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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

25:30

Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty...

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

2026/10/03

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 away, and sowe’re anxious, overthinking, and trying to make everything better. In this episode, I’m continuing the Mindset Trap series with a focus on emotional outsourcing and why it becomes such an easy habit to call into during the parenting teens and

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24:52

“I Feel Lonely”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and...

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

2026/09/30

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 the teen and empty nest years. Sometimes we simply miss our kids. Sometimes we’re grieving the closeness or relationship we thought we’d have. And sometimes motherhood has shifted so much that we’re beginning to see just how much we want more friendship,

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22:30

What if this Is Hard AND Everything You've Ever...

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

2026/09/26

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 of your kid and worried about them. Grateful for this stage of motherhood and grieving what has changed. Happy for their independence and still struggling with letting go. In this episode, I’m talking about why our brains keep scanning for problems, why

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21:45

“I Feel Like a Failure as a Mom”—Thoughts Moms...

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

2026/09/23

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, relationships, and happiness as evidence of how well we’re doing in motherhood. That gets especially painful as we move through parenting teens and the empty nest years, when our instinct to help is still strong but our ability to control the outcome has

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19:31

Why the Right Boundary Can Still Feel So Wrong When...

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

2026/09/19

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 this stage of motherhood, we often judge whether a boundary “worked” by looking at what our kid does next. Did they change the behavior? Take it seriously? Learn the lesson? I’ll help you rethink what a boundary is actually meant to do, so you can stop

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21:36

“I Can't Stop Worrying About My Kid”—Thoughts Moms...

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

2026/09/16

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 really underneath all that worry. In this episode, I’m exploring why anxiety can feel so hard to put down during the parenting teens and empty nest years, and why constantly seeking reassurance rarely gives us the certainty we’re looking for. I’ll help you

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23:49

Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty...

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

2026/09/12

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’re setting boundaries incorrectly, damaging the relationship, or failing at motherhood. Before we know it, we’re overexplaining, backpedaling, or changing a decision just to keep the peace. In this episode, I’m unpacking the Approval Trap and why letting

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20:44

“Nothing Matters to My Kid”—Thoughts Moms Parenting...

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

2026/09/09

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 roll, or a flat “okay.” In this episode, I’m exploring what happens when we interpret our big kid’s reaction as proof that they don’t care, haven’t learned anything, or that we’re no longer getting through. I’ll help you see why their outward response may

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27:05

Letting Go of the Invisible Contracts that Make...

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

2026/09/05

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 invisible contracts we create with our big kids.... the unspoken expectations about how they should respond, appreciate us, follow through, or stay connected... and what we make it mean when they don’t. If you’re parenting teens, navigating the empty nest,

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23:40

“I Don't Know Who I Am Anymore”—Thoughts Moms...

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

2026/09/02

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 toward the empty nest. When your kids need you less, it can stir up thoughts like, “I don’t know who I am anymore” or “Who am I, if I'm no longer needed?” I’ll help you understand why those thoughts make so much sense, how motherhood can become deeply

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22:38

The September Reset—Three Steps to Build Your...

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

2026/08/29

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 transition, the empty house, the next hard conversation, or whatever we fear might be coming.In this episode, I’m exploring what it means to stop spending so much emotional energy preparing for impact and start building your capacity to handle what life

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22:38

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

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

2026/08/26

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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23:59

When Your Big Kid's Life Takes a Left Turn—The Kind...

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

2026/08/22

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 young adults can bring up more than anxiety. It can bring real grief... for the relationship you thought you’d have, the future you pictured for them, and even the version of motherhood you expected. In this episode, I’m talking about how to make space for

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20:58

“I Feel Like the Bad Guy When I Say No”—Thoughts Moms...

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

2026/08/19

What if your teen’s disappointment isn’t proof you’re doing something wrong, butjust 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 it’s phones, parties, drinking, money, or an adult child living at home, it’s easy to second-guess yourself when your kid is angry or tells you you’re being unfair. I’ll help you separate your child’s reaction from the actual effectiveness of your

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25:55

College Drop-Off, the Empty Nest, and Letting Go—How...

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

2026/08/15

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 bigger: loving our kids through transitions we can’t control. Whether you’re parenting teens, approaching the empty nest, watching a child transfer, graduate, or begin a job, the same questions can follow: Will they be okay? And will I be okay if they’re

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21:52

"I Don't Think My Big Kid Is Going to Be OK”—Thoughts...

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

2026/08/12

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 leave us feeling anxious, powerless, and desperate to fix what we can’t fully control. I’ll help you separate what is actually yours to do from the pressure to somehow guarantee your child’s future. This episode is about finding a steadier way to show up:

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19:00

My Life Is Better When My Big Kid Is Around—Letting...

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

2026/08/08

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 pride, sadness, connection, and uncertainty. We want them to build lives of their own, but that doesn’t mean we automatically know how to adjust when motherhood starts to look different. In this episode, I’m exploring what may actually be underneath that

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16:43

"My Big Kid Told Me to Get a Life”—Thoughts Moms...

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

2026/08/05

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 why letting go can feel so disorienting after years of organizing your life around motherhood. You’ll learn how to get curious about whatyour big kid's reaction is bringing up in you, andhow to explore what you want next without believing you need to prove

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24:37

Be Where Your Feet Are—Parenting Teens, the Empty...

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

2026/08/01

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 reassurance, or thinking ahead to what I need to say. But when I’m focused on getting something from the moment, I’m no longer fully in it. In this episode, I’m sharing what it means to “be where your feet are”... to stop overthinking, let go of your

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19:06

"I'm Not OK When My Kid's Not OK”—Thoughts Moms...

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

2026/07/29

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, and suddenly you’re searching for the right words, the right solution, or some sign that everything will be okay. In this episode, I’m talking about why letting go can feel so impossible when parenting teens and navigating the empty nest years... and

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