Matt Willis on Why There’s No Such Thing as a Perfect Parent
On The Mend
High Performance
4.9 • 566 Ratings
🗓️ 15 September 2025
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this solo episode, Matt Willis reflects on parenting through the lens of recovery in “The Parent I’m Trying To Be.” With honesty and vulnerability, he shares how fatherhood has shaped his growth, from owning up to mistakes to breaking cycles from his own upbringing.
This isn’t a guide to perfect parenting, but a candid reflection on presence over perfection, the value of everyday “junk time,” and allowing children to fully feel their emotions. Matt reflects on how parenting continues to shape him, teaching consistency, gratitude, and connection, while inviting listeners to share their own stories along the way.
A heartfelt and relatable look at the imperfect but transformative journey of parenthood.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Want to know who's coming up next? Hit follow wherever you get your podcast and you'll be the first to find out. |
| 0:09.6 | Hey everyone, Matt Willis here and welcome back to On the Mend. This is the podcast where we look back |
| 0:14.3 | on life's toughest moments to learn how to move forward. We talk about the stuff most people avoid |
| 0:19.5 | so we can try and show up better and live |
| 0:22.3 | a little lighter. And I was trying to think about what to talk about in solo episodes. And I was |
| 0:26.2 | like, this is happening to me right now. It's September and the kids are back at school, which |
| 0:32.7 | has kind of made me think a lot about parenting. Parenting has been one of the biggest teachers |
| 0:37.3 | of my recovery, |
| 0:38.4 | you know, not just about staying clean, but learning how to show up for them and in life, |
| 0:44.8 | you know, being someone that my kids are going to feel proud of is a massive thing. Even when |
| 0:48.5 | I'm tired, when I'm triggered by something, when I'm unsure of myself, sometimes I overthink, but I have to remind myself that I'm trying to make the best decision |
| 0:58.6 | that I can in that moment. |
| 1:01.1 | And sometimes I get that wrong, you know, and that's okay. |
| 1:04.6 | You know, but we have sometimes a split second to say something, to do something. |
| 1:10.2 | And you will get that wrong. And that's okay, |
| 1:13.7 | you know, because you're in the moment, bang, you know, but when you do, it's very important |
| 1:17.6 | to go back and say, you know, I was, I was wrong about that. And that's because of this, you know, |
| 1:23.1 | or I just got it wrong. I balls up. Sorry. And I talked to them about my life. You know, I talked to them about what, maybe why I was triggered there, why I reacted that way. And I think that's been really positive for them, you know. And it's really positive for me too because I can really look at it. Not just looking at what kind of dad I want to be, but how much being a parent has shaped my |
| 1:44.9 | recovery and how much it's, you know, made me look at myself differently, you know, reflecting |
| 1:51.6 | on my behaviour, you know, and how much kind of being a parent shines a light on you, you know, |
| 1:58.8 | and it's kind of a mirror showing you, you know, these are little versions of you in a way and what version of you do you want them to be? Okay, right, before we get into it, if you've been listening to this podcast and it's helped you feel seen, understood, or maybe a little bit less alone, you know, the best thing you can do is hit follow. It helps us grow, helps us reach more people, |
| 2:18.2 | and helps us keep going. Thank you if you're following the podcast. It really, really does |
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