The Restored Mind | Mom Guilt, Self Doubt, Biblical Encouragement, Self Worth, Positive Mindset, Motherhood
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Do you constantly feel like you’re falling short—no matter how hard you try?
Are you stuck in a cycle of guilt, frustration, and wishing the hard moments away?
What if the breakthrough isn’t a new routine… but a new way to see yourself—through forgiveness?
Welcome to The Restored Mind Podcast—a peaceful space for Christian moms who want to be the best mom they can be, end guilt, and start a journey of self-forgiveness. If you’re tired of wondering whether you’re doing enough—or feeling like you’re falling short in every area—you’re not alone. Each week, you'll learn small but impactful habit changes that will help you lead your children to know and love God- while growing your own faith along the way.
Hi, I’m Caroline Thao—Jesus follower, wife, and mom who knows what it’s like to feel overwhelmed by expectations that stem from a perfectionist mindset. It led me to try to control everything—and when I failed, I felt the heavy weight of mom guilt. For years, I second-guessed everything: my parenting, my faith, my dreams. I felt torn between being fully present with my kids and pursuing the passions God placed on my heart. Worst of all, I believed the lie that I had to choose one or the other—until I learned to forgive myself so I could finally show up as the mom I wanted to be.
And here’s the good news: you don’t have to live stuck in guilt or strive to be a “perfect” mom.
Through scripture, intentional habits, and faith-filled mindset shifts, I discovered how to let go of guilt and live like the mom God created me to be—not the one guilt kept me stuck as. And now, I want to help you do the same.
Each episode will give you biblical encouragement, simple steps, and easy, attainable habits so you can::
- Break free from mom guilt and the perfectionist mindset that leaves you feeling stuck.
- Walk in confidence in all the roles God has entrusted you without needing to do it all perfectly.
- Lead your children with grace, love, and patience—not pressure.
- Finally becoming the mom you’ve always envisioned yourself to be.
So if you’re ready to stop running on empty and start thriving in your motherhood journey, you’re in the right place. Grab your Bible, invite the Holy Spirit in, and let’s walk this journey together—one peaceful step at a time.
The Restored Mind | Mom Guilt, Self Doubt, Biblical Encouragement, Self Worth, Positive Mindset, Motherhood
129 | Did You 'Ruin' Summer? Why Christian Moms Need To Drop The Guilt Before School Starts
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This is the FINAL episode of the Summer Confidence Mini Series.
Hey Mama!
Are you counting all the things you didn't do this summer, wishing for more time? In this final episode of the Summer Confidence Mini Series, I'm sharing powerful strategies to overcome mom guilt and comparison. Learn how to reframe those "missed" moments, quiet the social media comparison trap, and appreciate the summer you actually had—whether it included exciting vacations or simple moments at home. Discover how to trade perfectionism for freedom and enter the new season with confidence instead of regret. Essential for Christian moms wondering if their children missed out on the 'perfect summer' everyone else seemed to have.
Key Takeaways
- Reframe missed moments through gratitude, focusing on what actually happened to experience lasting joy
- Silence comparison by developing awareness when scrolling social media and redirecting thoughts to gratitude
- Celebrate what matters with the End of Summer Challenge - gather your family to share favorite memories
✨ Join the "End of Summer" challenge this week and win your time back so you can have more family time—linked in the show notes! ✨
Explore more from the Summer Confidence Mini Series:
124 | Feeling A Little Off This Summer? How To Beat Mom Guilt
125 | Stressed About Summer Clothes? Here's How To Reclaim Your Confidence Today
126 | Is Mom Guilt Wrecking Your Summer—Or Setting You Free?
127 | Tired Of Trying To Make Summer Perfect? How To Let Go Without Giving up
128 | Stop Feeling Behind! A Busy Mom's Guide To A Guilt-Free Summer
More FREE Resources:
FREE Community: Break Free From Mom Guilt
Become a Restored Mind Family Member: Sign Up Here
Email: Hello@restoredmindllc.com
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It's time to become to the mom you want to be. Remember, you can do hard things!
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me"- Philippians 4:13
Summer's ending and you're counting all the things you didn't do, wishing for more time. In this final episode of the Summer Confidence Mini series, I'll show you how to reframe those quote unquote missed moments. Quiet yet, the comparison mindset. And appreciating what actually happened rather than what could have been. Whether it included a fun getaway trip or simply being present at home. Learn to end summer with confidence instead of regret. Hey Mama. Overwhelmed by Mom Guilt. I'm Caroline Tao, helping Christian moms trade perfectionism for freedom and rest. Welcome to the Restored Mind, where Biblical wisdom meets practical strategies for becoming the mom You've always wanted to be ready. Let's do this. Mama, you and I can both agree that mom guilt leaves you feeling stuck and wondering if you are enough. That's why I created the Break Free for Mom Guild, a place where Christian moms connect and support each other. Join us as we learn to be the present. Intentional Moms we want to be not the overwhelmed ones, snapping at our kids. Just click the link in the show notes to find your tribe of encouraging Mamas. Today. One summer my husband and I took a trip to Florida. Now, this was before we had kids, and when the trip ended, he asked if I had a good time, and I remember saying yes, but I was actually feeling torn on the inside. I didn't know how to express that. While I enjoyed our time together, my mind was stuck on the list of things that we didn't get to do. And if I'm being honest, I truly cannot recall what was on that list of missed things. But I remember letting those missed moments overshadow the amazing memories that we actually made. I remember staring out the window on the drive home struggling to truly feel the joy of our trip because I kept fixating on what didn't happen instead of what did it was like I was living in that classic analogy. Is the cup half empty or half full? And you know what, this is exactly what happens as summer comes to a close, we find ourselves mentally scrolling through all the things we didn't do, the trip's not taken, the project's left unfinished, and the moments we think that we missed our houses might still be messy. Our camera rolls might not look like everyone else's. And we start wondering, was this it? Did I miss the point of summer? So let's start there today and talk about the importance of reframing those quote unquote missed moments. Just like the scrolling we do on our phones. We do that mentally in our heads too about a lot of things. Now what stands out to us the most, especially when guilt takes over, are the mental list of failures. Now that summer is coming to an end, you have two choices. You can focus on what actually happened, or fixate on what you missed, And when you dwell on what didn't happen or the things that you didn't do. You miss appreciating what did happen. And when you miss that opportunity, you are creating a cycle of dissatisfaction that steals your joy. And see, joy just runs deeper than happiness, though they are emotions that bounce off of each other. Joy persists even during challenges, Joy has this staying power even when life gets hard, unlike happiness, that depends on circumstances. Joy, which is part of the fruit of the spirit, remains even during seasons of guilt or disappointment. When you reframe your focus from what you missed to what actually happened, you are choosing God's perspective of joy and abundance over scarcity, and it just helps you appreciate your summer as it is. Now when I was struggling to see the glass half full,, it brought a lot of disappointment because I only saw the emptiness. I didn't like that I had this negative attitude and outlook. I mean, at least I saw that for myself back then, but I also didn't know what to do about it, and eventually. I found my stride with these two habits that I implemented when I caught myself in a half empty mindset. And I'm gonna share them with you. So the first one is to practice gratitude through intentional reflection. When I catch myself thinking about what I miss. I pause and intentionally list three things that actually happened that I'm grateful for. This shifts my focus from what was missing to realizing the importance of being present in that time and the actual awesome experience that we had as a family. The second habit change is to share the story that you want to remember, and this basically was, when I tell others my story, I did not lead with a negative thought. I consciously chose to highlight what was meaningful rather than what was missing. This rewires my own memory of events. And these small habit changes connect directly to preserving joy because they all center around being present and appreciative of what is, rather than fixating on what isn't. When you consciously choose to see the fullness of your experiences rather than the emptiness of what didn't happen, you're actively nurturing that deeper sense of joy that can withstand disappointment. Now, earlier in the episode I mentioned the comparison mindset, so we're going to dive into that because comparison also plays a role in the should haves and could haves and one of the biggest sources of these comparisons is what we see on social media. Social media is one of the biggest sources of comparison, especially as summer ends. Those. Best summer ever posts that you see on Facebook or even Instagram and the perfect vacation photos that are popping up on your feed, they can make you question if you've missed the point of summer entirely. While social media can be valuable for connecting with distant family, intentionally stepping away, even temporarily can protect your perspective when you're constantly viewing highlight reels. You naturally begin to wonder if your kids had a great summer or if you did enough Now to help silence the comparison mindset. I want you to take a deep breath with me. Now, let me remind you, your camera roll does not need to match or outdo anyone in order for your summer to be meaningful. I want you to begin to practice comparison awareness by noticing when you begin to measure your summer against any other mamas or anyone else's for that matter, then redirect your thoughts to gratitude, which we talked about earlier, because gratitude honestly changes your attitude. So if you're scrolling on social media and you see a mama with her family at Disney, or a beautiful setup in the backyard for a movie night. And you're thinking we should have done that. I want you to try and flip the script and think, I am grateful for our simple, cozy family night because that's my shift in the way that you speaking to yourself makes a world of a difference. Okay. All episode bong. I have been talking about the should haves and could haves, so basically the regrets of wondering if you did enough this summer. But what I really wanna do is drive home the importance of finding joy, especially since summer is coming to an end and school is about to start. Maybe for some of you, school is already back in session. The point is you are about to be in a season of transition. So finding and having joy as you wrap up your summer is important because I don't want you to have any regrets. I want you to look back and think, wow, this was an awesome summer. Ending summer with regret keeps you from being present and it also steals your joy and even shakes your confidence for the seasons that are coming ahead. Thanksgiving's gonna be here. Christmas is coming, and before you know it's. We'll be celebrating the coming of a new year. So honestly, time is going to fly. And the last thing you want to do is play catch up where you're trying to make up for summer, because when that time comes, you're going to want to be present with your family. So here's my end of summer challenge for you, and that's what I'm calling it because this is the final challenge for the summer confidence miniseries so here's what you're going to do. Before school starts, gather your family around the dinner table or even a backyard campfire and enjoy some s'mores. Or if you're at the dinner table, then have a meal. Make a meal that you and your family love together. And as you guys are gathered, ask everyone to share their single favorite summer memory. Just one highlight that stands out. I promise you, you'll be surprised at what actually mattered to your kids. We've done this in our family since our kids started school, and honestly, it has become our favorite way to honor what actually happened rather than what we missed. Now if you take on this challenge, mama, I would love to hear what memories surface for your family. You can connect with me inside my free online community, breaking free for mom guilt for Christian moms. It's linked in the show notes for you, I've had such a wonderful time. It was a lot of fun doing this Summer Confidence Meeting series with you. But as we wrap up, let's take a moment to remember the key takeaways that will help you end this season without regret. First is to reframe missed moments by practicing gratitude, focusing on what happened rather than what didn't, so that you can experience true lasting joy. And then silence the comparison mindset by practicing awareness when scrolling on social media. Redirecting those thoughts of gratitude and remembering your summer doesn't need to match anyone else's. Is also going to help you silence the comparison mindset and finally celebrate what actually matters through the end of summer Challenge. Gathering your family to share favorite memories and honor what truly matters to them. I hope that you had such a wonderful summer with your family this year and that it was intentional, and we're gonna be going into a season of transition, which I'm super excited to also share a little series I've put together for you next week. All right, mama. I know with summer wrapping up in school about to begin, it can be hard to say goodbye to this season, but I know and believe that you can do hard things. Thanks for hanging out with me today, mama. If this episode helped you in any way, would you do me a favor and please share it with a fellow mom that could also benefit from this episode. Until then, I'll see you next Wednesday, right here on this podcast. Go in peace.