<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Relentless Motherhood]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Relentless Motherhood]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/essays</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 20:16:45 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[The Heat Amnesia]]></title><description><![CDATA[Every June I promise myself this year will be different — I'll get a window unit, prepare for the heat. By July, my house is a convection oven, my kid is feral, and I'm googling AC at midnight again. This is willful, deliberate, stupid amnesia, and I do it every single year.]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/the-heat-amnesia</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a61113e6f3edb48b20175a7</guid><category><![CDATA[Motherhood]]></category><category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 19:16:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_593c828232e647bdb87fe3c9e26e124c~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_644,h_916,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Sprinkler Is Childcare]]></title><description><![CDATA[Summer camp costs thousands per kid. I have a sprinkler. Here's why that's not failure, it's the most honest childcare plan I've got.]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/the-sprinkler-is-childcare</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a60e7a80ddd660d78df06a1</guid><category><![CDATA[Motherhood]]></category><category><![CDATA[Newsletter]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 17:45:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_cf17e67b52f8485092e5688ae02f3067~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_735,h_999,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alaina M. </dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[We Did Everything Right. So Why Are Women With Degrees Still Struggling to Get Hired?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Women did everything right, degrees, internships, experience, yet still face "culture fit" rejections and a hidden motherhood penalty. The data shows the hiring system, not women, is the problem.]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/we-did-everything-right-so-why-are-women-with-degrees-still-struggling-to-get-hired</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a59558ed03244312ce54167</guid><category><![CDATA[Money]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 22:10:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_593c828232e647bdb87fe3c9e26e124c~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_644,h_916,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Workplaces Celebrate ‘Family Culture’—Just Not Single Mothers...]]></title><description><![CDATA[What I have recently learned as a single mother in corporate job, shit is pretty fun. Companies love to market themselves as family-oriented, people-first, flexible—until a woman becomes a single mother. Suddenly, the system that claims to support family life becomes a maze of “policy exceptions,” silent judgment, and the unspoken expectation that she should have someone else handling everything outside her work hours. They like the image of supporting mothers.What they don’t like is...]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/workplaces-celebrate-family-culture-just-not-single-mothers</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a5951f001e576df51c83573</guid><category><![CDATA[Money]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 22:03:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_21936821d2f64ce9a94616e63cb4e11b~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_736,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Shed, the Microwave, and My Nervous System.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Builder Mommy is the name. This week I built a shed and installed an air fryer microwave. That sentence sounds like the opening line of a very boring Home Depot commercial, but somehow both of those things cracked me open emotionally in a way that no guided meditation, breathwork exercise, or inspirational Instagram reel ever has. That feels extremely on‑brand for my life. The Context No One Asks For but Everyone Needs I am a single mother to a toddler, living in Portland, trying to build a...]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/the-shed-the-microwave-and-my-nervous-system</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a593e14cb28250fe83b932e</guid><category><![CDATA[Wellness]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 20:27:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_fa7b6c3bb8ab42c5876198ff09a2669c~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_736,h_920,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dating While Your Kid Is Home All Summer: The Honest Version]]></title><description><![CDATA[Summer doesn't pause your love life, but it does cut your availability in half. Here's the honest breakdown of what dating actually looks like when your kid is home full-time, and how to protect a little space for yourself anyway.]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/dating-while-your-kid-is-home-all-summer-the-honest-version</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a5813629c687b0d7a3bc445</guid><category><![CDATA[July 2026]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2026 02:29:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_a66a19c5f4f24c1694948c3c21f0170a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_736,h_642,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Things Worth Learning This July]]></title><description><![CDATA[Your kid doesn't need a summer curriculum you do. New music, one new skill, a good book, and something Portland-specific to learn. Here's the plan.]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/things-worth-learning-this-summer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a57c1c44ee79d90036e0468</guid><category><![CDATA[July 2026]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:36:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_8813e9eab5c5400fbe306fbb4db1f6d2~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_577,h_384,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[BUILDING YOUR PORTLAND MOM COMMUNITY ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mom friendships don't happen by accident anymore you have to build them on purpose. Here's exactly where Portland moms gather and how to turn a park hello into a real friendship.
]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/building-your-portland-mom-community</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a579a17846d06bbe057dabf</guid><category><![CDATA[July 2026]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:42:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_d41852cab7ce4a7da70e43f47b655951~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Solo Time Isn't Selfish.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Alone time isn't a bonus for single moms, it's infrastructure. Here's why regular solo time prevents burnout, and how to claim it without guilt or apology.
]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/solo-time-isn-t-selfish</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a578f506db0bd01f4c356d1</guid><category><![CDATA[July 2026]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:57:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_90ccb09371ea4dafa791b5901699b817~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_736,h_736,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Burnout Checkpoint. ]]></title><description><![CDATA[It's mid-July and burnout is creeping in. Here's how to tell what's actually broken in your life versus what's just loud, and one small move to fix the real problem.]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/burnout-checkpoint</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a578cc5437e66e2012ea0f0</guid><category><![CDATA[July 2026]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:46:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_f8d9874ccb1c4acfaf2ae3dcc2b1629e~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_500,h_500,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Does Meditation Fucking Work? ]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was sixteen when a doctor handed me Xanax to quiet a brain that wouldn't stop screaming. Years later, Vipassana meditation gave me back something medication never could: presence. Here's what actually happened when I traded the pill for the cushion, the science, the struggle, and whether it really works]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/does-meditation-fucking-work</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a52800f661479e527e4dc2b</guid><category><![CDATA[Wellness]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 17:54:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_68c84a5f1fd748478f514c604cca0b33~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Not Available to Complete Your Marriage: A Single Mom’s Dating Demise]]></title><description><![CDATA[A humorous, honest breakdown of dating as a single mom in Portland, from babysitter logistics to poly pitches and men who want to know if you're 'spiritually aligned.' On why lonely beats compromised, and why she's unavailable to mediocrity, not to love]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/not-available-to-complete-your-marriage-a-single-mom-s-dating-demise</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a505cee5c421b820218a013</guid><category><![CDATA[Dating]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2026 02:53:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_3f143728f9e948e18be187054095eee5~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_736,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[SUMMER SCHEDULE SURVIVAL]]></title><description><![CDATA[Summer childcare isn't a magical season of nature hikes — it's daycare, camp, and juggling a full-time job on one income. Here's what actually works for single working moms surviving July.]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/summer-schedule-survival</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a56dc591f105173a0914c79</guid><category><![CDATA[July 2026]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2026 01:05:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_28d3fb52db104e468ef5e135297a7b21~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[I Stayed For the First Verse]]></title><description><![CDATA[Love feels like your favorite song, until the lyrics stop fitting and the melody turns into a bad remix you keep pretending to like. A personal essay on staying for the memory, losing yourself to hope, and finally learning you're allowed to change the station.]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/i-stayed-for-the-first-verse</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a503812c471ebfa16daca37</guid><category><![CDATA[Dating]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:14:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_b6d1e9e5f4a04e6e99ad8ca88be550ee~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fleet Week: A Portland Public Service Announcement ]]></title><description><![CDATA[A tongue-in-cheek survival guide for Fleet Week in Portland, where sailors flood the waterfront and every woman in town suddenly remembers how to flirt. A funny, honest reminder that a man in a uniform is not a life plan, just a good story for brunch]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/fleet-week-a-portland-public-service-announcement</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a502506c6874e38d2bcef8f</guid><category><![CDATA[Dating]]></category><category><![CDATA[June 2026]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 22:49:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_3eac027077ea468c9ca1de6a7d3c3baa~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Lionel Standard]]></title><description><![CDATA[A personal essay about dating a compulsive liar who invented an entire fictional life, the tantrums that followed when the truth surfaced, and the moment grace ran out over something as small as a roof box. A reminder that you cannot negotiate with someone who has no foundation to negotiate on.]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/the-lionel-standard</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a5023c4cb673b1177c72a95</guid><category><![CDATA[Spill The TEA]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 22:42:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_3b2fcfc95e8b459babf17cf9c4871e3d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_984,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Story He Tells About Himself]]></title><description><![CDATA[A personal essay about a man who built his identity out of highlight-reel stories, an athletic past that didn't hold up, and a second woman he never stopped calling. A reflection on the gap between someone's narrative and their reality, and learning to trust your gut before the truth catches up.]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/the-story-he-tells-about-himself</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4fbbed661479e527ded7de</guid><category><![CDATA[Dating]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:19:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_842c9a7e12ed4b12b33bdb6a93045efd~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_360,h_640,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When the Boundary Is Your Mother]]></title><description><![CDATA[A personal essay on a decade of losses, from domestic violence to addiction to illness, and the hardest boundary yet: choosing peace over a relationship with her own mother. A reflection on the difference between compassion and self-abandonment, and what it means to parent your own parent while little eyes are watching.]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/when-the-boundary-is-your-mother</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4fbad3c6874e38d2bbfe4a</guid><category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category><category><![CDATA[Wellness]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:17:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_d21f449b8a6a4061a35719b0985292c9~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_675,h_587,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Art of Listening]]></title><description><![CDATA[A night inside Mono Space, Portland's high-fidelity listening gallery, for a full album playback of Frank Ocean's Channel Orange. A reflection on sound, memory, and a birthday spent revisiting the album that once carried her through a self-discovery trip across Spain.]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/the-art-of-listening</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4fba00da2f3de299119759</guid><category><![CDATA[Wellness]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:13:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_9d2ae7bed9b547018de1455378dc5271~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_736,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Day You Watched Me Become More]]></title><description><![CDATA[A letter to her son about earning a University of Alabama degree while working full-time and raising him alone. A reflection on resilience, the road trip to graduation, and why the diploma was never just hers, it belonged to both of them.]]></description><link>https://www.therelentlessmotherhood.com/post/the-day-you-watched-me-become-more</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4fb746661479e527decc7a</guid><category><![CDATA[Motherhood]]></category><category><![CDATA[Education]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:01:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45f7eb_1d73af3a06574bdfbe44d8e6eab189de~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>TRM</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>