The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined: Parenting Teens and Finding Yourself Again—with Small Jar Coach

“I Don't Know Who I Am Anymore”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 284

What happens when the role that gave your life so much structure, purpose, and meaning starts to change? In this episode, I’m talking about the identity shift so many mo

The September Reset—Three Steps to Build Your Emotional Capacity for Parenting Teens and Navigating the Empty Nest | Ep. 283

There’s something about a new school year that feels like a fresh start. But for moms in the teen and empty nest years, September doesn’t always feel fresh. Sometimes we

“I Miss Being Needed”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 282

Do you ever miss being needed by your big kid? When I think about the empty nest, and even those times when my boys were still at home, what surprises me most isn’t just

When Your Big Kid's Life Takes a Left Turn—The Kind of Grief Moms Don't Talk About When Parenting Teens and Navigating the Empty Nest | Ep. 281

Have you ever looked at your big kid and thought, “How did we get here?” Maybe they’re pulling away, making choices you don’t understand, losing motivation, or heading i

“I Feel Like the Bad Guy When I Say No”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 280

What if your teen’s disappointment isn’t proof you’re doing something wrong, but just part of parenting them as they grow? In this episode, I’m talking about what happen

College Drop-Off, the Empty Nest, and Letting Go—How to Stop Worrying about What Comes Next | Ep. 279

Do you ever notice how much we focus on making sure everything is ok with our big kid... and then we feel a  moment of relief when that happens... only it never lasts? C

"I Don't Think My Big Kid Is Going to Be OK”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 278

What happens when your kid is really struggling and you can’t stop your mind from imagining where it might all lead? In this episode, I’m talking about the fear behind t

My Life Is Better When My Big Kid Is Around—Letting Go as Your Child Builds a Life of their Own | Ep. 277

What if the hardest part of letting go isn’t just that your child is leaving... but that you genuinely love your life more when they’re in it? As our kids grow up, paren

"My Big Kid Told Me to Get a Life”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 276

What happens when the child you built so much of your life around suggests you need to go find one of your own? In this episode, I explore why those words can stir up an

Be Where Your Feet Are—Parenting Teens, the Empty Nest, and Letting Go | Ep. 275

What if the pressure to make every visit, vacation, or conversation meaningful is the very thing keeping you from enjoying it? As my boys have grown, I’ve noticed how ea

"I'm Not OK When My Kid's Not OK”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 274

How quickly does your big kid’s hard day become your hard day too? You want to be the mom who listens calmly. You know you can’t fix every hard thing anymore. But when y

Parenting Teens When You Lose Leverage—The Boundaries That Actually Work as you Navigate the Empty Nest | Ep. 273

What happens when the parenting tools that once worked no longer give you any leverage... and your teen or adult child still isn’t making the choices you hoped they would

"Maybe I've Done Too Much for My Kid”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 272

What happens when helping your big kid starts to feel expected... and not in a good way? In this episode, I’m exploring the resentment that can build when we moms keeps

Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty Nest—Trap #11: Resisting Reality. Why Letting Go with Your Big Kid Feels so Hard and What It's Costing You | Ep. 271

What if the thing exhausting you isn’t only what’s happening with your big kid, but the constant fight inside you against the fact that it’s happening at all? Today, I’m

“I Feel Like I'm Failing as a Mom”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 270

Do you ever wonder what the difficult moments with your teen or adult kid says about the kind of mom you are? When your big kid pulls away, shuts you out, or struggles,

The Life You're Missing While You're Preparing for the Worst When Parenting Teens and Navigating the Empty Nest | Ep. 269

When was the last time you were fully present… without your mind racing ahead to everything that could go wrong? As moms navigating parenting teens and the empty nest, o

“I Don't Feel Like Myself”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 268

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, I should be happier than this... and then wondered why you still feel disconnected from your own life? In this episode, I'm unpac

Parenting Teens in the Age of Find My iPhone—Why More Information Doesn't Bring More Peace | Ep. 267

Have you ever noticed how quickly your mind fills in the blanks when you don't know what your teen or young adult is doing? In this episode, I share a very personal 3 a.

“I'll Know I'm a Good Mom When... (fill in the blank)"—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 266

Have you ever caught yourself waiting for your child's success to finally prove you did motherhood "right"? In this episode, I'm exploring a belief so many moms carry wi

The Anxiety of Raising Teens and Adult Kids—What Happens When You Can't Do Anything But Watch? | Ep. 265

Have you ever caught yourself wondering whether you're worrying because something is truly wrong...or simply because you love your child so much that not knowing feels un