Not Quite Grownup

Caitlin Kindred
  • 4.9 (164)
  • How To
  • Updated Weekly

For elder millennial moms who are politically progressive, emotionally exhausted, and sick of “perfect‑parent” propaganda. This podcast is a warm, funny, and unapologetic space for moms who want to laugh, cry, and rage at the world without pretending they’ve got it all together. We talk about parenting, mental health, and politics the way real friends do—messy, honest, and full of grace. If you’re tired of performative parenting content and want a show that centers empathy, accountability, and joy, this is your safe space. New episodes drop Tuesdays. Find us at ckandgkpodcast.com or @not_quite_grownup on social media.

  1. Jun 2

    Sane Mom Summer: Why Summer Breaks Moms—And a Better Way to Cope

    Send us a Text! Summer is supposed to be relaxing. Barefoot kids, popsicles, pool days, sleeping in. So why does it make you feel like you're barely holding it together? The answer isn't that you're doing something wrong. Summer genuinely breaks moms—not because you're weak, but because the structure you've been relying on all year suddenly disappears and gets replaced with a thousand tiny decisions you have to make every single day. This episode is about why that happens, what it actually costs you, and how to get through summer without completely losing your sh*t. — You Need This Episode If... Summer has you making decisions from 6 AM to bedtime with no breaksYou're feeling guilty for not making summer "special" enoughYou're exhausted by the constant "what should we do today?" questionsYou want practical ways to protect your sanity (not add more to your plate)— What You'll Get Why summer breaks moms: The decision fatigue that comes from losing routineHow the pressure to make summer "magical" actually works against youWhat your nervous system actually needs during unstructured monthsWhat "sane" actually looks like: Four realistic weekly goalsPermission to lower the bar without guiltReal talk about what your kids actually rememberPractical ways to cope: How to pre-decide choices so you're not deciding the same thing every dayBuilding tiny rituals that protect your peaceProtecting your evenings (and why it matters)Setting boundaries around the pressure to perform in the summer— Your Host Caitlin is a former teacher, current mom, someone who is already losing her mind in June, and someone who’s learning that surviving summer break with your sanity intact is the real win this season. — Summer doesn't need to be amazing. It needs to be survivable in a way that leaves you still liking yourself and your kids at the end of August. Give yourself permission to lower the bar. It’s enough to just get through it. — Sources & Mentions Read the blog post → Subscribe so you never miss an episode → Have a topic you want me to cover? Send me a text using the link at the top of the show notes. Love you, mean it. — Next episode: Building real confidence, bathing suit season aside. The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    17 min

  2. May 19

    Why 'Forgive, Don't Forget' is Actually the Ultimate Self-Care

    Send us a Text! Senior year of college. My best friend and roommate. An envelope of cash in the freezer, a lie about her father dying, expensive purses showing up, and then a "break-in" so terrifying that I got in a cop car and drove around looking for the alleged attacker. Weeks later, I found out the truth from a newspaper headline. The entire thing was staged. No confession. No apology. From the newspaper. In front of other people. This episode is about what forgiveness looks like when the person who hurt you won't own it, and you still have to figure out how to move forward without letting rage live in your body forever. Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!— You Need This Episode If... You're stuck waiting for an apology that's never comingYou're exhausted by the anger but don't know how to put it downYou keep rehearsing what you'd say if they ever acknowledged what they didYou're worried about the next steps after forgiveness— What You'll Get The story: A friendship betrayal so bizarre it still stings, and the years of grief, rumination, and rage that followed What forgiveness isn'tWhat forgiveness actually isWhat "forgive but don't forget" really means:How to know when you’ve reached a turning point— Your Host Caitlin is a former teacher, current mom, someone who lost her best friend and most of her social circle to a betrayal she found out about in a newspaper, and someone who learned the real meaning of forgiveness. — Sources & Mentions Apology and Forgiveness in Reconciliation: How Words Can Mend | Beyond IntractabilityOn Rupture and Repair: A Relational Approach | RIAP Psychological ServicesApology and Restitution: The Psychophysiology of Forgiveness After Wrongdoing | PMCForgiveness in Close Relationships | Very Well MindForgiveness and Reconciliation | Stanford Encyclopedia— What’s Next Planning my summer series! Starting after Memorial Day, episodes will release every other week so I can have a little summer and put some things together. Have a topic you want me to cover? Send me a text using the link at the top of the show notes. Love you, mean it. The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    20 min

  3. May 12

    'Sorry Not Sorry': How to Protect Yourself When Accountability Never Comes

    Send us a Text! Someone hurt you. You did the brave thing and called them out for it. And then they responded with denial, minimizing, blame-shifting, or the classic non-apology: "I'm sorry you're upset." That moment can make you feel dismissed and a little unsteady—like you need to build a courtroom case just to prove your own experience. This episode is about what to do when someone hurts you and refuses accountability. When repair isn't mutual. When they deny, deflect, or gaslight—and still expect access to you and your family. Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!— You Need This Episode If... You've named your hurt and been met with deflection ("That's not what I meant," "You're too sensitive," "Why are you still on about that?")You're stuck between wanting to repair the relationship and realizing they're not interested in owning their partYou keep rehearsing the "perfect speech" in your head that will finally make them understandYou need scripts for stepping away from arguments that go nowhere— What You'll Get How to spot non-accountability patterns, like common deflection lines that invalidate your feelingsWhy you can't force accountability (and what to do instead) and scripts to stop the argument and step awayTraps to avoid, like over-explaining and performative forgivenessQuestions to ask yourself for using boundaries as risk management (How much access should they have to you? What do you need to stop expecting from this person?)Practical options for when you can't fully avoid that person— Your Host Caitlin is a former teacher, current mom, and someone who has learned (the hard way) that you cannot force another adult to become honest, curious, or fair on demand. This episode is about choosing your response when repair isn't mutual. — Sources & Mentions Apology and Forgiveness in Reconciliation: How Words Can Mend | Beyond IntractabilityOn Rupture and Repair: A Relational Approach | RIAP Psychological ServicesApology and Restitution: The Psychophysiology of Forgiveness After Wrongdoing | PMC— The most grown-up thing you can do when someone refuses accountability is to stop arguing, stop explaining your pain to someone committed to misunderstanding it, and decide on the kind of contact that protects your peace. Next episode: Forgiveness—how to let go without pretending something didn't happen. Have a topic you want me to cover? Send me a text using the link at the top of the show notes. Love you, mean it. The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    15 min

  4. May 5

    Better Than "I'm Sorry": How to Take Accountability with a Real Apology

    Send us a Text! "I'm sorry" means nothing if you keep doing the thing you’re “I’m sorry” for. If the same hurt keeps happening, those words become noise—and trust quietly erodes until there's not much left to repair. This episode is about what to do when you're the one who crossed the line. What a real apology actually looks like, why so many of our go-to phrases miss the mark, and how to make repair believable through accountability and changed behavior—not just words. Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!— You Need This Episode If... You know you were wrong and you want to actually fix it, not just smooth it overYour apologies tend to include "but" or "I didn't mean it like that"—and you know that's a problemSomeone in your life is still hurt after you apologized and you don't know what to do nextYou want to model real accountability for your kids— What You'll Get A four-part framework for a real apologyThe most common fake-apology phrases and why they dodge ownership instead of creating itWhy intent vs. impact matters, and why "I didn't mean to" doesn't close the loopHow shame spiraling ("I'm the worst") quietly makes an apology about you instead of themScripts for apologizing to a partner, co-parent, in-law, or your kidsWhy repair takes longer than an apology, and how to respect that timeline— Your Host Caitlin is a mom, podcast host, and the kind of person who gives you the real talk alongside the exact words you need. She covers the honest, complicated parts of family life—relationships, co-parenting, and doing better—with warmth, zero fluff, and practical tools you can actually use. — Sources & Mentions The Four Parts of Accountability & How To Give A Genuine Apology | Leaving EvidenceRepair After an Argument: A Step-by-Step Apology That Works | River North CounselingOn Rupture and Repair: A Relational Approach | RIAP Psychological ServicesApology and Restitution: The Psychophysiology of Forgiveness After Wrongdoing | PMCFamily Conflict Is Normal; It’s the Repair That Matters | Greater Good MagazineApology and Forgiveness in Reconciliation: How Words Can Mend | Beyond Intractability— Accountability is a skill, not a personality trait. You can get better at it. This episode shows you how. The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    20 min

  5. Apr 28

    Can This Relationship Be Saved? How to Decide After Being Hurt

    Send us a Text! Some relationships are worth fighting for. Some aren't ready to be repaired yet. And some people in your life will never give you the closure you deserve—and you need a plan for that too. This episode is about what to do after someone wrongs you: how to name the harm clearly, how to decide whether repair is actually possible, and how to protect yourself when the other person won't meet you halfway. Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!— You Need This Episode If... You're stuck between swallowing your hurt and blowing up a relationshipSomeone in your life keeps minimizing what they did or calling you "too sensitive"You want to repair something but don't know how to start the conversationYou're done chasing closure from someone who won't give it— What You'll Get A simple framework for naming the hurt before trying to fix itThree questions that help you decide between repair, distance, or repair with firm boundariesScripts for asking for acknowledgment without turning it into a debateWhat to do when they deny, minimize, or flip the blameWhy forgiveness and repair are not the same thing—and how to choose peace without pretending nothing happened— Your Host Caitlin is a mom, podcast host, and the kind of person who will give you the exact words you need when you don't know what to say. She covers the real, complicated parts of family life—co-parenting, relationships, and protecting your peace—with warmth, zero fluff, and a lot of practical scripts. — Sources & Mentions Handling Political Disagreements in the Family | Psychology TodayHow Politics Are Tearing Families Apart | Psychology TodayOn Rupture and Repair: A Relational Approach | RIAP Psychological ServicesApology and Restitution: The Psychophysiology of Forgiveness After Wrongdoing | PMCOther sources are listed in the blog post for this episode. — Whether this relationship gets repaired or not, you deserve to stop carrying the weight of someone else's unwillingness to be accountable. This episode gives you a path forward either way. The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    18 min

  6. Apr 21

    Family Politics & Boundaries: Easy Scripts to Keep Kids Out of the Crossfire

    Send us a Text! Political messiness at home hits different. This isn’t internet discourse—this is your dinner table, your co-parent, your in-laws… and your kids sitting right there. Click here for this episode’s blog post with links to sources and even more content.Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!— You Need This Episode If... Political conversations in your family escalate fastYou and your co-parent don’t agree on what’s okay to say around the kidsYour in-laws treat “just asking questions” like an Olympic sportYou’re tired of your kids getting caught in grownup tension— What You'll Get A simple way to think about politics at home (hint: it’s not just politics—it’s values)Scripts you can actually use when things start to spiralClear “house rules” for political conversations that protect your kidsWhat to do when someone ignores your boundary (because they will)— Your Host Hi, I’m your host, Caitlin, and I’m right there with you—figuring out how to hold boundaries at home without turning every disagreement into a full-blown situation. I love a good sentence frame, and yes… I had to rewrite this episode multiple times because it matters that much. At the end of the day, this isn’t about winning political arguments. It’s about keeping your kids out of the emotional crossfire—and building a home that actually feels safe to live in. Love you, mean it. — Sources & Mentions How to Handle Political Differences with Your In-Laws | Brides of Long Island List of Co-Parenting Boundaries | Co-Parenting Rules How Do I Navigate Political Differences With My Parents With A Kid Involved? | Scary Mommy 11 Strategies for Dealing with Parents with Different Political Views | Therapy with Julie List Of Co-parenting Boundaries To Set For Your Children | amicable Boundaries, respect keys to political discussions with family | UT Southwestern Medical Center How parent-child political disagreements harm relationships and individual mental health | PsyPost Setting Boundaries in a High-Conflict Co-Parenting Relationship | Our Family Wizard The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    24 min

  7. Apr 14

    Quick & Easy Civic Engagement Recap: What We’ve Learned & Next Steps

    Send us a Text! The news can make you feel like you're failing at everything all at once: citizenship, parenting, marriage, friendships, and your own mental health. We're closing out the advocacy arc by getting brutally honest about bandwidth—because the "right" way to be informed and engaged is the one you can actually sustain without melting down in the carpool line. This is a bridge episode: where we've been, what you've learned, and how to figure out what comes next. Stay connected: Subscribe to our newsletter!— You Need This Episode If... You've been following the civic engagement series and need to process it allYou're not sure which lane to focus on next (civic or personal)You feel maxed out and need permission to scale backYou want to know what's coming next on the showYou need help choosing ONE thing to keep doing consistently— What You'll Get A recap of what we've covered: Doomscrolling and nervous system overloadHyper-local civic engagement (school boards, library boards, mutual aid)Nonviolent communication for hard conversationsMedia literacy and digital citizenship for raising kids onlineSelf-diagnosis questions to figure out your next season: Are you feeling a civic pull (leadership, showing up locally) or a personal pull (partnership, co-parenting, mental load)?How much emotional capacity do you actually have?What can your kids handle right now?What's coming next: Shifting focus to home, boundaries, and relationshipsTopics: co-parenting when politics don't match, protecting your mental load, setting boundaries with family, maintaining friendships across political dividesYour tiny homework: Pick ONE thing from this series to keep doing consistently — Your Host Caitlin is a former middle school teacher, current mom, and someone who just walked you through a graduate-level seminar on being a grown-up. Now it's time to figure out what happens next. — You don't have to do all of it. You just have to do enough to feel like you're still you—and not someone else's activist project. Next episode: Co-parenting and boundaries in this political space we're in. Should be a doozy. Subscribe so you never miss an episode! Want to revisit the advocacy series? Check out all the blog posts at https://www.ckandgkpodcast.com/blog/tags/advocacy Love you, mean it. Make good choices. The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    11 min

  8. Apr 7

    14 Spring Cleaning Tips That'll Save Your Sanity (Re-release)

    Send us a Text! Caitlin is furiously planning the next series for the pod, so we revisit an oldie but goodie with these spring cleaning and organization hacks! --- We share 14 spring organizing tips that scratch the spring cleaning itch without spending a fortune on new storage bins. We also get nerdy about the upcoming total solar eclipse, debate hyperfixation snacks, and tell a cautionary story that starts with cleaning a bathroom vent and ends with a bruised knee. cleaning vs tidying vs organizing as separate tasks pool noodles to keep boots upright stickable hooks for tools and hiding cords vinyl placemats as fridge shelf liners shoe organizers used for mugs, supplies, and more Make good choices, Love you, mean it. CK & GK The best support is a rating and a share. Love,CK & GK Support the show View our website at ckandgkpodcast.com. Find us on social media @ckandgkpodcast on - Instagram - Facebook - TikTok Thanks, y'all!

    49 min
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4.9
out of 5
164 Ratings

About

For elder millennial moms who are politically progressive, emotionally exhausted, and sick of “perfect‑parent” propaganda. This podcast is a warm, funny, and unapologetic space for moms who want to laugh, cry, and rage at the world without pretending they’ve got it all together. We talk about parenting, mental health, and politics the way real friends do—messy, honest, and full of grace. If you’re tired of performative parenting content and want a show that centers empathy, accountability, and joy, this is your safe space. New episodes drop Tuesdays. Find us at ckandgkpodcast.com or @not_quite_grownup on social media.

Information

  • Creator
    Caitlin Kindred
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    206
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Not Quite Grownup
  • Show Website
    Not Quite Grownup