Episodes

In our first short form episode -- Straight From the Listener Line episode -- we welcome back psychologist Dr. Jeffrey Bernstein to answer a heartfelt listener question. A mother shares her struggle after watching her once-close relationship with her son change following his marriage. She feels increasingly pushed aside and wonders how to navigate the growing distance, particularly when she believes her daughter-in-law no longer values a relationship with her husband's family. We discusses: W...

For this episode of Bite Your Tongue, we’re doing something quite a bit different. This is the last episode of Season 7, and today it’s just me. Me — and excerpts from one of my all-time favorite podcasts, This American Life with Ira Glass. For those who may not know Ira’s work, he is the groundbreaking creator and host of This American Life, whose storytelling helped redefine public radio and podcasting. A recipient of the Peabody, Pulitzer, and Edward R. Murrow Awards, Ira is widely conside...

Weddings, Family Tension, and Modern Etiquette Episode Description: If there is one life event that can bring together love, joy, tradition, money, and family tension all at once, it is a wedding. In this episode of Bite Your Tongue, Denise talks with Lizzie Post — co-president of the Emily Post Institute, co-host of the Awesome Etiquette podcast, and great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post — about how weddings have changed and why they still create so many emotional landmines for ...

Are you helping your adult child… or accidentally holding them back? Many parents quietly support their adult children financially — paying rent, helping with debt, or covering emergencies. But when does helping become enabling? In this episode, Denise talks with financial psychologist Dr. Brad Klontz about the emotional and psychological forces behind the “Bank of Mom and Dad.” Dr. Brad tells it like it is and doesn't hold back. He's says the right things - but sometimes they are hard ...

Do you lie awake at night running through every possible “what if” about your adult child? What if they make the wrong choice? What if they don’t land on their feet? Should I call? Should I say something? Should I bite my tongue? In this episode of Bite Your Tongue, Denise welcomes back psychologist and parent coach Jeffrey Bernstein, author of Freeing Your Child from Overthinking, to unpack the difference between anxiety and overthinking — and why that distinction matters so much in relation...

Family estrangement is one of the most painful and least discussed challenges parents face today. In this deeply personal and controversial episode, Denise speaks with journalist, entrepreneur, and author Laura Wellington, known online as Doormat Mom No More. After raising five children as a widowed mother, Laura found herself unexpectedly cut off by one of her adult daughters—an experience that left her heartbroken and searching for answers. She tried desperately to find other parents who we...

Are you a grandparent? If so, listen to this episode. Boundaries, burnout, and big feelings—grand parenting can be a joy and a minefield at the same time. We invited Dee Dee Moore, founder of More Than Grand, to help us navigate the messy middle: when “free” childcare starts costing a family its energy, when in-law dynamics get prickly, and when love needs the guardrails of a clear agreement to thrive. We start with a listener story about an eager grandmother who slid from helping to shoulderi...

This episode is for mothers walking on eggshells. For daughters who feel judged. For families who love each other deeply but don’t know how to stop hurting each other. In this powerful episode of Bite Your Tongue, Denise Gorant speaks with Leslie Glass and her daughter Lindsey Glass about the hardest—and most hopeful—parts of the mother-daughter relationship. Co-authors of The Mother-Daughter Relationship Makeover and its companion workbook, Leslie and Lindsey share their deeply personal jour...

Send us your feedback here: biteyourtonguepodcast@gmail.com or give us a ring at 719-347-1106. Tell us what is on your mind. On to today's episode: Happy New Year. We’re kicking off a new season with a best-of compilation of expert advice from 2025, focused on one thing: building healthier relationships with adult children. This episode brings together the most effective, field-tested tools from last season’s most impactful conversations—practical shifts in language, mindset, and boundaries tha...