The last week of school carries more than most of us realize. On the surface it's teacher gifts and car line and end-of-year parties — but underneath all of that is something much bigger. A chapter is closing. Your child is crossing from one version of themselves into another. And so are you. If you've been feeling something this week that you can't quite name — part relief, part grief, part nostalgia, part anxiety — this episode is permission to slow down long enough to actually feel it. Because this moment is worth more than your to-do list is giving it credit for.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why the last week of school is a threshold moment — and what that actually means for you as a mom
• The emotional cocktail of end-of-year that nobody talks about: relief, grief, pride, and anxiety all at once
• The feelings we don't give ourselves permission to have — including the relief that feels like guilt and the grief that feels disproportionate
• Why ambitious moms are especially prone to staying in logistics mode this week instead of letting themselves feel what's actually happening
• The identity wobble that quietly shows up when the school-year structure is about to disappear
• A simple end-of-year pause practice to help you close the loop on this chapter before summer begins
• What to say to your child this week — and why specificity matters more than you think
• Why you deserve an end-of-year acknowledgment too, not just your kids

If you've been holding it all together for one more week and haven't stopped to let yourself feel what this season is carrying — this episode is for you. You don't have to perform the right emotions. You just have to show up honestly for the ones you actually have.

MENTIONS IN THIS EPISODE:

📎 Grab the free End of Year Reflection Card — a simple one-pager with questions to help you honor this school year before summer begins, for your child and for yourself: https://experiencemotherhood.myflodesk.com/end-of-year-reflection

Interested in a deeper space beyond the podcast? I’m gathering an interest list as I listen and discern what support might come next: https://experiencemotherhood.myflodesk.com/a-place-to-go-deeper

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message :)

Experience Motherhood more!

• Follow over on Instagram: @experiencemotherhood
• STAY CONNECTED THROUGH EMAIL
• Sign up for the Experience Motherhood Newsletter: https://experiencemotherhood.myflodesk.com/kac05b818m
• Get access to other free guides
• Website: https://www.experiencemotherhood.com

-->Take one minute to subscribe, rate and review the podcast!
Your support is incredibly meaningful!

Support the Show
A small donation of $5, $10 or more is an amazing way to keep this podcast going and support me! Thank you so much for listening!

Until next time. . . Go Experience Motherhood!


Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only. In no way is this therapy or clinical advice.

You made it to summer — so why does it feel harder, not easier?

If the end of the school year brings relief for about five minutes before your brain starts building a new system, you're not broken. You're wired for structure. And for high-achieving moms, the unstructured weeks of summer don't signal rest — they signal anxiety. In this episode, I'm naming what's actually happening in your nervous system when summer hits, why the slow-down feels so hard, and three practical tools to help you loosen the grip without losing yourself.

In This Episode:

• Why your nervous system doesn't automatically shift when the school year ends — and why that's not a character flaw
• The four summer nervous system patterns high-achieving moms fall into (do you recognize yourself?)
• The identity question that surfaces when the routine pauses: who am I if I'm not managing everything?
• Why the comparison spiral hits harder in summer — and what to do with it
• The difference between a routine that grounds you and a schedule that controls you
• What the research actually says about what your kids need this summer (spoiler: it's a lot less than the color-coded calendar)
• Winnicott's "good enough mother" concept and why the imperfect summer is actually doing something
• A question to ask yourself before you add one more thing to the summer calendar

Resources & Links:

• 🌿 Join the Present Mom Summer Practice — a free 6-week email series for moms who want to actually feel present this summer, not just survive it. No homework, no checklist — just honest encouragement and one small practice each week: https://experiencemotherhood.myflodesk.com/summer-of-grace

Connect with Liz:

What's your summer nervous system pattern — overscheduler, optimizer, helper who can't stop, or checker outer? I'd love to know. Come find me on Instagram and tell me yours.

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message :)

Experience Motherhood more!

• Follow over on Instagram: @experiencemotherhood
• STAY CONNECTED THROUGH EMAIL
• Sign up for the Experience Motherhood Newsletter: https://experiencemotherhood.myflodesk.com/kac05b818m
• Get access to other free guides
• Website: https://www.experiencemotherhood.com

-->Take one minute to subscribe, rate and review the podcast!
Your support is incredibly meaningful!

Support the Show
A small donation of $5, $10 or more is an amazing way to keep this podcast going and support me! Thank you so much for listening!

Until next time. . . Go Experience Motherhood!


Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only. In no way is this therapy or clinical advice.

Here's something nobody tells you before you become a mom: the hardest part isn't the sleep deprivation or the hard days. It's the gap between the mom you thought you'd be -- and the mom you actually became.

Episode 100. I can't believe I'm typing that. And in honor of this milestone I'm getting personal - really personal. I'm talking about where I was when I started this podcast, what 100 episodes have taught me about motherhood (and myself), and the mom I didn't expect to become. This one is for every mom who has ever felt like she's falling short of who she thought she'd be. You're not. And I hope this episode reminds you of that.

In This Episode:

- The honest truth about where I was when I started Experience Motherhood -- and what I didn't see coming

- What 100 episodes have actually taught me about motherhood, identity, and showing up imperfectly

- The mom I pictured myself being vs. the mom I actually am -- and why the gap doesn't mean you're failing

- The quiet grief so many moms carry and what to do with it

- Why the mom you became is actually the mom your kids need

- What your kids are really learning from you (it's not what you think)

- The hard truth about building this podcast -- and why I'm not going anywhere

- A note to my early-podcast self that I hope lands for you too

MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE:

- 🎉 Episode 100 Giveaway -- win a $25 Starbucks gift card! Head to Instagram @experiencemotherhood for all the details

- 📖 Grab the free Busy Mom Guide -- real, practical things that help you simplify your days and show up more like the mom you want to be: https://experiencemotherhood.myflodesk.com/busy-mom-guide

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message :)

Experience Motherhood more!

• Follow over on Instagram: @experiencemotherhood
• STAY CONNECTED THROUGH EMAIL
• Sign up for the Experience Motherhood Newsletter: https://experiencemotherhood.myflodesk.com/kac05b818m
• Get access to other free guides
• Website: https://www.experiencemotherhood.com

-->Take one minute to subscribe, rate and review the podcast!
Your support is incredibly meaningful!

Support the Show
A small donation of $5, $10 or more is an amazing way to keep this podcast going and support me! Thank you so much for listening!

Until next time. . . Go Experience Motherhood!


Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only. In no way is this therapy or clinical advice.