Reframing Me - Self-Development & Parenting Teens for Midlife Moms

Your kids are growing up - but so are you. Reframing Me is the podcast for moms of teens ready to reframe family, identity, and self-development in midlife.

Parenting teens is hard -and parenting while rediscovering yourself in midlife can feel even harder. Reframing Me is the parenting podcast for moms raising teenagers who are also navigating the transition out of hands-on motherhood, identity shifts, and the search for balance, fulfillment, and self-development.

Hosted by Dr. Jennifer Brubaker, a Communication Studies professor, mom of three teens, and intrapersonal communication expert, each episode blends family communication strategies, honest conversations about parenting teens, and self-reflection tools to help moms strengthen family relationships while rediscovering who they are as women.

Together we’ll talk about the issues moms face but don’t always say out loud: changing family dynamics, feeling invisible, letting go of control, and creating new purpose. Through research, theory, and compassionate conversation, you’ll find support, strategies, and a sense of community in this season of parenting and personal growth.

Join the Reframing Me community to connect with other midlife moms, share your stories, and reframe how you see yourself, your family, and your future.

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

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Reframing Me - Self-Development & Parenting Teens for Midlife Moms

Recognizing Confidence and the Things That Still Make Me Happy

January 30, 2026 • Dr. Jennifer Brubaker

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Thank you so much for being here!

This episode reflects on how my understanding of confidence has changed over time. What once felt tied to performance, comparison, and getting things “right” now feels quieter and more stable, rooted in self-trust rather than validation. I talk about the difference between arrogance and confidence, why confident people used to bother me, and how creating this podcast required speaking without permission in ways I never would have before.

I also name the sadness many of us are carrying - grief for the life and world we imagined, shaped by years of political chaos, a pandemic, and constant vigilance. That sadness isn’t a failure or a lack of gratitude. It’s a reasonable response to an exhausting, relentless moment.

Recently, I've really been seeking out happiness - not as positivity or denial, but as something small and grounding. I share the everyday things that still make me happy and help my nervous system remember that good still exists, even when the world feels icky.

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
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