350: How to Not Resent Your Partner (Even When You’re Drowning in Dishes and To-Do Lists) with Mary Catherine Starr
Ever walked past a sink full of dishes, glanced at your lounging partner, and thought, Oh wow, must be nice to live such a carefree life? If so, congratulations—you’ve encountered the mental load of motherhood in the wild. It’s the invisible weight of remembering doctor’s appointments, signing permission slips, and somehow knowing exactly when we’re running low on ketchup. And if you’re tired of quietly doing it all while everyone else enjoys their blissful ignorance, this episode is for you.
We’re bringing back the hilarious and oh-so-relatable Mary Catherine Starr, the artist behind Mom Life Comics, to break down why moms end up managing everything (whether we signed up for it or not). In her new book, Mama Needs a Minute!, she puts into words (and comics) what so many of us feel but don’t always say out loud. In this episode, she spills the truth about how household responsibilities sneakily pile up on moms, the subtle ways society nudges us into doing more, and why your partner still doesn’t know where the kids’ shoes are.
But don’t worry—this isn’t just one long rant (even though we could go on forever). We dive into real ways to shift the mental load without turning into a full-time task manager or feeling like a total nag. Plus, Mary Catherine shares one surprising strategy that might just make your partner finally notice the overflowing trash can.
So, if you’re ready to laugh, nod aggressively, and pick up a few game-changing tips, hit play now! This episode will have you rethinking everything—including whether you should “accidentally” throw away that sink full of dishes.
In this episode of the No Guilt Mom podcast you’ll learn:
- How many couples start out splitting responsibilities equally, but once kids enter the picture, the workload quietly shifts onto moms.
- How to stop shifting of household & family responsibilities before you’re buried in laundry (again).
- How you might be creating more work for yourself when you ask for help.
- Why it’s not about keeping score—it’s about redistributing the work fairly.
Resources We Shared In This Episode:
Get our Stop Doing Checklist absolutely FREE, so you can start taking tasks off your plate today!
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Read the transcripts HERE
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Brie Tucker
COO/ Podcast Producer at No Guilt Mom
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