Podcast
Catholic Mom Calm
Hosted by Sterling Jaquith · EN
Calling all Catholic moms! Did you know it's possible to do this Catholic motherhood thing without losing your mind? Parenting these days is so hard because most of us are doing it without the tools we need. I'm Sterling Jaquith, a homeschool mom to six young kids, a business owner and I teach busy Catholic moms how to have more peace in their lives and homes.
Each week on the Catholic Calm Mom podcast, I'll give you practical tools for calming yourself down, discerning what God wants you to do, and making rock-solid plans so life doesn't feel so overwhelming. If you're a Catholic mom, you're in the right place. Life is about to get so much better!
And if you love the content of this podcast, check out all tools we offer at www.catholicmomcalm.com.
27episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Good Mom Summer
2w ago00:24:07Tap to summarize⛱️ Fun & Simple Summer: https://catholicmomcalm.com/fun-simple-summer 😎 Good Mom Summer: https://catholicmomcalm.com/good-mom-summer 🥰 Catholic Finishing School: https://catholicfinishingschool.com/ I'm a good mom. (And so are you. We're going to practice that all summer.) Sterling had a light bulb moment while recording the Fun & Simple Summer program — and it changed her entire summer plan. All the pressure moms feel about screen time, summer camps, boredom, sibling bickering, what the kids are eating... it's all sitting on top of one belief: I'm not a good mom. In this episode, Sterling shares what she's doing about it — for herself, for the moms inside Catholic Mom Calm, and (in a roundabout way) for her own teenagers who definitely do not want to be life coached by their mother. You'll hear: Why telling yourself you're a bad mom for 40 years is genuinely crazy — and the pilot analogy that makes it impossible to unsee What Sterling is personally working on with her own kids this summer (hint: it involves catching people being kind) Why she's sneaking into Catholic Finishing School this summer to teach teenage girls how to believe new things How believing you're a good mom makes you a better problem solver — immediately The 30-second version of changing what you believe about yourself ⛱️ Fun & Simple Summer: https://catholicmomcalm.com/fun-simple-summer 😎 Good Mom Summer: https://catholicmomcalm.com/good-mom-summer 🥰 Catholic Finishing School: https://catholicfinishingschool.com/
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Fun & Simple Summer
2w ago00:11:00Tap to summarizeA 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.)
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Being Okay with an Uncertain Future
3w ago00:11:49Tap to summarizeWhat 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.
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Overwhelmed Mom
3w ago00:23:00Tap to summarize"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.
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Tight Budget, Then Surprise Gift
3w ago00:16:09Tap to summarizeHe 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.
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Things Are Weird Right Now
4w ago00:16:42Tap to summarizeSomething 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/
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A Mindful Mother's Day
May 400:25:48Tap to summarizeYou get to decide how Mother's Day goes. All of it. In this episode, Sterling gets honest about why Mother's Day feels so loaded — and why no amount of flowers, brunch, or Pandora bracelets will fix the real problem. In this episode: Why your family can't give you what you actually want on Mother's Day (and whose job it actually is) The thoughts that turn a mediocre Sunday into a devastating one — and how to catch them How to ask for exactly what you want without resentment when it doesn't happen Why interior peace on Mother's Day is a barometer for something much bigger Plus: Sterling shares what she's been doing to get her own sparkle back, the app that's coming soon, and a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to France for mothers and daughters. You are a good mom. God sees all of it — and he doesn't need a special day to tell you that. Check out our mother/daughter pilgrimage to France: https://catholicmomcalm.com/france/ NEW! Emotional Regulation stories for kids: https://www.catholicatholickids.com/
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Let Them Be Wrong About You (And Find Peace)
Mar 1100:11:08Tap to summarizeDo you struggle when someone believes something about you that isn't true? Do you feel the need to correct them… defend yourself… convince them… make them understand? One of the fastest ways to improve your relationships is this: Let them be wrong about you. In this episode, we talk about: Why we desperately want others to understand us How the need to control someone's opinion creates anger and disconnection Why defensiveness damages relationships What true charity looks like in disagreement How the saints handled being misunderstood Why interior peace matters more than being seen as "right" You cannot control what other people think about you. But you can control: What you think How you show up Whether you respond with bitterness or with love Holiness often looks like calm charity when someone misunderstands you. You don't need to posture. You don't need to prove. You don't need to win. You can let them be wrong — and love them anyway. You are called to charity. And charity begins in your thoughts. 💜 Sterling
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Should You Have Another Baby?
Mar 900:11:48Tap to summarizeShould you have another baby… or not? This is one of the most tender and weighty discernment questions a Catholic mom can face. If you're waking up thinking about another baby… If your heart feels pulled toward growing your family… Or if you feel confused because your husband isn't on the same page… Let's slow it down. In this episode, we talk about: Whether desire for a baby comes from the Lord A simple prayer to clarify your heart How to approach this conversation with your husband What to do if one spouse wants a baby and the other doesn't How to examine your reasons for saying "yes" or "no" Fear vs. discernment Infertility, hyper-fertility, and trusting God in both This decision is not just about logistics. It's about desire. It's about trust. It's about sainthood. God is not a trickster. He does not give holy desires without unity. And He does not give us a spirit of fear. Whether your path is another baby, waiting, or something unexpected — He is forming you through it. You are not alone in this discernment. He is with you. 💜 Sterling
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Your Husband Doesn't Want You To Homeschool
Mar 700:16:15Tap to summarizeYou want to homeschool your kids… but your husband isn't on board. Now what? This is one of the most emotionally charged decisions a Catholic mom can face — because underneath the schooling question is something deeper: "Am I doing a good job?" "Are my kids going to be okay?" "What if something bad happens?" In this episode, we slow it down. We talk about: Why you want to homeschool (and what feeling you're actually chasing) The difference between fear and discernment Why every schooling option has both beauty and drawbacks How to tell if God is truly calling you to homeschool Why God is not a trickster How to approach your husband with peace instead of panic What to do if you feel called… and he still says no Most moms approach this conversation rooted in fear. But fear does not come from the Lord. If God is calling you to something, He will bring unity. He will bring clarity. And He will take care of your children — because they are His first. Your job is not to control every outcome. Your job is to discern and trust. You are stewarding souls. God loves them even more than you do. 💜 Sterling
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