In Mother Words | Conversations on Motherhood with Steph Ting

Drowning in Parenting Advice: Montessori, Sibling Struggles & Trusting Yourself

Are modern moms feeling empowered by parenting philosophies — or overwhelmed by them? In this episode, Steph speaks with Ola, a Montessori playgroup guide, kids physiotherapist, and mom of two, about finding clarity in a world full of advice.
Ola shares her journey from traditional teaching to Montessori education, the challenges she faced when welcoming a second child, and the moments that made her question everything she thought she knew about parenting. Through her story, we explore what happens when theory meets real life — and why trusting your own instincts matters more than any method.
In this episode:• How Montessori supports children from 0–3• Gentle parenting vs. authoritative approaches• The trap of information overload• Sibling rivalry and emotional adjustment• Why quick fixes don’t work with kids• A simple practice to reconnect with your child• Learning to trust yourself again as a parent
This conversation is a comforting reminder that you know your child best, and that parenting becomes clearer when you tune in to your own voice instead of the noise.
Connect with Ola:Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/practicalmontessori/Montessori Playgroup — https://practical-montessori.com/course/playgroupFacebook Page — https://www.facebook.com/share/17Uc7r21ha/
Watch the full episode on YouTube:https://youtu.be/FOJBpT8wSVg

Redefining Success Beyond Grades | In Mother Words Podcast

In Singapore, success is often tied to academic performance — but what happens when that pressure affects our children’s emotional well-being… and our own?
In this episode of In Mother Words, I sit down with Marilyn, an educator with more than 10 years of teaching experience, a mum to a strong-willed six-year-old, and the co-founder of ARTÉ Pickleball. Marilyn has spent years observing how children learn, how they cope, and how parents often shoulder silent emotional burdens.
Together, we talk about:• How Singaporean children start linking their self-worth to grades• Why mums feel the weight of academic pressure the most• The importance of validating our children’s emotions• Why resilience matters more than perfection• What emotionally safe parenting looks like day to day• Why letting our kids “fail” is essential for growth• How sports (like pickleball!) can build grit and confidence
This episode is a gentle reminder that you don’t have to be a perfect mum. You just have to be a good enough one. And “good enough” goes further than you think.
If you’re a mum who’s ever felt overwhelmed, not good enough, or worried about whether you’re doing right by your child — this conversation is for you. ❤️
Connect with Marilyn & ARTÉ Pickleball
Shop ARTÉ Pickleball paddles:🔗 https://artepickleball.com
Follow ARTÉ Pickleball:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artepickleballTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artepickleball
Connect with Marilyn:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snugglyfamWatch this Episode on YouTube!  https://youtu.be/i2gi6CI4cNg

I Said No to Chemo — A Mother’s Journey of Courage and Rebirth

When Janet first heard the word “cancer,” her world went still.As a mother, wife, and business owner, she made a choice that many might question — she said no to chemotherapy.
A year later, when the cancer returned stronger than before, Janet faced a new decision — one that would redefine her courage, her motherhood, and her sense of self.
In this heartfelt conversation, Janet shares how fear turned into strength, how motherhood gave her the will to fight, and how surviving breast cancer transformed the way she sees life, joy, and perfection.
From hiding her diagnosis during Chinese New Year to walking through treatment with quiet grace, her story is one of healing, hope, and rediscovering who you are — as a woman and as a mother.
🎀 Part of a 4-part Breast Cancer Awareness Month series, where four brave mothers open up about what it truly means to face fear with love and resilience.
Listen if you’re a mother navigating fear, healing, or change — and need a reminder that courage can be quiet, gentle, and deeply powerful.
Connect with Janet:🌐 www.theredwedding.com📸 Instagram: @the_red_wedding
Connect with Steph:🌐 www.inmotherwordspodcast.com📸 Instagram: @inmotherwordsofficial▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@InmOtherWords

Love Beyond Distance: A Mother’s Courage to Let GoLove Beyond Distance: A Mother’s Courage Through Cancer and Separation

“Love doesn’t have to be anchored in proximity.”
In Part 3 of our In Mother Word's Breast Cancer Awareness & Motherhood series, Steph speaks with Jen — a single mother, survivor, and woman whose story redefines love and motherhood.
From walking out of an abusive marriage with ₹7,000 in her pocket to starting anew in Singapore, Jen’s journey is one of love, sacrifice, and faith. Just as she was ready to reunite with her daughter, the pandemic hit — and later, a stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis turned her world upside down.
Through heartbreak and healing, Jen discovered that motherhood is not about perfection or presence — it’s about trusting love enough to let go. Her story reminds us that even from afar, a mother’s love remains unshakable.
In this conversation, we explore:
Leaving an abusive marriage and finding the courage to start again
Redefining motherhood across borders
Surviving cancer in a foreign land
Raising a strong, empathetic daughter from afar
Learning that letting go is sometimes the deepest act of love
If you’re a single mother, breast cancer survivor, or woman navigating distance, resilience, or guilt — this episode is for you.
🎙️ Featuring:
Jen Siemons — single mother, survivor, and advocate for authentic motherhood.Hosted by: Steph Ting, In Mother Words
💌 Connect with Jen:Instagram: @chasingsunsets_jen
💖 Follow In Mother Words:🎧 Subscribe on Spotify📩 Share this episode with a mum who needs to hear Jen’s story

I Was Pregnant When They Told Me I Had Breast Cancer

When Faith was pregnant, she was told she had stage 2 breast cancer.In this powerful episode of In Mother Words, she shares what it was like to face an impossible choice — to fight for her own life while carrying new life within her.
Through tears, courage, and faith, Faith opens up about going through chemotherapy during pregnancy, drawing strength from her daughter, and how the experience reshaped her view of motherhood and purpose.
This episode is part of our 4-part series on Breast Cancer Awareness and Motherhood, featuring real stories of strength, love, and hope — told by mothers who remind us that hope isn’t found at the end of the journey, but in how we live each day.
In This Episode
0:00 — IntroFaith’s story begins — discovering a lump, the moment that changed everything.
1:21 — The Impossible ChoiceFacing a diagnosis while pregnant and being told to reconsider the pregnancy.
6:07 — Finding Strength as a MotherChoosing hope through chemotherapy, drawing strength from her daughter, and living one day at a time.
8:07 — Fear, Faith & the Uncertainty of TomorrowProcessing the fear of death, loss, and the emotional toll of cancer while parenting a young child.
13:40 — Working with the Terminally IllHow Faith’s experience reshaped her understanding of life, purpose, and hope.
17:26 — Choosing Family & PresenceRefocusing on what truly matters — slowing down, being present, and cherishing time with her children.
19:23 — Turning Pain into PurposeFinding healing by sharing her story and becoming a voice of encouragement for others.
22:02 — A Message of HopeFaith’s reminder that life can still be beautiful, even in the face of uncertainty.
24:10 — Reflection & Gratitude (optional add-on for pacing)Steph closes with a reflection on what Faith’s story teaches us about motherhood, courage, and the quiet power of hope.
Connect with Faith:@therealrabbitmommy
Learn more about Fashion for Cancer:🌸 @fashionforcancersg🌐 www.fashionforcancersg.com
Follow In Mother Words for more real stories of motherhood, resilience, and hope.🎥 Watch it here: https://youtu.be/1UohcRXPurI

The Day I Told My Children I Have Cancer

When Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer, she faced one of the hardest moments of her life — telling her three young children.
In this deeply moving conversation, Susan opens up about the fear, heartbreak, and unexpected strength that came from sharing the truth with her family. From the moment her daughter asked, “Mommy, are you going to die?” to the day she invited her children to help shave her head, Susan’s story reminds us that resilience isn’t about being a superhero — it’s about presence, tenderness, and love.
Through tears and laughter, Susan reflects on what breast cancer taught her about motherhood, vulnerability, and the courage to lean on her children as much as they leaned on her. Her journey reminds us that even in the hardest moments, connection can be our greatest source of strength.
This episode is part of a 4-part Breast Cancer Awareness Month series, where four brave mothers open up about what it truly means to be vulnerable, to face fear with love, and to find resilience through it all.

“I Thought I’d Never Be a Mother”: Pregnancy Loss & Renewal

A tender story of loss, resilience, and renewal after pregnancy loss.
What happens when hope feels lost? In this deeply moving episode of In Mother Words, Steph speaks with Shaz, a mum of two who once believed she would never carry a child to term.
After experiencing multiple miscarriages during Covid, Shaz opens up about grief, guilt, and the fear that she might never become a mother — and how she slowly found renewal through family, faith, and the arrival of her children.
This is a story of loss, resilience, and finding light again in the darkest of moments. Whether you’ve experienced pregnancy loss, know someone who has, or want to better understand this journey, this conversation is a reminder that no one has to walk it alone.💬 Join the ConversationIf you’ve experienced loss, what’s one thing you wish you had been told? Your words may bring comfort to another mum.
🤝 Connect with Shaz IG: https://www.instagram.com/the.kasims Follow for her stories, reflections, and support.▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/H5F1grgIpeI
Follow In mOther Words for real conversations on motherhood, identity, and resilience.

When Birth Doesn’t Go as Planned: Your Story Still Matters

What happens when birth doesn’t go as planned — and your story doesn’t unfold the way you hoped? In this episode of In Mother Words, I sit down with Sulin Corella, postpartum doula and founder of Papaya Wellness, to explore the emotional side of birth that is often overlooked.
We talk about what it means to hold space for mothers, why expectations can create guilt and shame, and how to begin healing from unexpected or traumatic birth experiences. Sulin shares her first birth client story, the idea of creating a “cocoon” of safety for mothers, and offers tools to help moms reclaim their birth story with grace.
If you’ve ever felt like your birth story wasn’t “perfect,” this episode is for you.
✨ Remember, your story still matters. If this episode spoke to you, share it with another mom who might need to hear these words today.
Connect with Sulin
🌿 Instagram: @papayawellnessdoula_🌿 Website: papayawellnessdoula.com
Find In Mother Words
📺 YouTube: youtube.com/@inmotherwords📸 Instagram: @inmotherwordsofficial

From Anxiety to Empowerment: Maud’s Hypnobirthing Story

From fear to empowerment: how hypnobirthing reshaped Maud’s journey into motherhood.
When Maud became a mother, she was terrified of giving birth. That fear led her to discover hypnobirthing — a practice that not only transformed her experience of childbirth, but reshaped the course of her life.
In this episode, Maud opens up about how motherhood pushed her to release a former identity, grieve the loss of a business she once poured everything into, and slowly rebuild from a place of self-trust. Today, she’s the founder of Bliss in Birth, where she helps women feel calm, confident, and powerful during pregnancy, birth, postpartum — and even in moments of birth anxiety or fear of childbirth.
Together, we explore what it means to choose yourself in motherhood, how to turn fear into fuel, and why postpartum is a process to be lived, not a problem to fix. If you’ve ever felt anxious about birth or uncertain about who you’re becoming as a mom, Maud’s story will remind you that you’re not alone.
Episode Chapters
Introduction & Early Motherhood — identity shifts and toddler lessons
From Fear to Hypnobirthing — transforming birth anxiety into calm
Beyond Birth — using tools for stress and parenting challenges
Letting Go & Finding Balance — motherhood’s lesson in surrender
Redefining Life & Motherhood — leaving a business, facing lockdown, and embracing growth
Connect with Maud
🌐 Website: blissinbirth.com📸 Instagram: @blissinbirth
🎥 Also available to watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NWLf1KUmEDs
👉 Don’t forget to follow the podcast for more unfiltered motherhood stories.

Who Are We Outside of ‘Mom’? Finding Yourself After Motherhood

Before motherhood, Kashmira was a founder, poet, and improv artist. Then she became a mother overnight — an identity shift that changed everything.
In this moving conversation, Kash shares what it means to lose and slowly rediscover yourself — and what finding yourself after motherhood really looks like.
We talk about:
The guilt that lingers even in “me time”
The hidden pressures mothers quietly carry
The daily courage it takes to redefine what being a “good mom” really means
If you’ve ever felt like parts of you disappeared in motherhood — and you’re searching for a way back to yourself — this episode is for you.
🤝 Connect with Kash:📷 Instagram: @Kashmirachawakofficial🔗 LinkedIn: Kashmira Chawak
✨ Follow In mOther Words for more raw, real, and empowering conversations on motherhood, identity, and rediscovering yourself.