Are you constantly bracing for impact this holiday season, snapping at your kids, holding your breath, pushing through?

If you’re a parent of an LGBTQ+ child, an ally, or simply a human feeling stretched thin, this episode invites you to soften, not as a weakness, but as a radical act of strength, love, and nervous system regulation.

In a world that rewards hard edges and overextension, Heather Hester offers a deeply human reframe: softness is how we stay connected to ourselves, to our children, and to what matters most.

Backed by research from Dr. Stephen Porges and personal parenting insight, Heather explores:

• Why emotional softness is a form of strength, not weakness
• How to recognize when your body and parenting are operating in protection mode
• The nervous system science behind soft tone, slower breath, and soft eyes
• Why LGBTQ+ youth especially need softness as a signal of safety and inclusion

You'll walk away with practical, heartfelt guidance on how to:

• Build soft but clear boundaries with extended family, friends, and yourself
• Practice “softer parenting” even in the middle of chaos
• Regulate your nervous system in real time with doable micro-practices
• Use softness as a tool for healing, empathy, and fierce allyship

This episode is for every parent, mom, and ally trying to hold it all together while still showing up with compassion and courage. You’ll learn to recognize your limits—not as failures, but as invitations to return to presence.

Tune in now to discover the simple but powerful ways to lead with love, soften with intention, and create emotional safety for your LGBTQ+ teen, even in the most stressful seasons.

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

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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 podcast and space where a mom and mental health advocate offers guidance on parenting with empathy, inclusion, and open-minded allyship, fostering growth, healing, and empowerment within the LGBTQ community—including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals—while addressing grief, boundaries, education, diversity, human rights, gender identity, sexual orientation, social justice, and the power of human kindness through a lens of ally support and community engagement.

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