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

“I'm Embarrassed by My Big Kid”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 296

Have you ever watched your big kid do something and immediately thought, Oh my God… what are people going to think of me? Today, I’m talking about the embarrassment that

Unconditional Connection: What Parents Weekend Taught Me About Letting Go When Your Teen or Adult Kid Has Less Time for You | Ep. 295

What happens when the child you would happily spend all weekend with can barely carve out dinner with you? That was the reality of my recent Parents Weekend, and it gave

“My Kid Has No Work Ethic”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 294

Have you ever found yourself more invested in your big kid’s success than they seem to be? Maybe you’re reminding them about the job application, pushing them to study,

Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty Nest—Trap #13: Emotional Outsourcing—How to Stop Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster with Your Big Kid | Ep. 293

Have you ever noticed that when your kid is struggling, you make it your job to struggle too? So often, as moms, we let our own peace rise and fall with how our kids are

“I Feel Lonely”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 292

Have you ever had a moment when the house feels too quiet, your kids are busy living their lives, and you suddenly wonder, when did I start feeling this alone? In this e

What if this Is Hard AND Everything You've Ever Wanted When Parenting Teens and Navigating the Empty Nest?| Ep. 291

Have you ever noticed how quickly your mind can skip right past what’s going well and land on the one thing that still feels unresolved? Parenting teens and navigating t

“I Feel Like a Failure as a Mom”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 290

When your big kid is struggling, pulling away, or making choices you don’t understand, how quickly does your brain start asking, “What did I do wrong?” In this episode,

Why the Right Boundary Can Still Feel So Wrong When Parenting Teens and Adult Kids | Ep. 289

What happens when you set a boundary, hold it, communicate it clearly… and absolutely nothing changes? In this episode, I’m talking about why boundaries can feel so conf

“I Can't Stop Worrying About My Kid”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 288

Have you ever checked your big kid’s location, reread a text, or offered one more piece of advice because you were hoping it would finally help you relax? I’ve been noti

Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty Nest—Trap #12: The Approval Trap—Why Your Big Kid’s Disapproval Makes You Doubt Yourself | Ep. 287

How many times have you felt clear about a decision as a mom, only to watch that confidence disappear the moment your big kid became upset? As we parent teens and naviga

“Nothing Matters to My Kid”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 286

Have you ever walked away from a conversation with your teen thinking, Did any of that even register? Maybe you set a boundary, explain why you’re worried, or tell them

Letting Go of the Invisible Contracts that Make Parenting Teens and Adult Kids so Hard | Ep. 285

Have you ever been surprised by how much a late text, an eye roll, a messy kitchen, or a kid who barely talks to you can get under your skin? Sometimes the behavior itse

“I Don't Know Who I Am Anymore”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids 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 and Adult Kids 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