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In this episode of the Miles with Moms podcast, we talk about your typical random stuff (caffeine and catheters, anyone?) and then we dish the dirt on the types of moms we are vs. the types of moms we thought we would be. 

We cover a wide array of topics such as how we deal with messes, our husbands, discipline, chores, big emotions, and bedtime routines--to name a few. Per usual, we all bring different experiences and opinions to the conversation, but we find many common threads including the fact that none of us became the moms we thought we would be. 

Our conversation highlights the realities of parenting expectations versus actual experiences, the chaos that often accompanies family life, and the lessons learned from our own childhoods. We hope you enjoy, relate, and laugh along with us! 

Chapters

06:00 Running and Conversation: The Perfect Pair
08:51 Parenting Styles: Expectations vs. Reality
12:08 Shoutouts and Celebrations
14:56 Diving into Parenting Styles
17:25 Parenting Styles and Household Dynamics
31:34 Lessons from Growing Up in Big Families
35:03 Creating Ownership and Responsibility in Kids
39:31 Unexpected Relationships and Misunderstandings
40:26 Parenting Regrets and Styles
41:09 Balancing Rigid Routines with Flexibility
42:49 Embracing Individuality in Parenting
46:04 Evolving Parenting Styles
49:32 Finding Balance in Parenting Dynamics
51:27 The Importance of Community in Parenting
01:15:05 Understanding Our Parents Through the Lens of Parenthood
01:20:04 The Reality of Parenting and Self-Reflection

podcast, motherhood, running, parenting styles, caffeine, humor, community, support, marathon, friendships, parenting, household dynamics, self-sufficiency, parenting styles, family relationships, chaos management, childhood memories, parenting expectations, sibling relationships, balance in parenting, parenting, relationships, routines, individuality, community, regrets, styles, motherhood, flexibility, challenges, motherhood, parenting, vulnerability, community, guilt, emotional management, self-reflection, expectations, support, empathy

About your hosts:

• Whitney Heins is a mom of 2 kids, a VDOT-certified running coach for moms who run, and founder of the resource, themotherrunners.com. Coming out of a long injury cycle, she ran a 2:54 marathon and 1:20 half marathon in her 40s. IG: @themotherrunners.
• Shanna Birchett is a mom of 6 kids six years apart, including twins. She returned to running in 2022 after an 11-year break, running a 2:44 marathon in the summer of 2024. She is the co-founder of Endure 365 running, endure365.com, which offers heart rate-based training plans. IG: @motherhood_running.
• Tricia DeNardis is a mom to 3 young kids and a physical therapist specializing in the pelvic floor, pregnancy and postpartum rehabilitation. After running 10 marathons, Tricia completed her first 50k in the fall of 2024, and is now hooked! IG: @burpeesandburpcloths.
• Olivia Garcia is a mom of 2 young kids, who used to work as a paramedic. She fell in love with running in 2019, despite surviving a marathon that didn’t go according to plan. With a 2:57 PR, she's cut more than an hour off her marathon time. IG: @watch_oliviarun...