Presence vs. Purpose: What Do Our Kids Really Need from Us?

The PedsDocTalk Podcast

Dr. Mona Amin

Medicine, Health & Fitness, Kids & Family, Parenting

5 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 23 April 2025

⏱️ 14 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, I’m getting deeply personal about something so many of us carry but rarely talk about: mom guilt. After speaking at the Mom 2.0 Summit and leaving home with a sick child, I found myself questioning everything—again. Can I be a present, loving mom and still pursue the work that lights me up? I explore the tension between purpose and presence, and how we can reframe guilt as a sign of how deeply we care—not proof that we’re failing. I also dive into the concept of the “good-enough mother,” the power of modeling joy, and why slowing down doesn’t mean giving up. If you’ve ever felt torn between who you are and who you’re becoming, this episode is for you. I discuss: Why mom guilt isn’t always a red flag—it’s often a sign of growth and purpose. How modeling joy and ambition can actually strengthen your child’s emotional development. What it means to embrace shifting seasons in motherhood without losing yourself. We’d like to know who is listening! Please fill out our Listener Survey to help us improve the show and learn about you! 00:00 – Welcome and Why This Episode Matters 01:20 – Guilt, Motherhood, and the Summit 03:21 – Speaking to Moms as Whole People 04:21 – The Return of Finding Joy 05:08 – The Good Enough Mother 06:18 – Purpose Beyond Motherhood 07:46 – When Purpose Feels Out of Reach 08:36 – Modeling Fulfillment for Our Kids 10:20 – Wholeness is the Legacy 12:49 – Integration, Not Sacrifice Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and subscribe to PedsDocTalk. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships page of the website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone, Dr. Mona here, your dedicated pediatrician, caring confidant, and supportive mom friend in all things parenting.
0:06.9	Welcome to the Piedstock Talk podcast where I host expert advice and real talk designed to help you thrive as a parent.
0:13.3	Whether this is your 200th episode or your very first, I'm so glad you're here.
0:17.8	And if you are new, welcome. I've got so many episodes you can binge after this
0:21.9	one. So be sure to subscribe and download to support the show and stay in the loop. Now, today's
0:27.2	episode is more personal and it's one I've been holding in my heart since I got back from the
0:32.4	Mom 2.0 summit in Orlando. I was invited to speak at the summit through a brand partnership with
0:37.4	Munchkin. I didn't know much about the summit through a brand partnership with Munchkin.
0:38.1	I didn't know much about the summit. They said I'd have a five-minute speaking slot on the main
0:41.7	stage and because I love public speaking and these opportunities and connecting with other women,
0:46.1	I said, yes, please. But what I walked into and walked out of after this weekend wasn't just an
0:52.5	event. It was a room filled with moms, entrepreneurs,
0:55.5	creatives, and advocates. It was energy. It was palpable. It was honesty. It was exactly what I
1:00.7	didn't know I needed. Some of the keynotes were from the amazing Brunay Brown and Shannon Watts.
1:05.9	One quote from Brne Brown really stuck with me. We don't need more nonchalant. We need more
1:10.9	shallant, more intentional care, more unapologetic passion. Be shallant A.F., she said. We should all
1:17.7	get that on a shirt or a hat, and I agree. And Shannon Watts said, if you don't have a seat at the
1:23.8	table, you're going to be on the menu. And it got me thinking, how often do we as
1:29.8	moms shrink our dreams to be good or go towards societal expectations? How often do we believe
1:35.4	that our presence and our purpose are in conflict? And then life gave me a perfect reminder of
1:42.4	that tension. Just a couple of days before the summit, my daughter got a fever and a virus and runny nose,
1:48.4	and I have an amazing care team, but I felt guilty.
	...

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