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
Hard to Break Habits, Explained — What Nagging Really Solves for Moms of Teens | Ep. 161
Ever tell yourself, “I’ve got to stop nagging”—and then do it anyway?Or find yourself falling into the same bad habit you wish you could just stop? Whether it’s reminding your teen (again), pouring a glass of wine you...
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The Approval Trap: How Moms Parenting Teens Can Rebuild Confidence After Years of Putting Others First - Trap #12 | Ep. 160
Are you a mom of teens or young adults who finds herself constantly second-guessing decisions, holding back your opinions, or putting your own desires on pause to keep others happy? You might be caught in the Approval...
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Why Letting Go with Your Teen Feels So Hard—Trap #11—Resisting Reality | Ep. 159
Ever find yourself staring at your teen’s behavior thinking, this can’t be happening? Whether it’s a missed curfew, a cold shoulder, or the ache of disconnection, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of resisting what...
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You Don't Have to Let Go of Summer Expectations with Your Teen | Ep. 158
If you pictured summer with your teen feeling relaxing, connected, maybe even joyful—but instead, you’re staring at a messy house, unpredictable schedules, and feeling more frustration than peace—you’re not alone. In...
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The Identity Crisis: Letting Go, Finding Purpose, and Redefining Who You Are As Your Teens Grow Up - Trap #10 | Ep. 157
There was a moment—standing in my kitchen, alone on a Saturday while my kids were out living their lives—when I asked myself, “Is this it? Who am I now?”
In this episode, I’m talking about the identity crisis so many...
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What I've Learned About Letting Go as a Mom of Teens - The Last Graduation | Ep. 156
There’s a moment when it hits you: this is the last time. The last prom. The last school lunch. The last graduation day. And it’s not just about your teen moving on — it’s about everything this moment brings up for...
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The Validation Trap: Why Moms of Teens Feel Anxious and Unappreciated | Mindset Trap #9 | Ep. 155
If you’re a mom of teens and you’ve ever found yourself feeling anxious, overthinking, or just wondering why doesn’t anyone notice everything I do?—this episode is for you. In this next part of the Mindset Traps of...
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Why Moms of Teens Need to Stop Waiting to Be Celebrated — Especially in the Almost Empty Nest Years | Ep. 154
Mother’s Day hasn’t always felt the way I thought it would — especially as a mom of teenagers. I spent years waiting to be celebrated, managing my mindset around disappointment, and wondering if anyone really saw...
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The "Should Trap": Trap: When Moms of Teens Feel Like They’re Failing (Even When They’re Not) | Mindset Trap #8 | Ep. 153
If you’re a mom of a teen and you ever find yourself thinking, “I should be more patient... I should give them more space… I should have done something differently,” this episode is for you.
In this week’s episode of...
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The Real Reason Boundaries Feel So Hard for Moms of Teens | Ep. 152
In today’s episode, I’m getting real about one of the hardest parts of raising teens—setting boundaries. Not boundaries to control your teen or fix their behavior—but boundaries that reconnect you to your own peace,...
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The Worst-Case Scenario Trap: Anxiety, Teens, and the Empty Nest Spiral | Mindset Trap #7 | Ep. 151
We’re continuing the Empty Nest Mindset Trap series this week with one of the most common and exhausting patterns I see in anxious moms: worst-case scenario thinking. Maybe your teen’s been struggling in school for a...
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The Fear of Failing Your Teen - A College Decision Wake-Up Call for Anxious Moms | Ep. 150
This episode is for every anxious, almost empty nest mom whose heart is tangled up in her teen’s future. Whether you're in the thick of college admissions or simply watching your child make choices that feel...
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