Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All With Nikki

Have you ever tucked your child into bed and walked out of the room wondering if you have gotten this whole parenting thing wrong?
Your child is lonely. Your child cries the second someone corrects them. Your kids say they do not have friends. They ask to be homeschooled.
And suddenly one question will not leave you alone:
Did I raise them wrong?
This week I had two moments with my kids that stopped me in my tracks: my son, who feels like a failure every time he is corrected, and my daughter, who told me at bedtime that she feels lonely at school. And I realized I was doing the exact same thing I was teaching my son not to do.
In Episode 96 of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki, we are talking about mom guilt, fear of failure, kids who feel different, perfectionism in kids, and the way moms turn our children's struggles into our own report card.
This is NOT about pretending our kids are fine when they are not. Sometimes our kids really are struggling, and sometimes they need more support.
It is about recognizing the difference between paying attention and blaming yourself.
Your child had a lonely day. Does that mean you failed them?
Your child cried when they were corrected. Does that mean you made them too sensitive?
Your kids do not fit in right now. Does that mean you chose the wrong life?
Maybe not.
In this episode, I share one simple question you can use when something hard happens with your kids:
Is this a moment... or a verdict?
And then: What is one small next step?
Because your child's hard moment is not your verdict.
And you deserve the same grace you give them.
If you have ever blamed yourself for your child's struggles, worried that your kids do not fit in, watched your child crumble after a mistake, or wondered if you raised them wrong, this episode is for you.
The Promise of Struggle & Strength:
Helping high-achieving moms reconnect with themselves so they can build a life that aligns with their values instead of just surviving their responsibilities.
Connect with Nikki:
Instagram: @nikkiwallace247
Facebook: @ConnectWithNikkiW

Have you ever picked up your phone late at night and, two minutes later, decided you are behind in your entire life?
One mom ran a half marathon. Another made homemade costumes for every kid. Somebody launched a business. Somebody's kitchen is spotless.
And suddenly you feel not rich enough, not stylish enough, not pretty enough, not skinny enough...
Just not enough.
But says who?
But are they actually ahead of you?
Or are they just running a different race?
A little while ago I saw a post from another pharmacist mom that left me feeling not enough and like an imposter. Then this week I walked into a pharmacy summit I was dreading, and I realized I had never been in competition with her at all.
In Episode 95 of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki, we are talking about comparison, imposter feelings, social media, mom confidence, feeling like an outsider, and the stories we tell ourselves when someone else's life looks better than ours.
This is NOT about "just stop comparing" or pretending you never feel not enough. Comparison is human, and sometimes the feeling comes from somewhere real.
It is about recognizing the difference between what you actually saw and the story you wrote about it.
She posted a great picture. Does that mean your life is not good enough?
She is further along in her business. Does that mean you are behind in yours?
You feel like an outsider in the room. Does that mean you do not belong there?
Maybe not.
In this episode, I share the Race Check, three simple questions for the next time comparison hits:
What am I actually looking at?
What race is she running?
What race am I running?
Because she is not always ahead of you.
Sometimes she is just somewhere else.
If you have ever felt behind after scrolling social media, felt like an imposter in your own life, or compared your whole messy day to another mom's perfect picture, this episode is for you.
The Promise of Struggle & Strength:
Helping high-achieving moms reconnect with themselves so they can build a life that aligns with their values instead of just surviving their responsibilities.
Connect with Nikki:
Instagram: @nikkiwallace247
Facebook: @ConnectWithNikkiW

Have you ever stood in a room full of people and felt completely alone?
Everyone is laughing. Everyone seems to know each other. And you are standing by the snack table, pretending to be very interested in the pretzels.
Now imagine your child feeling that way.
This weekend my daughter went to a birthday party and told me afterward that she felt so lonely. She did not share the same interests as the other girls, and at times she went into other rooms just to get away.
In Episode 94 of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki, we are talking about loneliness, friendship, fitting in, raising kids who find their people, and the difference between being alone and being lonely.
This is NOT about forcing every kid (or every mom) to be the life of the party. Some people fit in anywhere. Some people need quiet. Some people need one good friend instead of twenty.
It is about the difference between what happened and the story we tell ourselves about it.
You did not fit in at one party. Does that mean something is wrong with you?
Those girls liked different things. Does that mean nobody will ever like you?
That room was not your room. Does that mean there is no room for you?
Maybe not.
In this episode, I share three simple questions for you and your kids after a lonely moment:
Did I try?
What did I learn about me?
Where might my people be?
Because you do not need the whole room.
You just need one person who gets you.
If you have ever felt lonely in a crowd, watched your child struggle to fit in, wondered why making friends feels so hard, or hidden in the kitchen at a party to avoid small talk, this episode is for you.
The Promise of Struggle & Strength:
Helping high-achieving moms reconnect with themselves so they can build a life that aligns with their values instead of just surviving their responsibilities.
Connect with Nikki:
Instagram: @nikkiwallace247
Facebook: @ConnectWithNikkiW

Have you ever had something go wrong first thing in the morning and decided five minutes later that the entire day was ruined?
The kids cannot find their shoes. Someone spills breakfast. Nobody is listening. You are running late. You lose your patience.
And suddenly...
“Today is going to be a disaster.”
But are you actually having a bad day?
Or did you just have a bad ten minutes?
After listening to Tony Robbins' Life Force, I started thinking about how much power we give the difficult moments in our lives, and how often we continue carrying them long after the actual moment is over.
In Episode 93 of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki, we are talking about mom stress, mindset, emotional regulation, perspective, and the stories we tell ourselves when life does not go according to plan.
This is NOT about toxic positivity or pretending difficult things do not hurt. Sometimes life really is hard.
It is about recognizing the difference between what actually happened and what we are making it mean.
Your child forgot something. Does that mean nobody ever listens to you?
You lost your patience. Does that mean you are a bad mom?
Your morning was chaotic. Does that mean the entire day has to be terrible?
Maybe not.
In this episode, I share three simple questions you can use when you feel yourself spiraling:
What actually happened?
What am I making this mean?
What happens next?
Because you cannot always control what happens to you.
But you still get a say in what happens next.
If you have ever let one frustrating moment ruin your entire day, carried an argument around for hours, felt overwhelmed by motherhood, or struggled to let things go, this episode is for you.

How much of your life is spent worrying about what other people think?
How you look. What you wear. How your kids behave. Whether your house is clean enough. Whether you are a good enough mom. Whether you are successful enough. Whether people like you.
But what if they judge you anyway?
This week, after hearing Ben Kjar share his powerful story at Funnel Hacking Live, I came home thinking differently about judgment, appearance, self worth, and the enormous amount of energy we spend trying to make ourselves acceptable to other people.
Then something happened with my son at his soccer game that showed me just how powerful these lessons can become when we bring them home to our kids.
In this episode of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki, we are talking about comparison, people pleasing, motherhood, body image, self worth, outside validation, and the pressure women feel to look, parent, work, and live the “right” way.
Because maybe the goal is not getting everyone else to accept us.
Maybe the harder question is:
Can we finally accept ourselves?
If you have ever changed yourself to fit in, worried about what other moms think, compared your body or life to someone else's, or wondered whether you are really enough, this episode is for you.
Because there will always be someone with an opinion.
And if they are going to judge you anyway...
you might as well give them the real you to judge.
The Promise of Struggle & Strength:
Helping high-achieving moms reconnect with themselves so they can build a life that aligns with their values instead of just surviving their responsibilities.
📲 Connect with Nikki:Instagram: @nikkiwallace247
Facebook: @ConnectWithNikkiW

Have you ever noticed how quickly your brain can take one uncomfortable moment and turn it into the worst possible scenario?
A child does not answer their phone. Your boss says, “Can we talk?” You hear a noise in the middle of the night. You walk into an unfamiliar situation and suddenly your mind is ten steps ahead, imagining everything that could go wrong.
This week, I caught myself doing exactly that.
An unexpected motel style hotel room had me imagining break ins, crime and danger that I had no evidence were actually happening. Then an unfamiliar low cost airline and a little turbulence had my brain jumping straight to a plane crash.
It made me realize how easily we can confuse unfamiliar with unsafe, and uncomfortable with wrong.
In Episode 91 of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki, we are talking about fear, control, worst case scenario thinking and what can happen when our need to feel safe keeps us from experiencing life outside our comfort zone.
We will explore the difference between legitimate safety concerns and the stories fear creates, why moms can become so good at anticipating everything that could go wrong, and one simple question that can help interrupt the spiral:
What do I actually know right now?
Because fear can give us information, but it does not have to write the ending.
If you have ever talked yourself out of something because there were too many unknowns, struggled to let go of control, or found yourself preparing for a worst case scenario that had not even happened, this episode is for you.
The Promise of Struggle & Strength:
Helping high-achieving moms reconnect with themselves so they can build a life that aligns with their values instead of just surviving their responsibilities.
📲 Connect with Nikki:Instagram: @nikkiwallace247
Facebook: @ConnectWithNikkiW

We want to raise resilient kids. But can we push that lesson too far?
At a soccer game this weekend, Nikki watched an 8 or 9-year-old boy who had already played three games in extreme heat tell an adult he wasn't okay. He raised his hand, came out of the game, and later said he felt sick to his stomach.
What happened afterward left Nikki thinking about one question:
When are we teaching our kids resilience, and when are we teaching them to ignore their own limits?
The moment hit especially hard because just weeks earlier, Nikki had watched another young athlete collapse during a cross-country race in extreme heat after playing soccer earlier that morning. He fell, suffered a concussion, was taken to the hospital by ambulance, and required continued medical care.
These experiences raised a much bigger parenting question.
We tell our kids:
"Don't quit.""Push through.""You can do hard things."
And those are important lessons.
But shouldn't we also teach them:
"Listen to your body.""Speak up when something isn't right.""It's okay to ask for help."
In this episode of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki, Nikki explores the complicated line between raising resilient kids and pushing them too hard.
You'll hear about:
The difference between discomfort and knowing something isn't right
Why stopping isn't always the same as quitting
How our own expectations can influence how hard we push our kids
Why kids need to learn both perseverance and self-awareness
The importance of creating kids who trust themselves enough to speak up
Why listening to your body can actually be part of resilience
Because maybe raising strong kids isn't about teaching them to push through everything.
Maybe it's teaching them what deserves pushing through, what requires stepping back, and giving them the confidence to know the difference.
🎧 Listen now and share this episode with another parent who has ever wondered where the line is between encouraging their child and pushing too hard.
📲 Connect with Nikki:Instagram: @nikkiwallace247Facebook: @ConnectWithNikkiW

Why do I have no patience anymore?
One more question. One more interruption. One more kid asking for the exact same thing you already said no to five minutes ago, and suddenly you feel like you're about to lose it.
Then comes the mom guilt.
Why did I react like that?Was I always this irritable?Is it the mental load? The constant interruptions? My age? Perimenopause?Is it me... or is it my hormones?
In this episode of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki, Nikki gets real about something she's been noticing in her 40s: her patience doesn't feel like it used to.
It started with her youngest repeatedly asking to download games on his tablet. Nikki realized her kids had discovered a loophole. If Mom is busy enough and they ask enough times, eventually she might say, "Sure. Fine. Whatever." just to get five minutes of uninterrupted time.
But that realization led to a much bigger question:
What happens when the demands of motherhood collide with a body that may be changing too?
In this episode, Nikki talks about:
Why constant interruptions can push moms to their breaking point
The guilt that comes after snapping at our kids
Perimenopause, mood changes and irritability
The difference between understanding our emotions and excusing our behavior
How overwhelm can affect the boundaries we set with our kids
Why the answer might not always be "Mom needs more patience"
Learning to recognize what we need before reaching the point of no return
Maybe we can't control every feeling that shows up.
But we can start paying attention to what happens between the feeling and our response.
And instead of immediately asking:
"What's wrong with me?"
Maybe we start asking:
"What's happening with me?"
If you've found yourself wondering why the smallest things suddenly feel SO big, this episode is for you.
🎧 Listen now and share it with another mom who needs to know she's not the only one asking this question.
📲 Connect with Nikki:Instagram: @nikkiwallace247Facebook: @ConnectWithNikkiW

Why is it so hard for moms to let our kids figure things out on their own even when we know they're completely capable?
In this episode of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki, Nikki shares a hilarious and surprisingly emotional moment from her kids' very first cross-country race.
Before the race even started, Nikki overheard a couple of dads joking about whether they were going to be “those parents” who ran alongside their kids from the sidelines.
Her immediate thought?
Who would do that?!
Minutes later, Nikki was running all over the course in flip-flops, trying to get to every possible spot where she could cheer, encourage and yes, probably coach her kids as they ran by.
And somehow, in the middle of all that running and yelling, she started crying so hard she could barely call out her kids' names.
The irony made her realize something much bigger about motherhood.
We say we want to raise independent, capable kids. But then we remind them, coach them, fix things for them, anticipate their problems, prevent their mistakes, and sometimes struggle to give them enough space to discover just how capable they really are.
Are we helping our kids because they need help or because stepping back is harder for us than it is for them?
In this episode, Nikki explores:
Why moms struggle to give up control even when our kids are capable
The difference between supporting our kids and constantly stepping in
Why watching our children struggle can be harder for us than it is for them
How over-helping can unintentionally take away opportunities to build confidence
Why mistakes, discomfort and figuring things out are an important part of growing up
How a mom's role changes as our children become more independent
The simple question Nikki is now asking herself before jumping in to help
After six years of running with her kids, starting with half a mile and eventually working up to four miles, Nikki realized something while watching them complete their first cross-country race:
She had already taught them how to run.
Now she had to let them.
Because sometimes raising capable kids means resisting the urge to prove how much they still need us and giving them the space to discover:
“I've got this.”
Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with another mom who might just recognize a little bit of herself in the crazy woman running around the sidelines in flip-flops.
📲 Connect with Nikki:Instagram: @nikkiwallace247Facebook: @ConnectWithNikkiW

We're raising families in a completely different world, so why are so many moms still trying to live up to an outdated definition of what a “good mom” should be?
In this episode of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki, Nikki sits down with her friend Laura for a conversation that was supposed to be about friendship...and quickly became something much deeper.
Identity.
Who are you when you take away the titles?
Mom. Wife. Career woman. Business owner. Daughter. Volunteer. Household manager.
And what happens when we keep adding more and more roles until we can barely find the woman underneath them?
Laura shares her own experience of going from an ambitious career woman and entrepreneur to becoming a new mom after a major move, and realizing she kept describing herself by saying, “I used to...”
Her identity had not caught up with her reality.
That realization sparked a powerful conversation about the version of motherhood women have been taught to chase: the mom who takes care of everyone, keeps the house running, prepares the meals, raises great kids, succeeds professionally, stays healthy, looks good, maintains relationships...and somehow does it all happily.
Except maybe the problem isn't that we're failing at motherhood.
Maybe we're trying to succeed at an impossible version of it.
In this episode, Nikki and Laura talk about:
✨ Why attaching your identity to one role can leave you questioning who you are when life changes
✨ The pressure moms feel to “do it all” and still make it look effortless
✨ Why mom guilt seems to exist no matter which choice we make
✨ Decision fatigue and the invisible mental load moms carry every day
✨ Why outsourcing, simplifying and asking for help aren't signs of failure
✨ The difference between managing your time and managing your priorities
✨ Why taking care of yourself models something important for your children
✨ How boundaries protect your energy for the things only YOU can do
✨ Why knowing who you are also requires knowing who you're NOT
And Laura leaves us with a challenge that might be harder than it sounds:
Say no to something this week.
Not because you're selfish.
Not because you don't care.
But because every no creates room for a more intentional yes.
Maybe being a good mom was never supposed to mean becoming everything to everyone.
Maybe our kids need to see women who love their families deeply without disappearing inside motherhood.
🎙️ Listen to Episode 87 of Struggle & Strength: Moms Balancing It All with Nikki.
Subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with another mom who needs permission to stop trying to do it all.
📲 Connect with Nikki:Instagram: @nikkiwallace247Facebook: @ConnectWithNikkiW