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

I Gave Them Space... Now What?

April 29, 2026 • Episode 268

0:00 | 56:12

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Welcome! Thank you for being here!

There’s a phase of motherhood that no one really prepares you for.

It’s not the chaos of little kids, and it’s not the emptiness of the empty nest. It’s the in-between—when your teenagers are starting to launch, and everything is quietly shifting.

In this episode, I explore the tension we all feel between staying connected to our kids and allowing them the autonomy they need to grow, and what that same tension looks like for us.

Because while our kids are becoming more independent, we’re being asked to rediscover parts of ourselves that may have been tied to being constantly needed. And that’s not something we always talk about.

I share a moment that caught me completely off guard, realizing how much I miss the built-in community that came with earlier stages of parenting, and how easy it is to feel socially full, yet still disconnected.

And then there’s the piece I truly wasn’t prepared for: the “revolving door.” The friendships, relationships, and extended circle that become part of your life through your kids… and then slowly begin to change, fade, and move on.

This isn’t just about our kids growing up.

It’s about identity, connection, and learning how to move through a season where everything is evolving at once.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re in that quiet, shifting space - still deeply in it, but also starting to feel the pull toward something more - this episode is for you.

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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