In a culture obsessed with early achievement, test scores, and “educational” apps, are we overcomplicating childhood? In this episode, Diane sits down with developmental scientists Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, authors of Einstein Never Used Flash Cards, to share a freeing, research-backed truth: play isn’t a break from learning - it is learning. Drawing on more than 40 years of research, they explore how joyful play strengthens the brain, how parents can “Reflect, Resist, and Re-center” in a pressure-filled culture, what to know about screen time, and how everyday moments naturally build math, language, and resilience - reminding us that free and guided play may be the most powerful tools we have.

• Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
• Connect with Kathy + Roberta:
• Website
• Book: Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Our Children Really Learn--and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, is a professor in the psychology department at Temple University. She directs the Temple Infant Child Laboratory, where she studies how children learn and flourish. She is also a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, PhD, directs the Child’s Play, Learning and Development Lab at the University of Delaware and holds joint professorial appointments in linguistics and psychology. A member of the National Academy of Education, she works to improve the lives of children and families.

The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less.

Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.

You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

If you’ve ever felt like your calendar is running your life, this conversation is your wake-up call.

In this episode, Diane sits down with minimalist thought leader and executive coach Chris Lovett to explore how a single frustrating moment - stepping on a CD case - sparked a radical journey from clutter to clarity. What began as physical decluttering evolved into something deeper: questioning busyness, corporate culture, and the internal rules that keep high achievers overworked and overwhelmed.

Chris introduces the concept of “corporate minimalism” and explains why so many professionals - especially parents - struggle to say no. From burnout statistics to the alarming rise in overwork-related deaths, he makes a compelling case that hustle culture isn’t just exhausting - it’s dangerous. But this isn’t about quitting your job or selling everything you own. It’s about small, practical rebellions: protecting your lunch break, responding to emails later, declining low-value meetings, and creating breathing room for high-impact work.

• Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
• Connect with Chris:
• Website
• LinkedIn
• Book: Relentless: When Less Busy Means More Impact

Best Selling Author, Executive Coach, TEDx Speaker and sought after voice in the simplicity movement. Now supporting organizations and teams to evolve leadership skills, create high performing sustainable cultures and retain the energy to do what matters.

The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less.

Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.

You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

The teenage years can feel like unfamiliar territory - for both parents and kids. In this episode, Diane sits down with author and Bible teacher Melissa Kruger to talk about what it means to raise teens with hope in a culture shaped by social media, constant information, and increasing isolation.

Melissa shares how parenting adolescents today is different than even a decade ago, particularly when it comes to mental health and digital influence. Instead of leading primarily with rules, she encourages parents to lead with conversation - doing the research, staying engaged, and setting boundaries that feel protective rather than punitive.

If you’re navigating the teenage years - or preparing for them - this episode offers practical wisdom and steady encouragement for raising teens with intention, connection, and enduring faith.

• Book: Surviving Religion 101 by Michael Kruger
• Connect with Melissa:
• Website
• Instagram
• Book: Parenting with Hope: Raising Teens for Christ in a Secular Age

Melissa Kruger serves as the vice president of discipleship programming for The Gospel Coalition (TGC). She’s the author of multiple books, including The Envy of Eve: Finding Contentment in a Covetous World, Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood, Growing Together: Taking Mentoring Beyond Small Talk and Prayer Requests, Wherever You Go I Want You to Know, and Parenting with Hope: Raising Teens for Christ in a Secular Age. Her husband, Mike, is the president of Reformed Theological Seminary and they have three children.

The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less.

Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity. You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

There’s a quiet fear many mothers carry — but rarely say out loud:

What if I’m messing this up?

What if my impatience… my selfishness… my exhaustion… is shaping my kids in ways I don’t intend?

In today’s conversation, I’m joined by Abbey Wedgeworth, author of the upcoming book Help I’m Ruining My Kids. Abby shares candidly about her early struggles in motherhood and the uncomfortable realization that sometimes the problem wasn’t her kids...it was her heart.

We talk about what it really means to be a “work in progress.” Not self-condemnation. Not blaming our circumstances. But honest repentance - the kind that leads to repair, growth, and deeper connection with our children.

• Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
• Connect with Abbey:
• Website
• Instagram
• Book: Help! I'm Ruining My Kids: A Gospel Guide for the Mom Who's Desperate for Change

Abbey Wedgeworth is a Bible teacher, speaker and writer. She is the author of Held: 31 Biblical Reflections on God’s Comfort and Care in the Sorrow of Miscarriage (a Christian Book Award finalist), as well as the nine-book children’s series, Training Young Hearts. She is known for her popular parenting reels on Instagram and enjoys serving and teaching in her local church as well as at conferences, retreats and conventions. Abbey and her husband, David, live in the South Carolina lowcountry, where she homeschools their three young sons.

The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less.

Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.

You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

In this episode, Diane talks with trauma therapist and parenting expert Maggie Nick about the hidden cost of growing up as the “good kid” - the responsible, high-achieving child who never caused trouble but often learned to ignore their own needs. Maggie explains how this pattern can follow many adults into motherhood, showing up as perfectionism, people-pleasing, anxiety, and the pressure to keep everyone else happy. Together they explore “good kid trauma,” why even loving homes can unintentionally create relational shame, and how these early scripts shape the way we parent. If you’ve ever struggled to relax or felt responsible for everyone else’s emotions, this conversation offers a compassionate path toward raising emotionally healthy families.

• Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
• Connect with Maggie:
• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Book: Good Kids: Why You Suffered in Silence and How to Break the Cycle

Maggie Nick, LCSW, is a trauma therapist, parenting expert, and author of Good Kids: Why You Suffered in Silence, and How to Break the Cycle (out January 27, 2026). A recovering Good Kid herself — and a former burned-out, overachieving, people-pleasing perfectionist, pushover, and shape-shifting chameleon — Maggie helps people make sense of the invisible cost of growing up as the Good Kid nobody ever needed to worry about, and why so many high-functioning adults still feel anxious, exhausted, and responsible for everyone else. She is the founder of Camp Lovable and the creator of Good Girl Rehab, a membership for women who are done earning rest, done apologizing for having needs, and ready to stop believing they are too much, too needy, or too hard to love. Known for translating complex psychology into language that feels validating, accessible, and deeply human, Maggie’s work helps adults heal themselves — and break cycles for the next generation.

The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less.

Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.

You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.

Confused by labels like “grass-fed,” “natural,” or “organic”? In this episode, Diane talks with Jenni Harris of White Oak Pastures about what’s really happening inside America’s industrialized food system - and why cracks are beginning to show. From fragile supply chains to soil depletion and greenwashing, they unpack the hidden costs behind cheap food and the promise of regenerative farming. You’ll learn how rebuilding soil and decentralizing food production can strengthen communities and increase resilience. This isn’t about perfection—it’s about making more intentional choices at the dinner table.

• Checkout the podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.
• Diane's Resource:
• Connect with Jeni + White Oak Pastures:
• Website
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Blog

Jenni Harris, Will's middle daughter, is a member of the fifth generation of the Harris family to tend cattle at White Oak Pastures. After living on the farm her entire life, Jenni went to Valdosta State University and earned a degree in Business Marketing, graduating in 2009. She remained intimately involved in the family business throughout her studies. Jenni now works for White Oak Pastures full time. As the Director of Marketing, Jenni spends her time focusing on the balance of ecommerce growth and wholesale relationships.

The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!

Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less.

Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.

You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.