Mama's Gonna Make It
A heartfelt and honest podcast exploring the joys and challenges of being neurodivergent moms. We dive into the messy magic of parenting, the power of friendship, and the ongoing journey to embrace growth and authenticity. Real talk, real laughs, and a whole lot of heart.
Mama’s Gonna Make It — 23. Season 2 – Circling Back: We are Podcasters!
In this episode, we take some time to reflect on our first season of Mama’s Gonna Make It and our excitement for the season ahead! We return to some questions we asked each other in the first-ever episode, questions like “What about this venture scares you?” We reflect on our own growth as facilitators and friends, and we explore some of the collaborative background work that we do to make every episode happen.
Our Season 2 premiere introduces our 4 Pillars, the guiding topics our episodes will engage around: Self-Growth, Relationships (all the ‘ships!), Neurodiversity, and Parenting
The OG...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 22. ADHD Life Hacks
In this episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, we set out to learn from each other—and ourselves. From timers to labels to avoiding the infamous “doom bag,” we’re sharing the ADHD-friendly hacks that help keep our chaotic brains just a little more on track.
🧠 Life Hacks We Love:
Make things visible – Out of sight, out of mind is real. Label everything – Future You will thank you. Use timers – For transitions, tasks, even breaks.🎒 The Ultimate Go Bag
We brainstorm what a truly ADHD-friendly go bag might include. Think: practical, comforting, and always stocked with...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 21. How to Bee a Mom: From NICU to New Beginnings with Lily Rosene
She’s back! In our second conversation with author, educator, and mom Lily Rosene, we explore her resilient journey of becoming a mother- one that didn’t follow the script.
From spontaneous pre-term labor at 30 weeks to supporting her baby in the NICU, Lily opens up about her real, raw experience navigating a different entry to motherhood than she planned for. We talk about those first weeks and how she coped with postpartum anxiety, PTSD, and the emotional rollercoaster that followed delivery.
Lily also shares how her love of literacy and creativity helped her reclaim her i...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 20. Let’s Get Lit with Lily Rosene
This week on Mama’s Gonna Make It, we’re getting lit (literally!) with local children’s book author, award-winning former high school English teacher, and literacy advocate Lily Rosene! Join us as we dive into all things reading: sparking joy, building lifelong habits, and how literacy can shape connection, curiosity, and confidence in our kids.
We talk about:
📚 What made Lily fall in love with reading
📖 How we can foster a true joy of reading—not just compliance with our kids and students
👧🏽 How giving kids choice in reading builds empowerment and identity
🧠 The brain + how...
Mama’s Gonna Make It –19. Book-ish
Welcome to our very first Book-Ish Segment! Anne and Sarabeth—lifelong readers and narrative nerds—have been itching to dedicate an episode to the joy, function, and nuances of reading. In this conversation, we dive into our personal relationships with books: what we read, how we read, and how those habits have shifted over time. Of course, sitting in our life experiences as moms we also touch on fostering a love of reading with kiddos, and SB lends her professional experience on helping make that happen.
From audiobooks to graphic novels, ratty paperbacks to digital downloads, we cele...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 18. What is Love? A Friend Chat with Thao Nguyen
In this rich and reflective episode, we welcome back our friend Thao Nguyen to talk about love in all its complexity. From the 7 types of Greek love to the Buddhist concept of metta (loving kindness, compassion, equanimity, and joy), we discuss love in many forms. Within that conversation, we explore how naming our emotions helps us understand and navigate them.
We talk about anger—where it comes from, how to prevent it, and what role expectations play in our emotional lives. Together, we stumble upon our first ever MGMI framework: change, release, or communicate your expectations—a prac...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 17. Vibing with Thao – Music and Connection 🎶
In this inspiring episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, we’re joined by the radiant and multi-talented Thao Nguyen—performer, coach, director, actor, traveler, and all-around incredible human. Together, we dive into the language of music, its healing power, and how group singing and sound practices can ground us in community and calm.
We explore how music and mindfulness can soothe our “monkey mind” and quiet the inner narrator that so often runs on autopilot. Thao discusses the practice of OM chanting and meditation, reminding us of the deep breath that can bring us back to the presen...
Mama’s Gonna Make It –16. Trauma and Healing with Karon McKinney
In this powerful episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, we’re joined by Karon McKinney—stepmom to a grown child, community builder, co-founder of Siren Series Jazz, and Trauma Resilience Trainer through the Center for Trauma Resilient Communities. Karon shares her perspective on the joys and some of the challenges of step-parenting a beloved now-adult child, as well as her expertise on the topic of trauma: what it is, how we can process it, and healing growth.
We dive deep into understanding trauma and healing, including:
What trauma is (and what it isn’t) How two peop...Mama’s Gonna Make It – 15. To Flow or Not to Flow
In this week’s special episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, Anne, Sarabeth, and Producer Tim sit down with two truly inspiring guests, Roseann Calabritto—neuroscientist, grandparent, academic, and fellow neurospicy mama, and the one and only Karen McKinney— Advocate and Trauma Resilience Train the Trainer, step-mom to a full-grown kiddo, community builder, and co-founder of Siren Series Jazz.
Together, we dive into a wide-ranging conversation exploring neurodivergence, flow, identity, parenting, healing, growth, and the unique paths that bring us together.
✨ Topics we explore in this episode:
The “potato and the flow” concept: embracing chaot...Mama’s Gonna Make It – 14. Neurospicy & Non-Traditional: A Conversation on Neuroscience and Grandfamilies
In this week’s episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, Sarabeth and Anne sit down with an inspiring guest: Roseann Calabritto, a neuroscientist, grandparent, and fellow neurospicy mama navigating academia and family. Producer Tim is along for the ride as we dive into a conversation that bridges science, lived experience, and a whole lot of curiosity.
We talk about what it means to be a “grandfam”, balancing family life while pursuing degrees in neuroscience during and after a global pandemic, and the drive to return to school later in life.
You’ll hear us geek out o...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 13:.Showing Up – Vulnerability and Finding Your People
In this heartfelt episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, cohosts Anne and Sarabeth dive into the power of vulnerability with Producer Tim and explore the beauty of building authentic connections. We reflect on how grateful we are for you—our listeners—who continue to show up, share your stories, and let us know when something resonates. Your responses remind us that we’re not alone (and neither are you).
We open up about what it means to be our real, evolving selves and the unexpected ways connection happens when we allow others to see us as we are...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – Surprise! A Bonus Mini Episode Friend Chat
We’re popping into your feed with a little bonus episode—because why not? Anne and Sarabeth chat about the funny (and slightly suspicious) things kids do, like imaginary friends from outer space who just happen to have birthdays. They also dive into the unique (and often hilarious) ways kids interpret the world—like Anne’s experience with Sunday School boogeymonsters. Producer Tim shares a story from his own childhood, which somehow leads to a conversation about anxiety dreams (because of course it does).
Expect plenty of tangents, laughs, and off-the-cuff riffing in this fun, informal chat—perfect for...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 12. Friend Chat with Whit – Growing Edges
Whitney Hsu joined us again for a fun and heartfelt friend chat where we talked about some of our recent growing edges! Anne reflected on the release of Episode 2, “Mom Guilt,” which served as both a humorous and humbling reminder of growth and gratitude. Whitney laid down some wisdom around the importance of allowing people to love us via tangible care. Tim shared memories from his triple bypass recovery and the love and care he received during that time. Sarabeth recalled her appreciation for those who supported her while she was in a wheelchair postpartum (even if those thank-you note...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 11. Labels, Excuses, and Reasons
For our first-ever guest episode, we’re joined by Whitney Hsu (@hsumanityreads) to chat about parenting kids with ADHD, recognizing certain traits in ourselves and our partners, and the power of labels—when they help, when they hurt, and why they matter. We also dive into excuses vs. reasons, what true fairness really means, and why deadlines (even the ones we make up) can actually work in our favor to be powerful motivators. It’s a fun, insightful convo you won’t want to miss!”
Links:
Hsumanity Reads Instagram with Whitney Hsu @hsumanityreadsVanderbilt form for ADHD as...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 10. The Pain and Promise of Routines
In this episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, we’re unpacking the complicated relationship we have with routines—how do they help us, do our kids need them, and how do we make them work in a way that supports our lives without feeling constricted? We dive into the accommodations and coping mechanisms we’ve learned along the way, from structuring our days to trying to embrace flexibility when things don’t go as planned.
Sarabeth reflects on how building routines has been a practice, with every day bringing a different version of “best.” Anne shares her experience...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 09. Something Went Sideways
Are you a meticulous planner, someone who goes with the flow, or a bit of both? In this episode, Anne, Sarabeth, and producer Tim explore the joys of planning—and the challenges that arise when things don’t go as expected.
Anne dreams of being more spontaneous but finds herself deeply attached to her plans. Sarabeth envisions the future as a multiverse of infinite, semi-planned possibilities—structured yet open to change. Meanwhile, Tim takes a unique approach, scheduling spontaneity into his routine, enjoying the unknown while keeping a loose timeline in place.
We also dive into j...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 08. From Endure to Enjoy
In Episode 7, Anne introduced a personal challenge in her journey of self-growth and motherhood: shifting from survival mode to endurance mode—and ultimately, from simply enduring life to truly enjoying it. In this episode, we dive deeper into that transition, exploring the rough, raw edges of the privilege that is parenting. Anne shares how self-care and intentionality helped flip the switch toward embracing life more fully.
We discuss practical ways to make pain points more fun and how small, routine moments can become special:
✨ Moody Movie Bath Night? Yes, please!
✨ Turning cleanup time into a game...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 07. What’s In a Name?
In this go-with-the-flow episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, Sarabeth, Anne, and Producer Tim take an unexpected dive into the world of names. Anne finally learns Sarabeth’s name, and they all laugh over the name change process (quite a feat for anyone to navigate, but we assert it’s especially challenging as a person with ADHD). From there, the conversation turns tender as they share the stories behind their own children’s names and how they came to be.
Producer Tim opens up (quite candidly) about the unforgettable moment he became a father, and the group ta...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 06. Gentle Parenting (is a terrible name)
After much discussion, we have concluded that “Gentle Parenting” is a misleading name for a parenting approach that emphasizes a child’s personhood while also upholding boundaries and following through with predictable consequences. In this episode, we explore what gentle parenting really means—validating emotions, setting limits, and implementing consequences with respect. We also share our personal experiences, discuss the power of apologies in parenting, and break down how to balance compassion with authority. And when in doubt? Take a cue from teachers—they’re often the best example of “gentle parenting” in action!
For more on Gentle Parenting...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 05. “Dear Theo”
In this sincere episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, we take inspiration from the lyrics of Dear Theodosia by Lin-Manuel Miranda and the children’s book The Breaking News by Sarah Lynn Reul to explore the profound impact of world events and the news on our kids. We reflect on how differences in opinions about running the world often stem from a shared desire to create a safe, hopeful future for our children, even when perspectives on how to get there are vastly different.
We touch on the division in our society, discussing how we can do b...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 04. Big Feelings
In this episode, we dive into the world of big feelings—ours, our kids’, and how we try to navigate it all with grace. We open up about the challenges of processing our own emotions while guiding our children through theirs and modeling a full spectrum of feelings while making it clear that they’re not responsible for carrying the weight of our adult stress or struggles.
With humility, heart, and a little humor, we unpack the complexities of emotions and how they shape our parenting journeys. Join us for a thoughtful conversation about feelings—big, small, and ever...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 03. Neurodiversity and Masking
The information shared in this episode is based on personal experiences and is intended for conversational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We are not licensed medical providers, and the content here should not be used to make decisions about your health or well-being. If you are experiencing questions or concerns about your own mental health or brain functionality, we strongly encourage you to consult with a qualified healthcare professional.
In this honest and hilarious episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, Anne and Sarabeth dive into the complex wo...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 02. Mom Guilt
In this episode of Mama’s Gonna Make It, we’re tackling the all-too-familiar weight of mom guilt—the nagging feelings of not being enough, whether it’s not being clean enough, fun enough, artsy enough, or just enough. We get real about the pressure to meet impossible standards and explore how some of this guilt might just be plain old guilt—not necessarily tied to being a mom. Along the way, we remind ourselves (and you!) of the unique strengths and magic we bring to the table and how those superpowers can offset the things we don’t always excel...
Mama’s Gonna Make It – 01. Parenting as a Practice
In our very first episode, we’re diving headfirst into the wild, beautiful chaos that inspired Mama’s Gonna Make It. Join us as we introduce ourselves—two neurodivergent moms trying to balance full-time jobs, parenting, and friendship while keeping it honest, funny, and oh-so-real.
We’ll share a bit about our journeys, from the highs and lows of motherhood to the challenges of navigating life with neurodivergent brains. You’ll get a sneak peek into the kind of laughs, lessons, and stories you can expect in future episodes. Plus, we talk about why self-growth, messy moments, and showin...