• Home
  • About

The Mom Hour

Happier motherhood starts here.

  • Popular Episodes
  • Complete Archives
  • Ages & Stages
    • Babies
    • Toddlers
    • Preschoolers
    • Big Kids
    • Tweens & Teens

in Blog on June 13, 2019 by Meagan Francis

Stressy Wednesdays & The Stories We Stick With

This essay originally appeared in our monthly newsletter for The Mom Hour podcast. To get our emails, subscribe here. –Meagan

Since my ex-husband and I separated over two and a half years ago, we’ve kept roughly the same parenting time schedule. I have the kids part of the weekend and the first half of the week, and Wednesday afternoon, we switch. While I often still get to see the kids on the days that aren’t “mine”, it’s not guaranteed – particularly during the summer, when they’re more likely to be on vacation or just hanging out at his house than bopping around my neighborhood.

For a long time, I filled my “no kids” nights with activities. I thought that being out and about would distract me and keep me from being lonely. But over time, I started to scale back on social engagements, often preferring an extra hour or two of work or an early bedtime to drinks with a friend. Slowly, I learned to accept, and then embrace, a quiet night in, viewing the quiet and solitude as relaxing and productive, rather than lonely and boring.

Except on Wednesdays. Since Wednesdays officially mark the start of my half-week sans kids, in the beginning I made absolutely sure to have plans that evening to help me transition into my alone time. Even after many months went by and the idea of spending an evening alone felt more welcome than scary, I realized that I was still clinging to some kind of fear of being alone on a Wednesday – the anxiety had somehow instilled itself into my muscle memory, causing me to reflexively make plans (or feel stressed when I didn’t have them) even on nights when I really just wanted some peace and quiet.

About two years into the split, tired of spending more money than I wanted to just to avoid the Wednesday blues, I started asking myself, “What is it I really want to do tonight?” when I felt that anxiety creeping in. I was often surprised by the answer. Sometimes I’d realize I really wanted to get ahead on work. Sometimes I’d really want to go sit alone somewhere and enjoy a glass of wine and a salad without talking to anyone. Sometimes I’d want to go to yoga or take a nice long walk. And yes, sometimes I’d really want to meet a friend and have a boisterous chat. But these days, I’m just as likely to choose the quieter option, and for the most part that reflexive Wednesday anxiety has passed.

I thought about my “Stressy Wednesdays” when Sarah and I were recording our recent episode about adventure. From trying out a ropes course to jumping in a kayak, many of the activities we discussed in that episode would have seemed impossible to pull off – or just not worth the effort – when I had babies and toddlers at home. And yet, when I really look back, I know I could have started trying some of these things out years ago. It just took a while for me to realize that I had internalized a message that certain things would be too hard, too time-consuming, too complicated forever. It took a little while for me to catch up with reality, and realize that that the story I was telling myself had once been true, but had become outdated.

This summer, I invite us all to question those often limiting assumptions and stories we tell ourselves.

Maybe last year, the beach was miserable because you had a 20-month old who liked to bolt for the shore. An almost-three-year-old is often a very different animal. Who knows?

Maybe last year your four-year-old decided to drop his afternoon nap the minute preschool let out for break, and the idea of facing down long afternoons with a cranky, whining kid has your stress-muscle-memory flaring up like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. Give it a chance; you may find that the transition this year is so much easier that you can actually brave an occasional trip to the park or Target.

Maybe last year you tried to take your kids out for a hike and they all wound up muddy, miserable, and covered in mosquito bites. If you still hope to make those nature walks a part of you and your kids’ lives, choose a drier day and a shorter path, re-adjust your expectations, and try again.

Sometimes hard stages linger longer than seems fair. But sometimes, in the long run, they’re just a flash in the pan. You won’t really know until you give yourself a chance to try something new, see if it works, and adjust based on a new reality.

And if this new reality still doesn’t involve trips to the beach, calm afternoons, or family hikes, that’s OK. There’s always next year.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: divorce, summer

« Parenting Siblings (Host Swap With Edit Your Life’s Asha Dornfest): Episode 212
Public Mom-Shaming & The Ones Who Suffer »

Listen + Subscribe

Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
Subscribe on Spotify
Subscribe on Amazon Music

save 10% on our fave calendar

Save 10% with code THEMOMHOUR at TheEssentialCalendar.com!

buy our book

click on the image above to pre-order The Mother's Gratitude Journal: An Easy Guide to Capturing Everyday Joys and Milestone Moments

Search

The “Surfboard Kid”

the story behind the "surfboard kid"

Click photo to read the full story behind Meagan's viral "bad parenting" moment...

as seen on

buy our books

The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read:
An How We Let Our Kids Go & Embrace What’s Next
by Meagan Francis

The Mother’s Gratitude Journal:
An Easy Guide to Capturing Everyday Joys
and Milestone Moments
by Meagan Francis and Sarah Powers

looking for something?

find us elsewhere

meaganfrancis.substack.com

sarahjanepowers.substack.com

midlifeladyleisurepursuits.substack.com

We'll leave you with this today, friends. It reall We'll leave you with this today, friends. It really is, for the most part, all gonna be okay. And when it isn't, remember that you're not alone.

💛 Meagan & Sarah
After more than a decade and over 800 hours of con After more than a decade and over 800 hours of conversation, connection, and community, The Mom Hour comes to a close in this final episode. Join Meagan and Sarah as we reflect on what it has meant to share this space with you—our listeners, fellow moms, and, truly, our friends.

Whether you've been with us from the beginning or found us more recently, we hope this episode leaves you with inspiration to carry forward the spirit of The Mom Hour in your everyday life.

You’ve let us into your ears and your lives, and we are endlessly grateful. Thank you for making The Mom Hour what it’s been.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio.

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
Happy Saturday! 😎 It's time for our June spons Happy Saturday! 😎  It's time for our June sponsors roundup, where we remind you of our brand partners and special deals. ALL of our special promo codes and links can be found on the Deals & Offers page on our website. Tap on this image at the link in our bio to check it out.

Thank you for helping support the show by using our links + codes!

Check out our sponsors . . .

🛏️ @zlumberbedtools (15% off Zlumber Lock!)
🎵 @carnegiehall (fun music games & quizzes!)
🍋 @hiyahealth (50% off your 1st order!)
🪑 @wayfair (shop outdoor furniture online!)
👡 @vionicshoes (15% off your entire order!)
🎨 @minted (art, cards, decor & more!)
📚 @chatbooks (the easiest photo books ever!)
☑️ @todoistofficial (2 mo. free of Todoist Pro!)
📅 @theessentialcalendar (10% off calendars!)
It's a bittersweet week for your co-hosts as we bo It's a bittersweet week for your co-hosts as we both recorded our last-ever episode of The Mom Hour (yes, there were tears) AND launched a new project out into the world.

Midlife Lady Leisure Pursuits is not meant to replace, or extend, or even spin off or pivot from The Mom Hour. It's so different in all the ways, from the back-end tech to our intended audience to our goals to our time commitment. That said, it's the same two pals on the mic, and we're having a blast!

MLLP is available wherever you get your podcasts, and we have a Substack for extended show notes. Click this image at the link in our bio.
New episode! What would you like to accomplish be New episode!

What would you like to accomplish before your next milestone birthday? Today Meagan and Sarah share our personal “five before fifty” lists, giving ourselves the next few years to check off some aspirations both lofty and silly (think big travel goals, creative dreams, home improvements and outdoor adventures). Whether you're approaching 30, 40, 50, or just love a good life list, this episode will get you thinking—and maybe even writing your own!

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
New episode! Time is slippery—especially when y New episode!

Time is slippery—especially when you’re standing in midlife, looking both forward and back. Today Meagan and Sarah continue unpacking one of the most elusive and shape-shifting concepts we wrestle with: time. How do we imagine the future, how do we plan for it (tarot cards, anyone?), and how does our relationship to longterm planning and future-casting change in our forties? We explore the common traps we fall into when envisioning what’s next, the lessons that still haven’t quite landed, and how midlife has reshaped our goals, timelines, and even the way we dream.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
New episode! After a decade of sharing the ups an New episode!

After a decade of sharing the ups and downs of motherhood, we're wrapping up The Mom Hour this month—and taking one final episode to update you on the kids who’ve grown up alongside this show. From 12 to 27, our eight kids have been a background-but-constant presence on the podcast, and today we'll share where they are now and how they're each thriving in their own way.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
New episode! As kids grow up, it’s the littlest New episode!

As kids grow up, it’s the littlest reminders that catch us off guard—like discovering a pair of toddler socks or realizing nobody needs a kid’s menu. Join Meagan and Sarah as we share some of the small-but-significant signs that time is, as ever, marching on. It’s a conversation full of warmth, nostalgia, and gentle reminders to savor the stages as they come…and go.

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts
It's the weekend 🎉 and time for our May sponsor It's the weekend 🎉 and time for our May sponsors roundup, where we remind you of our brand partners and special deals. ALL of our special promo codes and links can be found on the Deals & Offers page on our website. Tap on this image at the link in our bio to check it out.

Thank you for helping support the show by using our links + codes!

Check out our new sponsors . . .
🛏️ @zlumberbedtools (15% off Zlumber Lock!)
👶 @sittercity (find high-quality childcare!)

And welcome back . . .
🎵 @carnegiehall (fun music games & quizzes!)
🍋 @hiyahealth (50% off your 1st order!)
🪑 @wayfair (shop outdoor furniture online!)
👡  @vionicshoes (15% off your entire order!)
🎨 @minted (art, cards, decor & more!)
📚 @chatbooks (the easiest photo books ever!)
☑️ @todoistofficial (2 mo. free of Todoist Pro!)
📅 @theessentialcalendar (10% off calendars!)
New episode! Honi asks how our friends are showin New episode!

Honi asks how our friends are showing up for us these days. Laura wonders if we ever get recognized in public (and if it's our faces or our voices that give us away!). Aspiring writer Samm is looking for advice on getting started with writing, Lisa wants to know what we’ll miss most about The Mom Hour, and Erica prompts some reflection on what we’re most proud of as moms. And Ann? She’s eager for the scoop on what’s next—listen to find out!

Find the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or click this image at the link in our bio!

#themomhour #motherhood #mompodcast #podcastsformoms #parenting #parentingpodcast #podcastlove #trypod #podcastersofinstagram #shepodcasts

Copyright © 2025 · Life, Listened
Development by Cipher