Have you ever looked at something your teen is doing and thought, “What if this is my fault?” Maybe that you pushed too hard… or not hard enough. Maybe you missed a sign or set the wrong boundaries. If you've ever wondered whether you somehow messed up your kid, you're not alone. In this episode, I open up about the fear so many moms of teens and college-age kids carry: that our choices, our reactions, or our mistakes in the past have damaged our children. And I explore how this fear isn’t a sign that you’ve failed—it’s a sign that you care deeply. You’ll learn how mindset traps like personalization and the illusion of control quietly fuel guilt, shame, and worst-case scenario thinking—especially when your teen is struggling and you feel helpless. By the end of this episode, you’ll discover: Why the belief that “I should’ve been able to prevent this” is a lie that keeps you stuck How to shift out of guilt and self-blame into calm, confident parenting A new way to view your teen’s struggle—so you can show up with love, not fear 🎯 Want to take this work deeper? Save your seat for the next free masterclass—click here to sign up: 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
[email protected] . 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.
