Do you ever feel like the harder you try to guide your LGBTQ+ child, the more they pull away?

You’re not alone. In this deeply personal episode, Heather Hester explores the emotional weight of control, how it shows up in families, and why learning to lead with influence, not force, can transform your relationship with your child. Whether you’re parenting a queer or trans teen or simply navigating a tense family dynamic, this episode offers a compassionate reframe grounded in real-life stories and tools.

• Understand why control breeds resistance and how influence fosters lasting trust
• Learn how to recognize control patterns in your parenting and gently shift your approach
• Discover Heather’s ARCC method for setting loving boundaries with courage and clarity

Press play to begin releasing control and embracing the kind of influence that builds deeper bonds with your LGBTQ+ child and with yourself.

Resource Spotlight

• Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly — A powerful book about vulnerability, trust, and courage. It’s a reminder that letting go of control is often where the real strength lies.
• Greater Good Science Center (UC Berkeley) — Research-backed resources on how compassion and influence, not control, create healthier relationships and communities.
• The Gottman Institute — Relationship experts offering tools to replace control with influence and build trust in families, partnerships, and beyond.

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

Become a private client

Attend Friday Reflection LIVE on Substack - guided journaling and Q&A

Invite me to speak at your workshop or event

Receive a free excerpt and reflection guide from my book, Parenting with Pride.

Share More Human. More Kind. Please subscribe, rate, and review!

Connect [email protected]

Watch on YouTube

Influence the Parenting with Pride companion journal content. Survey here.

Find out what kind of ally you are!

Listen to *NEW* episodes every Tuesday and Friday!

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 foster courageous, compassionate connection.

If you’re in the thick of parenting, allyship, or pioneering a way to lead with love and kindness, I’m here with true, messy, and heart-warming 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 part of this journey.

More Human. More Kind. formerly Just Breathe: Parenting Your LGBTQ Teen is a safe and supportive space where a mom and mental health advocate offers guidance on parenting with empathy, inclusion, love, and open-minded allyship, fostering growth, healing, connection, and empowerment within the LGBTQ community while addressing grief, boundaries, education, diversity, human rights, social justice, and the power of human kindness through a lens of ally support and community engagement.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy
Blubrry - https://create.blubrry.com/resources/about-blubrry/privacy-policy