The Real Mother Effort Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this kickoff episode, Lauren introduces The Real Mother Effort: the podcast for the mom who wants to excel in every area of her life without drowning in her to do list every day.

Lauren is a mom to three young kids while running her own business.  Her 10+ years as a corporate sales executive taught her how to strategically and tactically accomplish huge goals – and she now applies this same expertise to parenthood.   What bigger goal have we faced than raising our kids the way we envisioned, while maintaining the other priorities in our life?

She handles the stresses of modern-day motherhood differently than the traditional time management experts, so you can expect a new perspective on our biggest frustrations, along with helpful tips you can utilize immediately.

 Subscribe to become the mom who’s always being asked: How do you do it all and make it look so easy?!

Follow Lauren on Instagram @itslaurenmora or visit www.itslaurenmora.com to learn more.

A piggy back to last week’s episode, we’ll dive into the nitty gritty and give 3 specific ways to reduce your overwhelm.  We talked through a major mindset shift that helps us think about the overwhelm in our lives differently, but what does it look like in practice to manage the overwhelm of the daily grind?  Lauren shares her personal tried-and-true methods for getting your mental load out of your brain and organized in ways that actually works. If you've ever found yourself in a "tizzy" of stress with too many things spinning in your head, this episode offers practical relief.

Key Points Discussed: 

• The first step in reducing your overwhelm: recognize when you’re getting worked up about your never-ending to do list.
• The exercise to help relieve the pressure when it builds up.
• How to organize your to do list to instantly identify what’s a priority and what’s not.
• The weekly add-on step in your planning to get ahead of the overload.· 

Connect:

Follow me @itslaurenmora 

Website itslaurenmora.com

We are so overwhelmed as moms, but is it all bad? Lauren dives into how she sees the overwhelm we deal with differently.  Rather than seeing overwhelm as entirely negative, she suggests reframing it: part of our overwhelm comes from caring deeply about many aspects of our lives (our "buckets"), while another part comes from the endless supporting tasks or "noise" that accompany those things we love.  

Key Points Discussed: 

• A flip on how we see the overwhelm that’s present in our lives.
• A look at all of the things we’ve intentionally created in our lives that we love dearly.
• How much effort it takes to put attention on all of these things.
• The reason behind why we usually feel rewarded for our hard work, but now it feels draining.
• The #1 reason why we feel so much overwhelm now in our every day.
• How we jumped straight from intern to CEO of our family.
• The 2 kinds of overwhelm we face: things we value and the noise.
• How we can quiet the noise to focus on the things we value and love more.

Resources and links

Join The School to Summer Shift Prep Guide.

Connect

·        Follow me @itslaurenmora

·        Website itslaurenmora.com

In this second part of our two-episode series on fun, we dive into how to genuinely enjoy spending time with your children. Let's face it—sitting on the floor playing dolls or trains isn't always thrilling for adults! This episode breaks down practical strategies for creating fun that works for both you and your kids, plus simple ways to fit play into your busy schedule without it feeling like just another chore.

Key Points Discussed: 

• Four approaches to having fun with your kids that you'll both actually enjoy.
• Why you don't need to be your child's "cruise director" 24/7.
• Six practical and easy strategies for how to make time for fun regularly.

Resources and links

Join The School to Summer Shift Prep Guide.

Connect

·        Follow me @itslaurenmora

·        Website itslaurenmora.com

This episode is Part 1 of a 2-part series on FUN.  We are in our busiest phase of life, and it feels like we have so much on our plate that we can’t imagine adding anything else, even if it’s things we really want to be doing.  We all want to have more fun in our lives, but we have a hard time finding time for it, and often don’t have a clear idea of what we actually like to do for fun.  Let’s fix that.

Key Points Discussed: 

• Lauren’s search for how to have more fun in her adult life.
• How children and adults play differently and what adults do for fun.
• How we can add fun activities to our calendar without making it feel like just one more thing on the to do list.
• An exercise in how to identify what you like to do for fun. And then how you can turn it into a list of ideas of things you are excited to do and that don’t feel overwhelming to put on your calendar.
• The importance of having fun on a regular basis and planning those bigger vacations through the year.

Resources and links

Join The School to Summer Shift Prep Guide

Connect

·        Follow me @itslaurenmora

·        Website itslaurenmora.com

Today, Lauren is walking us through the 3 busiest seasons we have as moms:  the holidays, back to school time, and the upcoming school year to summer transition. 

While most moms recognize back-to-school and holiday seasons as peak stress times, she shines a light on why April and May create a perfect storm of scheduling nightmares, financial strain, and mental overload as families transition from school routines to summer plans.

Key Points Discussed: 

• We feel like there should be an ebb and flow to the busyness of the year, but the reality is that there’s always something coming up to plan for when you have children.
• The importance of intentionally planning: how you can focus ahead of time to reduce stress caused by doing things last minute.
• How Lauren thought she had it all figured out, and then got whacked with the End of School Year mayhem last year.
• Why she does weekly planning but also targeted guidance for the 3 busiest times of year for parents.
• Why the end of the school year is so very busy.
• Details about the upcoming School to Summer Shift Prep Guide and why you should join to get some help over the next few months.

Resources and links

Join The School to Summer Shift Prep Guide, starting April 4

Connect

·        Follow me @itslaurenmora

·        Website itslaurenmora.com

Today’s a spirited episode! Lauren dives into the world of the "experts" on social media who use shame tactics rather than empowerment. From unqualified weight loss coaches to Insta-famous parenting gurus, we examine why their advice often leaves us feeling worse about ourselves rather than better. Learn how to be selective about who you let into your mental space, trust your intuition, and remember that no one knows you or your children better than you do.

Key Points Discussed:

• Why I went off on a rant...twice...in one dinner.
• The importance of who we choose to follow and be influenced by.
• The truth about the power we hold as parents.
• My high level, non-expert opinion on weight loss and parenting.
• The action you can take today to feel better.

Resources and links

Join the waitlist for The School to Summer Shift Prep Guide

A week-to-week guide to get us through one of the busiest times of the year as moms. 

Connect

·       Follow me @itslaurenmora

·       Website itslaurenmora.com

In this candid episode, we explore the "C-word" that impacts every parent's experience: Control. From managing the physical details of our homes to regulating our emotions, we explore the different facets of control that shape our parenting journey. Through personal stories and practical advice, discover how finding the right balance can transform your day-to-day life as a parent and help you reclaim a sense of peace amid the chaos.

Key Points Discussed:

The 3 Types of Control That Impact Parents:

• Minutia details we keep track of for our family and home
• Schedule Flexibility
• Emotional Regulation  

5 Strategies to Regain Control:

1. Hormone Regulation: How getting the physical support for hormone regulation in postpartum and perimenopause can affect your mood and anxiety levels.
2. Leverage Expert Support: Stop trying to become the expert in everything and instead connect with specialized experts who can help you achieve specific goals.
3. Prioritize Self-Support: Regularly ask yourself what you need and schedule it into your week.
4. Make blatantly obvious where you need support in your week: Openly express your stressors and needs to your partner instead of expecting them to read your mind.
5. Find Your Control Sweet Spot: Balance between rigid control and complete surrender by planning with intention while also allowing for unstructured space.

Connect

·        Follow me @itslaurenmora

·        Website itslaurenmora.com

In this episode, Lauren gives a simple yet powerful strategy for making sure the things that matter most don't get lost in the chaos of life. She reveals how a small tweak to your weekly planning can transform your weeks from constantly reactive to intentionally connected. Learn how separating "have to do" tasks from "want to do" activities creates space for meaningful moments even in the busiest weeks.

Key Points Discussed:

• The intentional planning you are probably already doing in your weeks, and why a weekly planning system just makes good sense.
• The game-changing practice: planning not just what you have to do, but what you want to do each week. And the impact this tweak can have on your life.
• The origin story of this practice during COVID lockdown with three young children, and how it evolved into a sustainable system.
• Practical tips for implementing this approach without adding more pressure.
• Why this isn't about Pinterest-perfect activities or filling every minute, but about creating connection and intention.
• How to adapt this practice to your unique family schedule, whether you work full-time or have irregular hours.

Connect

·        Follow me @itslaurenmora

·        Website itslaurenmora.com

In this debut episode, Lauren dives into the critical conversation about modern parenting stress, examining the groundbreaking 2024 Surgeon General's Advisory Report "Parents Under Pressure." As a consultant for working moms and a mother herself, Lauren breaks down why this report matters and what is needed to help make their improvement suggestions a reality.

 Key Points Discussed:

• The significance of the Surgeon General's Advisory Report and its validation of what many parents already feel - an overwhelming sense of stress and pressure in modern parenting.
• The report's key recommendations for parents.
• A personal perspective on why traditional organizing solutions aren't enough - working moms need comprehensive strategies to manage both the physical and mental load of parenting.
• Why the current "normal" of overwhelming stress shouldn't be accepted as inevitable, and how a more strategic approach to family management might be the answer.

Resources Mentioned:

2024 Surgeon General's Advisory Report: "Parents Under Pressure"

Connect

·        Follow me @itslaurenmora

·        Website itslaurenmora.com