The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined: Parenting Teens and Finding Yourself Again—with Small Jar Coach
Are you stuck between wanting to guide your teen or college kid and knowing it’s time to start letting go? Welcome to The Almost Empty Nest Podcast, where moms of teens and college kids reframe what ‘letting go’...
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Episodes
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 confusing when you’re parenting teens, college kids,...
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“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 noticing this in my own life lately, and it made me...
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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 navigate the empty nest, our kids’ disapproval can...
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“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 how much something hurt you… and all you get...
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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 itself isn’t really the whole story.
In this...
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“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 moms experience while parenting teens, launching...
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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 arrive already exhausted... bracing for the...
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“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 the quiet house or the extra time on my hands....
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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 in a direction that scares you. In those moments,...
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“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 happens when setting boundaries leaves you feeling...
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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?
College drop-off is where this episode begins,...
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"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 the thought, “I don’t think my kid is going to be...
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