58. Why Your Relationship Feels Different After Kids, with Caterina Smillie

So many of us know that quiet drift that creeps in once kids arrive - less conversation, more logistics, less time for each other. Relationship and emotional wellness coach Caterina Smillie joins me to unpack why that disconnection happens, and the small ways couples find their way back to each other.   **You'll Learn** - Why even strong relationships start to drift after having kids - The difference between carrying the mental load and the emotional load - Why nitpicking small things is often about something bigger - How mum guilt can get in the way of your relationship - Why 10-20 minutes of real connection matters more than a big date night - A simple question about the part you play in your relationship   **Why This Episode Matters** If you've ever felt like you and your partner are running a household together rather than connecting, this conversation will make you feel less alone in it. Caterina's approach is gentle, grounded, and doesn't ask you to add anything to your plate.   **Small Shift for Big Impact** Caterina's small shift: respect one another, and reflect honestly on the part you each play in your relationship right now. She left us with one question: when was the last time you had a date?   **Take the Next Step** If this question stays with you, Caterina's upcoming 3-hour workshop on navigating relationships through parenthood is a great next step, keep an eye on the links below for details. In the meantime, ask your partner (or yourself) when was the last time you had a date. Get this small shift started today.   **Links and Resources** - Visit Caterina's website - Reigster for Caterina's upcoming 3-hour workshop on navigating relationships through parenthood (link coming soon) - Follow Caterina on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Linked In - Book a free 15-minute coaching discovery call with Nina - Related Episodes: - Episode 11 - Tired of Doing It All? What Needs to Change? with Eva Rado - Episode 56 - Do You Have Supermum Syndrome? with Onnie Michalsky   **Let's Connect** Want more support? Follow Nina on Instagram or sign up for tips and updates at mindfulparentinglifestyle.com.au. Have a question or parenting challenge you'd like addressed on the podcast? Send a DM or an email. - Follow Nina on Instagram - Website: mindfulparentinglifestyle.com.au - Email: [nina@mindfulparentinglifestyle.com.au](mailto:nina@mindfulparentinglifestyle.com.au)   **About the Hosts** Nina Visic is a mindful parenting coach and the voice behind Your Calm Parenting Path, helping overwhelmed parents find more calm, connection and confidence at home through mindfulness and practical, everyday strategies. Drawing on her own experience raising three boys, and on the Mindful Parenting Framework developed by Hunter Clarke-Fields, Nina shares real tools for turning ordinary moments into connection, both with her kids and, as this episode explores, with her partner too. Caterina Smillie is a relationship and emotional wellness coach, blended mum and grandmother who brings both lived experience and a compassionate, practical approach to supporting couples through the early years of parenting. Her own journey through a long and difficult relationship shaped the way she now helps parents navigate connection, communication and respect within their partnership, and she's currently releasing a three-hour workshop on exactly this.