B+ Episode Guest, Kendall Concini
When Kendall Concini couldn’t find the right words—or the right books—to explain her depression to her daughter, she did what any fiercely loving, emotionally honest mom would do: she created her own.
In this episode of B+, Kendall shares her journey through childhood, a late diagnosis of ADHD and depression, miscarriage, postpartum challenges, and the vulnerable truth of parenting with mental health struggles. But it’s also a story of building something beautiful out of the hard parts—a storybook, a growing community, and a language of love that her young children can actually understand.
Here are the top takeaways from her episode:
1. If You Can’t Find It, Build It
Kendall began Cloudy Day Chronicles after realizing there were no children’s books that captured the complexity of a parent’s internal emotional world. So she wrote one. Her upcoming book uses beach scenes, color symbolism, and a gentle “cloud” metaphor to help kids understand that emotions—especially heavy ones—can come and go.
2. Mental Health Conversations Start at Home
From the moment her daughter could talk, Kendall began using age-appropriate language to normalize emotions. Instead of hiding her depression, she used visuals like a cloud-shaped pillow and metaphors like “stormy skies” to make mental health approachable—and shareable—for young minds.
3. Parenting with a Plan is Parenting with Power
Knowing her history with depression and anxiety, Kendall created a postpartum mental health game plan before she even got pregnant. She found the right therapist, talked openly with her husband, and mapped out “worst-case scenario” supports to give herself a safety net if the cloud returned.
4. Community Grows When We Tell the Truth
Kendall’s blog and Instagram (@cloudydaychronicles) are full of raw honesty and light-hearted moments that resonate deeply. By openly naming her cloudy days, she’s given others the language to do the same. And it’s spreading—friends, strangers, even her kids now use the term to explain their feelings.
5. There’s No One Way Depression Looks
Kendall reminds us that depression doesn’t always mean hiding under the covers. For her, it sometimes means over-planning, people-pleasing, or never being still. Her message is simple but powerful: we need to stop assuming how sadness should look and start listening to how it feels.
Kendall’s story is a reminder that vulnerability doesn’t weaken a parent—it strengthens the bond. And that children, when given tools and language, can meet us with empathy far beyond their years.
Her book is expected to release in early 2026. In the meantime, you can follow her journey at cloudydaychronicles.wordpress.com and on Instagram at @cloudydaychronicles.
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