In mOther Words | Motherhood Conversations with Steph Ting

He grew up wondering why his dad left.Now, as a father himself, Eldred is trying to become the dad he never had.
In this Father’s Day special of In mOther Words, Steph sits down with Eldred for a deeply honest conversation about fatherhood, father absence, provider pressure, emotional shutdown, and the family patterns we quietly carry into parenting.
Eldred shares what it was like growing up after his father left, watching his mother carry four children, and becoming the eldest son who had to grow up too quickly.
Now a father to Eden, he reflects on what it means to show up differently. Not just by providing. Not just by building a future. But by being present, emotionally honest, and willing to heal the parts of himself he does not want to pass down.
This episode is not about blaming fathers. It is about asking what fathers carry, what mothers absorb, what children internalize, and how one generation can choose to stop handing the wound down.
“No amount of money can buy my time with you.”
In this conversation, we explore:
Growing up without a father figure
What father absence can do to a child
The emotional weight mothers carry after separation
Provider pressure and the guilt of not doing enough
The fear of repeating your parents’ mistakes
Why some fathers shut down emotionally
The question: “Am I worthy of rest?”
Intergenerational trauma and healing before parenting
What it means to be emotionally present as a dad
Becoming the parent you once needed
A father’s message to his son
This episode is for you if:
You grew up with an emotionally absent parent
You are a mother carrying more than people see
You are a father trying to show up differently
You are a parent trying to break generational patterns
You have ever wondered what your childhood is teaching your parenting
You are learning that presence is not the same as provision
Join the conversation
What is one thing you wish your father, your partner, or the father of your child knew how to say?
We’d love to hear your reflections.
Instagram: @inmotherwordsofficial @dredweeWatch on YouTube! https://youtu.be/DQXqV4JAJLI
Subscribe to In mOther Words for real, raw and messy conversations on motherhood, parenting, identity, emotional resilience, and the stories we rarely say out loud.

What do dads carry that they rarely say out loud?
In this Father’s Day special, we invited three fathers into In mOther Words for a heart-to-heart conversation about modern fatherhood, marriage, parenting, emotional silence, and what dads wish mums understood.
We talk about the pressure to provide, the loneliness of not knowing how to ask for help, why vulnerability can feel difficult for men, and how both mothers and fathers can feel more seen in the family.
This is not a conversation about mothers versus fathers. It is a conversation about coming back to each other with more honesty, softness, and partnership.
Heads up: This episode includes some mild swearing and very real dad talk.
Watch the episode on YouTube:https://youtu.be/2bgubE15obA
Featured dads:Eldred: @dredweeChiMing: @chimaginationGary: @gkoay
Instagram: @inmotherwordsofficial

When we talk about ADHD, the conversation often centers on children. But what about the mothers parenting with ADHD?Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HE5KRX7BMJU
In this episode of In Mother Words, Steph sits down with Dawn Foo, corporate trainer, emotional intelligence coach, author of Hope with ADHD, and a mother diagnosed with ADHD, for an honest and deeply personal conversation about motherhood, neurodivergence, and learning to understand your own mind.
Dawn shares how her diagnosis journey began during Covid, when work, caregiving, motherhood, home logistics, and emotional overload pushed her executive functioning into “five shifts.” She recalls the moment she froze in the middle of a room, holding several things in her hands, knowing there were a million things to do but unable to move.
Together, Steph and Dawn talk about the parts of ADHD that many mothers carry quietly: overstimulation, time blindness, emotional dysregulation, rejection sensitive dysphoria, guilt, shame, and the fear of being judged. They also explore the other side of ADHD: creativity, playfulness, spontaneity, fierce love, and the support systems that help mothers stop carrying everything alone.
This episode is for mothers with ADHD, mothers wondering if they might have ADHD, and anyone who wants to better understand the tender, chaotic, and brilliant reality of parenting with an ADHD mind.
In this episode, we talk about:
Dawn’s ADHD diagnosis journey during Covid
Executive-function overload and emotional dysregulation
The stigma of telling people you have ADHD
Why “everyone is a bit ADHD” can be harmful
Rejection sensitive dysphoria, also known as RSD
Time blindness, forgetfulness, guilt, and self-forgiveness
ADHD strengths, creativity, spontaneity, and play
Practical support systems for mothers with ADHD
Connect with Dawn Foo via Instagram @dawnfoo
If this episode spoke to you
Please follow In Mother Words, share this episode with a mother who may need it, and leave a review. Every share helps another mother feel a little less alone and a little more understood.
Mothering with ADHD is not a flaw. It is a landscape of challenge, tenderness, creativity, and courage. Together, we learn how to walk it with compassion.

One day he was running across soccer fields. The next, doctors told his family he needed a wheelchair.
In this episode of In mOther Words, Nini shares the emotional journey of watching her six-year-old son go from being one of the most active children she knew to suddenly living with a rare degenerative hip disease.
Together, we explore motherhood under pressure, parenting through diagnosis, invisible grief, family resilience, and the quiet strength it takes to help a child rediscover joy after life changes overnight.
One of the most powerful moments in this episode:“How he remembers this in his life… that’s on me now.”
This conversation touches on disability parenting, sibling dynamics, grief, emotional resilience, redefining joy after loss, and learning how to stay hopeful without falling into toxic positivity.
Whether you’re navigating uncertainty, carrying invisible emotional weight, or searching for hope inside a difficult season, this conversation will stay with you.
In mOther Words is a motherhood storytelling podcast exploring identity, healing, resilience, and the emotional realities of modern motherhood.
📸 Follow us on Instagram@inmotherwordsofficial
▶️ Watch on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/@inmotherwords
🔔 Follow for more mama stories

In this episode of In Mother Words, Steph sits down with Faustina, founder of HiBuyMama and Raising Resilient Rascals, for a grounded and honest conversation about raising emotionally resilient children without losing kindness along the way.
Together, they unpack the quiet pressures modern parents carry: how to teach emotional resilience, how to repair after parenting mistakes, and how to raise kind children in a world that often rewards competition over compassion.
This conversation explores emotional regulation, repair, parenting while healing our own inner child, helping children cope with losing, and why kindness should never be mistaken for weakness.
Because maybe resilience isn’t about becoming harder.Maybe it’s about staying kind through life’s challenges.
⏱ Episode Highlights
00:00 – Wanting to become better parents00:41 – Raising kind kids in an unkind world03:24 – How play nurtures empathy and kindness05:26 – Repairing after parenting mistakes08:13 – Healing our inner child through parenting11:00 – Helping children cope with competition and losing13:38 – “It’s okay to lose” and emotional resilience16:06 – The future we hope to create for our children20:12 – Emotional regulation tools for kids and parents21:16 – Learning to be kinder to ourselves as mothers
💛 Connect with Faustina
Instagram@hibuymama@fennecfolk@faustinatheelf
Websiteswww.hibuymama.comwww.fennecfolk.com
📸 Follow us on Instagram@inmotherwordsofficial
▶️ Watch on YouTubehttps://youtu.be/4WiXwwTsUF4
🔔 Follow In Mother Words for heartfelt motherhood conversations. Thank you!

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
🔔 Follow In Mother Words for heartfelt motherhood conversationsIG @inmotherwordsofficial

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

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 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

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