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'm Already Disappointed by the Holidays" —Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 212 Dec 24, 2025

Show notes

I’m already disappointed by the holidays.
If you’ve ever had that thought—even before the holiday is over—this episode is for you.

The holidays are supposed to feel joyful and connected, and yet, for so many moms of teens and adult kids, this season brings a quiet mix of love, overwhelm, frustration, and disappointment that no one really talks about. You can adore your family and still feel exhausted by the mess, the noise, the disengagement, or the feeling that the holidays don’t look the way they used to.

In this episode, I talk honestly about why the holidays can feel so hard, and why that discomfort doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. I explore how we often cope by working harder and taking responsibility for everyone else’s emotions, all in an effort to finally feel at peace. And why that approach, as understandable as it is, leaves us feeling even more disappointed.

If you’re feeling worn down by the pressure to make the holidays magical, this episode will help you let go and actually find moments of peace in your life without needing to change anything first.

💡 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.

Three Gifts for Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids—How Letting Go, Connection, and Compassion Transform this Stage of Motherhood | Ep. 211 Dec 20, 2025

Show notes

As the holidays approach, parenting teens and adult kids can bring up for us a wish for more ease, more connection, and a way to let go without feeling like you’re losing yourself or your relationship with your kids. In this episode, I share three powerful gifts you can give yourself that will change how you experience this stage of motherhood. We’ll explore what it means to stop taking responsibility for other people’s emotions, how to stay connected to your teen without conditions or expectations, and why treating yourself with compassion is essential as you navigate the emotional shifts of letting go.

If you’ve been feeling drained, stuck, or unsure how to show up as your role as a mom evolves, this conversation will help you approach parenting teens — and the empty nest ahead — with more intention and emotional freedom. These simple but meaningful shifts can transform not just the holiday season, but the way this next chapter of motherhood feels.

💡 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'm Worried My Teen Will Ruin My Holiday" —Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 210 Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

I’m worried my teen will ruin the holiday for me. Even saying that out loud feels uncomfortable. But if you’re parenting teens or adult kids, you’ve probably had some version of this thought at one point or another. The holidays can magnify distance, tension, and unmet expectations, leaving us bracing for moods instead of enjoying the moments we hoped would feel meaningful.

In this episode, I explore what’s really underneath that fear. It’s not about your teen being difficult — it’s about how easily we tie our sense of connection and peace to how our kids show up. I'll explore the mindset trap of emotional outsourcing, why connection starts to feel conditional in this phase of motherhood, and how letting go can feel both necessary and terrifying at the same time.

Join me to learn how to create connection without waiting for your teen to meet you halfway, and how to let go of the belief that your child gets to decide whether the holidays — or your relationship — feel good.

💡 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.

Radical Acceptance Part II—Four Steps to Reclaim Your Power When Parenting Teens or in the Empty Nest | Ep. 209 Dec 13, 2025

Show notes

What if the reason you feel so anxious, frustrated, or exhausted isn’t because your teen is struggling—but because you’re fighting reality every single day?

In this episode, I’m breaking down what radical acceptance actually means when you’re parenting teens or moving through the empty nest. Not acceptance as giving up. Not acceptance as lowering your expectations. But acceptance as a skill that allows you to stop wasting energy on what you can’t control and start reclaiming your power in how you show up.

I walk you through four practical steps that help you move out of emotional reactivity and into steadiness—so you can acknowledge what’s happening, tell the truth about how you feel, work through the pain instead of resisting it, and then decide, with intention, who you want to be in the middle of a hard moment.

If you’re tired of feeling like your peace depends on your teen’s choices or this season being over, this episode will show you how to let go without losing yourself—and how to feel grounded and confident even when parenting gets hard or the empty nest feels heavy.

💡 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'm Doing Everything Wrong" —Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 208 Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

💡 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 in the College Process—Three Lessons That Go Far Beyond Early Decision | Ep 207 Dec 06, 2025

Show notes

As moms, we hit so many moments where our big kids put themselves out there. We find ourselves holding our breath, hoping it all works out...and also really worried about what will happen if it doesn't.

In this episode, I share three powerful lessons I learned during the college process with my sons, and how those lessons apply far beyond college admissions—to job interviews, tryouts, auditions, internships, and every season where we’re invited to practice letting go.

You’ll learn how to deal with the helplessness of not being able to influence the outcome, and how to support your big kid and even strengthen your connection in the moments that matter most. The lessons you'll takeaway will give you confidence to navigate all of the twists and turns of the road ahead.

💡 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'm Not Proud of My Teen Sometimes" —Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 206 Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever thought, “I’m not proud of my teen?” It feels terrible, doesn't it? And yet, so often as mom parenting teens and big kids, we have real fears about who our child is becoming and what their choices mean for their future. In this episode, I'm sharing the many different situations moms share with me — the academic struggles, the social worries, the attitude shifts, the choices that make you question whether your child is on the right path. And in this conversation, I'm going to explain why we turn our kids' behavior into a measure of our own success.

If you’re tired of feeling stressed about your kid's future, or confused about what letting go is supposed to look like, this episode will help you understand what’s happening beneath the surface and what’s actually within your control.

💡 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 #3: Comparison Trap—Seeing Your Life Without the Pressure to Keep Up | Ep. 205 Nov 29, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever heard another mom talk about her teen’s success and instantly felt that little drop in your stomach—like you missed something or should be doing more? If so, you’re not alone. This next episode of the Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty Nest series digs into why comparison is such a natural instinct for us moms.

Comparison feels like you’re just observing the world…but really, it’s your brain slipping into a survival pattern that makes you question your parenting, your teen’s progress, and even your worth. And during this stage of motherhood—when you're navigating that delicate balance between holding on and letting go—that pressure can show up everywhere.

In this episode, I break down why your mind automatically compares and how it fuels overthinking and anxiety. You’ll learn how comparison steals your peace, puts pressure on your connection with your child, and wears down your confidence as a mom. Most importantly, you’ll hear how to shift out of this trap so you can build a sense of self-trust that can only come from within.

💡 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 Love (and Hate) the Holidays" —Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 204 Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I love the holidays… and I kind of hate them?” If you're parenting teens or an empty nester, this tension is so normal — we crave connection and magic, but we’re overloaded with pressure and the emotional labor we’ve been conditioned to carry. In this episode, I’m breaking down why we feel responsible for everyone’s happiness, why that creates resentment and anxiety, and how shifting your mindset from managing others’ emotions to owning your own can completely change your experience. You’ll hear how our society trains moms to outsource our emotional peace to how everyone else behaves — and why that leaves us exhausted, especially during the holidays. And I’ll show you a simpler, more grounded way to show up as the mom and woman you want to be, with healthier boundaries, less guilt, and more authentic connection.

If you're ready to stop carrying pressure that was never yours, feel more calm and purposeful, and create a holiday season that feels human instead of perfect, this episode is for you. Tune in, my friend. You have more power than you think.

💡 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.

Radical Acceptance: The Power of Letting Go When Parenting Teens Gets Hard | Ep. 203 Nov 22, 2025

Show notes

As a mom, do you ever feel caught between wishing things were easier and worrying they may never change? So many of us live in the “it’ll be better when…” mindset — with our teens, our young adults, our relationships, even with ourselves. But that constant battle with reality only creates more exhaustion and anxiety. In this episode, I’m sharing the key to finding peace even when life feels messy or uncertain.
You’ll learn how to see clearly where you do have power, how to stop wasting emotional energy on what you can’t control, and how to create calm, confidence, and clarity right where you are — before anything around you changes.

My friend, radical acceptance is the key to stop fighting reality and start embracing your power. And this episode is going to show you exactly how 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 jennifer@thesmalljar.com.

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