Trad Wives, the Mental Load, and Why the System Isn't Built for Us

Ever feel like you're drowning in an endless to-do list that lives permanently in your brain? Welcome to the mental load—that invisible, exhausting cognitive labor that somehow always falls on moms, even when we have supportive partners. In this episode of Momarchy, we bring you the real, unfiltered truth about what it's like to manage a household, raise kids, and work while carrying the weight of remembering everything from cat medication flavors to daycare waitlists that stretch over a year. We discuss how our entire system—from lack of paid leave to impossible childcare costs—is rigged against working mothers. We're also unpacking the impossible standards we face: the far left saying having kids isn't feminist enough, the trad wife movement that's actually just influencer marketing in floral dresses, and the reality that most of us are stuck somewhere in the exhausted middle, just trying to survive each day. We Discuss: 03:58 - The mental load: That never-ending to-do list in your head 06:15 - Sarah's current mental load (spoiler: it's a lot) 09:37 - Tanya's car gets stolen (thanks, Trump tariffs) 13:08 - Nanny negotiations and daycare waitlist hell 15:09 - Why women become the "default parent" 19:21 - Mom guilt when work and parenting collide 25:55 - Systems that weren't built for moms (shocking, we know) 32:23 - Why motherhood is politicized but never prioritized 36:30 - Pardon My Politics: Is America actually anti-mom? 44:53 - DGAF Mom Version: Survival mode parenting and laundry piles Learn more about: Tanya Nathan is a political campaign and communications strategist with over a decade of experience in progressive campaigns and advocacy. Currently a Principal at a nationally-based grasstops consulting firm, she's a Denver native living with her 8-month-old daughter, husband, and their rescue pets. Her hobbies include crosswords, mezcal tasting, and trying to sleuth out who's going to be on Love is Blind Denver. Sarah Andrews is a political strategist living in rural Colorado with her husband and two young kids. When she's not managing campaigns or chasing toddlers, she's passionate about women's rights, childcare policy, and creating space for honest political conversations that don't end in shouting matches. Website: momarchypodcast.com Substack: https://substack.com/@momarchy Instagram: @themomarchypodcast TikTok: @momarchypod Email: momarchypodcast@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.