The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined: Parenting Teens and Finding Yourself Again—with Small Jar Coach
von Master Coach Jennifer Collins
- mehrmals pro WocheErscheinungsrhythmus
- 22 mintypische Länge
- vor 2 Tagenletzte Folge
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’ really means and stop second-guessing themselves to feel more connected, confident, and at peace in this chapter of motherhood.
Each week, you’ll learn how to:
• Break free from mindset traps like catastrophizing, mom guilt, and the illusion of control
• Build a stronger relationship with your teen—even when they pull away or test boundaries
• Strengthen your self-trust as you set boundaries, let go of anxiety, and explore your own purpose beyond parenting
Hosted by master life coach—and mom of two college kids—Jennifer Collins, this show offers grounded, relatable support and mindset shifts to help you stop overthinking and start showing up as the mom and woman you truly want to be.
🎧 Start with listener favorite Episode 85: The Empty Nest Straddle — The Emotional Tug of Parenting Teens and Facing the Empty Nest.
Folgen
Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty Nest—Series Intro: Why Letting Go Feels So Hard As Our Kids Grow Up | Ep. 301
What if the hardest part of parenting teens and navigating the empty nest isn’t what your kids are doing, but what your own brain is telling you about it? In this episode, I’m introducing the mindset traps that can keep us stuck in anxiety,
“I Should Have More to Show for My Life”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 300
What happens when your kids are getting older, life finally gives you a little more room to breathe…and instead of feeling grateful, you start wondering whether you’ve done enough with your life? The empty nest and parenting teens years can
The College Decision Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means—Letting Go When Your Teen’s College Admissions Process Feels So Big | Ep. 299
If your kid is applying to college, waiting on decisions, or considering a transfer, it can feel like so much is riding on what happens next. But have you ever stopped to consider how much meaning are you giving one decision? In this episod
“My Big Kid Won't Talk To Me Anymore”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 298
What do you make it mean when your big kid stops opening up to you? Maybe they give you one-word answers. Or they stop calling as much. Maybe you can tell something is going on, but they’re not telling you what it is. And before long, your
The Cost of Trying to Prevent Your Kid’s Discomfort when Parenting Teens and Navigating the Empty Nest | Ep. 297
What happens inside you when your big kid is struggling and you can’t immediately make it better? In this episode, I’m exploring why watching our teens and adult kids feel disappointed, lonely, overwhelmed, or uncomfortable can create so mu
“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 can come with parenting teens and navigating the empty nest years, esp
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 me a front-row seat to something so many of us moms experience when pa
“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, asking for the tenth time about the chore, or wondering why they don’t
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 doing. They’re happy, and we can relax. They’re struggling or pulling
“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 episode, I’m exploring the different ways loneliness can show up during
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 the empty nest can hold so many contradictions at once. You can be proud
“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, I’m talking about the way we moms can use our kids’ choices, struggles,
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, and adult children. At
“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 curious about what’s re
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 feel like evidence that we
“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 back is a shrug, an eye ro
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 episode, I’m exploring the inv
“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 big kids, and moving tow
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 school year, the college t
“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. It’s how much I miss be
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, parenting teens or you
“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 like the bad guy. Whether
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, but it’s about something b
"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 okay,” and why it can
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, parenting teens and moving toward the empty nest can bring a strange mix of
"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 anger, embarrassment, grief, and even anxiety. I’ll help you understand w
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 easily I can spend our time together reading their moods, searching for r
"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 your big kid is struggling, your mind starts racing, your chest tightens
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? In this episode, I’m exploring why setting boundaries is not about f
"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 saying yes, rearranging our lives, solving problems, and showing up…whi
