Why does it feel like so many kids are anxious, overwhelmed, and melting down lately?

I break down what’s really behind the rise in childhood anxiety — and it’s not just behavior, temperament, or “bad habits.”

Children’s nervous systems are biologically wired for slowness, rhythm, predictability, and unstructured play, yet modern life moves at an adult pace: rushed mornings, packed schedules, overstimulating screens, and constant transitions. This mismatch is leaving kids disregulated — and their anxiety often shows up through sleep struggles, meltdowns, stomach aches, emotional outbursts, and difficulty handling small challenges.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- Why anxiety in kids shows up in behavior, not words

- How overstimulation and packed schedules dysregulate the nervous system

- The hidden cost of too many transitions and activities

- Why unstructured play and boredom are essential for emotional regulation

- How parental stress directly impacts a child’s nervous system

- Why doing less, not more, is often the solution

- Simple ways to slow mornings, afternoons, and bedtime routines

- How to create rhythm without rigidity in your home

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Follow us on Instagram: @hatchandbloomco instagram.com/hatchandbloomco

Visit our website: https://www.hatchandbloom.co/

Produced by Haynow Media: https://haynowmedia.com/

What if friendship isn’t meant to look the same in every season of your life?

In this deeply honest and affirming episode of Help Them Bloom, host Evelyn Mendal sits down with Rebecca Smith, founder of Mamala Organics, for a powerful conversation about adult friendship, motherhood, identity, and the invisible emotional labor women carry – especially after becoming moms.

From postpartum isolation and “playdate friendships” to soul-level connections and modeling healthy relationships for our children, this episode explores why not every friend can meet every need – and why that realization can be incredibly freeing.

Friendships exist for reasons, seasons, and lifetimes. Together, Evelyn and Rebecca unpack how women can release guilt, comparison, and unrealistic expectations – and instead build intentional, values-aligned friendships that support who we are now.

This episode is for any woman who has ever thought:

“Why do friendships feel harder now?”

“Is something wrong with me?”

“Will I ever find my people again?”

✨ Spoiler: You will.

About the Guest: https://linkin.bio/mamala

Rebecca Smith is the founder of Mamala Organics, a line of organic, functional support snacks created to nourish women through postpartum healing and beyond—because women deserve food that supports their bodies, not just their kids’.

Learn more about Mamala Organics: https://www.mamalaorganics.com/

Follow Mamala Organics: https://www.instagram.com/mamala_organics

Chapters:

00:00 Setting the stage: friendship, motherhood & seasons of life

08:55 Introducing Rebecca Smith, Founder of Mamala Organics

011:45 Why adult friendships feel different after becoming a mom

12:45 The isolation of early motherhood & misaligned life timing

14:20 Can you really make lifelong friends later in life?

16:45 Releasing disappointment & categorizing friendships by purpose

17:15 Seeking value-aligned friendships intentionally

19:30 “Your partner can’t be everything” — redefining emotional support

21:30 Letting friendships ebb and flow without guilt

24:10 The power of women’s circles & intentional female community

25:45 Choosing the right energy around your kids

26:35 How adult friendships shape children’s social blueprints

31:15 Belonging vs. authenticity (for kids and adults)

32:30 Preparing kids for social challenges at every age

35:15 Mamala Organics: postpartum nourishment & food as medicine

Subscribe to Help Them Bloom:

Follow us on Instagram: @hatchandbloomco instagram.com/hatchandbloomco

Visit our website: https://www.hatchandbloom.co/

Produced by Haynow Media: https://haynowmedia.com/

What if the hardest parts of parenting have nothing to do with your kids—and everything to do with what you carry?

Andrea Paola, psychologist and parent coach reveals why modern parenting feels so overwhelming—and what’s actually underneath the guilt, burnout, and emotional triggers so many of us experience.

Andrea opens up about her personal journey through intergenerational trauma, family constellations, inner child work, and breaking the patterns she inherited—especially after becoming a mother to her daughter, Violeta.

In this episode of Help Them Bloom with Evelyn Mendal, you'll learn:

- Why parenting activates our deepest wounds

- How our 0–6 childhood years shape everything

- Why “mom guilt” is so universal

- What family constellations revealed about Andrea’s past

- How to stop parenting from the wounded child within

- How curiosity—not perfection—creates healing

- Why true parenting transformation starts with us, not our kids

Learn more about Andrea's work: https://linktr.ee/iamandreapaola?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

Timestamps:

00:00 The Reality of Parenting

02:38 Generational Patterns and Their Impact

05:28 Family Constellations: A Path to Healing

08:13 The Inner Child and Parenting Dynamics

11:10 Navigating Fear and Anxiety in Parenting

14:07 Creating Safe Spaces for Children

16:55 The Journey of Self-Discovery

19:43 Building New Family Dynamics

22:46 Choosing What to Carry Forward

25:38 Empathy and Connection in Parenting

Subscribe to Help Them Bloom:

Follow us on Instagram: @hatchandbloomco instagram.com/hatchandbloomco

Visit our website: https://www.hatchandbloom.co/

Produced by Haynow Media: https://haynowmedia.com/

What if the real tension in your relationship isn’t actually about parenting—but about the ache of feeling unheard, unseen, and misunderstood?

Jordanne Sculler, Psychotherapist at Jordanne Sculler, LMHC, unpacks the complex emotional undercurrents that surface the moment children enter a relationship. She explores how unresolved histories, mismatched communication styles, and old attachment patterns quietly shape the way partners navigate parenthood.

A specialist in relationship work and couples therapy, Jordanne helps partners truly understand one another, communicate with clarity and intention, and rebuild emotional connection—especially during the early parenting years when life feels especially chaotic, triggering, and unfamiliar.

If you’re overwhelmed by sleep struggles, discipline differences, mental load imbalance, fading intimacy, or a painful sense of disconnect, this episode offers the insight, tools, and validation you need to begin finding your way back to each other.

In this episode of Help Them Bloom with Evelyn Mendal, you’ll learn:

- Why parenting exposes differences in upbringing and values

- What really happens when partners have opposite parenting styles

- The co-sleeping debate: a real client example broken down

- How to communicate without getting defensive

- The Imago technique for actually hearing each other

- Why curiosity is the most underrated relationship skill

- How to find alignment—not sameness—in how you raise your kids

- And why no one is prepared for the transformation that comes with becoming a parent

Learn more about Jordanne's practice: https://www.jordannescullerlmhc.com/

Follow Jordanne on social: https://www.instagram.com/jordannesculler/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Relationship Dynamics

01:52 Navigating Parenting Styles in Relationships

05:34 The Importance of Communication and Understanding

11:19 Finding Common Ground in Parenting

16:50 Respecting Each Other's Parenting Approaches

18:50 Navigating Parental Dynamics

20:41 The Impact of Arguments on Children

25:26 Fostering Connection Post-Children

33:30 Deepening Relationship Through Curiosity

Subscribe to Help Them Bloom:

Follow us on Instagram: @hatchandbloomco instagram.com/hatchandbloomco

Visit our website: https://www.hatchandbloom.co/

Produced by Haynow Media: https://haynowmedia.com/

If your sweet, easygoing child is suddenly rolling their eyes, pushing boundaries, or questioning everything… you are NOT alone.

Kirsten Cobabe — former therapist, parent coach, and the internet’s beloved Teen Whisperer — joins Help The Bloom with Evelyn Mendal to unpack one of the biggest developmental shifts your child will ever go through: the transition from childhood into the tween and teen years.

Evelyn also opens up about her own 10‑year‑old entering this new territory — and the fears, unknowns, and “against the system” pressures so many modern parents face.

Kirsten drops truth bombs about:

- Why your tween suddenly sees you differently

- What’s really happening in their brain (hint: it’s not “just hormones”)

- Individuation — why pushing back is healthy

- How to stay connected even when the attitude shows up

- Why authenticity matters more than perfection

- How parents can support teens in a world obsessed with performance, grades, and achievement

- The identity crisis that begins as early as 9–10 years old

- How to preserve the most important thing of all: your relationship

Follow Kirsten on Instagram: @kirstencobabe https://www.instagram.com/kirstencobabe/?hl=en

Learn about Parenting Wave:

https://www.instagram.com/parentingwave/?hl=en

https://www.parentingwave.com/

Subscribe to Help Them Bloom:

Follow us on Instagram: @hatchandbloomco instagram.com/hatchandbloomco

Visit our website: https://www.hatchandbloom.co/

Produced by Haynow Media: https://haynowmedia.com/

Why does potty training feel like the ultimate parenting stress test?

In this episode of Help Them Bloom, host Evelyn Mendal, parenting and child development expert, dives deep into one of the most anxiety-inducing milestones for parents — potty training.

Evelyn is joined by Tabby Pool, a Miami-based potty training consultant and pediatric occupational therapist with 15+ years of experience across the UK, Australia, and South Africa, and Elena Ducoin, mom and inventor of My Bee Bear, a unique potty training underwear designed for both day and night use.

Together, they unpack:

- Why potty training is such a developmental challenge — not just a “three-day method.”

- How cultural expectations have shaped unrealistic timelines.

- The real signs of readiness (and what not to focus on).

- How to make the process less of a power struggle — and maybe even fun!

- The story behind a mom’s creative invention that changed nighttime training forever.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Potty Training Challenges

01:51 Understanding the Stress of Potty Training

04:44 Signs of Potty Readiness

07:09 Cultural Shifts in Potty Training Practices

08:40 Personal Experiences with Potty Training

12:00 Innovative Solutions for Nighttime Potty Training

15:58 Creating a Supportive Environment for Potty Training

19:28 No Pressure Approach to Potty Training

24:49 Addressing Regression and Withholding in Potty Training

26:26 Understanding Constipation in Children

31:06 Addressing Fears Around Toilet Use

35:05 Strategies for Daytime and Nighttime Potty Training

41:59 Recognizing Red Flags in Toilet Training

48:12 Innovative Solutions for Potty Training Challenges

Follow along on Instagram: @hatchandbloomco instagram.com/hatchandbloomco

Visit the website: https://www.hatchandbloom.co/

Produced by Haynow Media: https://haynowmedia.com/

Feeling alone in your fertility journey? You’re not.

Sarita Broda, MFT, a specialist in reproductive mental health, unpacks the emotional, relational, and societal impacts of fertility challenges, miscarriage, and IVF. From navigating grief and loss, managing anxiety and fear, to reclaiming your identity through the journey,

Sarita shares insights from her work supporting individuals and couples through reproductive mental health challenges, including:

- Coping with the grief of miscarriage and failed cycles

- Navigating anxiety, fear, and the uncertainty of fertility treatments

- How fertility struggles affect identity, relationships, and your sense of self

- Practical tools for emotional regulation, resilience, and support

Timestamps:

0:00 – Introduction: Evelyn & Sarita

3:41 – How fertility work found Sarita

8:03 – Emotional, relational & societal impacts of fertility challenges

18:01 – Understanding miscarriage & ambiguous loss

29:48 – Identity shifts during fertility journeys

35:32 – Finding joy & maintaining self outside fertility

Follow along on Instagram: @hatchandbloomco instagram.com/hatchandbloomco Visit the website: https://www.hatchandbloom.co/Produced by Haynow Media: https://haynowmedia.com/

Parents, does brushing your child’s teeth feel like a daily battle? You’re not alone.

Pediatric dentist Dr. Yamila Garber shares practical strategies to turn nightly power struggles into calm, confident routines—and set your child up for a lifetime of healthy smiles. From tackling toddler teeth brushing, choosing the right toothpaste, and flossing tips, to managing thumb-sucking and pacifier habits, Dr. Gerber gives actionable advice every parent can use—without stress, tears, or anxiety.

Learn:

- How parental energy affects children’s dental anxiety

- The best age to start dental visits and why early visits matter

- Tips for toddler and preschool teeth brushing (yes, even the fussy ones!)

- Pacifier and thumb-sucking strategies that actually work

- How to make oral hygiene fun and stress-free for the whole family

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction to Dental Anxiety

02:46 Understanding Dental Fear in Children

05:38 The Importance of Early Dental Visits

08:23 Brushing Techniques and Tips for Kids

11:35 Navigating Dental Care Challenges

14:23 Choosing the Right Dental Products

17:17 Creating a Fun Dental Routine

19:27 Navigating Thumb Sucking Challenges

27:01 Understanding Eating Habits and Cavity Prevention

33:25 Building Healthy Dental Relationships