This is one of the most vulnerable conversations we’ve ever had on the podcast. In this episode, Deena shares something deeply personal: her experience with postpartum depression after the birth of her third baby. What started as exhaustion and overwhelm slowly turned into something heavier, constant tears, crushing shame, and dark thoughts she never imagined she would have as a mom.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re failing at motherhood… like everyone else is coping better than you… like your brain is telling you lies about who you are as a parent, this episode is for you. Together, Kristin and Deena talk honestly about what postpartum depression actually feels like from the inside, the warning signs that something wasn’t right, and the moment Deena realized she needed help. They also talk about the power of saying the scary thoughts out loud, the role of support from partners and friends, and the steps that helped Deena begin to find her way back.


In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What postpartum depression can actually look like in real life

• The thoughts many struggling moms are too ashamed to say out loud

• Why postpartum depression has nothing to do with being a “good” or “bad” mom

• How to recognize when it’s time to reach out for help

• The small steps that can start the path toward feeling better

If you are struggling, please know this: there’s nothing wrong with you, you are not alone, and help is out there. This conversation is raw, honest, and ultimately hopeful, because no mom should have to carry this alone. You can also contact Postpartum Support International (they have free helplines, tests, and local providers). If you’re in immediate danger, call or text 988 in the U.S. If you’re elsewhere, your local emergency number can connect you to crisis support.

This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.

Experian - Get started with the Experian App now! See experian.com for details.

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Produced by Dear Media

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This episode was hard for me to do, because I’ll be honest: I don’t believe kids should be on social media. Full stop. And still… the reality is: teens (and preteens) are being pulled into this world whether we like it or not, and parents are left trying to make sense of it with a pit in their stomach and zero clear answers. So, we sat down with Meta to find the safest way to protect our kids in these social media times.

In this conversation, Kristin interviews Tara Hopkins (Global Director of Public Policy at Instagram/Meta — and a mom of two teens) and asks the questions parents actually have about teen accounts, content exposure, messaging, time limits, AI, and what “safety” really means in a world of short-form dopamine loops. Full disclosure, this episode isn't going to leave you saying, “Instagram is great for kids!” But, if you've already given your child instagram, if you're curious what limits you can place for your kid begging for social media, or you know someone in the thick of it, you'll walk away knowing *exactly* what you can, and can't do, to protect your kid online.

This is an information-forward, real-world conversation for parents who want to understand:

• What Instagram Teen Accounts actually are

• What protections exist (and where parents still need to step in)

• What parents can and can’t control

• How Meta approaches sensitive content and teen safety

• How time limits, sleep settings, and parental permissions work

• Where AI fits into all of this

My hope is simple: more clarity, less spiraling. Whether you’re firmly in the “no social media” camp, already navigating it with your teen, or you can feel the pressure creeping in… this episode gives you a clearer picture of what’s being built, how to use parameters that already exist, and what questions still deserve answers.

For access to more helpful tools and expert guidance, parents can visit https://familycenter.meta.com.

● Instagram Teen Accounts —now inspired by 13+ movie ratings—are designed to give parents peace of mind that their teens are safer with the right protections in place. Learn more about Instagram Teen Accounts at https://about.fb.com/news/2025/10/instagram-teen-accounts-pg-13-ratings/

● Support your family’s online experience with expert guidance and tools from Meta’s Family Center. Explore resources today, including Meta’s Screen Smart Program, at https://familycenter.meta.com.

This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.

Produced by Dear Media

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you’re raising a boy, this episode will light a fire in you - in the best, most empowering way. Because here’s the truth: The kind of men our boys become is not random - it’s not just personality, or fate. It’s shaped - day by day - in childhood. In how we respond to their anger, their tears, their mistakes.

Parents are not just witnessing who their sons become; we are actively building the men they will be - through parenting. And the most hopeful part? There are concrete, science-backed things you can start doing today that measurably shift your child’s emotional trajectory - and the kind of partner, friend, and human he will one day be.

In this bold, honest, sometimes funny-so-you-don’t-cry episode, Deena goes straight at the stuff that feels big and scary to say out loud: male entitlement, emotional shutdown, aggression, consent failures, unequal partnership, and why “boys will be boys” has quietly lowered the bar for generations. Then, she flips the script - with science, real stories, and concrete parenting tools you can start literally today - so you walk away knowing exactly how to raise a boy who feels deeply, respects boundaries, takes accountability, and is safe to love.

Here are the 10 daily actions that turn little boys into great men - starting TODAY:

• Why emotional skills in men are built - or blocked - in early childhood

• The critical difference between allowing anger vs. allowing harm

• How to teach consent and bodily autonomy starting in toddlerhood

• Why boys receive less emotional coaching (and how to change that)

• Rough play, wrestling, and what it’s actually doing in the brain

• Teaching boys about periods, care work, and partnership early

• How to build empathy and perspective-taking in daily moments

• Accountability and repair: the skill many men never learned

• Why punishment and shame backfire - especially for boys

• The core message boys need about love, power, and safety

You’ll leave this episode feeling seen in the weight of raising boys today, and radically empowered in how much influence you actually have. Because you’re not just raising a child; you’re shaping the kind of man the world will one day meet. And once you hear this, you’ll parent your son differently tomorrow morning.

This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.

Boll & Branch - Get 15% off your first set of sheets plus free shipping at bollandbranch.com/BLF with code BLF.

Experian - Get started with the Experian App now! See experian.com for details.

Hiya Health - Receive 50% off your first order of Hiya’s best selling children’s vitamin. Head to hiyahealth.com/BLF.

Ka’Chava - Go to kachava.com and use code BLF for 15% off your first order!

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Pique - Head to piquelife.com/BLF for 20% off.

Produced by Dear Media

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.