What if the way you’re thinking about your teen’s success is actually making life harder for both of you? We put so much pressure on ourselves to parent our kids in the "right" way. We want our kids to be safe, happy, and successful—and at the same time, we’re constantly wondering if we’re doing enough or letting too much go.

In this episode, I open up about my own experience of parenting teens—the messy push and pull between holding on and learning to let go. I’ll share why our maternal instinct is so strong, how our expectations can actually create tension, and what it looks like to shift into a new mindset rooted in trust and curiosity.

By listening, you’ll gain insight into how to:

release some of the pressure you’re carrying,

notice where overthinking and anxiety may be adding weight, and

start setting boundaries and guiding your teen from a place of calm, rather than control.

If you’ve been feeling stuck in motherhood—wanting to support your teen while also trying to find your own footing and purpose as you move closer to an empty nest—this conversation is for you. My hope is that you’ll walk away feeling lighter, with practical tools to reduce anxiety, stop overthinking, and trust in your ability to handle whatever comes next.

💡 Interested in learning more about how to create peace, confidence and connection as you raise and launch your teen, join me for my next free masterclass: https://www.thesmalljar.com/class

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

❓ Have questions or want to share your feedback? I'd love to hear from you! You can email me at [email protected]. 

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.

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “My teen is so entitled,” and then immediately felt terrible for even thinking it? You’re not alone. This episode is part of my series on the thoughts moms parenting teens and adult kids are ashamed they think—and today, we’re talking about what’s really going on underneath this particular thought.

I share a story from a client that might sound a little too familiar—when a small request turns into a big blow-up, and you’re left feeling dismissed, disrespected, and totally unappreciated. We’ll unpack why these moments feel so painful, and how our emotional response is often tied to what we’re making their behavior mean.

I also introduce a mindset trap I call emotional outsourcing—the habit of tying our peace of mind to how our teen behaves. You’ll learn how this shows up, why it creates so much urgency, and how to step out of it so you can respond with calm, grounded leadership—even when your teen doesn’t.

And I’ll leave you with one powerful question to help you reset the next time this thought shows up.

💡 Interested in learning more about how to create peace, confidence and connection as you raise and launch your teen, join me for my next free masterclass: https://www.thesmalljar.com/class

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

❓ Have questions or want to share your feedback? I'd love to hear from you! You can email me at [email protected]. 

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.

What if the emotions of the empty nest aren’t as simple as just sadness? In this episode, I open up about the real layers we experience as moms parenting teens and launching them into their next chapter. The truth is, letting go is complicated. You may feel proud and relieved one moment, then lonely or lost the next. These emotions don’t come in neat little boxes—they overlap, collide, and leave us questioning who we are now that motherhood looks different  .

I share how this stage of motherhood isn’t just about our kids leaving, it’s about our own mindset and the stories we tell ourselves. Many of us try to fix these uncomfortable feelings by keeping busy, overthinking, or relying on our teens for reassurance. But real peace and purpose don’t come from trying to control or avoid our emotions—they come from learning how to navigate them with curiosity and compassion  .

If you’ve ever caught yourself overthinking, struggling to set boundaries, or wondering what your purpose is beyond motherhood, this conversation will resonate. I’ll help you see why it’s natural to feel anxious and uncertain right now, and how life coaching tools can help you reduce anxiety, stop overthinking, and begin creating connection, purpose, and direction in this next chapter  .

I believe this season of motherhood doesn’t have to feel like a void. It can be a chance to rediscover yourself, strengthen your relationships, and redefine what letting go really means. Listen in—I think you’ll find hope, clarity, and a reminder that you’re not alone.

💡 Interested in learning more about how to create peace, confidence and connection as you raise and launch your teen, join me for my next free masterclass: https://www.thesmalljar.com/class

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

❓ Have questions or want to share your feedback? I'd love to hear from you! You can email me at [email protected]. 

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.

Ever found yourself thinking, “I don’t know how”—how to connect with your teen, how to let go, or how to figure out what comes next?

In this episode, I unpack the thought so many moms of teens and almost empty nesters are ashamed to admit. I explore why not knowing feels so personal, how it fuels anxiety, shame, and overthinking, and what it might look like to stay present—even when you don’t have a plan.

You’ll walk away with:

A new perspective on why “I don’t know how” feels so heavy—and how it quietly shapes your decisions

Real-life examples of how this thought shows up in parenting, purpose, and your relationship with yourself

Powerful questions to shift from needing certainty to exploring what’s actually possible

You’ve done hard things without knowing how before. So has your teen. What if this next chapter didn’t require certainty—just curiosity and a willingness to begin?

💡 Interested in learning more about how to create peace, confidence and connection as you raise and launch your teen, join me for my next free masterclass: https://www.thesmalljar.com/class

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

❓ Have questions or want to share your feedback? I'd love to hear from you! You can email me at [email protected].

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.

Have you ever said, “I just don’t trust my teen right now”—or felt the hurt of realizing that somehow your child doesn't trust you?

For us moms navigating parenting teens and the road to the empty nest, it's amazing how complicated trust can become. We want to stay close. We want open conversations and honest connection. But instead, it can feel like our teens are pulling away, testing boundaries, and tearing down the trust we feel we deserve and desperately want to create. In this episode, I’m exploring why rebuilding trust with your teen or college-aged child can feel so hard—and what it really takes to build it back up again. I’ll walk you through the invisible mindset trap so many moms fall into when it comes to trust, boundaries, and letting go. We’ll talk about why trust starts to feel like a test—and what it means to go first in building the relationship you want.

If you're in the thick of motherhood, overthinking everything, anxious about the distance growing between you and your child, or unsure how to rebuild the closeness you used to feel—this episode will help you see that you’re not powerless. And you’re not alone.

Because trust isn’t something you wait for—it’s something you create.

💡 Interested in learning more about how to create peace, confidence and connection as you raise and launch your teen, join me for my next free masterclass: https://www.thesmalljar.com/class

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

❓ Have questions or want to share your feedback? I'd love to hear from you! You can email me at [email protected]. 

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.

Have you ever found yourself thinking, “No one listens to me”? Maybe after your teen ignores your request, brushes off your advice, or doesn’t reply to your text. You’re not just frustrated—you’re hurt. And from this place, you start questioning yourself, wondering if you’re doing something wrong, or if you’ve somehow lost your place in your kid's life. What so many of us also do when we feel unheard and unseen is that we try even harder to be heard. But more effort doesn’t always lead to more connection. 

In this episode, I unpack the hidden layers underneath the thought “No one listens to me.”
We’ll look at:

The emotional weight of being ignored—and why it feels so personal

How to shift from trying to get your teen to respond, to showing up with confidence even when they don’t

Why letting go doesn’t mean giving up

If you’re a mom of a teen or college kid feeling dismissed, unseen, or unsure how to hold boundaries without losing your mind, this episode is for you. 

💡 Interested in learning more about how to create peace, confidence and connection as you raise and launch your teen, join me for my next free masterclass: https://www.thesmalljar.com/class

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

❓ Have questions or want to share your feedback? I'd love to hear from you! You can email me at [email protected]. 

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.             

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I want to enjoy this, but it’s just not going how I hoped”—whether it’s a family dinner your teen bails on or the quiet ache of the empty nest creeping in before it’s even here?

In this episode, I explore what it really means to be present in your life—especially during the messy, emotional seasons of parenting teens and letting go. As a mom, it’s so easy to miss the moment you’re in—not because it’s gone, but because your mind is already spinning with frustration, disappointment, or fear about what’s coming next.

We often think presence is about savoring the good moments, but what if it’s really about how we show up when things don’t go the way we imagined?

I’ll walk you through how mindset plays a powerful role in helping you stay grounded, why resisting reality only makes things harder, and how to hold space for your feelings without letting them take over.

You’ll hear the story of a client who anchored herself in the mindset “I don’t want to miss this,” and how that intention helped her stay centered—not because everything went perfectly, but because she was clear on how she wanted to feel.

By the end, you’ll have a new way to approach your own life—whether you’re navigating distance with your teen or facing the transition of the empty nest—with more clarity, more presence, and more peace.

Let’s stop missing this stage of motherhood and our lives.

💡 Interested in learning more about how to create peace, confidence and connection as you raise and launch your teen, join me for my next free masterclass: https://www.thesmalljar.com/class

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

❓ Have questions or want to share your feedback? I'd love to hear from you! You can email me at [email protected]. 

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.             

Have you ever found yourself thinking, “I’m just not a confident person”?

Maybe you think it when you try to set a boundary and back down, or when you imagine starting something new in your next chapter but instantly feel overwhelmed. In this episode, I’m unpacking the belief so many moms carry: that they lack confidence. Whether you're parenting teens, facing the uncertainty of the empty nest, or trying to figure out what's next for you—you may be interpreting normal uncertainty and self-doubt as proof that something is wrong with you.

It’s not.

In this episode, we'll talk about:

The mindset trap that makes us moms feel like we've lost our confidence.

How this trap keeps you stuck in overthinking, second-guessing, and playing small.

And why your anxiety isn’t a personality flaw—but a signal worth listening to in a new way.

This isn’t about “becoming” a confident person. It’s about understanding how to reclaim your ability to lead your life—on your terms.

💡 Interested in learning more about how to create peace, confidence and connection as you raise and launch your teen, join me for my next free masterclass: https://www.thesmalljar.com/class

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

❓ Have questions or want to share your feedback? I'd love to hear from you! You can email me at [email protected]. 

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.             

✨ What if the hardest part of college move-in day isn’t the goodbye—but the story you’re telling yourself about it?

College drop-off is supposed to be a milestone moment. But if you're anything like me, the emotions can catch you off guard—especially when you're doing everything you can to hold it together. In this episode, I’m sharing the six most common beliefs that shape how we experience college drop-off—and why they leave so many of us moms feeling anxious and guilty.

These beliefs are subtle. They sound like love. But they’re often rooted in fear. And when you can spot the mindset traps underneath—like personalization and worst-case thinking—you’ll discover a whole new way to show up for this transition.

🎧 Here’s what you’ll take away:

One simple, powerful question that helps you feel more grounded—even when you're overwhelmed.

A new way to understand your role as a mom when your kid no longer lives under your roof.

Permission to feel everything you’re feeling… without making it mean you’ve done something wrong.

Whether this is your first college move-in or your fifth, this episode is an invitation to stop judging your emotions and start trusting yourself more deeply.

💡 Interested in learning more about how to create peace, confidence and connection as you raise and launch your teen, join me for my next free masterclass: https://www.thesmalljar.com/class

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

❓ Have questions or want to share your feedback? I'd love to hear from you! You can email me at [email protected]. 

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.

Have you ever looked at your teen—ignoring chores, blowing off school, stuck to a screen—and thought, “Why don’t they care?” Maybe you’ve even said: “They’re so lazy.”

It’s not that you want to judge them. It’s that you’re worried.
Worried that they’re falling behind.
That they don’t seem to have drive or direction.
That you’ve somehow missed your window to teach them how to be responsible.

In this episode, I’m unpacking the thought “my teen is lazy”—and what’s really going on underneath it. You’ll learn:

Why this thought often leads to disconnection instead of motivation

What shifts when you stop trying to fix your teen and start focusing on the influence you do have

How to set boundaries and expectations from a place of love—not fear

And I’ll leave you with one powerful question that can shift the way you approach these moments, and your relationship with your teen. If you’ve been stuck in the cycle of nagging, resentment, or worry—this episode will help you step into a calmer, more grounded version of yourself.

💡 Interested in learning more about how to create peace, confidence and connection as you raise and launch your teen, join me for my next free masterclass: https://www.thesmalljar.com/class

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

❓ Have questions or want to share your feedback? I'd love to hear from you! You can email me at [email protected]. 

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.