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

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.

Latest Episodes:

“I Only Have a Few Months Left with My Big Kid at Home”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 236 Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “I only have a few months left before my kid leaves home,” you’re not alone. I remember thinking this constantly during my boys’ senior years of high school. As moms raising teens and navigating the empty nest transition, it’s easy to feel pressure to fix everything, teach everything, and make every moment count before our kids leave.

In this episode, I explore how a scarcity mindset shows up in parenting teens...whether it’s trying to repair the relationship before they go, worrying they’re not ready for the world, or feeling responsible for making their final months at home perfect. I share my own story, including a moment during my son’s senior year when I realized how much pressure I was putting on myself. When we shift from scarcity to an abundant mindset, letting go becomes less about loss and more about trust.

If you're looking at the calendar and feeling pressure to make the most of the months before your big kid leaves home, this episode will help you breathe a little easier as you navigate the powerful, bittersweet process of letting go.

💡 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 jennifer@thesmalljar.com.

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.

Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty Nest—Trap #7: Catastrophizing. Letting Go of Anxiety and the Worst Case Scenario Spiral | Ep. 235 Mar 14, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever woken up at 2am with your mind racing…convinced that the distance between you and your child means the relationship is slipping away… or that their struggle is going to define their future… or that the tension in your house is never going to get better… or that this heavy, almost empty nest feeling means the best part of your life is behind you?

That spiral where your brain takes something uncertain or hard and turns it into a permanent disaster?

Today, I’m continuing the Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty Nest series with a focus on Catastrophizing. I’m going to talk about why your brain does it, how it steals your peace, and how to interrupt that worst case scenario spiral so you can approach your life and your big kid with calm confidence and self-trust…even when things are unpredictable and messy.

Join me to learn how to stop falling prey to the worst case scenario spiral.

💡 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 jennifer@thesmalljar.com.

“Other Moms Are Closer to their Big Kids”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 234 Mar 11, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, other moms seem closer to their kids than I am?

As moms, we care deeply about our relationships with our kids. When they pull away, we can feel anxious, rejected, or even convinced we’ve done something wrong. And when they stay close, that can bring its own pressure and responsibility. In this episode, I unpack how both experiences—distance and closeness—can trigger the same internal struggle: learning the delicate balance between holding on and letting go.

If you’re parenting teens and find yourself overthinking your interactions, worrying about whether you’re doing it right, or feeling the emotional weight of motherhood shifting as your kids grow more independent, this conversation will meet you exactly where you are.

💡 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 jennifer@thesmalljar.com.

Parenting Teens and Adult Kids: Why Your Boundaries Aren't Working, and What Actually Does | Ep. 233 Mar 07, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever walked away from a conversation with your teen or adult kid thinking, “I need to set a boundary here.” You’re tired of the disrespect. You’re so done with reminding them. You want to see progress and you don’t want to keep getting into the same power struggles.

Here’s what most moms don’t realize: the problem isn’t that you don’t have strong enough rules. It’s that you’re thinking about boundaries in the wrong way. In this episode, I’m going to show you why your boundaries might not be working — and what actually does. If you’re ready to stop the power struggles, calm the anxiety, and create more connection with your big kid without constantly feeling on edge… this one 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 jennifer@thesmalljar.com.

“I Don’t Know Who I Am If I’m Not a Mom”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 232 Mar 04, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I don’t know who I am if I’m not a mom.”

When your days have revolved around motherhood for decades, letting go can feel disorienting. The quiet house leaves space not just for freedom, but for overthinking, self-doubt, and anxiety. In this episode, I explore how staying stuck in “I don’t know” is actually a form of protection. Together, we unpack the fear that nothing will ever feel as meaningful as motherhood, the guilt that comes with setting boundaries around your emotional energy, and the belief that finding purpose now is somehow selfish.

If you’re standing on the edge of the empty nest wondering who you are becoming, this conversation will help you see that you’re not lost. You just need to find a way back to 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 jennifer@thesmalljar.com.

Parenting Teens Through Mental Health Struggles: Learning to Let Go Without Losing Yourself | Ep. 231 Feb 28, 2026

Show notes

Do you have a big kid who’s struggling with their mental health… and find yourself lying awake at night wondering if you’re doing enough?

When your child isn’t okay, it doesn’t just worry you, it can take over. Your thoughts. Your energy. Your sense of peace. You’re researching, supporting, advocating… and still questioning yourself.

In this episode, I explore how to parent a teen or adult kids through mental health struggles without losing yourself in the process. We’ll talk about how fear and guilt can intermix with love, and how that can leave you exhausted. And we’ll look at the question so many moms in this position face...When can you really know if you've done enough?

If you’re parenting a teen who is battling anxiety, depression, addiction, or other mental health challenges, this conversation will help you step into a steadier way of showing up, for your child and for 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 jennifer@thesmalljar.com.

“I Feel Like I’m Walking on Eggshells with my Big Kid”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 230 Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever felt tense in your own home… bracing for the sound of your teen’s footsteps or the tone of their voice? As moms parenting teens, this is one of the thoughts we’re often ashamed to admit: I feel like I’m walking on eggshells with my big kid. If you’re parenting teens or standing at the edge of the empty nest, you might recognize that constant fear of saying the wrong thing and making it worse.

In this episode, I unpack what that “eggshell” feeling really means. You’ll hear a very personal story from my own journey raising my boys and how learning the difference between influence and control changed everything. I share how learning to set down what wasn’t mine to carry helped me feel calmer, stop replaying every conversation in my head, and show up in a way that slowly rebuilt trust. Join me to learn how.

💡 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 jennifer@thesmalljar.com.

Who Is Your Mom 2.0? Being the Mom You Want to Be as you Parent Teens and Navigate the Empty Nest | Ep. 229 Feb 21, 2026

Show notes

Do you ever feel like you know how you want to show up as a mom, and even as a woman in your own life, and still find yourself wondering why it feels so hard to actually show up that way? You know you want to be calmer and less reactive … and yet when your big kid pulls away, struggles, or no longer needs you the same way, you find yourself falling into patterns of control, self-doubt, or taking things personally.

In this episode, I’m going to help you understand why this happens, and how to more consistently access that version of yourself who you really want to be. I call her Mom 2.0...not a better version of you, but the empowered version of you as a mom and a woman who already exists (even if it doesn’t always feel that way). Join me to learn how to reconnect with her.

💡 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 jennifer@thesmalljar.com.

“My Kid Was Struggling and I Missed It”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 228 Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

My kid was struggling... and I didn’t even know it.

We spend so much of motherhood trying to keep our kids safe, happy, and successful. We set boundaries. We try to stay one step ahead. And yet… sometimes we still miss something.

In this episode, I share a personal story about discovering that my son had struggled years ago, and I had no idea at the time . I unpack the shame of “I should have known,” the fear that letting go means failing, and the mindset that keeps so many moms stuck in hyper-responsibility. I'll also explore the hard truth that we can guide our kids, love them, and support them...but we can’t force change, happiness, or success. They have to decide. And learning to trust that process is one of the most humbling...and freeing...parts of this stage of motherhood.

If you’re trying to stop overthinking, set healthy boundaries, and figure out what letting go really looks like without disconnecting from your child, this episode will help you find your footing.

Missing something doesn’t mean you failed.
It might mean you’re raising a human...and you’re allowed to be one too.

💡 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 jennifer@thesmalljar.com.

Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty Nest—Trap #6: Personalization—How To Stop Making Your Big Kid’s Experience About You | Ep. 227 Feb 14, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever felt that knot in your stomach when your big kid seems off—and you immediately start wondering what you did wrong? This reaction doesn’t come from insecurity—it comes from love. Especially in this stage of motherhood, when your role feels less clear and so much feels uncertain, it’s easy to make your child’s experience mean something about you.

Today, I’m continuing the Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty Nest series with a focus on Personalization. Once you understand why your brain keeps pulling you into taking responsibility for things that aren’t actually yours to carry—and how much that’s costing you—you’ll start to see a different way to stay connected to your child without carrying so much guilt, anxiety, or emotional weight.

This episode will change how you think about taking things personally so that you can let go of emotional responsibility and find real peace in this stage of motherhood.

💡 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 jennifer@thesmalljar.com.

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