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PODCAST

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

Master Coach Jennifer Collins

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

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

21:54

“I Miss Being Needed”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/10/01

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 being needed. Parenting teens and young adults can feel like a constant practice of letting go — and sometimes it hurts more than we expect. If you’re a mom in this season, you probably know the ache I’m talking about. The texts that go unanswered, the eye

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22:53

Parenting Teens through Screen Time Struggles—The...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/09/27

If you’ve ever caught yourself staring at your teen glued to their phone—ignoring you, zoning out, lost in a scroll—and thought, “This can’t be good,” this episode is for you.Today I’m digging into what’s really going on with cell phones and screentime—why it feels so hard to set boundaries, and what’s behind the resistance (theirs and ours). I’ll share what I learned from Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation, including some truly alarming data that had me feeling a wave of guilt—but

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20:21

“My Teen Walks All Over Me”—Thoughts Moms Parenting...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/09/24

Have you ever had the thought, “My teen walks all over me”… and then instantly felt ashamed for even thinking it? It's actually more like: If my own kid can treat me this way, what does that say about me?You're not just frustrated— you feelhurt, resentful, and afraidthat maybe you’ve lost the connection, influence and respect you once had with your big kid. In this episode, I dig into why this thought is so common for moms of teens. I’ll show you the surprising reason why the story you

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24:53

Invisible Contracts We Use When Parenting Teens—How...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/09/20

Have you ever felt frustrated with your teen? (Or maybe I should be saying, who hasn’t?!)As moms of teens and almost empty nesters, we naturally carry expectations about how our kids should act — and most of the time, those expectations are perfectly reasonable. We want them to show appreciation, to put in effort, to connect with us. But the reality is, teens don’t always meet those expectations. And when that happens, we’re left feeling frustrated, anxious, and even resentful. In this

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19:36

“I Should Be More Grateful”—Thoughts Moms Parenting...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/09/17

“I should be grateful.” As moms, we often feel this pressure to always be thankful. It's almost like we use gratitude as a way to push away other feelings. It’s as if admitting to sadness, worry, or even loneliness makes us ungrateful, when really those emotions are just part of the truth of our experience.The minute we add this pressure, that“I shouldn’t feel this way,” we layer guilt and shame on top of what’s already hard. In this episode, I share how this “should trap” shows up for us

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22:11

The Emotional Overwhelm of Parenting Teens and the...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/09/13

What if letting go in motherhood was never meant to feel easy — but it was always meant to grow you?As moms, whether we’re parenting teens or entering the empty nest, we’re asked to let go again and again. And it doesn’t just stir up sadness. It can trigger anxiety, overwhelm, and the constant urge to overthink. We wonder if we’re doing it right, if our kids will be okay, and what it means for us when they don’t need us in the same way anymore. In this episode, I share my own journey of

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21:52

“The House Is So Quiet”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/09/10

The house is so quiet.If you’ve ever had that thought — and then immediately felt sadness, disorientation, or even shame — you’re not alone. In this episode, I share what it felt like to walk back into my home after dropping off my youngest son at college. The quiet was deafening. But what I realized is that it wasn’t just the absence of sound — it was the story I was telling myself about what that quiet meant. I talk with so many moms parenting teens or navigating the early empty nest who

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23:59

Emotional Outsourcing: When Your Teen's Mood Controls...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/09/06

Do you ever feel like your emotions rise and fall with your teen’s? If they’re stressed, you’re stressed. If they’re in a bad mood, suddenly you are too. It can feel like parenting teens or navigating the empty nest is one long emotional rollercoaster — and you’re just hanging on for the ride. In this episode of the Almost Empty Nest Podcast, I’m shining a light on a mindset trap I call emotional outsourcing. This is when moms hand over their peace, confidence, and connection to their kids’

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18:49

“Thank God They're Back in School”—Thoughts Moms...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/09/03

Ever felt secretly relieved when yourbid kidwent back to school—and then immediately guilty for thinking that? You’re not alone. But even as you think, "Thank God they’re back in school."—you can feel this sense of guilt, and maybe even shame that you feel so relieved.In this episode, I’m exploring why this sense of relief feels so tangled up with pressure, responsibility, and guilt. Join me totalk about what it means to be the one managing everyone’s emotions and productivity, and how that

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25:06

Letting Go of How Your Teen Reaches Their Potential |...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/08/30

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

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18:14

“My Teen Is Entitled”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/08/27

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,

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25:17

The Real Emotions Behind the Empty Nest—Is It...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/08/23

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

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20:56

“I Don't Know How”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens Are...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/08/20

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

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23:08

Rebuild Trust with Your Teen — Letting Go Without...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/08/16

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 usmoms 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,

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17:22

“Nobody Listens to Me”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/08/13

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 wetry even harder to be heard. But more effort doesn’t always lead to more

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23:12

I Don’t Want to Miss This—Staying Present in Ups and...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/08/09

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

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16:48

“I'm Not a Confident Person”—Thoughts Moms Parenting...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/08/06

Have you ever found yourself thinking, “I’m just not a confident person”?Maybe you think it when youtry 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

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30:08

Navigating College Drop-Off—Six Mindset Shifts for...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/08/02

✨ 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

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16:33

“My Teen Is Lazy”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens Are...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/07/30

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

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18:50

Why Vacation Feels So Hard for Moms of Teens—And What...

The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined:... ·

2025/07/26

Why does something that’s supposed to be fun feel so hard?You plan the vacation hoping for rest, reconnection, maybe even a few magical moments. But instead, you find yourself wondering if your teen even wants to be there. If you’ve ever come home from a family trip more drained than when you left—this episode is for you. In this conversation, I’m unpacking the real reasons vacation with teens and young adults feels so emotionally charged, especially for moms parenting teens or college

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228 results

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