Confessions of a Recovering Micromanaging Perfectionist Martyr

🏒 Ever had a kid get benched? 🪑 Or been the one sitting there yourself? 😬 This week, I’m sharing how I handle the complaining (theirs AND mine 🙋‍♀️) right up until I’m about to lose my ever-loving mind 🤯 Spoiler: there’s a speech 🎤 And there’s a choice 🤔 Join me for a little story about sidelines, school dances, the “why me’s,” and what it really means to be a good teammate 💛 Have a listen 🎧If you’re interested in more posts on empathy:Rite of Empathy – A Shortcut to Understanding Someone Else’s PainCaring for You Cares for Me – Empathy Over Fear, a Compassionate Approach to Loved Ones in PainThe Empathy Keeper – Taking on the Pain and Joy of OthersJoinTeamConfessions!

🦃 Confession: my kids are coming home for the holidays and I have to be careful not to assume I have them all figured out 🙈 Turns out the people I raised for eighteen years have been busy becoming new people under new roofs 🏡 Join me for a story about my best-dressed brother, a treadmill conversation I’d love a do-over on 🏃‍♀️, and a little reminder to myself about getting to know my adult children all over again 💛 Have a listen 🎧JoinTeamConfessions!

Confession: when something goes wrong, my first instinct is usually “I ruined it” 🙋‍♀️ So when my friend Katie, who spent twenty years at Bon Appétit, told me about some ribs and a recipe, one little pivot in her story stopped me in my tracks 🛑 Join me for a look at over-responsibility, recipes that get it wrong 📖, and what I want my daughters to hear 💛 Other episode mentioned in this post:When Something’s Not Working – Maybe It’s Time to Fix the System, Not MeJoinTeamConfessions!

🔨🤗 Confession: in our house, there’s a hammer and a hugger, and it’s not hard to guess which one I am 😅 When one of the kids landed at the tippy top of my naughty list, my husband decided it was the perfect day to become their BFF 💅 Join me for a look at parenting as a team, a back door code that almost got changed 🚪 and a shout out to the single parents 💛 Have a listen 🎧JoinTeamConfessions!

🛋️ Confession: I may have done a little too much staring at my past 👀 After losing my brother, therapy was a true gift, and then something started to shift 💭 Join me for a look at grief, a super helpful quote from Dr. Edith Eger, and how I figure out when it's time to throw up the therapy bat signal 🦸‍♀️ Have a listen 🎧JoinTeamConfessions!

🐱 Confession: as a kid, my cat-holding technique was... let's call it enthusiastic 😬 Years later, a furry roommate named Connor taught me something I never saw coming about my own growing kids 💛 Join me for a tender, slightly sheepish look at what happens when the people we love start to wriggle, and how this mom is learning to respond 🐾 Grab a cozy seat (and maybe a cat) and listen in 🎧JoinTeamConfessions!

Another birdie left the nest this fall, and the house is so quiet we've gone from Grand Central Station to a library that occasionally asks to borrow the car 🚗📚. Team, this one's about the pull to fix everyone's pain, the urge to book a flight, and what I'm learning to lean on instead. Spoiler: it's not just my clean house 🏡✨ (okay, it's a little bit my clean house).JoinTeamConfessions!

Another fall, another season, another car that just won't start (metaphorically speaking 🚗😅). This one's about excuses — the sneaky kind that dress up as self-care — and what it actually takes to get moving again. Spoiler: it involves a treat 🍬, a little Catholic guilt 😇, and way more compassion than I expected to give myself. Team, let's talk about starting over. 🙌JoinTeamConfessions!

What happens when a football game, a church Harvest Fair, and one impressively slammed car door collide? 🚗💥 An overtired Farmer Mags briefly loses track of which opinions actually need her attention. 🐑 In this episode, I share a parenting standoff—and the humbling realization hiding beneath all that attitude, fatigue, and farm-inspired wisdom. 🌾😅Links to other episodes referenced in this post:Poke the Bear - Parenting Teen AttitudeFarmer MagsHead My SpeedMean MamaSlow Me Down LordTake More NapsJoinTeamConfessions!

How much of my love depends on everyone—including me—behaving acceptably? 🤔 When unrealistic expectations collide with family life, I sometimes make a statement that hurts me more than anyone else. Enter one surprisingly sturdy Nerf gun. 😬 In this episode, I explore conditional love, perfectionism, and the small shift that might help me offer everyone—including myself—a little more grace. 💙JoinTeamConfessions!