In this episode of With Both Hands, we examine the quiet pressures that build during the holiday season, particularly for mothers who carry the weight of both family expectations and wider societal narratives. Christmas is often framed as a time of joy, yet for many it brings overwhelm, exhaustion, and the sense of having to hold everything together while trying to keep everyone happy.

Expect reflections on the emotional labour that intensifies in December, the loneliness that can sit beneath the surface, and the tension between genuine connection and the consumerism that so often dominates the season. We explore what it looks like to step back from the performance of a “perfect Christmas” and move towards something rooted in intention, presence and personal values.

This episode invites listeners to ease the pressure, rewrite old narratives and create a holiday experience that feels more honest, humane and grounded.

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Connect with us both on Instagram

@laura.hadcroft, @clarethorpe_ and @withboth_hands

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In this season finale of With Both Hands, we reflect on what it has meant to speak honestly about motherhood, identity and ambition. We explore the unexpected vulnerability of recording these conversations, the emotional hangovers that followed, and how sharing our stories has challenged the old masks we used to hide behind.

We reflect on the realities of raising children across different ages, the shifting shape of “balance”, and how our understanding of success has evolved beyond traditional markers to include integrity, community, softness and ambition held together. We discuss the hard-but-simple choices that shape family life, the contradictions women are asked to carry, and the deep value of allowing ourselves to be seen.

As we look ahead to season two, we open the door to a broader range of voices and richer conversations, inviting mothers from all spheres to join us as we continue to explore what it means to live, work, and mother with both hands.

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Connect with us both on Instagram

@laura.hadcroft, @clarethorpe_ and @withboth_hands

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In this episode of With Both Hands, we examine the stories we tell about women in the public eye. From the unveiling of the first statue in London depicting a postpartum woman, to the backlash around Taylor Swift’s new album, we dismantle the narratives constructed around women and question what it takes for our true voices and lived experiences to be seen and heard.

Expect to hear thoughts on what maternal strength means and why we project a masculine lens onto women, why marriage and motherhood have somehow become lost in modern feminist narratives, the extremes of the expectations we place on women, why we find it so hard to allow motherhood to co-exist with ambition, and how doing the work and showing up with tenacity writes its own story.

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Connect with us both on Instagram

@laura.hadcroft, @clarethorpe_ and @withboth_hands

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