - and - Tomorrow’s capsule (Day 3) explores a deeply felt topic: loneliness in the middle of togetherness. You won’t want to miss it!

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Stay informed - visit my website

Join the Conversation on Substack

Read my book, Parenting with Pride.

Support the Show - Learn more here!

Watch on YouTube

Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out.

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous connection.

For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re on this journey with me.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers the wisdom of lived experience and practical guidance and education to parents and allies, teaching empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals, through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.

 Today is day 1 of our 12 day holiday capsule!

More Human Moments for the Most Wonderful (and Complicated!) Time of the Year.

12 Tiny Rebellions Against Holiday Chaos

Let Go of Holiday Perfection and Embrace Presence, Grounding, and Enoughness

This is a powerful moment of reflection for LGBTQ+ parents and allies navigating the complexities of the holiday season. If you're feeling the pressure to "get it right" while also holding emotional space for your LGBTQ child, this short and grounding episode is for you.

• Why holiday overwhelm hits harder for LGBTQ+ families and affirming parents
• One practical mindset shift to move from perfectionism to peace
• A 60-second guided breathing ritual to help you reset anywhere, anytime
• How choosing enoughness supports inclusion, healing, and mental health

Holidays can amplify stress and grief, especially for families prioritizing safety, diversity, and unconditional love in the face of family dynamics or outdated beliefs. This episode empowers parents and allies to hold boundaries with grace, model empathy, and embrace a more human approach to parenting and advocacy.

Light a candle (or imagine one), breathe deeply, and ask yourself: What would be enough for today to feel okay? Then, join us tomorrow for Day 2: How to Prepare Boundaries for Complicated Family Spaces.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Stay informed - visit my website

Join the Conversation on Substack

Read my book, Parenting with Pride.

Support the Show - Learn more here!

Watch on YouTube

Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out.

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous connection.

For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re on this journey with me.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers the wisdom of lived experience and practical guidance and education to parents and allies, teaching empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals, through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.

SPECIAL EPISODE ALERT!!

We are so happy to share this special episode that is a celebration of both 6 years AND 200 episodes for this podcast! It is honest and raw...and the sound may be a little off our usual high quality recording levels.

In this heartfelt milestone episode, Heather Hester is joined in person by two of her children, Connor and Grace, to share the deeply personal and powerful story of how their family moved from silence and fear to connection, growth, and unconditional love. (Steve, Isabelle, and Rowan were there in spirit and idea!) This isn’t just Heather’s story, it’s theirs. And it’s the story that quietly fuels everything More Human, More Kind has become.

• How one family navigated the complexity of religious upbringing, generational trauma, and LGBTQ+ identity
• The emotional impact of unlearning what we’re taught, and how to rebuild with empathy and love
• What it really looks like to come out as a family
• The role of softness, boundaries, and intentional parenting in healing and advocacy
• How to lead with love when the world wants you to harden
• What Heather’s kids really think about her work and how it’s shaped their own evolution

• A Real Family, A Real Journey: Connor and Grace share raw reflections about how their mom’s upbringing shaped her parenting and how their family broke painful patterns together.
• Generational Healing: Heather opens up about the complexity of parenting while holding a bridge to a family system that couldn’t (or wouldn’t) grow with her.
• Softness is Strength: A look back at what it means to stay open-hearted in the face of discomfort, and how empathy became their family's superpower.
• The Awakening: The moment that changed everything from fear to fierce love and how it led to this podcast, this mission, and this beautiful, brave community.
• Coming Out as a Family: Connor and Grace reflect on what it felt like to step into authenticity together, and why that bond changed them forever.
• Boundaries as Love: How Heather learned to hold the line with her own parents without passing on pain to her kids.
• From Fear to Fierce Allyship: Why showing up again and again, imperfectly but courageously, is the most powerful thing a parent can do.

• Softness isn’t something you earn, it’s something you return to.
• Love doesn't erase pain; it makes space for it.
• Boundaries are not disconnection, they are love in action.
• Unlearning can be messy. But it’s where healing begins.
• You are not alone. You are not broken. You are becoming.

• What stories have you inherited and which ones are you ready to rewrite?
• How might softness serve your parenting, your relationships, or your advocacy today?
• What boundaries could you set that honor your humanity and keep you connected to love?

To every listener, every brave parent, every LGBTQ+ kid and ally: thank you for being here. For choosing growth, for choosing softness, and for choosing to keep showing up.

Special thanks to Connor and Grace for sharing their voices and their hearts so generously, for Steve, Isabelle, and Rowan for sharing their thoughts and support off mic, and to Samantha Mackey for facilitating this beautiful conversation and making the episode possible behind the scenes.

Thank you for being part of this unfolding story. Here’s to the next 200!

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Stay informed - visit my website

Join the Conversation on Substack

Read my book, Parenting with Pride.

Support the Show - Learn more here!

Watch on YouTube

Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out.

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous connection.

For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re on this journey with me.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers the wisdom of lived experience and practical guidance and education to parents and allies, teaching empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals, through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.

Are you constantly bracing for impact this holiday season, snapping at your kids, holding your breath, pushing through?

If you’re a parent of an LGBTQ+ child, an ally, or simply a human feeling stretched thin, this episode invites you to soften, not as a weakness, but as a radical act of strength, love, and nervous system regulation.

In a world that rewards hard edges and overextension, Heather Hester offers a deeply human reframe: softness is how we stay connected to ourselves, to our children, and to what matters most.

Backed by research from Dr. Stephen Porges and personal parenting insight, Heather explores:

1. Why emotional softness is a form of strength, not weakness
2. How to recognize when your body and parenting are operating in protection mode
3. The nervous system science behind soft tone, slower breath, and soft eyes
4. Why LGBTQ+ youth especially need softness as a signal of safety and inclusion

You'll walk away with practical, heartfelt guidance on how to:

1. Build soft but clear boundaries with extended family, friends, and yourself
2. Practice “softer parenting” even in the middle of chaos
3. Regulate your nervous system in real time with doable micro-practices
4. Use softness as a tool for healing, empathy, and fierce allyship

This episode is for every parent, mom, and ally trying to hold it all together while still showing up with compassion and courage. You’ll learn to recognize your limits—not as failures, but as invitations to return to presence.

Tune in now to discover the simple but powerful ways to lead with love, soften with intention, and create emotional safety for your LGBTQ+ teen, even in the most stressful seasons.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Stay informed - visit my website

Join the Conversation on Substack

Read my book, Parenting with Pride.

Support the Show - Learn more here!

Watch on YouTube

Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out.

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous connection.

For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re on this journey with me.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers the wisdom of lived experience and practical guidance and education to parents and allies, teaching empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals, through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.

Are you feeling pulled between preserving family peace and protecting your mental health this holiday season?

You're not alone AND you're not doing it wrong. The holidays are often an emotional minefield, especially for parents of LGBTQ+ kids navigating outdated traditions, family dynamics, and identity stress. This episode is your permission slip to pause, breathe, and make room for something more aligned.

Heather Hester offers a powerful, practical conversation about what it means to evolve, not erase, traditions that no longer fit who you or your family are now.

Whether you're a mom, dad, caregiver, or fierce LGBTQ+ ally, you'll learn:

• How to recognize when a tradition has shifted from comforting to constricting
• Scripts for setting boundaries without guilt or apology
• Why honoring your truth is an act of love, not rejection
• How to build new, inclusive rituals rooted in empathy, safety, and healing
• What your child’s nervous system really needs from you this season

This episode offers more than parenting advice, it’s a reframe of what real love looks like during the holidays.

When you, as a parent or ally, set boundaries with clarity and compassion, you model inclusion, emotional regulation, and authenticity. You show your LGBTQ+ child and yourself that they belong just as they are.

You’ll also hear:

• A 5-step “Boundaries With Love” framework you can use today
• Real-life examples from Heather’s own parenting journey
• Tools to dismantle the myth that sameness equals love
• Gentle encouragement to prioritize your family's unique needs

Listen now and take one simple, powerful action: Release the guilt. Embrace the boundary. Rewrite the tradition.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Stay informed - visit my website

Join the Conversation on Substack

Read my book, Parenting with Pride.

Support the Show - Learn more here!

Watch on YouTube

Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out.

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous connection.

For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re on this journey with me.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers the wisdom of lived experience and practical guidance and education to parents and allies, teaching empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals, through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.

Are you an LGBTQ+ parent, ally, or advocate feeling exhausted by the emotional and logistical weight of the holiday season?

You’re not alone. Many parents and caregivers, especially those supporting LGBTQ youth, enter this time of year overwhelmed, overextended, and overstimulated, unsure how to protect their own peace while showing up for others.

In this powerful solo reflection, Heather Hester invites you to rethink everything you’ve been told about self-care.

Forget the candles and curated routines. This episode explores what your nervous system actually needs to feel safe, grounded, and connected, especially as an LGBTQ+ parent or ally navigating complex family dynamics, grief, or societal pressure.

You’ll discover:

1. Why traditional “self-care” often fails LGBTQ+ parents and moms
2. How to recognize which type of rest you really need (emotional? sensory? social?)
3. The biological and emotional reasons this season feels harder and how to shift it
4. How rest, boundaries, and breathwork become tools of love, empathy, and inclusion

What if your rest and regulation were a form of allyship?

When you, as a parent or advocate, honor your limits, you create a safer emotional space for your LGBTQ child or loved one. You model softness, stability, and trust just by being more human and more kind.

In this episode, Heather offers:

1. A science-backed 1-minute breath technique to lower stress (no meditation required)
2. A breakdown of the 4 emotional “seasons” and how to align your care with each one
3. A practical guide to identifying your rhythm: motion, depletion, or recovery
4. Gentle encouragement to release perfection, guilt, and performance-based love

Breathe with us. Then take one tiny, tangible step toward true rest. Listen now and rediscover the allyship that starts within.

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Stay informed - visit my website

Join the Conversation on Substack

Read my book, Parenting with Pride.

Support the Show - Learn more here!

Watch on YouTube

Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out.

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous connection.

For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re on this journey with me.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers the wisdom of lived experience and practical guidance and education to parents and allies, teaching empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals, through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.

Feeling the pressure to find the perfect gift for your LGBTQ+ teen?

In this grounding episode, Heather shares what really matters to LGBTQ kids this time of year and how your presence and thoughtfulness can be more powerful than anything wrapped in a bow.

• Discover 5 human-centered gifts that build connection and joy
• Learn how to create belonging through slow rituals and shared presence
• Get practical tips for meaningful, low-stress gift-giving even on a budget
• Unlearn the myth that more gifts = more love

Tune in now and walk away with a heart-centered plan to gift with meaning, not pressure. Your presence is already enough.

• Presence is the gift. The most meaningful thing you can give your LGBTQ+ teen is the feeling of being seen and safe.
• Intentional gifts build trust. Gifts that reflect identity, interests, or emotional needs foster connection not just excitement.
• Rituals matter. The 13 Sacred Nights tradition offers a grounding space for reflection, bonding, and family storytelling.
• You don’t have to spend a lot. A mug, a journal, a game, a handwritten note, or a shared recipe can say: I love who you are becoming.
• Performative gifting doesn’t equal love. True generosity is rooted in connection, not cost.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Human Being Journal

Overthinker Journal

WTF Notebooks

Etsy for mugs, recipe cards, and an apron

Games - Hitster and Who's Most Likely to...are two faves (instructions for Fishbowl are below)

13 Sacred Nights Oracle Deck and 13 Sacred Nights Ritual

Half Baked Harvest

Hi, I’m Heather Hester, and I’m so glad you’re here!

Feeling uncertain or overwhelmed? Stay informed - visit my website

Join the Conversation on Substack

Read my book, Parenting with Pride.

Support the Show - Learn more here!

Watch on YouTube

Listen * Share * Review *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

This is a place to feel messy while you're figuring it out.

At the heart of my work is a deep commitment to compassion, authenticity, and transformative allyship, especially for those navigating the complexities of parenting LGBTQ kids. Through this podcast, speaking, my writing, and the spaces I create, I help people unlearn bias, embrace their full humanity, and grow their capacity for courageous connection.

For parents, allies, and those pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heartwarming stories, real tools, and grounding support to help you move from fear to fierce, informed action.

Whether you’re listening in, working with me directly, or quietly taking it all in, I see you. And I’m so glad you’re on this journey with me.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive podcast in a heartfelt and empowering space where a mom and advocate offers the wisdom of lived experience and practical guidance and education to parents and allies, teaching empathy, kindness, love, and strong boundaries while supporting LGBTQ teens and the diverse LGBTQ community, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, transgender, and queer individuals, through conversations about mental health, grief, gender identity, sexual orientation, human rights, social justice, parenting, parent support, and meaningful LGBTQ allyship and allyship in action.

Fishbowl Explainer:

Here’s how it works:

First, divide into two teams. Give everyone the same number of paper strips — six per person is a great starting point. Take a couple of minutes to write down words or phrases on your strips. Fold them up and drop them into one big bowl. Anything goes, as long as it’s something you can describe or act out. And trust me when I tell you, anything has been the key word in my house, with them often being hilarious, irreverent, obscure, and at times wildly inappropriate! One of the key ingredients that makes this game so much fun is letting everyone be unabashedly themselves!

Fishbowl has three rounds, and every round keeps going — teams trading turns back and forth — until all the clues in the bowl have been guessed. Each turn is one minute, and you switch clue-givers every time, which keeps it fun and unpredictable.

Round One is the warm-up. The clue-giver can use as many words as they want to describe the phrase. Think Taboo without the pressure.

Round Two gets a little trickier. The same clues go back into the bowl, but this time the clue-giver can only use one word. Just one. It’s always hilarious to see which word people choose.

And Round Three is pure charades — no words at all, just acting, flailing, and a lot of hysterical laughter.

The goal? As a team, guess as many clues as you can each round, and most importantly, enjoy the silliness and connection that happen along the way. Pro tip: playing this game is also a super fun way to bring a significant other into your family’s mix!