Welcome to the home of The Balanced Parent Podcast!

Parenting is often lived in the extremes. It's either Great Joy or chaotic overwhelmed. In one moment you’re nailing it and the next you're losing your cool I want to help you find your way to the messy middle, to a place of balance. You see, balance is a verb not a state of being. it is a thing you do not a thing you are. it is an action a process a series of micro-corrections each and every day to keep ourselves feeling centered. We are never truly balanced. We are engaged in the process of balancing.

Hello, I’m Dr. Laura Froyen and this is the Balanced Parent podcast, where overwhelmed stressed out and disconnected parents go to find tools, mindset shifts and practices to help them stop yelling at the people they love and start connecting on a deeper level, all delivered with heaping doses of grace and compassion. Join me in conversations that will help you get clear on your goals and values and start showing up in your parenting, your relationships, YOUR LIFE, with open-hearted authenticity and balance. Let’s go!

As working parents, many of us feel stretched thin: pulled between work, family, and our own well-being. It can feel like a lot. In this week’s episode of The Balanced Parent Podcast, I’m joined by an incredible guest, Dr. Anne Welsh, a clinical psychologist, executive coach, and mom of four. Anne brings both professional expertise and lived experience to our conversation on what it really takes to thrive as a working parent today.

Here are the main points:

Navigating breaking points at work and exploring viable options.
Redefining ambition so parents pursue what truly fuels them.
Understanding mixed emotions and easing guilt returning after maternity leave.
Using self-compassion and identifying expectations that truly matter.
Quieting internalized, unhelpful messages through awareness and ongoing practice.
Recognizing systemic challenges that make balancing work and family harder.
Seeing how companies support working parents with leave and flexibility.
Advocating for supportive, flexible, and inclusive workplace cultures.

If you’d like to connect with Dr. Anne Welsh and learn more about supporting working parents, visit drannewelsh.co for information on her group programs and resources for individuals and organizations. You can also follow her on LinkedIn @doctorannewelsh and Instagram @doctorannewelsh for ongoing insights and tips.

Whether you’re juggling schedules, questioning balance, or carrying guilt about not being “enough” anywhere, this conversation brings validation, insight, and practical perspective from someone who truly understands both the personal and professional layers.

Remember to pause, practice self-compassion, focus on what truly matters, and advocate for balance as a working parent.

Laura Froyen, PhD

Laura Froyen, PhD

Balanced Parent Podcast

Laura Froyen, PhD

Welcome to the home of The Balanced Parent Podcast!

Episode 239: Thriving as a Working Parent Without Guilt or Burnout with Dr. Anne Welsh