What if the way you talk to yourself is actually the hardest part of growing up?

In this heartfelt and eye-opening episode of Whinypaluza, Rebecca Greene sits down with her daughter Lillie for an honest conversation about self-criticism, pressure, anxiety, and learning how to be kinder to yourself. From school stress and comparison to confidence and overthinking, Lillie shares what it feels like to grow up as a high achiever and how being hard on yourself can quietly take a toll. Together, they explore simple tools for calming anxiety, building confidence, and shifting from self-criticism to self-compassion in a way that resonates with kids, teens, and parents alike.

Key Takeaways

 → Being hard on yourself often shows up at school, in comparison, and in the pressure to be “the best.”

 → Self-criticism fuels anxiety and overthinking more than motivation.

 → Confidence grows when you focus on effort, not perfection.

 → You would never talk to your best friend the way you talk to yourself.

 → Small practices like grounding, journaling, and music help calm the nervous system.

 → Being kind to yourself improves how you treat others too.

Why This Episode Matters

This episode opens an important conversation about mental health, self-talk, and emotional awareness for kids and adults. It reminds listeners that learning to be gentle with yourself is not a weakness. It’s a life skill.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear they’re doing enough. Subscribe to Whinypaluza and join the community that believes growth starts with compassion. Connect with Rebecca on all these platforms.   https://linktr.ee/whinypaluzamom

What if goal setting didn’t have to be overwhelming, rigid, or tied to January pressure? What if one word, one habit, or one honest conversation could change your entire year?

In the first Whinypaluza episode of 2026, Rebecca and Seth share how they really approach goals in real life. This conversation goes beyond resolutions and covers SMART goals without the intimidation factor, choosing a word of the year, prioritizing self-care for the person who usually takes care of everyone else, and setting relationship goals that rely on communication rather than mind-reading. From parenting to partnership to personal growth, this episode is about building momentum with less resistance and more flow.

Key Takeaways

→ Goals do not have to start in January, and they do not have to be big to matter.

→ Smart goals help turn dreams into action by being specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based.

→ Choosing a word of the year can guide daily decisions just as powerfully as a written goal.

→ Self-care includes scheduling your own appointments, not just everyone else’s.

→ Share your goals with your partner, especially when they affect them.

→ In relationships, the goal is not to win an argument. The goal is for both people to win together.

→ Less resistance creates more peace and forward movement.

Notable Moments

 - Rebecca explains why her word for 2026 is flow and how resisting life events creates unnecessary stress.

 - Seth introduces his goal to be profensive instead of defensive and what that looks like in real conversations.

 - A candid discussion about parenting, expectations, and choosing connection over control.

What’s Coming Next

This Friday’s episode features Max reflecting on his first semester of college and what he learned.

Listen to Whinypaluza wherever you get your podcasts.

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Rate, review, and subscribe to help more parents find the show.

Max Reflects on His First Semester at College
 
What really happens after you drop your kid off at college and drive away?

In this special Whinypaluza episode, Rebecca Greene sits down with her son Max to talk honestly about his first semester of college. From academic pressure and adjusting to dorm life to finding motivation, building confidence, and learning how to truly learn, Max shares what surprised him most and what helped him succeed. This is a thoughtful, grounded conversation about growth, independence, and what support from home really looks like during that first big transition.
Key Takeaways
→ College success is less about memorizing and more about learning how to learn.
→ The first semester adjustment takes time, and that is completely normal.
→ Professors matter more than students expect and shape the entire experience.
→ Staying motivated comes from remembering why you are there in the first place.
→ Support from home works best when it includes listening, flexibility, and trust.
Why This Conversation Matters
This episode offers reassurance for parents navigating the emotional shift of letting go and insight for students who may feel overwhelmed or unsure during their first semester. Max’s reflections remind listeners that growth happens through patience, persistence, and self-belief.
If you are a parent of a college student or a student preparing for that transition, this episode will resonate with you.

Listen, share it with someone who needs encouragement, and remember to spend every day laughing, learning, and loving.

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What happens when you pause long enough to actually look at the year you just lived?

In this special New Year’s episode, Rebecca and Seth Greene reflect on the moments that defined their family’s year. From college milestones and creative achievements to health challenges, business growth, and unexpected wins, this conversation is a reminder that no year is perfect, but every year holds progress worth celebrating.

Rebecca shares heartfelt updates on her children, gratitude for the Whinypaluza community, and the surprising milestone that made her say, "Wow."

The episode concludes with encouragement to set realistic goals, celebrate progress, and step into the new year with intention and grace.

✨ Key Takeaways
 → Big wins often come from consistency, not perfection.
 → Celebrating your kids' milestones never gets old.
 → Growth includes bumps, setbacks, and gratitude.
 → Sharing stories builds a stronger community.
 → Small goals still move life forward.

Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs a hopeful start to the year, and join the Whinypaluza Mom Facebook group for monthly challenges and real conversations.

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What if balance is a lie and self-care does not look anything like Instagram told you it would?

 In this powerful and refreshingly honest episode of Whinypaluza, host Rebecca Greene sits down with writer, speaker, activist, and mom of eight Elisha Beach for a real conversation about motherhood, burnout, and why the idea of “having it all” is complete nonsense. Elisha shares the moments that broke her open, including a very public mommy meltdown, clinical burnout, and the pressure to put everyone else first. Together, Rebecca and Elisha unpack what self-care actually looks like in real life, how guilt sneaks in, why villages matter more than ever, and how moms can reclaim control without adding another impossible to-do list item. This is the episode every overwhelmed parent did not know they needed.
Six Key Takeaways
→ Balance is not real, and that is not your failure
Elisha explains why the idea of perfect balance sets moms up to feel like they are always falling short

→ Burnout does not mean weakness
 Clinical burnout is real and often comes from prioritizing everyone else for too long

→Self-care must fit your season of life
 What works for one mom may not work for another, and that is exactly the point

→ Guilt can exist without running the show
 You can feel guilt without letting it dictate how you treat yourself

→ Your village is bigger than you think
 Support can include people, systems, services, and small choices that reduce mental load

→ You are the expert in your own life.
 Trusting yourself is the most important form of self-care there is
Memorable Quote
“Balance does not exist. You just choose what you are going to focus on and let the rest fall off for a bit.”
About the Guest
Elisha Beach is an experienced speaker, writer, and professional mom of eight. She went viral in 2015 after sharing a raw photo of breastfeeding her daughter while on the toilet and has been unapologetically telling the truth about motherhood ever since. A former staff writer for Scary Mommy and founder of The Mom Forum, Elisha is a Certified Strategic Planner who helps moms create realistic self-care practices without guilt. She is the author of The Mom Selfcare Planner and the upcoming book Balance Is Bullsht The Truth About Motherhood and Self Care* releasing November 11, 2025.
 If this episode made you feel seen, heard, or even a little less alone, share it with another parent who needs permission to stop chasing perfection. Subscribe, leave a review, and remember what Rebecca reminds us every day. Laugh. Learn. Love.

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Have you ever walked away from a conversation wondering if you imagined what just happened?

In this episode of Whinypaluza, host Rebecca Greene welcomes author, advocate, and survivor Deborah Griffiths for an honest conversation about gaslighting and emotional manipulation. Deborah, author of Torched: Burnt By A Gaslighter, explains how gaslighting works slowly and quietly, chipping away at self esteem, confidence, and self trust over time. Drawing from her lived experience and healing journey, Deborah shares how red flags are often missed, why victims question themselves instead of the behavior, and how clarity begins when we listen to our bodies and instincts. This episode offers validation, language, and hope for anyone beginning to see the fog lift. 

Key Takeaways

→ Gaslighting is emotional manipulation that causes self doubt over time

→ Confusion is often the first red flag

→ Love bombing can disguise manipulation

→ Healthy conflict leaves you feeling heard

→ Your body often recognizes truth before your mind

→ Clarity begins when the fog starts to lift

Deborah Griffiths is an author, advocate, and survivor whose novel Torched: Burnt By A Gaslighter draws from lived experience to illuminate the subtle and damaging effects of emotional manipulation. She hosts the podcast Bent, Not Broken: Starting Over After Divorce and supports women navigating healing, boundaries, and rebuilding their lives after trauma. 

Connect with Deborah

Website: https://www.brokentoboldness.com

Book: Torched: Burnt By A Gaslighter

Podcast: Bent, Not Broken: Starting Over After Divorce

If this conversation resonates, share it with someone who may need language for what they are experiencing. Subscribe to Whinypaluza for honest conversations that validate, educate, and empower. https://linktr.ee/whinypaluzamom

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Eight nights of Hanukkah can feel like a marathon, especially when kids are away at college, packages arrive late, and the to-do list keeps growing. In this candid Whinypaluza Wednesday episode, Rebecca Greene and Seth Greene discuss what it really looks like to be in the Hanukkah weeds and why that feeling shows up every year.

Rebecca shares the behind-the-scenes reality of wrapping presents nightly, juggling work, missing her son, and realizing how much her priorities have shifted. This conversation is about letting go of perfection, choosing presence over presents, and reminding ourselves that it all gets done in the end.

Key Takeaways

- Being together outweighs any gift.

- Eight nights is a lot.
- Hanukkah comes with its own pressure.
- Perfection is not required.
- Good enough really is good enough.
- Exhaustion makes everything more complicated.
- Sleep changes perspective.
Moms often do too much because they care.
 That comes from love, not failure.
It always gets done.
 Even when it feels chaotic.

Continue the Conversation

Visit whinypaluza.com to read Rebecca’s blog and past reflections.

Join the Whinypaluza Mom Group on Facebook for support and community.

Subscribe to the Whinypaluza email newsletter for real-life parenting insights. https://linktr.ee/whinypaluzamom

If you are in the weeds too, take a breath. You are doing more than enough.

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Are you living your own story or the one you were programmed to follow?

Rebecca sits down with the incredible Dr Gertrude Lyons for a robust and eye-opening conversation about rewriting the cultural coding that tells women to overextend, self-sacrifice, and disappear inside motherhood. Dr Lyons brings thirty years of transformational leadership work to this essential message.

We are all mothering every day through the way we treat ourselves, our relationships, and our world. In this conversation, she guides us to awaken intuition, honor our emotions, reclaim our identity, and step into our own voice using her beautiful VOICE framework. This is a nurturing and inspiring episode for every woman who has ever lost herself while caring for everyone else.

Six Key Takeaways

→ Rewrite the mother code by understanding that mothering is not limited to raising children. We are mothering careers, relationships, ideas, and our own inner child.

→ Our cultural programming wires women to prioritize everyone else first. Awareness and compassion begin the reprogramming process.

→ Intuition is a powerful internal compass. Slowing down and reconnecting with emotions brings it back online.

→ Vision and ownership anchor Dr Lyons' VOICE framework. Claiming our voice helps us navigate choices without guilt or comparison.

→ Community is a key part of healthy mothering. Women thrive when they support one another and release isolation.

→ A small daily practice can start the rewiring. Notice your feelings twice a day and acknowledge them with compassion.

If this episode gave you a moment of breathing room or clarity, please follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with another woman who needs this message today.

Website: drgertrudelyons.com

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Have you ever noticed that the moment you set a boundary, everything starts to shift, and people suddenly discover brand new feelings about it? 

On this episode, Rebecca and Seth dig into how boundaries really work in real-life parenting, work, technology, friendships, and yes, even marriage.

Rebecca and Seth unpack one of the most requested topics in the Whinypaluza community. Boundaries. The kind you set with your kids. The type you wish you could set with extended family. The kind you absolutely need with work. And the kind you forget to set with yourself until your inner critic hijacks the afternoon.

This episode explores how boundaries protect time, energy, money, emotional bandwidth, and the flow of everyday life. 

With humor stories and classic Greene honesty, they show how saying no opens the door to so many better yes moments. From not going to the neighborhood party because the couch was winning to forgetting to shut down work at night to teaching kids you mean it when you say no, Rebecca and Seth make boundaries understandable and doable for every mom tuning in.

Six Key Takeaways

→ Time boundaries save your sanity.

Your time is precious. Every yes to someone else is a no to something important to you. Know your priorities and stick to them.

→ Energy boundaries tell the truth.

If your tank is empty, you are allowed to say Not tonight and notice who drains you and who fills you. Choose accordingly.

→ Parenting boundaries shape your home.

Kids actually need your no. Especially when it involves safety, respect, and expectations. Rebecca reminds us that a fully developed brain is not on their ingredient list yet.

→ Relationship boundaries strengthen love.

Sometimes the healthiest boundary is asking for space before a tough conversation. Seth learning to wait instead of diving right in is a prime example.

→ Technology boundaries help you breathe.

 Social media can boost or drain your mood. Curate what you consume, and be willing to put the phone on silent.

→ Emotional boundaries protect your heart.

Supporting people does not mean carrying their emotional baggage home with you. Check your capacity before taking on someone’s story.

Connect with Rebecca: https://linktr.ee/whinypaluzamom

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Are you staring down the college admissions maze and wondering how on earth you’re supposed to stay sane through it?

Laurie Kopp Weingarten says there is a calmer way to do this. And yes, she makes it sound possible.

 Rebecca sits down with Laurie Kopp Weingarten, CEP, President and Chief Educational Consultant at One-Stop College Counseling, for a masterclass in making the college admissions process less stressful and far more human. Laurie has decades of experience guiding students and families with clarity, strategy, and character-grounded wisdom.

In this episode, she explains why uncertainty fuels family stress, how to help teens stay motivated, why parents need to stop rewriting their kids' essays, what demonstrated interest really means in 2026, and how character and likability now play as much of a role as GPA. This is the ultimate guide for parents who want to support their teens without taking over the entire process.

Six Key Takeaways

→ Uncertainty fuels anxiety

Focus only on what your teen can control instead of the entire admissions maze.

→ Character matters

Colleges want kind, collaborative students who contribute to their community.

→ Demonstrated interest counts

Most colleges track visits, interviews and engagement. It truly makes a difference.

→ Parents often add pressure

Too much college talk overwhelms teens. Many families do better checking in once a week.

→ Never hinge everything on one dream school

Build a balanced list of schools your teen would happily attend.

→ Let your teen lead the process

Essays, interviews, and communication should come from them. Parents support, not steer.

Quotes from Laurie

“One of the biggest mistakes is when parents take over. Teens need to learn to advocate for themselves before they get to college.”

“You want to show colleges that you will thrive academically and also contribute to the community.”

How to Reach Laurie

Website www.one-stopcc.com

Email [email protected]

Monthly Tips for Teens newsletter is available on her website

 Like this episode Share it Leave Rebecca a review and tell another parent who needs this conversation today.

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