Catholic Mom Calm

A Fun and Simple Summer (How to Decide Right Now What Kind of Summer You're Going to Have)
Grab FREE Fun & Simple Summer Here: https://catholicmomcalm.com/fun-simple-summer
You've seen "analog summer" all over the internet — but Sterling's going with fun and simple. Because when you choose simplicity, especially simplicity in your mind, you stop yelling at the kids so much. Funny how that works.
In this episode, Sterling walks you through the radical idea that you actually get to decide what kind of summer you're going to have — not based on what happens, but based on what you think about what happens. She shares the exact thoughts her brain wants to offer ("there's so many kids, it's so hot, it's only 9 AM…") and the thoughts she's choosing instead. Plus a peek at her real summer plans: a daily reading hour, skipping the Costco pool this year, more lake days (crunchy 11 minutes and all), and what to do when an ant invasion threatens your good vibes.
No comparison summers here, my friend. Eyes on your own paper.
Grab the FREE Fun & Simple Summer Workbook + 15-minute class here: https://catholicmomcalm.com/fun-simple-summer
Sterling walks you through deciding ahead of time about screen time, snacks, "I'm bored," sibling bickering, scheduling, plus 50 mom hacks, a thought-swap chart, and a Reset the Day plan for when everything blows up at 9:15 AM. (Because it might.)

What are you doing with your life? (The answer is simpler than you think.)
Sterling's 15 and 12-year-old came to her in genuine distress. They didn't know if they were going to be nuns or moms, and their brains were convinced that figuring out the future was the key to feeling settled today.
Sound familiar?
In this episode, Sterling shares the conversation she had with her girls — and what she told them that changed everything. Spoiler: knowing your vocation doesn't fix the uncertainty of being human. Being married doesn't fix it. Having six kids doesn't fix it.
But there is one thing that does.
You'll learn:
Why obsessing over the future is actually a trick that keeps you from living today
What the Baltimore Catechism has to do with your anxiety about next year
The 5-minute prayer practice that makes everything clearer
Why "what do you want me to do today, Lord?" is the most powerful question you can ask
And why Idaho wasn't even a state to Sterling before she moved there — and what that means for your plans
This episode is for the woman who is waiting to feel settled before she starts living. The good news: you don't have to wait.

"The melancholy side of me just isn't having it."
A mom wrote in with paragraphs of feelings — the wounds work, the hormones, the hard days, the confusion about why she still can't seem to get on top of it all. Sterling read every word. And then she said something that might surprise you.
In this episode, Sterling breaks down one of the most common ways we use self-help work against ourselves — and why "learning land" might be keeping you more stuck than you realize.
You'll learn:
Why confusion is often a spiritual attack — and what to do about it
The difference between wounds work and managing your mind today
Why seven bad days a month is actually normal (and what changes when you know that)
How to stop indulging thoughts that are creating your suffering — without toxic positivity
Why bad days don't mean your life is bad
This one is for the woman who is doing all the work and still having hard days. You're not broken. You're just human. And there's something available to you right now — no healing required.

He spent $1,500 on her for Mother's Day. She felt terrible.
A mom wrote in with a situation that sounds simple on the surface — her husband surprised her with an expensive gift she'd actually been wanting. So why did it feel so bad?
In this episode, Sterling breaks down exactly why a generous gift can land all wrong, and what it reveals about the thoughts we've been carrying for months without realizing it.
You'll learn:
Why his comments about the grocery budget created anxiety that was actually optional
The difference between him having an off day about money and a real financial problem
How to know if you actually have "blueberry money" — even when it doesn't feel like it
What it looks like to receive a gift well, and why it matters more than you think
Why your husband's feelings don't determine yours — and how to stop letting them
This episode is for any woman who has ever felt confused, conflicted, or quietly resentful when something good happened — and didn't understand why.

Something feels off right now — and you're not imagining it.
In this unplanned episode, Sterling sits down to say out loud what so many moms are feeling but don't have language for: it is genuinely weird to be raising kids right now.
In this episode:
Why so many of us feel unsettled but can't articulate it
What skills actually matter to teach our kids when we can't see the future
Why scrolling to cope makes total sense (and how to stop beating yourself up for it)
The one thing we can hold onto when everything feels uncertain
You don't need a perfect plan for this season. You need someone to say "me too" — and remind you that He wins in the end.
Check out our mother/daughter pilgrimage to France: https://catholicmomcalm.com/france/
NEW! Emotional Regulation stories for kids: https://www.catholicatholickids.com/