Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty Nest—Trap #8: The Should Trap. Why You Never Feel Like You're Doing Enough | Ep. 241

About this episode

The episode discusses the 'Should Trap' in parenting teens, exploring feelings of inadequacy and how to overcome them.

Have you ever felt like no matter what you do as a mom… it’s just not enough? Like you should be more patient… more present… handling everything better, but you’re never quite getting it right? Today, I’m continuing the   Mindset Traps of Parenting Teens and the Empty Nest   series with a focus on what I call the Should Trap . It's when your mind is constantly telling you what you "should" be doing that's different, but the result is that you stay stuck in guilt, pressure, and self-doubt, especially in this stage of raising teens and navigating the empty nest. You’ll start to see where these “shoulds” come from, why they feel so true… and most importantly, how to step out of them so you can feel more confident, more at peace, and actually trust yourself again. 💡 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?  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…

People in this episode

Host: Jennifer Collins

Topics covered

• parenting teens
• empty nest
• mindset traps
• self-doubt
• guilt
• confidence

Keywords

• parenting
• mindset
• self-improvement
• guilt
• confidence
• empty nest
• teens

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
• “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 · June 10, 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