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

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

Written by: Dr. Jennifer Brubaker
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About this listen

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

© 2026 Reframing Me - Self-Development & Parenting Teens for Midlife Moms
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Episodes
  • Jen is Zen - Believe in Yourself and Be Your Own Cheerleader
    Jan 21 2026

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    Thank you for being here today! Topping my list of "50 things that would have made my life a lot easier if I had known sooner:"

    Only you need to see your potential. Only you need to understand. Only you need to believe it’s possible. Your opinion is literally the only one that matters. You need to be your own cheerleader.

    Grieving the life you thought you'd have seems heartbreaking to me. Three and a half years ago, I started this journey - uncertain how I would integrate my worlds. Without much support or external validation, I made the decision that I saw my potential and understood; I believed in me.

    Today, I saw the first tangible evidence that I actually am finding my odd little niche and integrating my worlds, so I wanted to share that success with 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
    I hope you enjoyed the episode! Please leave a review, catch up on any missed episodes, and be sure to follow the show, so you don't miss new content!


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    14 mins
  • Raising Teens Mean Balancing Gratitude with Grief
    Jan 18 2026

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    We are complex enough beings to experience multiple emotions at once, and as parents of teens - and oftentimes, also caregiving for aging parents - two of those emotions that we're constantly balancing are gratitude and grief. Gratitude and grief coexist because parents are holding two timelines at once: the past version of the relationship that worked, and the future version that has not fully revealed itself yet. This dialectic is a clear sign of reorganization. Also - my always fun hot take on why we should let our teens have socials ***disclaimer - it does involve our participation too!

    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
    I hope you enjoyed the episode! Please leave a review, catch up on any missed episodes, and be sure to follow the show, so you don't miss new content!


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    37 mins
  • Jen is Zen - Control the Controllable
    Jan 14 2026

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    Thank you so much for being here!

    What does it look like for you to reclaim a sense of control in your life?

    This Jen is Zen episode explores what it truly means to reclaim a sense of control when life feels overwhelming. Rather than focusing on fixing everything or forcing positivity, the episode reframes control as creating steadiness and orientation in the midst of uncertainty.

    The reflection begins by acknowledging that chaos doesn’t only exist on a global scale. It often shows up in everyday life – within homes, relationships, careers, bodies, and demanding seasons of parenting and midlife transition. Through personal examples, the episode illustrates how small, repeatable rituals – such as maintaining simple routines, tending to one intentional space, or returning to basic practices like movement, meditation, and gratitude – can help regulate the nervous system when things feel out of control.

    The episode then explores gratitude in a nontraditional way, focusing on appreciation for situations that feel problematic or unfinished.

    The episode addresses parenting teens during uncertain and unsettling times. It responds to common questions about how to comfort our teens when reassurance feels dishonest and explanations feel incomplete. The key message is that comfort does not come from certainty, but from presence. Honest acknowledgment, emotional steadiness, and shared containment offer more safety than promises or solutions.

    The episode also highlights the importance of helping teens identify their own stabilizing anchors – routines, activities, creative outlets, and structures that provide a sense of agency and regulation. These behaviors are reframed not as control-seeking, but as coping strategies that help young people feel grounded.

    Steady presence, intentional rituals, and emotional grounding are powerful tools for navigating both personal and collective uncertainty.

    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
    I hope you enjoyed the episode! Please leave a review, catch up on any missed episodes, and be sure to follow the show, so you don't miss new content!


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    26 mins
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