freemom, conversations for modern mothers Chelsea O'Donnell

I recently drenched myself in an article from NPR called, “The Period Talk You Never Got” which had me both hysterically reliving awkward after-school tutorials in my elementary school auditorium and feeling completely mortified by how little I actually knew about something that happens to my body every single month. What bothered me even more than my naivety was the fact that menstruation still seems to be this red veil of shame. Sure, we complain about the symptoms to our inner circle of gi...

I had a conversation with another mom recently that inspired this episode today. I myself had a happy, normal childhood with supportive parents that put me on a stable path to adulthood. She sadly, wasn’t so lucky, and we got to talking about how being the “rock” of the family felt so impossible to her. As mothers, we are so often portrayed as unflappable but in a flood of tiny tears, it’s actually really easy to be derailed, especially if those emotions bring up unresolved issues from our pa...

As you probably know, this season is all about uncomfortable conversations and today’s topic might just take the cake. So let’s jump right in. Have you ever imagined what it would feel like to have an affair? Have you ever suspected that your spouse might be cheating? Well, you’re not alone. According to an article by the Institute for Family Studies approximately 20% of men and 13% of women reported that they’ve had sex with someone other than their spouse while married. But this data widely...

As a mom, it can seem almost impossible to think about what would happen if you died. Even preparing for this episode, I started picturing my husband in his grief, searching aimlessly for passwords, digital photos, bank records, and everyday information that lives either online or in my head. Imagine a spouse who just lost their partner, spending hours, days, and months searching for everything. Rectifying bills, closing social media accounts, deleting subscriptions, changing “case of emergen...

How many times have you said “YES” to something that you really just don’t want to do? Maybe it’s a work commitment or a social event, a school function for the kids, or your spouse’s softball game. Whatever it is, you’ve found yourself pinned against the fence and the “yes” drops out your mouth faster than you can catch it. Immediately you might feel some dread, knowing that the commitment is going to mean giving up something you actually do want to do. But god forbid you say no, the guilt w...

When you were a teenager, do you remember how it felt when the latest issue of your favorite magazine arrived in the mail? I love pouring over the pages, ogling all the fashion and beauty that was so far beyond my reach. Compared to now, there was a kind of innocence about media back then - we used to worship untouchable celebrities and models, which is so different to how we carry influencers and content creators in our pockets today. Advertising has become so personal and so clearly in...