We Love Our Family...But Damn Podcast

About We Love Our Family...But Damn Podcast

A podcast about marriage, parenting, money, and the real conversations couples need to have when building a life together. From relationships and conflict to buying a home, navigating finances, and creating a strong family legacy, we talk honestly about what it takes to build a partnership — and a future — that actually lasts. bykristenlee.substack.com (https://bykristenlee.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Kristen & Roger Mansourian

Category

kids & family · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

8 Dec 2025

Latest episode

28 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

27 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Aug 2026

   My Wife Survived Acute Postpartum Psychosis. She Could Have Been Lindsay Clancy.

   After the birth of our daughter, Kristen developed acute postpartum psychosis. She became convinced Roger was drugging our daughter. She believed he was part of the Illuminati. She experienced thoughts and beliefs that felt completely real to her, while still being able to hold conversations, run parts of a business, and sometimes appear completely normal. Eventually, Kristen attempted suicide. In this episode, we tell the full story together for the first time: what psychosis actually looked like inside our home, what it felt like for Kristen to lose touch with reality without realizing it, and what it was like for Roger to watch his wife become someone he no longer recognized. We also talk about the Lindsay Clancy case and why surviving postpartum psychosis changed the way we think about mental illness, responsibility, compassion, and the word “monster.” This conversation is not an attempt to tell you what was happening inside Lindsay Clancy’s mind. We weren’t there, and Kristen’s experience cannot tell us what another person experienced. But we do know what psychosis looked like inside our family. And after living through it, neither of us can look at severe postpartum mental illness the same way again. In this episode, we talk about postpartum psychosis, paranoia and delusions, severe sleep disruption, psychiatric hospitalization, suicide, marriage, recovery, the Lindsay Clancy case, and what we wish every partner and family knew about postpartum mental health. CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses postpartum psychosis, suicide and suicidal thoughts, psychiatric hospitalization, and the deaths of children. Postpartum psychosis is a medical emergency. If you or someone you love may be experiencing postpartum psychosis or another maternal mental health crisis, please seek professional help immediately. Resources: National Maternal Mental Health HotlineCall or text: 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262)Free, confidential support available 24/7. 988 Suicide & Crisis LifelineCall or text: 988 Postpartum Support InternationalHelpLine: 1-800-944-4773 If this episode makes you think of a mother, partner, friend, or family member who needs to hear it, please send it to them. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bykristenlee.substack.com/subscribe (https://bykristenlee.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

2. 

   4 Aug 2026

   Stop Trying to Fix Your Husband Immediately (Do This Instead)

   Marriage communication breaks down fast when one partner becomes the emotional manager and the other doesn't know how to hold space — that's the tension driving this episode of We Love Our Family... But Damn. Kristen and Roger just wrapped a month with both sets of parents in town, and it went noticeably smoother than trips in years past. Not because nobody got triggered (they did), but because of one shift: Kristen caught Roger slipping into an old family pattern and, for the first time, didn't make it her problem. That's the entry point into a real conversation about polarity, why trying to force your partner to evolve backfires every time, and why Roger believes centuries of women being silenced still shape how men shut down during conflict today. Roger opens up about the wound behind his own shutdown response, what's actually helped him become less reactive, and why "just be in expansion" never meant anything to him until Kristen broke it into steps. This episode introduces expanding your vessel — the framework Kristen teaches in full for paid Substack subscribers. What You'll Hear Why this trip with both sets of parents went differently than past visits The moment Kristen caught Roger slipping into an old family pattern and chose not to react to it Why trying to fix or manage other people's behavior fuels more conflict, not less Roger's honest take on why men shut down during conflict, including the wound behind it The historical and cultural context Roger believes still shapes silence between partners How Roger has learned to actually sit with and process a feeling instead of numbing it Why Kristen believes polarity work has done more for their marriage than therapy A first look at "expanding your vessel" — the concept behind Kristen's paid Substack frameworkTimestamps 00:00 — Intro 00:52 — The month-long family visit, and why this one felt different 05:26 — Kristen introduces "expanding your vessel" 07:09 — The core issue in most marriages: wanting your partner to change 08:19 — Roger on why men shut down — history, wounds, and defense mechanisms 21:21 — Revisiting the wound beneath Roger's shutdown response 24:06 — How to actually feel your feelings instead of numbing them 26:48 — Why polarity has worked better than therapy for Kristen and Roger 32:02 — Roger on what expanding his own vessel has changed in their marriageKey Takeaway You can't force your partner to evolve on your timeline — the fastest way to actually change your marriage is to stop managing him and start expanding yourself. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bykristenlee.substack.com/subscribe (https://bykristenlee.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

3. 

   29 Jul 2026

   Everyone's Doing Love Languages Wrong. Here's What Works.

   Episode Description: Why your husband doesn't know what you need (and it's not because he doesn't care). Kristen and Roger talk about the #1 mistake couples make in marriage: assuming connection happens by accident. In this episode, they break down Gottman's research on what makes marriages last, introduce a framework that goes deeper than the five love languages, and share the exact tool they use to keep the spark alive—and why it's what actually prevents infidelity. What You'll Hear: What "bids" are (John Gottman's research on marriage) and why they're the real foundation of connection in long-term relationships The difference between the five love languages and true intimacy—and why most couples get it wrong Why you're faking gratitude when gifts miss (and how to stop) Roger's real example: why a handmade jar moved their marriage more than expensive gifts ever could The honest answer to what actually makes a good man stray—it's not what you think How to stop being the CFO of your marriage and start feeling like his girlfriend again One simple tool that replaced hundreds in therapy costs Timestamps: 0:00 — Intro: Why marriage gets mundane (and what to do about it) 2:01 — John Gottman's research on "bids" and marriage connection 4:45 — Love languages explained + why it's incomplete 5:03 — The framework introduced (the tool that transformed their marriage) 6:56 — Roger's gift: why thoughtfulness matters more than money 21:00 — Roger's honest answer: What actually keeps a good man faithful 23:22 — Why this framework works when marriage therapy didn't 25:18 — The real takeaway: Connection over grand gestures Resources Mentioned: John Gottman's research on what makes marriages last The Five Love Languages quiz A proprietary marriage connection framework (full breakdown available on Substack (http://bykristenlee.substack.com)) Key Takeaway: Most marriages don't fall apart from one big betrayal. They fall apart quietly, from a hundred small missed moments. Your husband isn't a mind reader. But when you give him specificity—when you actually show him what you need—everything changes. Not just the gifts. The intimacy. The attraction. The partnership. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bykristenlee.substack.com/subscribe (https://bykristenlee.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

19 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings