Mental Health Is Health: Getting Kids Help Early with The Voices of Family of Support

Mental health is health, and sometimes our kids need support that we simply cannot provide on our own. Which is why The Mom Room is partnering with Family of Support: Child & Youth Mental Health Initiative, led by the Empire Family of Brands, The Sobey Foundation and Canada's Children's Hospital Foundations.Renee is joined by Jenna Kedy, a 22 year old National Patient Youth Ambassador who has navigated anxiety, arthritis, depression and an eating disorder, and by Renée Hopfner, Head of Corporate Citizenship at Empire. Jenna shares her experience with mental health, including the signs adults missed, the "bad kid" label that gets stuck on struggling kids, and why health class taught her about the wrong illnesses. Renée explains why families wait so long, and why early intervention is so important. We hope this conversation gives you some information, some perspective, and most importantly, some hope."You can be so close to your child and still not know." - Jenna Kedy on youth mental health.HOW TO SUPPORT The Family of Support in store giving campaign runs September 17 to October 4 in English Canada, and September 17 to October 7 in Quebec. You can contribute at your local Sobeys, FreshCo, Safeway, Thrifty Foods or Foodland, or donate any time at FamilyofSupport.com. 100% of every donation stays local and supports your local children's hospital.THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: AquaOmega: For your daily dose of Omega-3’s, go to myaquaomega.com/MOMROOM and use code MOMROOM for 20% off.Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/MOMROOM and using code MOMROOM at checkout.Freestyle: Get 30% off your first 3 months of a Freestyle diaper subscription at freestyle.world/MOMROOM with code MOMROOM. That's a full month of premium diapers delivered to your door for just $49/month for your first 3 months.HIYA: Receive 50% off your first order at hiyahealth.com/MOMROOM.Merit Beauty: Merit Beauty is offering our listeners their Signature Makeup Bag FREE with your first order at meritbeauty.com.Quince: Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/MOMROOM. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of my favorite pieces, at https://skims.com/momroom.Wayfair: Head to Wayfair.com or shop the Wayfair app for all things home.  RENEE REINA  Instagram: @themomroom | @thereneereina  TikTok: @thereneereina  Facebook Community - The Mom Room Community Youtube: Renee Reina - The Mom Room Podcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

September 17th, 2026: Has motherhood become performative?In Part 2 of this conversation, Renee continues exploring how social media has changed motherhood, and the way we actually experience our lives as moms.Are we enjoying the moment, or are we thinking about how the moment will look in a photo? Are we creating memories for our kids, or unconsciously thinking about how those memories will translate to social media?Renee talks about how motherhood has increasingly become performative, how documenting everything can pull us out of actually experiencing it, and why social media can leave moms feeling like their lives, homes, routines, and parenting are never quite enough.She also dives into the constant stream of parenting clickbait: the videos and posts that introduce us to problems we didn't even know we were supposed to worry about. Suddenly we're questioning the way our kids sleep, eat, play, learn, behave, socialize, and develop, and researching decisions we may never have thought twice about before.With unlimited parenting advice at our fingertips, are we becoming more informed… or are we becoming disconnected from our own parenting instincts?Ultimately, social media is supposed to be the thing we turn to when we want a break from the overwhelm of motherhood. But what happens when our escape becomes one of the biggest sources of our overwhelm?This episode is a conversation about social media and motherhood, performative parenting, mom guilt, parenting anxiety, comparison, mental load, parenting instincts, clickbait, perfectionism, being present with our kids, and why modern motherhood can feel so overwhelming.SPONSORS:AquaOmega: For your daily dose of Omega-3’s, go to myaquaomega.com/MOMROOM and use code MOMROOM for 20% off.Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/MOMROOM and using code MOMROOM at checkout.Freestyle: Get 30% off your first 3 months of a Freestyle diaper subscription at freestyle.world/MOMROOM with code MOMROOM. That's a full month of premium diapers delivered to your door for just $49/month for your first 3 months.HIYA: Receive 50% off your first order at hiyahealth.com/MOMROOM.Merit Beauty: Merit Beauty is offering our listeners their Signature Makeup Bag FREE with your first order at meritbeauty.com.Quince: Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/MOMROOM. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of my favorite pieces, at https://skims.com/momroom.Wayfair: Head to Wayfair.com or shop the Wayfair app for all things home.  RENEE REINA  Instagram: @themomroom | @thereneereina  TikTok: @thereneereina  Facebook Community - The Mom Room Community Youtube: Renee Reina - The Mom Room Podcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After preparing for birth, who prepares your marriage? Six weeks into having his third baby, couples therapist Eli Weinstein joins The Mom Room to talk about what happens to a relationship after kids. He wrote the book on it while living it!Renee and Eli get into the conversations worth having before the baby arrives, how to ask for what you need without playing head games, and his rule that you respect the ask every time. He explains the pushout, the moment a parent decides it is easier to do it themselves and quietly teaches their partner that they never have to learn. They also talk about what to do when the two of you feel more like roommates than partners. And, his number one piece of advice for dads is a little sassy... "Open your damn eyes and be aware of how much your wife does. Step it up, bro."Eli's book "From I Do to We Do" is out now!FOLLOW ELI WEINSTEIN@eliweinstein_lcsw eliweinsteinlcsw.comSPONSORS:AquaOmega: For your daily dose of Omega-3’s, go to myaquaomega.com/MOMROOM and use code MOMROOM for 20% off.Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/MOMROOM and using code MOMROOM at checkout.Freestyle: Get 30% off your first 3 months of a Freestyle diaper subscription at freestyle.world/MOMROOM with code MOMROOM. That's a full month of premium diapers delivered to your door for just $49/month for your first 3 months.HIYA: Receive 50% off your first order at hiyahealth.com/MOMROOM.Merit Beauty: Merit Beauty is offering our listeners their Signature Makeup Bag FREE with your first order at meritbeauty.com.Quince: Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/MOMROOM. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of my favorite pieces, at https://skims.com/momroom.Wayfair: Head to Wayfair.com or shop the Wayfair app for all things home.  RENEE REINA  Instagram: @themomroom | @thereneereina  TikTok: @thereneereina  Facebook Community - The Mom Room Community Youtube: Renee Reina - The Mom Room Podcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

September 10th, 2026: In this solo episode of The Mom Room, I’m recapping our Labour Day weekend, Milo’s pickleball birthday party, and his first day back at school. And somehow, what was supposed to feel like a fresh start has turned into… anxiety?!I’ve realized I put WAY too much pressure on September and back-to-school. Get back into a routine! Be productive! Get organized! Get ahead! Fix everything! But really… it’s just another day.After spending the last few months making small changes that helped me feel less burnt out, I can already feel myself slipping back into some of my old habits. So, I’m checking in with myself and revisiting the things that actually give me energy, make me feel good, and help me stay out of the burnout zone.We’re talking back-to-school anxiety, the pressure to get your life together in September, routines, motherhood, burnout recovery, and the reminder I apparently needed: getting back into a routine doesn’t mean trying to change everything at once.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

September 8th, 2026: Has social media made motherhood harder?In this solo episode of The Mom Room, Renee talks about the ways social media has added to the mental load of motherhood and created new pressures for moms. From constantly comparing ourselves to other mothers online to feeling like we need to create the “perfect” childhood, social media has changed what we think good motherhood is supposed to look like.Renee breaks down the pressure to have the perfect home, make elaborate meals, create enriching activities, find the best products, research every parenting decision, and constantly optimize our children’s lives. What used to be simple parenting decisions can now feel like hours of research, and social media has given us an endless supply of things to worry about.We’re comparing our real, messy, exhausting lives to carefully curated versions of motherhood online, while simultaneously being sold the idea that there is always something we could be doing better.Is social media actually helping moms, or is it adding another layer to an already enormous mental load?This episode is a conversation about motherhood, mom guilt, social media comparison, the mental load, parenting pressure, perfectionism, and why so many mothers feel like they’re never doing enough.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thursday September 3rd: Renee is back with a full recap of her trip to New York City to see Harry Styles, because obviously we need to discuss EVERYTHING. From the NYC adventure to seeing Harry live, Renee shares the highlights, the chaos, and all of her thoughts from the trip.Then, things take a very different turn when Renee recaps the absolutely ridiculous series of unfortunate events that happened while she was just trying to fall asleep last night. A bug lands ON HER HEAD, her phone mysteriously falls off the dresser, her iMac screen turns on by itself… WHAT IS HAPPENING?! At what point do you accept that the universe simply does not want you to sleep?It’s a classic Mom Room catch-up: Harry Styles, New York City, travel stories, sleep struggles, random chaos, and the kind of bizarre life update you simply could not make up.SPONSORS:AquaOmega: For your daily dose of Omega-3’s, go to myaquaomega.com/MOMROOM and use code MOMROOM for20% off.Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/MOMROOM and using code MOMROOM at checkout.HIYA: Receive 50% off your first order at hiyahealth.com/MOMROOM.Quince: Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/MOMROOM. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of my favorite pieces, at https://skims.com/momroom.Wayfair: Head to Wayfair.com or shop the Wayfair app for all things home.  RENEE REINA  Instagram: @themomroom | @thereneereina  TikTok: @thereneereina  Facebook Community - The Mom Room Community See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Renee revisits one of her favorite conversations, with psychologist Dr. Tanya Cotler, on everything you need to know about gentle parenting: where it came from, what it was intended to be, and what it turned into online. Dr. Cotler takes apart the biggest myths, including the idea that gentle means no boundaries, no consequences, and never losing your temper. Renee shares some of the harder moments she has had with Milo that sparked this conversation, from toddler tantrums to the guilt that shows up after you yell.Together they get into the nuance the internet skips: gentle parenting versus permissive parenting, how to set a boundary without shame, how to regulate your own emotions before you respond, and what a kid actually needs from you on a bad day.FOLLOW DR. COTLER: On Instagram: @drcotlerdrtanyacotler.com SPONSORS:AquaOmega: For your daily dose of Omega-3’s, go to myaquaomega.com/MOMROOM and use code MOMROOM for20% off.Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/MOMROOM and using code MOMROOM at checkout.HIYA: Receive 50% off your first order at hiyahealth.com/MOMROOM.Quince:  Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/MOMROOM. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.Skims: Shop SKIMS Cotton, and all of my favorite pieces, at https://skims.com/momroom.Wayfair: Head to Wayfair.com or shop the Wayfair app for all things home.  RENEE REINA  Instagram: @themomroom | @thereneereina  TikTok: @thereneereina  Facebook Community - The Mom Room Community Youtube: Renee Reina - The Mom Room Podcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thursday, August 27th: Apparently I’ve entered my “try new things” era.I’ve been thinking about why so many of us stop learning, experimenting, and picking up new hobbies once we become adults. I recently started getting into art, painting, drawing with markers, learning about different techniques, and I am OBSESSED. My entire algorithm is basically art now, I’m taking art classes this fall, and I genuinely can’t remember the last time I was this excited to be a complete beginner at something.I’m also taking tennis lessons, attempting to actually get better at a new sport.We’re talking about why hobbies and learning new skills are so important as adults, especially when they have absolutely nothing to do with being productive, making money, or being “good” at them.I’m also sharing why September is my personal New Year. With back-to-school season approaching, I’m thinking about how I want my fall routine to look: creating a better work schedule, intentionally leaving white space in my calendar, and getting back into a supplement routine that I can actually stick with. I’m sharing the five supplements I’m planning to take and why I’m keeping the routine simple.Plus, we’re chatting about Apple’s Education Store and pricing, some new Apple features that are absolutely blowing my mind and making me wish I could be a student again. The new MacBook Neo has been loaned to us and it's adorable, super approachable, and is the perfect starter laptop for Milo to begin learning the basics and getting comfortable using a computer before he eventually needs one for school.THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!AquaOmega - For your daily dose of Omega-3's, go to myaquaomega.com/MOMROOM and use code MOMROOM for 20% off.Bellesa - Today's episode is sponsored by Bellesa Boutique! Sign up to win a free WhisperVibe™ or free Rose toy with any Whisper™ order! https://www.bboutique.co/vibe/themomroom-pod #bbpartnerFatty15 - Fatty15 is on a mission to support Healthy Aging for All, including all ages and stages of life. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/MOMROOM and using code MOMROOM at checkout.Nine to Kind - Use promo code MOMROOM at ninetokind.com to get 20% of your order.Quince - Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/MOMROOM. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.SENOKOT - Trust your gut and try the new SENOKOT Laxative Gummies. Learn more at senokot.ca.Skims - Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of my favorite bras and underwear at http://www.skims.com/momroomWayfair - Join Wayfair Rewards today to get 5% back on every purchase and start saving on your next home upgrade. Head to Wayfair.com to shop all things home.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Revisiting an important episode this week with Dr. Alison Yeung, family physician and creator of @thesmartphoneeffectmd, where she talks all things smartphones, social media, and (of course) kids. Why are so many parents struggling to set screen time boundaries? How is technology impacting our kids’ mental health, attention spans, and motivation? And how do we navigate platforms like Roblox, YouTube Kids, and even school-issued iPads?Renee and Dr. Yeung get real about balancing technology use, setting routines, and why it’s not just about “parenting harder”—it’s about pushing back against industries designed to hook our kids. If you’ve ever wondered when to give your child a phone (or if they really need one), how to protect their downtime, or how your phone habits shape theirs, this is a must-listen.FOLLOW ALISON:Instagram: @thesmartphoneeffectmdTHANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!AquaOmega - For your daily dose of Omega-3's, go to myaquaomega.com/MOMROOM and use code MOMROOM for 20% off.Bellesa - Today's episode is sponsored by Bellesa Boutique! Sign up to win a free WhisperVibe™ or free Rose toy with any Whisper™ order! https://www.bboutique.co/vibe/themomroom-pod #bbpartnerFatty15 - Fatty15 is on a mission to support Healthy Aging for All, including all ages and stages of life. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/MOMROOM and using code MOMROOM at checkout.Nine to Kind - Use promo code MOMROOM at ninetokind.com to get 20% of your order.Quince - Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/MOMROOM. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.SENOKOT - Trust your gut and try the new SENOKOT Laxative Gummies. Learn more at senokot.ca.Skims - Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of my favorite bras and underwear at http://www.skims.com/momroomWayfair - Join Wayfair Rewards today to get 5% back on every purchase and start saving on your next home upgrade. Head to Wayfair.com to shop all things home.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thursday, August 20th: Is seven the new two?! Lately, it feels like everything I say is met with “NO,” an argument, or a negotiation, even when I’m suggesting something my 7-year-old actually wants to do. I mentioned this on Instagram and was flooded with messages from parents of 7- and 8-year-olds saying: SAME.So, what is going on at this age?In this solo episode of The Mom Room, I’m talking about why kids around 7-8 can suddenly seem more argumentative, oppositional, and determined to challenge everything we say. I get into what’s happening developmentally as kids become more independent, develop stronger reasoning skills, form their own opinions about rules and fairness, and start wanting more control over their lives.I also share what I’m learning about navigating this stage without turning every interaction into a power struggle: giving kids autonomy where we can, distinguishing between choices and non-negotiables, not over-explaining every boundary, looking underneath the behaviour, and perhaps most importantly, remembering that we don’t have to attend every argument we’re invited to.Because raising an independent kid is exactly what we want… but apparently the road to independence involves debating why they need to put their shoes on every single morning. 😂If you’re parenting a 7- or 8-year-old and wondering why EVERYTHING has suddenly become an argument, this episode is for you.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.