Welcome to “Parenting Through Connection” with Megan Lachance, a podcast where we dive into the real struggles and complexities of parenting with honesty, hope, and practical strategies. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of raising kids while juggling life’s demands, you're not alone.
Each episode explores both sides of the parenting journey: managing stress and societal expectations, and building strong, meaningful relationships with your children. We’ll talk about the tough stuff; the things people don’t want to talk about or try to hide yet everyone experiences, the moments of feeling stuck and the times when parenting doesn’t feel like the dream you imagined…the ‘hidden’ parts of parenting that results in yelling, anger & sometimes even rage. Through relatable stories, mini coaching sessions, and actionable tips, Megan will help you break through the barriers that keep you feeling stuck, offering support and encouragement to help you find balance.
Parenting doesn’t have to be a daily struggle. Let’s normalize the challenges, let go of shame, and discover ways to enjoy the journey while strengthening your connection with your kids. So tune into “Parenting Through Connection” for a dose of hope, real talk, and the support you need to thrive as a parent.
Episode 9: More Isn’t Better: Overscheduling, Burnout, and the Power of Family Values
•Megan•Episode 9
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One of the most common decisions parents face is whether to sign their child up for yet another program, sport, or activity. It can feel like saying “yes” is the only way to be a good parent but what if the pressure to do it all is actually hurting our kids and disconnecting our families? In this episode of Parenting Through Connection, we’re talking about the hidden costs of overscheduling and how to step out of the guilt and into alignment with what really matters to your family.
If your days are starting to feel like a never-ending race and you're craving more peace, presence, and time to just be, we’ll explore how returning to your family values can guide your decisions with more clarity and less stress, and why slowing down can be the most powerful thing you do.
What you'll learn in this episode: • Why a full calendar isn’t always a sign of success and what kids really need instead. • The nervous system toll of go-go-go culture on both kids and parents. • The deeper fears and guilt that often drive our over-scheduling and how to quiet them. • How clarifying your family values makes decision-making feel easier and more aligned. • Simple, intentional ways to build in downtime and reconnect with your child, and yourself!
Thanks for tuning in today! If this episode spoke to you, please subscribe, leave a review, or share it with another parent who’s juggling too much. If you're ready to take this work deeper, check out the Connection Blueprint. You’re doing better than you think—and slowing down might be your next brave step.
Every single season. And that is, you know, should I register my child for that program, that class, that team, and more importantly, how much is too much? So let's talk about it. Let's talk about overscheduling, kind of what it looks like, how it impacts our kids, how it impacts our families as a whole, and how coming back to your family values can really guide you in making these decisions with more clarity and less gift. So let's talk about that pressure to do it all. You know, we live in a world where being busy is often seen as being successful. And it's so easy for us to fall into the trap of thinking, you know, if I don't sign them up for soccer now, they're gonna fall behind. What if they miss out? You know, other parents seem to be doing it all. And we really start believing that a full calendar means we're doing our jobs as parents. But here is what I really want you to hear is that more is not better, especially when it comes to your child's schedule. And there are some really, you know, great reasons for this that research shows when we overfill our kids' time, they have this loss of downtime. You know, kids need unstructured time to play, rest, daydream, be bored. This is where things like creativity, problem solving, and also that emotional processing, that integration of, you know, what they've gone through, it's where that happens. It also can lead to nervous system overload. So that constant transitions, performance pressure, no time to regulate can push our kids out of their windows of tolerance, out of their capacity. And this can cause them to have more meltdowns, higher anxiety, even things like sleep issues. And it can also lead to disconnection. When every day is filled with rushing, you know, go, go, go, go, we lose those little pockets of connection, those meals together, those quiet cuddles, those spontaneous conversations. And it's in these moments that's where safety and relationship and attachment grow with our kids. And let's not forget what this does to us as parents. You know, we're the ones driving, organizing, packing the snacks, rearranging our work schedules, trying to fit everything in. And we end up being, you know, on edge and feeling resentful. And it's honestly this the pace is not really sustainable a lot of the time either. And so why do we keep saying yes? It often comes from a really great place, in the sense that we want what is best for our kids. We don't want them to miss out. Or maybe we're even trying to fill some gaps that we felt in our childhood. Sometimes it might be driven by things like anxiety, comparison, or even that shame. And sometimes we say yes because we don't actually know how to say no. We don't have confidence in our no, we don't know why we should be saying no. We don't know what it's rooted in. And that's where our family values can really come in. Because when we are clear on our values, our decisions actually become a lot easier, not just for schedules, but parenting in general. The guilt starts to quiet down, we feel more confident. We just get to do this parenting thing in a way that we really, really love. And so let me give you an example. If one of your family values is connection, then signing up for five nights of different activities that leaves no time for dinner or any space together isn't gonna align. Even if those programs are being, you know, sold to you and marketed to you as really good opportunities. Or maybe your value is rest and emotional wellness. That might mean that you're choosing only one meaningful activity per season and allowing a lot of white space in your week. But when we don't have those values guiding us, every opportunity starts to feel urgent. Every no feels like a lot. But when your choices are grounded in your values, you start choosing intentionally instead of reacting. So here are some questions that you can start to ask yourself when you're in the middle of that, you know, scheduling frenzy, when you're considering a program or a class for your child. You can ask yourself, you know, what value does this support? Is this aligning with our family priorities, or are we doing it because we feel like we should be doing it? Another one is what is the cost? And I'm not just talking about money here, but time, energy, emotional bandwidth, your capacity. You know, what do you have to give up if it's a yes to this? Another question you can ask yourself is, is your child asking for this? Or are you trying to fill something you're worried about? Again, are you trying to fill something from your childhood? Are you trying to fill an expectation someone else has? And even if your child is asking for it, can you realistically support it without overwhelm, without that stress on your family system? And another thing to also do is ask yourself, how will we know if it's too much? So, what signs do you see when you when you become dysregulated, when your children become dysregulated, when your partner can we build in some time to reflect and reassess? Maybe we do that before the next season. What went really well this past season? What did not? Now, if you realize you are overscheduled, that's okay. There's no shame in that. It's just information. I strongly suspect that you are just a parent who is trying to do everything right for your child. So if you notice you are overscheduled, that things aren't working, some things you might want to try instead is building in that protected downtime. Not just for your child, but also for yourself. Maybe this looks like one weekday with zero commitments. You can bring in a family rhythm that includes connection time. Maybe it's just 15 minutes of play or conversation about your day that helps to reset that relationship, connect during that relationship. Once you know your family values, I strongly suggest naming, affirming those values out loud. Even write them on something and post them up in your house. Then when you're having these conversations with your kids, they know your values. So you can bring those in and they're going to know about them. So when you say, you know, in our family, we value rest, fun, time to just be. You know, that's why we're going to be choosing just one activity this season. Your kids now have the why. They have that understanding about why this boundary is coming in. And that makes your job a lot easier. And also letting go of that comparison. This one can be hard, but honestly, just remind yourself what works for another family may not work for yours. And that's okay. We are different people, our kids are different people, our dynamics are different, our needs are different. And so we don't have to be the same. You don't have to do it all. You don't have to sign up for everything. And your child honestly really is not missing out when you prioritize rest and presence and connection. And that's honestly the beauty of parenting through connection is that it invites us to slow down, tune in, and stop making those decisions from fear and instead making them from alignment from our values, from what we actually want. So if you're in the thick of it right now, or even you know, the next time that registration form hits your inbox, I want you to take that deep breath. Remind yourself of your values, even have those conversations with your partner or your kids and trust yourself. You know what to do. It's just can we cut out that noise so that you can do it? I want to thank you so much for joining me today. If this episode resonated with you, I want you to share it with a friend. You know, if you know another parent who is struggling with this, who is trying to navigate this busy season, share this with them. Share this reminder with them. And if you realize you need some more support, if parenting within your values is new to you or something you're still trying to figure out, then my connection blueprint, my 12 module program, is really what you need. It is gonna help you shift from that overwhelm, that stress, that you know, parenting with other people's expectations, with other beliefs that you've been taught. And it's gonna help move you to that intentional, connected, aligned parenting. And you can find that in the comments of this podcast. But I hope you know that you're doing a great job. You got this, and I will see you next time for our next episode.
