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

Have you ever walked away from an interaction with your big kid and thought, “I love them… but I don’t actually like them right now?” And then immediately wondered what that says about you as a mom? If you’re in the thick of parenting teens or navigating the emotions of the empty nest, this episode is going to feel like a deep exhale. Because you’re not alone...and more importantly, there’s n...

Have you ever had that moment where you realize… you can’t protect your child from what they’re going through? That no matter how much you love them, guide them, or worry about them...you don’t actually have control? That realization can hit hard, especially when parenting teens and even well into theempty nest. If you’ve ever felt that mix of love, fear, frustration, and heartbreak all at on...

Have you ever had the thought as a mom… it’s all on me? If you’re parenting teens or navigating the empty nest, you probably know exactly what that feels like. The constant pressure, the mental load, the overthinking… the sense that if you don’t stay on top of everything, something important could slip through the cracks. In this episode, I unpack why this mindset feels so true, and why so many mo...

Have you ever felt like no matter what you do as a mom… it’s just not enough? Like you should be more patient… more present… handling everything better, but you’re never quite getting it right? Today, I’m continuing the   Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty Nest   series with a focus on what I call the Should Trap . It's when your mind is constantly telling you what you "...

  I know what it feels like as a mom of big kids to look back and think, "I wish I had done things differently." Especially when you start seeing who your child is becoming and wondering how your parenting shaped it. In this episode, I walk you through why that thought feels so heavy...and why it’s not actually about the past at all. If you’ve been stuck in regret, overthinking your pare...

Have you ever looked at your teen or adult child and wondered, Are they going to be okay? When our kids struggle, it’s easy to believe that their choices today will define their entire future. In this episode, I’m going to help you understand why that fear shows up, how our expectations about our kids’ potential create stress and tension, and how to support your big kid without feeling like you ha...

I know how painful it can feel when your relationship with your big kid changes and you find yourself thinking, “What my kid does is hurtful.” In this episode, I open up about a truth many moms experience but rarely say out loud...the heartbreak that can come up while parenting teens and young adults. If you’ve ever felt rejected, blamed, or unappreciated by your child, you’re not alone. I sh...

If you’re a mom who has spent years parenting teens and putting everyone else first, you might expect that once your kids grow up and you find yourself in the empty nest, life will finally open up for you. But many moms discover that the habit of putting themselves last doesn’t disappear—it simply follows us into the next stage of motherhood. In this episode, I share a realization I’ve been having...

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “I only have a few months left before my kid leaves home,” you’re not alone. I remember thinking this constantly during my boys’ senior years of high school. As moms raising teens and navigating the empty nest transition, it’s easy to feel pressure to fix everything, teach everything, and make every moment count before our kids leave. In this episode, I exp...

Have you ever woken up at 2am with your mind racing…convinced that the distance between you and your child means the relationship is slipping away… or that their struggle is going to define their future… or that the tension in your house is never going to get better… or that this heavy, almost empty nest feeling means the best part of your life is behind you? That spiral where your brain takes som...

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, other moms seem closer to their kids than I am? As moms, we care deeply about our relationships with our kids. When they pull away, we can feel anxious, rejected, or even convinced we’ve done something wrong. And when they stay close, that can bring its own pressure and responsibility. In this episode, I unpack how both experiences—distance and closeness—can...

Have you ever walked away from a conversation with your teen or adult kid thinking, “I need to set a boundary here.” You’re tired of the disrespect. You’re so done with reminding them. You want to see progress and you don’t want to keep getting into the same power struggles. Here’s what most moms don’t realize: the problem isn’t that you don’t have strong enough rules. It’s that you’re thinking ab...

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I don’t know who I am if I’m not a mom.” When your days have revolved around motherhood for decades, letting go can feel disorienting. The quiet house leaves space not just for freedom, but for overthinking, self-doubt, and anxiety. In this episode, I explore how staying stuck in “I don’t know” is actually a form of protection. Together, we unpack the...

Do you have a big kid who’s struggling with their mental health… and find yourself lying awake at night wondering if you’re doing enough? When your child isn’t okay, it doesn’t just worry you, it can take over. Your thoughts. Your energy. Your sense of peace. You’re researching, supporting, advocating… and still questioning yourself. In this episode, I explore how to parent a teen or adult kids th...

Have you ever felt tense in your own home… bracing for the sound of your teen’s footsteps or the tone of their voice? As moms parenting teens, this is one of the thoughts we’re often ashamed to admit: I feel like I’m walking on eggshells with my big kid. If you’re parenting teens or standing at the edge of the empty nest, you might recognize that constant fear of saying the wrong thing and making...

Do you ever feel like you know how you want to show up as a mom, and even as a woman in your own life, and still find yourself wondering why it feels so hard to actually show up that way? You know you want to be calmer and less reactive … and yet when your big kid pulls away, struggles, or no longer needs you the same way, you find yourself falling into patterns of control, self-doubt, or taking t...

My kid was struggling... and I didn’t even know it. We spend so much of motherhood trying to keep our kids safe, happy, and successful. We set boundaries. We try to stay one step ahead. And yet… sometimes we still miss something. In this episode, I share a personal story about discovering that my son had struggled years ago, and I had no idea at the time . I unpack the shame of “I should have...

Have you ever felt that knot in your stomach when your big kid seems off—and you immediately start wondering what you did wrong? This reaction doesn’t come from insecurity—it comes from love. Especially in this stage of motherhood, when your role feels less clear and so much feels uncertain, it’s easy to make your child’s experience mean something about you. Today, I’m continuing the Mindset Traps...

Have you ever felt a sense of relief when your big kid leaves the house, and then felt terrible for feeling that way? In this episode, I explore the thought,  “I'm relieved when my kid isn’t home.” If you’ve ever wondered what that thought says about you as a mom, you’re not alone. And you're not a bad mom. Whether you feel like you’re walking on eggshells, struggling with anxiety about...

What if the anxiety and exhaustion you feel as a mom right now isn’t a sign that you’re failing—but a sign that you’re carrying more than you were ever meant to? If you’re parenting teens or young adults and stuck in that constant mental loop of when to step in, when to back off, and whether you’re somehow getting this stage wrong, this episode is for you. In this conversation, I unpack why contro...

Have you ever wondered if your teen or adult kid even cares how you feel? In this episode, I’m sharing a deeply personal story from my own journey of parenting teens. I take you with me on a long, lonely overnight drive home from Chicago with my teenage son. At the time, it looked exactly like what so many moms fear: that all the love, effort, and sacrifice didn't matter. But years later, that sam...

If you’ve ever found yourself holding back advice with your teen or big kid—wondering whether to say something or let it go—this episode is for you. Because parenting teens and young adults puts us in a really uncomfortable place. We still have wisdom to share… but far less influence over their choices. And suddenly, advice that used to land now feels like it creates distance and power struggles....

I don’t feel close to my kid anymore. If you’ve ever had that thought while parenting teens or navigating the empty nest, this episode is for you. I’m talking honestly about what it feels like when the relationship with your big kid changes—when they share less, pull away, or seem like they don’t need you in the same way they used to. This isn’t a sign you’re failing. It’s a painful and very human...

Have you ever noticed how much mental energy you spend wondering if you’re doing this parenting thing "right"? Maybe you replay conversations in your head, second-guess a boundary you set, or feel that pressure to do just a little more…just in case. That pressure doesn’t come from being overly critical or demanding — it comes from caring deeply. And from the belief that if you can just find t...

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, I’m the only one who cares — and felt both justified and completely exhausted by it? I hear this from so many moms who are parenting teens or navigating the early empty nest years. You care so much about your kids’ safety, happiness, and future, yet it often feels like you’re the only one paying attention, thinking ahead, or worrying about the cons...