✨ Episode 5: When Stress Tips the Scale: The Hidden Weight of Extreme Parenting ✨

Special needs moms and moms navigating extreme parenting often carry a weight much heavier than meets the eye—both physically and emotionally. Chronic stress wreaks havoc on hormone levels, leading to health challenges like weight gain, fatigue, and even shame about self-image. This cycle can feel relentless, and the judgment from others doesn’t help. People assume it’s about overeating or inactivity, but let’s be real—when you’re juggling therapy appointments, meltdowns, and midnight laundry loads, who has time for self-care?

Tune in as Deena and Christina get raw and real about their personal struggles with weight, self-image, and the deep emotional pain chronic stress can cause. You’ll hear how extreme parenting impacts their health and what they’ve learned about breaking free from the shame and stereotypes.

🎧 Whether you’re crying into your cold coffee or chasing your kid through the grocery store, this episode is for you. We hope our stories remind you that you’re not alone and that your worth isn’t tied to your dress size.

💡 Stress Fact: Chronic stress increases cortisol levels, which can lead to increased fat storage, especially in the abdominal area. Add poor sleep and no time for nourishing meals, and it’s no wonder your body struggles to keep up.

💡 Another Fact: Studies show that stress can shrink the prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for making decisions—like, "Should I grab a salad or this bag of chocolate-covered pretzels?”

💬 We want to hear from you! Take a moment to listen, follow, and share this episode with a mama who could use some encouragement.

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Stress—it’s like that extra sock in the laundry. It sneaks in where it doesn’t belong, and before you know it, you’re buried in it. For moms navigating extreme parenting, whether it’s a rough season or a lifetime of challenges, stress isn’t just part of the equation—it’s the headline.

In this episode of Junk Drawer Mamas, Deena and Christina get real about the types of stress moms face, the ways it impacts our hearts, minds, and bodies, and how we can rise above it. From personal stories of juggling chaos to practical tips that actually work, we’re spilling all the tea on managing stress without losing your mind—or your faith.

Here’s the truth, Mama: You’re not meant to do this alone. God’s got you, and so do we. Tune in as we share how leaning into His strength can turn even the messiest, most stressful days into moments of peace and purpose.

Why You Should Listen:

• Get practical, faith-filled strategies to tackle stress head-on.
• Laugh (because if we didn’t laugh, we’d cry) at our honest and relatable mom-life stories.
• Walk away with encouragement and a reminder that you’re never alone in this journey.

✨ Share the love:

• 🎧 Listen now for relatable wisdom and encouragement.
• 💬 Tag a mom who needs this message today—we’re all in this together.
• ❤️ Don’t forget to like, follow, and share with someone who needs a little extra hope.

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Rediscovering You: Finding Identity Beyond Motherhood and Marriage

In this heartfelt and deeply relatable episode, Deena and Christina open up about their personal journeys as moms, wives, and women navigating the challenges of extreme parenting. They share their life stories, offering an intimate glimpse into how family dynamics, career choices, and the weight of responsibilities have shaped their roles as mothers.

The central focus of this conversation is the often-overlooked struggle many women face: losing their sense of identity. It’s all too easy to become consumed by the demands of motherhood and marriage, forgetting the unique individual you were created to be. Deena and Christina dive into the emotional toll this can take, especially for moms parenting in extraordinary circumstances, like special needs, trauma, foster care, or mental health challenges.

This episode isn’t just about acknowledging the struggle—it’s about recognizing the signs of losing yourself and finding practical, faith-driven steps to rediscover who you are outside of your roles as mom and wife. Through honest reflections and powerful insights, Deena and Christina offer encouragement and hope for moms who feel stuck, helping them embrace their God-given identities and find balance, joy, and fulfillment in their lives.

Tune in for a conversation that will inspire you to look beyond the chaos and remember the vibrant, purposeful woman God designed you to be.

Come check out what Deena is doing over at Specially Empowered Moms

www.speciallyempoweredmoms.com

https://www.facebook.com/SpeciallyEmpoweredMoms

Come check out what Christiana is doing at Faith Through Foster Care

www.fatihthorughfostercare.com

www.instagram.com/faiththroughfostercare

In Episode 2, Deena and Christina share more about their personal journeys as moms navigating the unique challenges of extreme parenting. From raising children with special needs to managing the emotional and physical toll of these extraordinary circumstances, this episode dives deep into what it truly means to parent beyond the norm.

Extreme parenting encompasses the relentless demands, emotional struggles, and societal misunderstandings that come with raising kids in challenging situations—whether it’s managing behavioral issues, mental health struggles, or navigating medical and trauma-related needs. Deena and Christina reflect on their experiences, the lessons they’ve learned, and the moments that strengthened their faith and resolve.

This episode offers validation and encouragement for moms feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or alone. Join the conversation as they unpack the realities of extreme parenting and the hope that comes from knowing you're not alone in the journey.

You’re not alone. God chose you for this journey – let’s walk it together!

Come check out what Deena is doing over at Specially Empowered Moms

www.speciallyempoweredmoms.com

https://www.facebook.com/SpeciallyEmpoweredMoms

Come check out what Christiana is doing at Faith Through Foster Care

www.fatihthorughfostercare.com

www.instagram.com/faiththroughfostercare

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗸 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘀 – where we’re sorting through the drama and trauma of extreme parenting to find hope, healing, and a side of humor.

Junk Drawer Mamas is a podcast for moms who are feeling the weight of parenting challenges that go beyond the ordinary, extreme parenting circumstances. Whether you're raising a child or teen with special needs, battling behavior issues, struggling through mental illness, navigating through the trauma associated with foster care, or any of the countless unique challenges that come with raising a family in extreme situations —it’s a lot to carry, but you don’t have to do it alone. This is a safe space where you’ll find stories you can relate to – the kind that make you feel seen, heard, and understood.

In Junk Drawer Mamas, we see the “junk drawer” as the place where hidden struggles live – the worries, hurts, and unmet needs that we often push aside or feel too overwhelmed or embarrassed to address. But just like those cluttered drawers, what we keep hidden can’t be healed. Together we will unpack the “junk” in our lives to uncover hope, healing, and the strength that only comes from facing what’s been tucked away.

If your life feels like a “junk drawer” filled with unresolved struggles, buried emotions, and things you’re just not ready to show the world, you’re in the right place.

We invite you to join hosts Deena and Christina, authors, speakers, and fellow extreme-parenting moms, as they bravely open their own junk drawers, bringing faith, personal stories, and even a bit of laughter to the journey as they tackle the hard stuff and talk openly about the messiness, and often hidden struggles of motherhood & marriage. They are here to guide you through the process of sorting through life’s toughest challenges, empowering you to heal, embrace your true identity in Christ, and find the strength to parent from a place of peace and joy!

You’re not alone. God chose you for this journey – let’s walk it together!

Come check out what Deena is doing over at Specially Empowered Moms

www.speciallyempoweredmoms.com

https://www.facebook.com/SpeciallyEmpoweredMoms

Come check out what Christiana is doing at Faith Through Foster Care

www.fatihthorughfostercare.com

www.instagram.com/faiththroughfostercare

Junk Drawer Mamas: Sorting through the drama and trauma of extreme parenting to find hope, healing, and a side of humor.

Welcome to Junk Drawer Mamas – the podcast for moms navigating the treacherous terrain of extreme parenting. Moms who may be feeling the weight of parenting challenges that go above and beyond typical responsibilities whether you're parenting a child or teen with special needs, challenging behaviors, mental health struggles, medical crises, trauma associated with foster care, or the complexities of a large family, this is your space to feel seen, understood, and supported.

This isn’t just a podcast; it’s your space to feel seen, understood, and equipped to parent from a place of victory, not defeat.

In Junk Drawer Mamas, we believe that healing starts when we confront what’s been tucked away. We see the “junk drawer” as the place where hidden struggles live – the worries, hurts, and unmet needs that we often push aside or feel too overwhelmed or embarrassed to address. But just like those cluttered drawers, what we keep hidden can’t be healed. Think of us as your companions in decluttering life’s emotional junk and challenges that often feel too big to tackle alone.

Co-hosts Deena Trocino and Christina Queen share their raw, relatable stories, faith-filled insights, and occasional mom fails (because let’s face it, nobody’s perfect). We’ll talk candidly about marriage, parenthood, and the grace-filled messiness of life, all while sprinkling in biblical truths and practical tips to help you navigate those tough days and reclaim your sanity, and even some laughter to lighten the load.

Our goal? To remind you that God chose you for this journey. You are equipped, you are enough, and yes, you absolutely can thrive—even when it feels impossible.

So, grab a comfy seat (or hide in the pantry—we won’t judge) and join us each week as we tackle the “junk drawer” of extreme parenting, to uncover hope, healing, and the strength that only comes from facing what’s been tucked away.