This week on The Parenting Lab, we’re kicking off a two-part series called How to Holiday - and Part One is all about the thing most parents struggle with the most during this season: boundaries and expectations.

The holidays are beautiful, but they are also a lot. Extra noise, extra pressure, family dynamics, invisible labor, unspoken rules - all of it gets louder in November and December. And if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stretched thin, or quietly resentful during the holidays, you’re not alone… and you’re not doing anything wrong.

In this episode, we walk through how to set boundaries with your partner, your kids, your extended family, and even yourself. We talk about capacity, communication, invisible labor, triggers, overstimulation, guilt, pushback, and all the emotional pressure that comes with creating “holiday magic.”

You’ll learn:

• Why the holidays magnify whatever is already happening in your family system

• How to identify your real capacity

• How to align with your partner before the season picks up

• What kids need most during overstimulating holiday routines

And we wrap up with a vision for what intentional holidays can look like - and a sneak peek of Part Two, where we’ll explore rituals, values, and meaningful traditions.

If you’re tired of surviving the holidays and want to start shaping a season that actually feels good, this episode is your roadmap.

Happy Holidays!

♥ Your Parent Coach, Brittney

For free resources, online courses, or to join the mailing list, please visit theparentinglab.org

Follow on Instagram @TheParentingLabPodcast

Email Brittney: [email protected]

Parenting is the only job we’re expected to know how to do - with absolutely no training. We’re handed children, a lifetime of conditioning, and an endless list of responsibilities… and then we wonder why it feels so hard to parent with intention, patience, and emotional regulation.

In this episode of The Parenting Lab, I'm taking you behind the scenes of parent coaching - what it actually is, what it isn’t, and how to get the most out of any transformational parenting work you choose to do.

You’ll learn:
• What parent coaching really looks like (and why it’s so powerful)
• What coaching is NOT, including what to expect if you’re used to therapy or quick-fix parenting tips
• Three ways to work with me depending on your time, access, and resources
• Five essential practices that help you transform your parenting from the inside out

This episode is for any parent who wants to understand themselves better, show up with more intention, and break the cycles that no longer feel aligned. Whether you’re in coaching, taking a Parenting Lab course, or simply listening with purpose, this work can be life-changing - but only if you engage with it.

If you’re ready for clarity, groundedness, and deeper connection with your child (and yourself), this episode will guide you there.

For access to the courses in The Parenting Lab Series, visit TheParentingLab.org

♥ Your Parent Coach, Brittney

Are you burned out in your parenting? In this episode of The Parenting Lab, we’re exploring the six types of burnout in parenting - mental, emotional, physical, social, spiritual, and reconnection burnout - and the subtle ways they show up long before we realize we’re running on empty.

You’ll learn how to recognize the early signs of burnout, why it’s not a reflection of failure but of effort, and how to find your way back to peace, presence, and purpose as a parent.

We’ll talk about:

✨ Listen now to start finding your way back - not in a “fix yourself” kind of way, but in a come-home-to-yourself kind of way.

♥ Your Parent Coach, Brittney  

For free resources, online courses, or to join the mailing list, please visit theparentinglab.org

Follow on Instagram @TheParentingLabPodcast

Email Brittney: [email protected]

If you’ve ever tried to teach your child a lesson while they were melting down - and wondered why it didn’t work - this episode is for you. 💛

We’re unpacking one of the most powerful shifts in parenting: help first, teach later. Because here’s the truth: you cannot comfort and correct at the same time. When emotions are high, your child’s brain can’t learn. What they need in that moment isn’t a lecture - it’s connection.

In this episode, I’m sharing:

• Why we feel the urge to “teach in the moment” (and how it backfires)

• What happens in your child’s brain during dysregulation

• How to respond with empathy without “letting things slide”

• Real-life examples of what help first, teach later looks like

• How connection builds lasting trust - and makes your words land later
  

This simple but profound mindset shift will change how you show up as a parent, and how your kids experience safety, accountability, and love.

✨ Because connection isn’t the reward for good behavior - it’s the foundation for growth.

♥ Your Parent Coach, Brittney  

For free resources, online courses, or to join the mailing list, please visit theparentinglab.org

Follow on Instagram @TheParentingLabPodcast

Email Brittney: [email protected]

We say “love” all the time - I love my kids, I love my dog, I love sushi. But is love really enough to sustain our closest relationships?

In this week’s episode of The Parenting Lab, we’re exploring a truth that might surprise you: love is the easy part. What’s harder is how we live that love out. From truly knowing the people we care about, to allowing growth and change, to challenging and holding others accountable - real love takes work.

We’ll dive deep into why boundaries are an act of love, how to stay connected through change, and what it looks like to practice love through curiosity, honesty, and repair.

Whether you’re parenting, partnering, or simply trying to love the people in your life more intentionally, this conversation will help you move beyond “I love you” or "I hope they know I love them," into the everyday actions that make love last.

✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why love is abundant - but not always enough

• What it really means to know someone

• How to let people (and yourself) grow and change

• Why healthy boundaries protect love, not block it

• How challenge, repair, and forgiveness deepen connection

If you’ve ever wondered why relationships can feel hard even when the love is strong, this episode will help you see that love isn’t just felt - it’s practiced.

♥ Your Parent Coach, Brittney 

For free resources, online courses, or to join the mailing list, please visit theparentinglab.org

Follow on Instagram @theparentinglabpodcast

Email Brittney: [email protected]

In this episode of The Parenting Lab, we’re unpacking two tiny words that carry enormous weight in our parenting journey: “I Am” vs. “Am I?”

On the surface, they look almost the same. But in reality, they shape everything - our confidence, our motivation, even how our nervous system responds in the hardest moments of parenting.

“Am I a good mom? Am I enough?” These questions are familiar to so many of us, especially in a culture that thrives on comparison and perfectionism. While self-reflection has its place, living in constant doubt drains our energy and joy.

By shifting into “I Am” statements - like I am learning, I am patient, I am doing my best - we anchor ourselves in truth and abundance. In this episode, I’ll walk you through:

• Why “Am I” keeps us stuck in self-doubt

• How “I Am” statements can rewire your brain and regulate your nervous system

• The danger of negative “I Am” labels (like I am failing or I am broken)

• Practical tools to flip your inner dialogue and model confidence for your kids

• How to build a supportive community that reflects truth back to you

If you’ve ever struggled with parenting guilt, comparison, or self-doubt, this episode is for you. Together, we’ll explore how to move from uncertainty into confidence, and from scarcity into abundance - one “I Am” at a time.

♥ Your Parent Coach, Brittney

🔬Download Lab Three: Setting Your Intentions as an Empowered Parent HERE

💵For more free resources, online courses, or to join the mailing list, please visit theparentinglab.org

📸Follow on Instagram @theparentinglabpodcast

Bedtime isn’t just about getting kids to sleep - it’s one of the most powerful parenting tools you have!

In this episode of The Parenting Lab, we’re talking about the surprising secret to building stronger connections with your kids of any age: tucking them in.

I’ll share the science behind bedtime routines, five powerful benefits of those last few minutes of the day, and real solutions for the common challenges that make bedtime hard. You’ll learn how a simple tuck-in can calm your child’s nervous system, create one-on-one moments, open communication, and leave them feeling safe, seen, and loved.

Whether you’re parenting toddlers, teens, or kids in between, these practical strategies will help transform bedtime from chaos into connection.

✨ A few intentional minutes at night can change your parenting - and your relationship with your child.

♥ Your Parenting Coach, Brittney

Click HERE for your Free Bedtime Connection Guide!

For free resources, online courses, or to join the mailing list, please visit theparentinglab.org

Follow on Instagram @theparentinglabpodcast

Email Brittney: [email protected]

In this episode of The Parenting Lab, we dive into the heavy, invisible “shoulds” that keep parents trapped in guilt and self-judgment. I share five things I no longer feel guilty about - and how letting go of these rules has transformed my parenting, my relationships, and my own sense of freedom.

We explore:

• How to be honest and share your feelings with your kids without projecting emotional responsibility onto them.

• The power of saying no to things that don’t align with your values and boundaries - without shame.

• Why it’s okay to say yes when a no isn’t truly necessary, and how flexibility can strengthen connection.

• How making mistakes and handling things poorly can become opportunities for repair and modeling resilience.

• Taking time for your own growth, education, talents, and dreams - and how self-investment benefits the whole family.

If you struggle with guilt, perfectionism, or the feeling that you must always follow invisible rules to be a “good parent,” this episode is for you. Learn how to parent authentically, let go of unnecessary shame, and model healthy adulthood to your kids.

What guilts are you ready to let go of?

♥ Your Parent Coach, Brittney

For free resources, online courses, or to join the mailing list, please visit theparentinglab.org

Follow on Instagram @theparentinglabpodcast

Email Brittney: [email protected]

Have you ever looked at your child - whether they’re a toddler, a teen, or a grown adult - and wondered, “Did I miss my chance? Is it too late to change?”

In this powerful episode of The Parenting Lab, I’m unpacking one of the most common and painful questions parents ask: Is it too late to change myself… and my relationship with my kids?

We’ll explore:

• Why it’s never too late to transform your thoughts, behaviors, and parenting style

• The science of neuroplasticity - how your brain and nervous system can actually rewire, no matter your age

• How to start repairing relationships with young children, teenagers, and even adult children

• Practical ways to model transformation and mindful parenting (even if you’ve never done it before)

• My own story of learning these tools late in my parenting journey - and how it shifted everything

Whether you’ve been practicing empowered parenting for years or you’re just starting now, this episode will give you hope, language, and concrete tools to begin again - no matter how old your kids are or what’s happened in the past.

Listen in and learn how to apologize openly, narrate your growth, name your triggers, and practice consistency so trust can grow back. It’s not too late - for you, for them, or for your relationship.

♥ Your Parent Coach, Brittney 

💵For free resources, online courses, or to join the mailing list, please visit theparentinglab.org

📸Follow on Instagram @theparentinglabpodcast

Do you ever find yourself stuck in a thought loop—rehashing the same scenarios, worries, or “what ifs” over and over again? In this episode of The Parenting Lab, we’re talking about why our thoughts spiral out of control and what you can do to stop it.

You’ll learn:

• Why spiraling happens in the brain and nervous system

• How thought loops keep us stuck in shame and anxiety

• Three practical steps to break free: looking for patterns, looking for evidence, and looking for alignment

If you’ve ever replayed an argument in your head, questioned whether you’re a “good parent,” or spiraled into worst-case thinking at 2 a.m., this conversation will give you tools to calm your mind and come back to clarity.

♥ Your Parent Coach, Brittney

FREE Core Values Worksheet

For free resources, online courses, or to join the mailing list, please visit theparentinglab.org

Follow on Instagram @theparentinglabpodcast

Email Brittney: [email protected]