The Mom Room

Sam Kelly shares how to stop carrying the entire mental load of motherhood by teaching your children to notice and do.
Sam Kelly, creator and author of Notice and Do, joins Renee to dismantle the cycle of unequal domestic labor. They discuss the frustration of acting as the family's default manager and why waiting for a partner to notice needs is not a sustainable long-term solution. Instead of continuing to carry the invisible workload, Sam outlines a practical framework for empowering children to own their household responsibilities. From noticing garbage on the floor to managing laundry cycles, Sam explains how even young toddlers can learn to see what needs to be done. They discuss why this is a direct path to raising empathetic, capable children and how to initiate these shifts when you are already feeling burned out and overwhelmed.

Pre-order Sam's new book Notice and Do wherever you buy your books and follow her at @samkelly_world.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
AquaOmega: For your daily dose of Omega-3's, go to myaquaomega.com/MOMROOM and use code MOMROOM for 20% off.
Cozy Earth: Head to https://cozyearth.com and use my code MOMROOM for an exclusive 20% off home and sleepwear.
Freestyle: Get 30% off your first 3 months of a Freestyle diaper subscription at freestyle.world/MOMROOM with code MOMROOM. That's a full month of premium diapers delivered to your door for just $49/month for your first 3 months.
HIYA: Receive 50% off your first order at hiyahealth.com/MOMROOM.
Oak Essentials: Use code MOMROOM at oakessentials.com to get 15% OFF your first purchase!
Quince: Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/MOMROOM. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
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RENEE REINA
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Listener Favourite Replay: Mom Rage, Parenting Guilt, and Repair
Have you ever completely lost your patience with your kids, reacted in a way you immediately regretted, and then spent the rest of the day feeling like the worst mom in the world?
You're definitely not alone.
In this listener favourite episode of The Mom Room, Renee revisits one of the most relatable and least talked about experiences in motherhood: mom rage.
Inspired by the book Mom Rage: The Everyday Crisis of Modern Motherhood by Minna Dubin, Renee breaks down the five phases of the mom rage cycle, from the slow buildup of frustration and overwhelm to the emotional explosion, the shame that follows, and the importance of repairing with our children.
She also shares a very personal experience involving a bedtime battle with Milo that left her feeling overwhelmed, angry, and incredibly guilty the following morning.
Why do moms sometimes feel an anger they've never experienced before having children? Why can we handle the exact same parenting situation calmly one day and completely lose it the next? And why are we so quick to focus on the moments we lose our patience while forgetting the hundreds of times we managed to keep it together?
This episode is an honest conversation about the mental load of motherhood, emotional regulation, parenting triggers, maternal anger, mom guilt, and why repairing with our children matters so much.
Because being a good mom doesn't mean never getting angry. It means recognizing our emotions, taking responsibility for our reactions, and continuing to learn and grow.
If you've ever lost your temper with your kids and felt terrible afterward, this episode is for you.
Listen, share it with a mom who needs to hear it, and remember that these are conversations worth having.
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Craig Conover, Southern Charm star and now children’s book author, joins The Mom Room this week to talk about his new book Patch Work! Craig was bullied pretty horribly as a kid, and his book follows little Craig, who just wants to sew for the school talent show.
Renee and Craig discuss why so many kids carry bullying alone instead of telling their parents, how to be the safe space your child actually opens up to, and what to teach the kids who see bullying happen and aren’t sure what to do. Craig also shares how being bullied shaped him as an adult, from feeling misunderstood to dealing with online hate as a reality TV star, and why he believes happy people don’t write mean things on the internet.

Grab a copy of Patch Work: Bee Brave. Bee Kind. Bee You.
https://a.co/d/08C3sGYL

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
AquaOmega: For your daily dose of Omega-3's, go to myaquaomega.com/MOMROOM and use code MOMROOM for 20% off.
Cozy Earth: Head to https://cozyearth.com and use my code MOMROOM for an exclusive 20% off home and sleepwear.
Freestyle: Get 30% off your first 3 months of a Freestyle diaper subscription at freestyle.world/MOMROOM with code MOMROOM. That's a full month of premium diapers delivered to your door for just $49/month for your first 3 months.
HIYA: Receive 50% off your first order at hiyahealth.com/MOMROOM.
Oak Essentials: Use code MOMROOM at oakessentials.com to get 15% OFF your first purchase!
Quince: Download the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to Quince.com/MOMROOM. Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada and the UK, too.
Skims Undergarments: Shop SKIMS Fits Everybody collection at http://www.skims.com/momroom #skimspartner
Wayfair: Head to Wayfair.com or shop the Wayfair app for all things home.
Zenni: Go to zenni.com/PODCAST and use code PODCAST15 for 15% OFF your first order, plus free shipping on all US orders over $65.

RENEE REINA
Instagram: @themomroom | @thereneereina
TikTok: @thereneereina
Facebook Community - The Mom Room Community
Youtube: Renee Reina - The Mom Room Podcast
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

October 8th, 2026: Why are we measuring a good family vacation by how many nights we get for our money? And why did nobody warn us about the itchy ears?!
In this solo episode of The Mom Room, Renee shares the symptoms she’s been experiencing that she associates with perimenopause, from dry eyes and itchy ears to ringing ears, night sweats, and increasingly sensitive skin. She also chats about her struggles with dermatitis around her mouth, the skincare product she’s been loving, and why switching up her shampoo has left her regretting her choices.
Then, Renee gets into an epiphany that’s changing how she thinks about family travel. When a short trip to New York costs as much as several nights at an all-inclusive, it’s easy to choose the longer vacation. But are more nights away always more valuable than a new experience your family is genuinely excited about?
From wanting to take Milo to see Aladdin on Broadway to planning a tennis-filled trip to Palm Springs, Renee talks about choosing vacations around your family’s interests, making meaningful memories, and looking beyond the usual “more bang for your buck” calculation. Plus, the desert discovery that quickly made her rethink an Airbnb.
A candid conversation about perimenopause, life at 41, and figuring out what we actually want from our time away.
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October 6th, 2026: A missing service dog, an emotional roller coaster, and an unexpected lesson in speaking up and doing the right thing... this solo episode of The Mom Room covers a LOT.
Renee shares what happened when her sister’s service dog, Van, went missing in North Bay, Ontario, and how she helped from hours away. From targeted Instagram ads and local news outreach to missing dog posters and community groups, she breaks down the ways she rallied support, and why the tears really started AFTER Van was found safe.
Then, a scary encounter with a reckless driver while Milo was in the car leads to a call to the police and a conversation about doing the right thing. How do we teach our kids to speak up when someone is putting others in danger or being bullied? Sometimes, those parenting conversations happen when we least expect them.
Plus: Renee reveals her Disney Halloween costume, reminisces about her favourite sitcoms, and gets distracted by Backstreet Boys tickets. Just a regular day in The Mom Room.
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