Destress the Nest

About Destress the Nest

De-Stress the Nest is a practical podcast for busy parents, working moms, dads, and caregivers navigating the mental load of family life. Hosted by Hannah Morgan of Heron House Management, each bite-sized episode shares expert tips for reducing parenting stress, home organization, decluttering, household management, family routines, meal planning, calendars, time management, productivity, work-life balance, caregiving, and simplifying home life. Create a calmer, more functional home with less overwhelm and more time for what matters.

Publisher

Hannah Morgan

Category

education · kids & family

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Aug 2024

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

100 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026

   How To Talk To Your Kids About Tech

   Saying "no" to technology often feels like a battlefield, leaving parents stressed and kids feeling untrusted. In this episode, digital media expert Sarah Trombley from Digital Mom Media joins host Hannah Morgan to share a game-changing framework for navigating screen time and social media conversations with your children. Key Takeaways The Power of "We": Shift boundary conversations from "Me vs. You" to a family discussion ("We are not ready as a family"). This reframes the decision around family resources, safety, and readiness rather than a lack of trust in the child. Managing Peer Pressure: Validate your child’s desire to fit in while establishing clear boundaries: "Every family has different needs and rules, and this is what makes sense for us right now." Collaborative Research: Encourage kids to research and present proposals for the apps or devices they want. It builds critical thinking, models healthy debate, and demonstrates that their input is valued—even if the answer remains "not yet." Age-Appropriate Benchmarks: Age 13: Default minimum online adulthood and app store baseline (e.g., Snapchat), though often still too young for full access. Ages 15–16: The recommended benchmark by most child development experts for social media access. Global Perspective: Emerging international standards, such as Australia’s social media bans for under-16s, highlight a growing shift toward delayed access. Quotes From The Episode "Saying no can be about trust, safety, or resources." "Every family has different needs and rules." "Most experts recommend social media at 15 or 16." Resources Mentioned Guest: Sarah Gallagher Trombley Sarah is a digital parenting expert, mom, and former Snapchat executive. As the founder of Digital Mom Media (http://digitalmom.me) and creator of The Digital Mom Lab, Sarah uses her tech-industry insider experience to equip parents with practical frameworks, safety tools, and step-by-step guidance to confidently navigate technology, social media, and screen time with their children. Episodes Released Weekly on Tuesdays This episode of De-Stress the Nest is sponsored by (http://hawkeyefocuscoaching.com/)Heron House Management (https://heronhousemanagement.com/contact). Learn more at heronhousemanagement.com (http://heronhousemanagement.com). About Heron House Management Heron House Management (https://heronhousemanagement.com/) is a virtual house management service that takes the stress out of your busy life by taking on your mental load and managing your To Do list. We provide fractional virtual house management for busy families at 10, 15 and 20+ hours/month. Meal planning, signing up for kids activities, scheduling doctor's appointments, finding a house cleaner, planning your kid's birthday party, getting quotes for that home renovation project, or scheduling a monthly date night with your significant other and so much more. We do it all! Learn more at www.heronhousemanagement.com (http://www.heronhousemanagement.com/).

2. 

   15 Sept 2026

   How to Build Resilience as a Working Mom When Everything Falls Apart

   Summary When you’re a working parent, disruptions are inevitable: a sick kid, a canceled school day, an unavailable partner, a car problem, or a crisis at work. The goal isn’t to become the perfectly calm person who can handle everything—it’s to build the resilience to adapt when life inevitably throws you a curveball. In this episode, Hannah Morgan shares practical ways to prepare for the unexpected, from creating backup plans and investing in your village to building margin into your schedule and life. She also introduces the RESET method for navigating a crisis in real time: regulate, establish what’s urgent, simplify, execute the next smallest step, and take the lesson. Because resilience isn’t about having it all together. It’s about knowing what to do next. Key Takeaways Resilience doesn't mean staying calm all the time. It means being able to experience stress and disruption, then figure out what to do next. Create your backup plans before you need them. Think through the crises that are likely to happen again and create simple if-then plans for how you'll respond. Talk to your workplace in advance. Establish expectations around sick kids, working from home, or shifting your hours before you're in the middle of a crisis. Invest in your village before you need it. Build relationships with friends, family, neighbors, and other people who can step in—and be willing to reciprocate. Build margin into your life. Leaving some space in your schedule, having meals in the freezer, and maintaining an emergency fund can give you much-needed breathing room when things go sideways. Use the RESET method when you're in crisis: R — Regulate: Pause and regulate your emotions before reacting. E — Establish: Identify what's actually urgent. S — Simplify: Lower the bar wherever you can. E — Execute: Take the next smallest achievable step. T — Take the lesson: Reflect afterward and use what you learned to improve your plan. You don't have to manage everything yourself. Knowing when and how to ask for help is a form of resilience, too. Quotes from the Episode “Resilience does not mean being this polished, calm, best version of yourself at all times.” “You can experience that disruption, feel the stress, and then figure out what you're going to do next.” “Invest in your village before you actually need it.” “Operating at 85 or 90% gives you that margin. So when something does go wrong, you've just got a little bit more buffer.” “Simplifying means lowering the bar everywhere you absolutely can.” “Pick one small achievable step, one small thing you can do in that crisis moment that can help move things forward.” “You can be the person who knows how to ask for help, and that is a wonderful thing.” Resources Mentioned The RESET Method: A five-step framework for navigating unexpected crises as a working parent. Heron House Management: (heronhousemanagement.com) Virtual household management for busy families looking to reduce their mental load and get support with the never-ending to-do list.

3. 

   8 Sept 2026

   Ep 98 - What Parents Need to Know About Raising Kids in the AI Era with Sarah Dooley

   What Parents Need to Know About Raising Kids in the AI Era AI is already woven into everyday family life, from streaming platforms and video games to school devices and social media. So how can parents help their children navigate it safely? In this episode, Hannah talks with Sarah Dooley, founder of AI Empowered Mom, about the do’s and don’ts of AI with children. Sarah shares why parents shouldn't wait to start talking about AI, how to explain that AI isn't a person or a friend, why AI literacy starts with parents themselves, and which emerging AI tools she considers off-limits for her own family. They also discuss AI companions and toys, privacy concerns, the importance of maintaining healthy "friction" in childhood, and why conversations about AI safety need to evolve alongside the technology. Don't wait to talk to your kids about AI. AI is already embedded in many of the technologies families use every day. Teach children that AI isn't human. It may communicate like a person, but it's a machine—not a friend or family member. AI conversations should be ongoing. Technology and its risks are changing too quickly for a one-time conversation about safety. Parents need AI literacy, too. Before teaching children about AI, parents should understand what these tools can and can't do. Don't blindly trust AI-generated information. Generative AI can be excellent at creating content, but factual information needs to be checked by a human. Be cautious about AI companions and toys. Sarah recommends maintaining a boundary between children and AI companionship until stronger safety assurances exist. Childhood needs some friction. Struggling with problems and navigating difficult situations are important parts of development, and AI can sometimes remove too much of that friction. Every family needs its own technology boundaries. Parents should consider their values and decide what types of AI use are appropriate for their family. Privacy matters. Sarah specifically raises concerns about AI-enabled glasses and other technologies that can potentially capture or expose information about people. Stay informed. Because the AI landscape changes rapidly, parents need to continually reassess the tools their children encounter. “Don't assume that this is going to go away or that it won't impact your family.” “This isn't a member of our family. This isn't our friend. This is a thinking machine that helps our family.” “When it comes to facts, you have to check them. You have to have a human in the loop.” “We try and keep a little bit of friction in our kids' lives and make parents' lives a little bit easier.” AI Empowered Mom (https://www.aiempoweredmom.com/)— Sarah Dooley's work helping parents and caregivers use AI safely and responsibly to lighten the mental load. Common Sense Media (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/) — A resource Sarah recommends for researching technology, AI tools, and family technology decisions. Digital Mom (https://www.digitalmom.me/) — Another resource Sarah mentions using when evaluating technology for her family. Subscribe (https://www.amazon.com/Year-Yes-Dance-Stand-Person/dp/1476777128) & Leave a Review: (https://www.heronhousemanagement.com/) If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue to bring you valuable content! Episodes Released Weekly on Tuesdays This episode of De-Stress the Nest is sponsored by Heron House Management.com. (heronhousemanagement.com) About Heron House Management: Heron House Management⁠ (https://heronhousemanagement.com/) is a virtual house management service that takes the stress out of your busy life by taking on your mental load and managing your To Do list. We provide fractional virtual house management for busy families at 10, 15 and 20+ hours/month. Meal planning, signing up for kids activities, scheduling doctor's appointments, finding a house cleaner, planning your kid's birthday party, getting quotes for that home renovation project, or scheduling a monthly date night with your significant other and so much more. We do it all! Learn more at www.heronhousemanagement.com (http://www.heronhousemanagement.com/).

Who has been a guest on Destress the Nest

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Lisa Reichelt
• Courtney Cecil
• Paige Connell
• Miranda Bayard-Clark
• Alyssa Wolff

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 56 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

91

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Destress the Nest

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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