Secure Attachment: Breaking Toxic Cycles while Parenting Abroad | Ep 72

Parenting abroad can crack us open—in the best way. The lack of influence(and support) from family has a unique signature.  In this episode, Mickelle sits down with parenting educator and Aware Parenting coach Maria Bordallo (aka Mama Maria), founder of Amsterdam’s Baby Fair, to explore secure attachment, intergenerational patterns, and why our nervous systems are the true foundation of family life. From leaving a role at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to champion cycle-breaking at home, Maria brings a grounded, elegant lens to raising children far from “home.”

Together they unpack how migration can mask old dynamics, why vulnerability is a superpower, and how “good enough” parenting plus repair changes everything. Maria also offers practical guidance for expat families without built-in support—community, help, and self-work as non-negotiables.

In this episode:

• Good enough parenting: preparation and repair over perfection

• The expat lens: “Wherever you go, there you are”

• Nervous system basics: co-regulation first, especially in years 0–1

• Six “don’ts” of dysfunctional families (don’t trust/feel/tell/talk/repair/see)

• Boundaries and expectations when visiting family

• Three pillars for internationals: community, ask for help, work on yourself

  
  

Connect:

• Guest: Mama Maria (Instagram: @mamamariacoach)

• Baby Fair Amsterdam (October 11, 2025): https://www.mamamariacoach.com/events/bbabby-fair

• We have One ticket to give away. Come DM us BABY on Instagram for a chance to win.

  
  

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