This episode is a heartfelt conversation between me and clinical psychologist, professor, mom, and author Dr. Alissa Jerud about the emotional side of parenting that no baby book ever prepared us for. I open up about my own journey as a high-functioning, overachieving mom who thought if I just did everything “right,” my kids would be okay and my pain wouldn’t matter. Alissa shares how her book Emotion Savvy was born out of her own struggles with her daughter and how trying to change our kids is often really an attempt to escape our own discomfort—anxiety, guilt, overwhelm. We talk about over-scheduling, perfectionism, teens slamming doors, and the hard practice of not fixing everything. At the core, this episode is about learning to notice our emotions, accept them, care for ourselves, and model healthy emotional regulation so our kids feel safer being fully themselves. Connect with Alissa here: www.alissajerud.com; Her book Emotional Saavy Parenting https://www.alissajerud.com/parenting-book-1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices