Girls Night #301: The Aunt Sharon Effect: Why Family Questions Hit So Hard (and what to do about it!)
IN THIS PODCAST EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:
Why family questions about dating, marriage, and motherhood feel like personal attacks
5 types of scripts to handle uncomfortable questions (including redirects, boundaries, and humor)
Mindset shifts that build unshakeable confidence in your choices
How to respond when family members won't let topics go
The deeper work of defining success for yourself instead of living by others' timelines
(You can also listen right here!👇)
(Or watch the interview right here!👇)
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Hey friend! Welcome to Girls Night — your home as you navigate your Everything Era.
Today we're tackling something I know so many of you are dealing with as we head into summer family gathering season.
Have you ever been at a family event when someone - let's call her Aunt Sharon - starts asking those pointed questions that somehow manage to hit every single insecurity you've been trying not to think about? You know the ones: 'So, are you seeing anyone special?' followed immediately by 'You're not getting any younger, you know.' Or maybe it's 'When are you giving me some grandchildren?' or 'Are you still doing that little blog thing?'
Cue the internal screaming, right?
Today we're diving into what I call 'The Aunt Sharon Effect' - why these well-meaning questions feel like such a gut punch, and most importantly, how to handle them with grace while protecting your own heart and mind. We'll cover practical scripts you can actually use, mindset shifts that will change everything, and how to walk away from these conversations feeling empowered instead of deflated.
Because here's what I've learned: the way we handle these moments says so much about how confidently we're walking in our own authority. And building that confidence? That's exactly what we're going to work on today. Let's dive in!
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Contact email - hello@stephaniemaywilson.com
Quotes mentioned:
“You are not a problem to be solved. You are not incomplete without a partner. You are not failing at life if your timeline doesn't match someone else's expectations." - Stephanie May Wilson
"Their anxiety about your life is not an emergency you need to fix." - Stephanie May Wilson
"You're not behind—you're being intentional. You're not missing out—you're choosing carefully. You're not broken—you're whole exactly as you are." - Stephanie May Wilson
"Your personal life is not community property, even within your family." - Stephanie May Wilson
"The life you're building doesn't need to make sense to everyone. It only needs to make sense to you." - Stephanie May Wilson
"You don't owe anyone an explanation for what you do or don't want to share about your personal life." - Stephanie May Wilson
"There is no universal timeline for life. The timeline that matters is yours, not Aunt Sharon's, not society's." - Stephanie May Wilson
"You can love someone and still set boundaries with them. Healthy relationships require boundaries." - Stephanie May Wilson
"Your worth as a human being has nothing to do with whether you have a ring on your finger or a baby in your arms." - Stephanie May Wilson
"It's brave to stay single until you find the right person instead of settling for whoever's available. It's brave to take your time making decisions." - Stephanie May Wilson
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