[270] 3 Lessons to Help Moms Navigate Life’s Transitions with Grace

The other day my son told me that when he turns 13, he’ll stop calling me “mommy” and just call me “mom.” My heart sank, and in that moment I was reminded how quickly transitions come for us as moms. September is full of these transitions—kids growing, schedules shifting, and routines changing. In this episode, I share three lessons to help us embrace these bittersweet changes with more grace.

Mentioned in this episode:
👉🏽 Get Stuff Done Toolkit

3 Takeaways from this episode:

1. Embrace the transition—growth is messy but necessary, just like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.
2. Find the gift in the growth—when kids grow, it brings new opportunities for connection and independence.
3. Adjust the rhythm—don’t start over, just tweak routines so they fit the season you’re in.

Links and resources:

• Get Stuff Done Toolkit

Transcript

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The other day, my son came up to me and said, mommy, when I turn 13, I'm gonna stop calling you. Mommy. My heart sank. And he went on, I'm just gonna call you mom. I immediately blurted out, absolutely not. Because let me be honest, when he calls me mommy, I still get to pretend like he's my little boy. But mom. That sounds like a teenager. That sounds like him Growing up faster than I'm ready for. And here's the funny part, I did the exact same thing to my own mom Around this age, I dropped the mommy and just called my mom, mom. But now years later, I've actually circled back and I call her mommy again sometimes. But hearing it from my son gave me a whole new perspective. It was a reminder that he's not a little boy anymore. He's stepping into a new season, and as hard as it is for me to let go, it's also beautiful to watch him grow. And honestly, September has a way of bringing those reminders front and center. Hey there. My name is Toni-Ann. I'm the podcast host of The Real Happy Mom podcast. The podcast for busy working moms who need more time and help with achieving their big goals without pulling their hair out. In this episode, I'm gonna be sharing with you three lessons to help us navigate the transitions during this season. So September is a month of transitions. Kids go back to school. Schedules change. Afternoons are suddenly filled with homework, sports, and activities. Routines that worked in the summer don't fit anymore. And just like my son stepping into a new stage, we as moms are invited to step into new rhythms too. But here's the thing, transitions feel bittersweet. There's a joy in watching our kids grow, but there's also a little ache in realizing time is moving so fast. So today I wanna share with you three lessons to help us navigate these transitions with more grace. And they will come from nature, business, and even science. So lesson number one, embrace the transition. Think about a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. That transformation isn't smooth or easy. It's actually messy and uncomfortable, but it's necessary, but it's necessary. Without the transition, the butterfly would never emerge. And our kids go through transitions just like that. They outgrow the baby years, then the little kid stage, and suddenly we're staring at a preteen or a teenager. It's not always easy for us as moms, but it's a part of the process. So instead of resisting it like me, we can honor the season that our kids are in, even if we secretly want to hold on to the last one a little longer. Lesson number two, find the gift in the growth. In business, growth is a sign of success. Companies celebrate when they outgrow their old systems because it means they're expanding. Yes, it can be inconvenient to rework processes or upgrade systems, but it's also proof of progress. The same is true for us. Watching our kids grow can feel like a loss, but it's also a gift. It means we get to have deeper conversations with them. It means they're learning independence. It means we're seeing glimpses of who they're becoming. Instead of just mourning the stage that's passing, we can look for the joy in the one that we're stepping into. Lesson number three, adjust the rhythm. Don't start over. Here's a little science for you. Our bodies are wired with circadian rhythms. Those natural cycles that shift. As the seasons change, the days get shorter, the light changes, our rhythms adapt. We don't start over with a brand new body every fall. We adjust, and that's exactly how we should think about our routines. When kids grow, when schedules shift, we don't need to scrap everything and reinvent the wheel. We just tweak the rhythm. Maybe bedtime needs to be a little earlier. Maybe homework time needs a new routine. Maybe older kids take on more responsibility around the house. It's not all about starting from scratch. It's about adjusting the flow so it fits this season. So here's my challenge for you this week. Take a moment to reflect on where you're feeling transition in your life right now. Can you embrace it instead of resisting it? Can you look for the gift that's hidden in the growth? And can you adjust your rhythm instead of starting over? Okay, write it down, talk it through with a friend, or just sit with it for a few minutes. Sometimes just naming what shifting can bring so much peace. So as September unfolds, let's remember this, our kids will grow, our routines will shift and change will keep coming. And while it's bittersweet, it's also beautiful because it means life is moving forward. You don't need to have it all figured out. You don't need perfect routines. You just need to embrace where you are, find the gifts in it, and adjust your rhythm to fit the season. And if you would love some extra support as you navigate through those changes, the Get Stuff Done Tool Toolkit is there for you on. It is packed with simple tools to help you organize your week, cut down the chaos, and create routines that flex with your real life, not just the perfect Pinterest version. You'll find the link in the show notes or head on over to real happy mom.com/done. So that is it for this episode here's to embracing the bittersweet changes of September with Grace. Take care, and with lots of love.