“I Feel Like I'm the Only Mom Who Doesn't Have It All Together”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 260

About this episode

In this episode, Jennifer Collins discusses the challenges of parenting teens and adult kids, focusing on the feelings of inadequacy that many mothers experience and offering a new perspective on being a good mom.

Do you ever feel like everyone else has parenting figured out while you're struggling to keep up? In this episode, I explore why this thought comes up so often during the teen and young adult years, and how comparison can turn everyday parenting challenges into evidence that we're somehow failing. I’ll also look at the hidden costs of measuring yourself against impossible standards...how it erodes your confidence, affects your relationship with your child, and keeps you focused on what’s wrong instead of what’s working. Most importantly, I’ll share a different way to think about what it means to be a good mom during this season of motherhood. If you've ever wondered whether you're doing enough, getting it right, or somehow falling behind, this episode will help you build more trust in yourself. Because having it together isn’t about being perfect...it’s about continuing to show up with love, even when parenting feels hard. 💡 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?&nbsp…

People in this episode

Host: Jennifer Collins

Topics covered

• parenting
• self-improvement
• confidence
• comparison
• motherhood

Keywords

• parenting teens
• motherhood
• self-confidence
• comparison
• parenting challenges

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Small Jar

More episodes of The Almost Empty Nest—Letting Go, Redefined: Parenting Teens and Finding Yourself Again—with Small Jar Coach

• Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty Nest—Trap #10: The Identity Trap—Who Are You When Your Kid Stops Needing You? | Ep. 261 · June 13, 2026 · 22 min
• How to Get Your Teen to Open Up—A Parenting Teens Mindset Reset | Ep. 259 · June 6, 2026 · 24 min
• “I'm Dreading Having My Big Kid Home This Summer”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 258 · June 3, 2026 · 15 min
• Parenting Teens and Adult Kids and Why It's So Hard to Stay Present for Their Wins | Ep. 257 · May 30, 2026 · 19 min
• “I Feel So Alone In This Experience of Raising Big Kids”—Thoughts Moms Parenting Teens and Adult Kids Are Ashamed They Think | Ep. 256 · May 27, 2026 · 21 min
• Graduation Isn't Just About Them—Parenting Teens, Adult Kids, and Letting Go | Ep. 255 · May 23, 2026 · 18 min