the more we maybe resent the role or resent ourselves and think that we're not cut out for motherhood

because clearly look, I can't do it the way that I thought I should when really what needs adjusting

is our expectations. We had no idea what a day in the role really looked like and now that we do.

How can we reevaluate those for ourselves, right?

Hi, this is Dene. I'm the founder of Simple Families. Simple Families is an online community

for parents who are seeking a simpler, more intentional life. In this show, we focus on minimalism

with kids, positive parenting, family wellness, and decreasing the mental load. My perspectives

are based in my firsthand experience raising kids, but also rooted in my PhD in child development.

So you're going to hear conversations that are based in research, but more importantly,

real life. Thanks for joining us.

Hi there, that voice you heard in the intro is Erica Jossa. Some of you know her from her

Instagram handle Happy as a Mother, which has recently transitioned to Mom Well.

Erica is well known for making these square infographics that so well capture the overwhelming

of motherhood. I was recently a guest on Erica's podcast, which is called Mom Well.

I'll leave the link in the show notes so you can tune in if you're interested.

Erica is a mom and a therapist and what we have in common is that we both spend a lot of time

thinking and talking about maternal overwhelm. In our chat today, we're talking a lot about expectations

and idealizations that we have for ourselves and also about building community in this post-pandemic

world. Thanks so much for tuning in. I hope you enjoyed this chat with Erica.

Hi, Erica. How are you? I'm good. Thank you so much for having me on the show today.

I'm glad to have you here. I have long appreciated the work that you have done around the mental

load and supporting women. Thank you. And likewise, the mission is shared and you do it. So I don't know,

...