Parenting is hard. Being human is hard. And sometimes the most important reminder is this: we are all just doing the best we can.

In this episode of The Parenting Pair Podcast, clinical psychologists Dr. Annalise Caron and Dr. Suzanne Allen step away from theory and lean into humanity. Through personal (and very relatable) stories — from accidentally hitting a grocery truck after a distracted moment to signing up for a pet dental subscription only to later learn the dog needed some of his teeth removed — they reflect on what it means to make mistakes, laugh at ourselves, and accept that we don’t always have everything under control.

This conversation isn’t about perfect parenting strategies. It’s about self-compassion, perspective, and remembering that even highly trained psychologists are still human. They encourage us to stop comparing ourselves to others and lean into reality: Life is busy. We get distracted. We misjudge things. We react imperfectly. And none of that means we’re failing.

If you’ve ever felt pressure to hold it all together — at home, at work, or as a parent — this episode offers a powerful reminder: doing the best you can in the moment is enough – even if it means you run into a delivery truck, your dog loses their teeth or you just aren’t sure what the next best step is for your teen! Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself. No one has it “all together” all of the time. And when you can, allow yourself to laugh a bit. Life is stressful enough without the parenting comparison trap and pressure for perfection.

Here are some highlights from the episode:

00:00 — We Do the Best We Can

02:33 — The Truck Incident – Suzanne hits a delivery truck

06:58 — Feeling Out of Control

07:45 — Sometimes It’s Just Hard Being Human

08:18 — The Pet Teeth-Cleaning Anecdote – Annalise’s dog’s dental decline

10:46 — The Running Late Story

13:19 — The Importance of Laughter

14:06 — Let’s Be Real and Take the Pressure Off

Watch this episode here on YouTube

🔔 Subscribe to The Parenting Pair Podcast for more science-based conversations on raising confident, resilient tweens, teens, and young adults.

✉️ Sign up for our monthly parenting newsletter (scroll to the bottom of our webpage):
https://drscaronandallen.com/