This episode came to life during a family vacation—what should’ve been a chance to unwind but turned into a mirror reflecting how hard I still am on myself, even in rest. As my oldest prepares to head off to college, I found myself tangled in a familiar trap: the belief that if everyone isn’t perfectly happy, I’ve somehow failed as a mom.

In this conversation, I open up about the internal pressure so many of us moms of teens feel—the overthinking, the constant self-blame, the anxiety that our teen’s emotional state is our responsibility. I talk about how easy it is to fall into the belief that peace, confidence, and fulfillment are always just one more thing away: a better plan, a happier child, a more perfect moment.

But here’s the truth I’ve had to learn over and over again: you don’t have to earn peace. You don’t have to wait for your teen to smile, succeed, or feel better to let yourself off the hook.

If you’re stuck in mom guilt, if your happiness feels tied to your teen’s mood or milestones, this episode will help you untangle that pattern and reconnect to your own calm, confident center—even in the messiness of motherhood.

Curious about coaching with Small Jar?  Check out our Mom 2.0 coaching program: www.thesmalljar.com/Mom-2-0 

This empowering podcast offers life coaching for moms and parenting support for midlife mothers raising teens as they approach the empty nest, teaching them how to let go of control, stop overthinking, and shift their mindset, while also helping them set boundaries, improve communication, reduce anxiety, release mom guilt, and find purpose in the evolving journey of parenting teens and motherhood.