The Motherkind Podcast

“It’s how you were parented that lays the foundation – it sets the blueprint for your own parenting.” This is a short moment from a much bigger conversation on Motherkind. But it tends to stop people in their tracks. In this clip, Harriet and Zoe talk about something so many of us don’t fully look at until we become parents ourselves – the relationship we had with our own parents, and how that quietly shapes the way we show up with our children. Harriet shares what it can be like to grow up in an enmeshed relationship, where you’re very close, but boundaries are blurred, where you might have been the best friend, the emotional support, the one who grew up a little too quickly. And how becoming a mum can suddenly shine a light on things you once told yourself were “fine”. She shares a question she now asks her clients – and it’s a powerful one: Would you want your child to have the childhood you had? This clip gently explores some of the early signs that something might feel off – struggling to say no, feeling guilty for wanting things differently, having your boundaries minimised or dismissed. And how confusing that can be, especially when you rely on your parent for support or childcare. If this resonates, please know you’re not alone. And you’re not ungrateful. And you’re not making it up. This is just one small part of a much bigger, compassionate conversation about awareness, autonomy, and breaking cycles – without blame, and with a lot of kindness. If you liked this moment, listen to the full episode: Generational trauma expert: How to break unhealthy patterns and become the parent you wish you'd had - with Harriet Shearsmith Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Ready to feel like yourself again? Download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If the word “selfish” makes you uncomfortable… this episode is for you. In this conversation, Zoe is joined by Suzy Reading for a deeply reassuring exploration of what mothers truly need – and why self-care alone is often insufficient. Together, they talk about how so many women have been conditioned to put themselves last, why resting, saying no or asking for help can feel so hard, and how unmet needs often show up as guilt, resentment or snapping at the people we love most. Suzy shares the thinking behind her new book How to Be Selfish, gently reframing “selfishness” as self-advocacy – and offers simple, practical ways to reconnect with yourself, calm your nervous system and let yourself matter too. In this episode, you’ll learn about: Why self-care alone isn’t enough – and how learning to receive care changes everything How motherhood and conditioning pull us away from our own needs (and why that matters) Why guilt, resentment and “shouty mum” moments are signals, not failures Simple, compassionate ways to reconnect with yourself and remember that you matter too 💛 This is a compassionate, validating listen for any mother who feels stretched thin, disconnected from herself, or quietly carrying too much. Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and  download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet If you liked this episode, listen to this next: 100s of self-care practices tested and the ones that work with The Self Care Club Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve ever felt the pull to do something different with your career and then immediately talked yourself out of it with it’s too risky, I need a safe job, or this isn’t the season – this short episode is for you. In this powerful Motherkind Moment, from Zoe’s conversation with Debbie Wosskow OBE, they talk honestly about risk, motherhood, and why so many women feel stuck at the edge of change. Debbie shares the reality of building a business with young children, why most women start later than we think, and a simple, compassionate way to meet fear and self-doubt without letting them stop you – reminding us that you don’t need certainty to begin. In this Moment, you’ll hear: Why feeling scared is a natural part of change – not a sign you’re doing it wrong How motherhood reshapes your relationship with risk and can actually strengthen your confidence A simple mindset shift to manage fear and start before you feel ready If you’re in the early stages of motherhood and quietly wondering whether there might be another way of working for you, this is your reminder that you’re not behind, you’re not failing, and you don’t need to have it all figured out. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is take the first small step. If you liked this moment, listen to the full episode: Work Series: How to Finally Find Your Self-Belief and Just Start, with Debbie Wosskow Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Ready to feel like yourself again? Download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If your body feels tired, foggy or unfamiliar, this conversation might change how you see yourself. January can feel like a strange in-between. The world is telling us to reset, optimise, and transform. But our bodies are often saying something much quieter: I’m tired. I need care. I need kindness. In this episode, Zoe sits down with Dr Mindy Pelz for a conversation that feels less like “health advice” and more like a deep exhale. Together, they explore what’s really going on for mothers beneath the brain fog, the overwhelm, the resentment, the stubborn changes in our bodies – and why so many of us feel like we’re failing, when actually our bodies are doing exactly what they were designed to do. Dr Mindy gently reframes stress, hormones and fatigue, helping us understand why women’s bodies respond so differently to pressure, why putting ourselves last comes at a cost, and why self-care isn’t something to squeeze in once everything else is done. They also talk about fasting – not as a rule or restriction, but as a way of working with the female body rather than against it – and how it can support clarity, calm and energy when done with care and context. And perhaps most powerfully, this conversation reclaims perimenopause and menopause as something rarely spoken about in this way: not an ending, but a powerful rewiring. A time when the brain begins to let go of people-pleasing, external validation and over-functioning – and moves us towards leadership, confidence and deep self-trust. This episode is an invitation to step into the year differently.To stop fixing yourself.To start listening to yourself. In this episode, you’ll hear about: Why stress underpins so much of how mothers feel in their bodies and minds How women’s bodies and brains are uniquely wired through motherhood and midlife What self-care, fasting and strength really look like when done with compassion Why midlife can be a powerful return to clarity, confidence and self-trust 💛 If you’re entering this year feeling depleted, uncertain or disconnected from yourself, this conversation is a reminder that you don’t need to become someone new. You might just need to come back to yourself. Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and  download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet If you liked this episode, listen to this next: MOMENT | Why prioritising yourself IS caring for your children, with Emmy Brunner Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Motherhood doesn’t just change your routine – it can completely unravel who you thought you were. In this episode, Zoe is joined by Estelle Bingham to talk about the inner reality of becoming a mother – the identity shift, the loneliness, and the moment you realise the old version of you no longer fits. They explore why the early months can feel so disorientating, why so many mothers hit a point of exhaustion and self-doubt around six months in, and why this isn’t failure – it’s transition. Estelle shares how motherhood brought her to the “ground zero” of herself, surfacing unmet needs and old patterns, and why this cracking open is often an invitation rather than a problem to fix.  At the heart of our conversation is a powerful reminder: compassion isn’t optional in motherhood. It’s what stops shame from taking over and allows us to show up for our children with steadiness and care. If you’ve ever thought, Why does this feel so hard? or What’s happened to me? This episode will help you understand what’s really going on. In this Moment, you’ll hear: Why motherhood can feel like an identity earthquake – lonely, disorientating, and nothing like you expected How your child can surface your own unmet needs, and why that discomfort is a sign of growth, not failure Why compassion, not perfection, is the skill that keeps shame and burnout at bay If you liked this moment, listen to the full episode: You’re Not Lost, You’ve Just Forgotten Who You Are with Estelle Bingham Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Community growing. Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and  download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes mentions of abortion and some strong language. If you’re starting this year feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like life has been happening to you rather than with you, this episode will feel like a reset button. Francesca Amber, host of the UK’s biggest self-development book club and author of Manifest Like a Mother, joins Zoe to share the real, lived experience behind manifesting as a mum. Not the polished Instagram version, but the version built in lockdown, with twins, a four-year-old, no childcare, no income, and sheer survival mode. This is manifesting in real life, messy life, where the tools have to work in chaos, not in perfect conditions. In this conversation, you’ll learn: Why manifesting looks different for mothers—and why traditional advice often fails us How to set meaningful goals by working with the season of life you’re in How to overcome limiting beliefs using Francesca’s “courtroom method” Practical ways to weave self-worth, energy, and manifestation into the realities of motherhood You don’t need perfect routines to create change—just small, consistent actions that fit real family life. Your challenges can become your fuel, your self-worth can grow through everyday habits, and you’re always allowed to choose a new, aligned chapter. Let this conversation be your starting point. Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and  download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet If you liked this episode, listen to this next: Manifesting your best self in motherhood with Roxi Nafousi Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

January can feel like a strange in-between place — the decorations are down, the routine is returning, and yet so many of us still feel a bit foggy, stretched, or unsure where to begin again. If that’s you, this clip offers a simple, grounding way to ease into the year with more clarity and intention. In this short Moment, I share one of my most loved New Year practices: choosing a word of the year. It’s a beautifully straightforward tool that helps you zoom out, reconnect with the bigger picture, and gently guide your decisions through the year ahead.  I picked this Moment because it cuts through the pressure of resolutions and long to-do lists. Instead, it offers a way to anchor yourself in what truly matters, even when life feels busy or overwhelming. In this Moment, you’ll learn: How to zoom out and get perspective before you set any goals Why one word can guide your whole year better than resolutions The words that supported me through big shifts in motherhood and work A simple way to set three clear, meaningful goals for 2026 It’s a gentle and inspiring way to start the year with focus, ease, and a renewed sense of what you want 2026 to represent. If you liked this moment, listen to the full episode: Resolutions don’t work, but this does - 4 steps to achieving your goals in 2025 (without burning out) Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and  download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first day of a new year can feel… a lot. Full of pressure, expectation, and that whisper of “I should be doing better.” This New Year episode is your antidote to all of that. A gentle reset. A grounding moment. A reminder that you get to set the tone for 2026 — not the world around you. In this six-minute message, I share three simple, powerful ideas to help you step into 2026 feeling supported, hopeful and more connected to yourself, even if life feels messy or overwhelming right now. This isn’t about resolutions, reinventions or “new year, new you”.It’s about choosing ease, reconnecting with who you’re becoming, and making one tiny promise to yourself that actually sticks. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why doing less (not more) might be the key to 2026 How to ease the pressure and make the year feel lighter A simple reframe: “Who am I becoming?” One tiny daily promise to rebuild trust and confidence It’s a soft, steady way to start the year, rooted, intentional, and full of compassion for the real life you’re living. Wherever you are listening from today, tired, hopeful, overwhelmed, excited, or somewhere in between -  you’re not behind, you’re not failing, and you’re doing far better than you think. Here’s to a year of feeling supported, grounded and deeply proud of the woman you’re becoming. Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and  download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet If you liked this episode, listen to this next: Resolutions don’t work, but this does - 4 steps to achieving your goals (without burning out) Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’re going into the new year feeling tired, overwhelmed, or like you’ve lost your spark a little after Christmas, this Moment is for you. In this short clip, we explore why personal growth feels so hard and why every “new level” in life brings its own challenges. You’ll hear Roxie’s honest reflection on burnout, recovery, and the small daily shifts that make the biggest difference when you’re running on empty. I chose this moment because it’s such a compassionate reminder that you don’t need a huge overhaul to feel better,  just a few intentional choices that support your nervous system and your wellbeing. In this Moment, you’ll learn: Why real change starts with a simple, private decision to feel different How meditation and slowing down can help you recover from burnout The underestimated power of genuine time to yourself What boundaries really are — and how to hold them without guilt This Moment is a gentle invitation to begin the year with more honesty, more ease, and more care for yourself, one small step at a time. If you liked this moment, listen to the full episode: How To Build Unshakeable Confidence in Your Children with Roxie Nafousi Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Feeling like you’re carrying it all? Download your FREE Mental Load Cheat Sheet and learn how to start feeling lighter, even if nothing in your life changes. Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Get 40% off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com/motherkind Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a very special Christmas Day episode, a quiet moment just for you, tucked inside the chaos, the noise, the joy and the overwhelm of today. If you’re listening to this hiding in the loo for five minutes… stirring gravy… feeding the baby… or sitting in the car for a breather before going back inside — this message is from my heart to yours. Christmas has a way of amplifying everything. The joy, the expectations, the mental load, the pressure to make it all magical. And so many of us arrive at today feeling stretched, emotional, tired, or holding far more than anyone ever sees. This episode is my love letter to you - doing the invisible work, the emotional labour, the holding-it-all-together. A moment to breathe. A moment to be seen. A moment to be reminded of your worth. This is not an episode to learn from or “do” anything with — it’s one to feel. A moment to pause, breathe, and let yourself be held for once. Wherever you are today, in the noise, the calm, the joy, the heaviness — I am sending you so much love. Merry Christmas Remember to subscribe to Motherkind — it helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram  Get Zoe’s Sunday Times bestselling book, 'Motherkind: A New Way to Thrive in a World of Endless Expectations’ This Motherkind episode is sponsored by: Headline sponsor Wild Nutrition, the brand raising the bar for women’s supplements. Want to feel the Food-Grown difference yourself? Get 50% off for three months at wildnutrition.com/motherkind. Ts and Cs apply. For a £100 sponsored job credit, visit Indeed.com/ Motherkind Get 40% off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com/motherkind Get 15% off OneSkin with the code MOTHERKIND at https://www.oneskin.co/  #oneskinpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices