2. Parent Guilt vs. Business Guilt: Breaking the Cycle

Parent guilt and business guilt: two sides of the same coin that every parentpreneur knows all too well. In today’s episode of Caffeinated Chaos, we dive into the push and pull between these two powerful forces. Whether it's the societal pressure to be the "perfect parent" or the relentless hustle of building a business, guilt can feel like an ever-present companion. But here's the truth—guilt is rooted in care, and that's a strength, not a flaw. 

I’ll share five actionable steps to help you break the cycle of guilt, set boundaries, and define success on your terms. Because at the end of the day, your kids don’t need perfection—they need you, and your business doesn’t need a flawless CEO—it just needs someone who shows up.

☕ Grab your coffee and let’s embrace the chaos—caffeinated, of course! 

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

1. What parent guilt and business guilt are—and why they hit hard.  

2. How societal double standards amplify guilt (especially for moms). 

3. Five steps to manage guilt and regain balance:  

• Recognize the root of your guilt.  
• Reframe guilt as a sign of care.  
• Challenge societal double standards.  
• Set clear boundaries between work and family life.  
• Define success for yourself.  

4. The key to being present as both a parent and a business owner.  

Loved this episode? Share it with a fellow parentpreneur who’s caught in the guilt tug-of-war! Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a moment of the caffeinated chaos. 

And hey, leave a review—it helps more listeners like you find the show. Remember: you’re doing better than you think!

Cheers! Thank you for joining us for another episode. Have a chaotic moment, question, or topic you want us to cover? Drop us a message or leave a review! If you loved this episode, share it with a friend who thrives in beautiful chaos too.

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Connect with us via email at ccpodcast@aguonstudios.com
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Resources:
Goal-Setting Template
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Transcript

0:36

Hey friends, welcome back to Caffeine Chaos. Today, we're talking about a topic that I think hits close to home for many of us, parent guilt. Now, parent guilt is something I think all moms and dads feel at some point, but let's be real, society tends to place more on the burden on the moms. We moms often feel like we're expected to Be the default parent, the one who remembers the dentist appointments, keeps the snacks stocked and plans the birthday parties. And don't get me started on the unspoken pressure of somehow balancing it all with a career and a business. But here's the thing, guilt doesn't discriminate. It doesn't matter if you're the mom or the dad. When you're a parent and you're also trying to build something for yourself, there's always going to be a constant push and pull. That's what we're going to be diving into today. Have The tug of war between parent guilt and business guilt. All right. So let's start with the basics. What exactly is parent guilt? You might be asking yourself, parent guilt is that little voice in your head that says you're not doing enough. You should be spending more time with your kids. Are you really putting them first? It shows up when you're working late or even when you're just taking a moment to yourself. I mean, how dare you, right? Let's unpack this because it gets tricky. For moms, society has this tendency to hold us to We're expected to be super moms, always present, always nurturing, always on. Like we cannot slip in our game. And if we're not, cue the music, cue the guilt trip. Dads on the other hand, we love you, but often, you get a different set of expectations. In many cases, you're praised for showing up. You see it in the memes. A dad takes his kids to the park and everyone's like, Ooh, great dad! Meanwhile, a mom does it, and nobody bats an eye. At all. Okay, let's be clear. Dads, we love you. You deserve credit too. But the double standard is real, and it's something that we do have to acknowledge. It's one of the reasons why parent guilt tends to hit harder for moms. And just when you think you got the parent guilt under control, well guess what? It's got a partner in crime and it's called business guilt Now, business guilt is when you feel. Like you're not doing enough for your career or your business. It's that nagging thought that says, if you don't work harder, you're going to fall behind. And if you take a break, well, somebody is going to pass you up. For me, when I'm working on my business, I feel guilty for not being with my kids. But when I'm with my kids, I feel guilty for not working on my business. Does that sound familiar to anyone? I bet it does. So here's the thing. Parent guilt and business guilt, they feed off each other. It's like they're in constant competition to see which one can make you worse. And, you know, let's face it, if you're not careful, you'll end up stuck in the cycle where you're never fully present in either space. Okay, so, here's the hard truth. Guilt, it's not going anywhere. It's always going to be there. It's a part of being a parent, especially if you're also pursuing a career or building a business. But here's the good news. Guilt doesn't have to run the show. I'm gonna give you five steps that I've used to help me. It's not perfect, but it's a step. So, step one. Recognize the root of your guilt. Is your guilt coming from a real misalignment with your values, or is it external? Is it the pressure from society's standards? Which, let's face it, are not realistic. If it's the latter, let's call it what it is and let it go. Two. Let's reframe the guilt as a sign that you care. Think about it. Really think about it. Would you feel guilty if you didn't care? Of course not. So the fact that you feel guilt means that you're doing your best. And that should be something that you're proud of. You should celebrate that you care so much. Reframing how you perceive guilt is going to help, okay? It's, let's reframe guilt as I care. I care about my business, I care about my family. Number three, I want you to challenge the double standard. If you're a mom, it's okay to push back against the ideas that you have to be everything to everyone all the time. Push back. And dads, let's work together to normalize parenting and shared responsibilities in a way that feels more equal. So guilt doesn't always just fall on one person. You guys are partners. Let's form a partnership. 4. Make sure you set boundaries to both aspects of your life. One of the best things I've done is to create a clear work time and a clear family time. When I'm working, I give myself permission to fully focus on my business, whether that's responding to emails or working on a project, it's important to set those boundaries. And when I'm with my kids, I put the laptop away and remind myself that the emails can wait. It's time to relax and be present with my kids. All right, number five. Define what success means for yourself. Success doesn't have to look the same as everybody. It doesn't have to be being the perfect parent. The perfect entrepreneur. You know, for me, I feel successful when I know that my kids feel that they are loved and that my business is making strides forward, even if they are slow strides, baby strides. I feel success if I know those two things. So here's the big takeaway, parent guilt and business guilt are both rooted in the same thing, caring. You care about your kids, You care about your work and that's not a flaw. It's a strength. Let me repeat that again in case you didn't hear it caring about your kids and Caring about your business is not a flaw. It's a strength The trick is to stop letting guilt dictate your decisions because at the end of the day your kids don't need The perfect parent. You don't have to be Pinterest perfect. They just need you. That's all they care about. And your business doesn't need a perfect CEO. It just needs someone who's going to show up day after day. All right, friends, that's it for today's episode of caffeinated chaos. If this conversation hit home for you, please share it with another parent or entrepreneur who you know is going through this guilt tug of war. And don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss next week's episode. Until then, remember, you're doing better than you think. Now go enjoy your coffee while it's hot,