Episode Details

In this solo episode of Wonder in the Weeds, I'm sitting with a question I can't shake: did I overcorrect as a parent? After a recent conversation with my adult daughter about food, body image, and how she feels in her own skin, I realized some of the lessons I worked so hard to pass down landed in ways I never intended.

I grew up in Gen X diet culture, with a mom who carried her own complicated relationship with food, and I swore I'd do it differently for my kids. I tied food to mood, wellbeing, and self-care instead of restriction. But somewhere along the way, my daughter internalized a version of that message I didn't see coming — that if she doesn't feel optimized 100% of the time, something must be wrong with her.

So today I'm unpacking what it means to break cycles as a parent, why "pretty great" parenting is actually great, and why we have to give ourselves grace when our kids turn out to be full, complicated humans instead of the perfectly actualized versions we imagined.

I also share what I'm watching and listening to this week:

🎬 Rooster on HBO (Steve Carell, Connie Britton, Phil Dunster)

🎙️ Diabolical Lies podcast with Caro Burke and Katie Gatti Tassin

🎵 Still on my Noah Kahan kick

If you're a parent of teens or adult kids, a cycle-breaker, or someone learning to release the pressure of perfect parenting — this one's for you.

⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:31 Did I overcorrect? 07:00 My complicated relationship with food 16:23 Pretty great parenting is enough 23:08 What I'm watching: Rooster (HBO) 27:00 What I'm listening to: Diabolical Lies 30:54 Final thoughts for parents

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