Reframing Me
So many prepare us for the transition to motherhood, but no one prepares us for how hard the transition out is, and once our kids become teens, it also can feel very solitary. The issues we face with teens are often ones we need to talk about, yet feel we can't or shouldn't. Together, we can create a community of women who, faced with growing children and changing families, are relearning how to mom, and relearning who they are as women. Grounded in family communication theory, join Dr. Jennifer Brubaker to have those conversations to help you better understand this new chapter of your life. Episodes focus on both family communication with our teens and reflection and self discovery. Dr. Brubaker has her Ph.D in Communication Studies and is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she has taught for 17 years. Prior to UNCW, she taught at The Ohio State University, Kent State University and the University of Toledo. Originally from Ohio, Jen lives in Wilmington, NC, with her husband, three children, three dogs, cat and a menagerie of small animals. She loves spending time with her family, traveling and all things fitness, sports and wellness. Reach out with your questions, issues or experiences to begin the conversation. Or reach out to say hi and let me know you’re listening :) Join the Reframing Me: The Podcast Community Facebook group to connect with others who are looking to relearn how to parent, now that their kids are teens, and rediscover who they are as women, beyond the framework of motherhood. Send emails to jen@reframing-me.com; or on socials: Reframing Me on FacebookAND join the Facebook group Reframing Me: The Podcast Community; @reframingme on Instagram; Reframing Me on YouTube @reframingme on TikTok
Reframing Me
Jen is Zen... *more than she's not*
Our true character doesn’t lie in not getting mad or upset or angry or jealous or disappointed – or feeling any of that negative energy. Our true character lies in how quickly we can shake that feeling off and refocus on what we need to do now.
Like many of you, I’ve always been one to hold myself to a really high standard – whether it’s in my career or being a mom or a wife or a daughter or hosting a holiday or working out – and when it comes to being zen or grateful or positive, it's the same thing. It's in the title: it’s Jen IS Zen, not Jen is sometimes Zen or Jen is Zen.. more than she’s not.
But sometimes we confuse being zen with being unaffected. But that’s not peace—that’s emotional suppression. That’s a performance, and it’s exhausting.
Your true power isn’t in pretending you don’t feel the hard things. It’s in how you tend to yourself when you do. It’s in how quickly you notice the spiral and decide to reroute.
So maybe the next time this happens to you, maybe instead of focusing on the spiral. Maybe you focus on the return.
Please help me with my Matrenaissance Identity Theory of Communication research by completing a completely anonymous survey at https://forms.gle/WunxbwZ7L1MmvWEF6
This research has been approved by the UNCW Institutional Review Board.
Thank you for listening and being part of this community! Let's get social. Follow me on Facebook, on Twitter @reframing_me, on Instagram @reframingme and on TikTok @reframingme
I hope you enjoyed the episode! Please leave a review, catch up on any missed episodes, and be sure to follow the show, so you don't miss new content!
