Week 3: Protection

The Superpower of Protective Gates (Boundaries)

Welcome to Week 3. This week, we talk about boundaries. For many of us, this word feels heavy. You may have spent years in situations where your boundaries weren't respected, or where setting one felt dangerous.

When we talk about boundaries in the "Mom Squad," we aren't talking about being "difficult" or "mean." We are talking about The Superpower of the Protective Gate. Think of yourself as a safe harbor. A gate doesn't exist to shut the world out forever; it exists so you get to decide who is safe enough to enter and when you need to close the latch to rest.

The Lesson: Your "No" is a Shield

For a long time, you may have used "Yes" as a survival tool—to keep the peace, to satisfy a system, or to protect your children. But a "Yes" given out of fear or exhaustion eventually drains the very life from us.

Reclaiming your "No" is an act of restoration. It is the bridge between being constantly "on guard" and finally being present. When you say "No" to a demand that triggers you or an interaction that leaves you feeling small, you are saying "Yes" to your own healing.

Lesson WOrksheets

Below are two tools to help you explore what your "Protective Gates" might look like. Remember: These are yours to use as you see fit. There is no pressure to "fix" everything at once. Boundaries are a practice, and you are allowed to start small.

The Protective Gates Map: A guide to help you visualize what you want to let in and what you need to keep out to feel safe.

The "Pause and Protect" Script: Simple, gentle phrases you can use to buy yourself time when you feel pressured to say "Yes."

Your Weekly Read

This week's book is Set Boundaries, Find Peace: a Guide to Reclaiming Yourself, by Nedra Glover Tawwab.

An instant New York Times bestseller, this book will help you to speak up for what you need in order to experience the freedom of being yourself (without the guilt).
"Healthy boundaries. We all know we should have them--in order to achieve work/life balance, cope with toxic people, and enjoy rewarding relationships with partners, friends, and family. But what do "healthy boundaries" really mean--and how can we successfully express our needs, say "no," and be assertive without offending others?"

Your Weekly Pod

This week's pod is The Terri Cole Show. Have you heard of her? Terri is a licensed Psychotherapist, transformation coach and expert at turning Fear into Freedom. Read below to see how Terri describes this episode.

"When you say "no" to someone, do you often feel immense guilt afterward?

Or do you second-guess your boundaries after setting them?

I have seen a lot of my therapy clients sacrifice their boundaries due to guilt. But letting guilt sabotage our efforts to have healthy boundaries is a one-way ticket to Bitter Town.

Boundaries are meant to protect ourselves and our relationships. They deepen our connections. Yet, many of us still feel guilty for having and enforcing boundaries.

This episode is about deepening our understanding of post-boundary setting guilt. I talk about what you can do to combat it, how to tell if it is actually guilt you are feeling, and when feeling guilty may be appropriate."

Your Weekly Jam

Enjoy this playlist designed just for you!

The vibe of this week's playlist is "firm & steady" and the goal is strengthening the "No" and protecting your peace.