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It feels like two people stood up in the room: the mother you want to be, and the child you once were.

If you’ve ever felt hijacked by your own reaction to a toddler meltdown, or paralyzed by the fear that you are "messing up" your kids, this episode is a breath of fresh air. Rachael is joined by Jenni Smith, LCSW, to talk about the gritty reality of reparenting ourselves alongside our children.

We move beyond the script of "perfect parenting" to discuss why postpartum recovery actually takes four years (not six weeks), how to physically release rage without shame, and why the "messiness" of rupture and repair actually builds stronger kids than perfection ever could.

Listen to learn:

• How to identify when you are reacting from a past wound.

• Why "calm" isn't always the goal (and how to regulate loudly).

• The difference between a "story" you’re telling yourself and what is actually happening.

Rooted Exchange turns honest stories into practical tools, so you feel less alone and know what to do next.

If any part of this resonated with you, come be part of the community. Follow + Subscribe so you don’t miss the next Rooted Exchange.

🎧 Listen + subscribe: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rooted-exchange/id1865243283 | 📺 YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/@RootedExchange | 📲 Instagram: @Rooted_Exchange

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What if the real breakthrough in your relationship isn’t the perfect answer…but the moment you stop pretending you have one?

In this episode of Rooted Exchange, I sit down with Noah Thomas (@BigNoKnow) to unpack the invisible weight so many of us carry—women holding emotional labor and mental load, men feeling pressure to provide while staying silent—and how those roles quietly shape the way we fight, shut down, people-please, or over-function.

We talk about what actually helps when things get tense:

• How to assume goodwill (even when you feel activated)
• Simple nervous-system tools to get out of fight-or-flight (box breathing + “catch it / check it / change it”)
• Why vulnerability works best when it’s not a bid for validation—or a way to control your partner
• The underrated repair move: a quiet 30–40 second hold to reconnect when words aren’t working

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m trying so hard to communicate…why do we keep missing each other?”—this conversation will give you language, tools, and a softer way back to each other.

If any part of this resonated with you, come be part of the community. Follow + Subscribe so you don’t miss the next Rooted Exchange.

🎧 Listen + subscribe: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rooted-exchange/id1865243283 | 📺 YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/@RootedExchange | 📲 Instagram: @Rooted_Exchange

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Parenthood can be the happiest thing—and still put your relationship into survival mode. In this episode, I sit down with my husband to tell the truth about our first year: what we took for granted, what got heavy, and the tiny moments that helped us come back.

You’ll leave with:

• A name for the disconnection that can happen after baby
• Why “help” isn’t always doing more, and
• One small way to reconnect when you don’t have words.

If you’re in it, you’re not alone. Subscribe, share with a new parent, and comment the part that hit you.

If any part of this resonated with you, come be part of the community. Follow + Subscribe so you don’t miss the next Rooted Exchange.

🎧 Listen + subscribe: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rooted-exchange/id1865243283 | 📺 YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/@RootedExchange | 📲 Instagram: @Rooted_Exchange