Finding Magic in the Mess: Mike and Meghann are Pondering Parenthood

From Classrooms to Chaos

Before they became parents, Mike and Meghann were both dedicated educators. Meghann was a kindergarten teacher who stayed long after the bell rang, and Mike was a music teacher who poured his heart into every student.

But when they started their own family, everything changed. Their journey began with the pain of a miscarriage, followed by a second pregnancy in 2020 just as the world was shutting down. Meghann navigated those months of hybrid teaching through a haze of fear and uncertainty. Eventually, their daughter arrived five weeks early via C-section on New Year’s Day.

“Those first few months, she either slept or screamed,” Meghann recalled. “There was no in between.”

The Breaking Point

The newborn days became a blur of bouncing, crying, and total exhaustion. Nothing seemed to work, from baths to car rides to desparate attempts at self-soothing. Slowly, both parents began to unravel under the pressure.

Poindering parenthood becomes constant chaos as parents comfort their crying newborn.

“I kept saying to Meghann that we’d ruined our lives,” Mike admitted. “I just couldn’t see how it would ever get better.”

Breaking the Silence

It is a feeling many parents recognize but rarely say out loud. For Mike, the healing started the night he finally opened up to a friend. His friend told him he couldn't keep it all inside and encouraged him to share more. That conversation changed everything. Through therapy and time, Mike learned how to bond with his daughter, forgive himself, and start enjoying fatherhood.

Opening up about the mental health challenges new dads face creates opportunities to climb out of the darkness together.

Finding Purpose in the Noise

While Mike was healing, Meghann was finding strength in her own vulnerability. As she processed the grief and the loss of her identity as a full-time teacher, she found a new sense of purpose in podcasting. Together, they launched Pondering Parenthood, a show where they talk openly about the realities of raising kids, mental health, and the struggle for balance.

“I realized this was the piece of purpose I’d been missing,” Meghann said. “It brought that spark back.”

A New Perspective on Parenthood

Their honesty is a breath of fresh air. They talk about the sleepless nights, the sensory overload, and the ways a marriage can stretch thin. But they also find the humor in it all. Meghann jokes that they were "super judgy" before having kids, but now their motto is simply to do whatever helps everyone get some sleep.

By the time their second daughter arrived, things felt different. Mike went back to therapy before she was born because he was determined to show up more grounded. This time around, parenting felt like a gift rather than just a survival tactic.

“For so long, parenting was a checklist,” he said. “Now it’s about presence.”

From Checklists to Presence

That presence shows up in their nightly gratitude rituals with their oldest daughter and in the way they share their story to help others feel less alone.

Practicing presence and gratitude is a skill these sisters can share as they grow up together.

Grieving the Past, Embracing the Chaos

As Meghann put it, there is a lot of grief in parenting because you lose the life you used to have. You lose the quiet meals and the freedom. But you also gain something better. You get to rediscover joy right in the middle of the chaos.

You can hear Mike and Meghann’s full story on Quiet Connection and follow their podcast, Pondering Parenthood, wherever you get your podcasts.