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
Episodes
In this bonus episode, we continue our weekly series, reading and discussing excerpts from my new book, Reframe the Moment. It's super fun and appropriate because each essay grew out of a Jen is Zen episode, so why not bring it full circle. Today we talk about Chapter 2 - I Am, and it's really relevant because of how off balance I've been feeling this week. Video is available on YouTube, my website, and...
I could NEVER forget my Southern Hemisphere friends (I see you and love you, Australia!) Reposting just for you :)
It's the Spring Equinox! For the Southern Hemisphere, brighter days are on the horizon. It makes us realize that sometimes, it's our time to shine (literally!), and sometimes, it isn't. Can we celebrate others and know that it's just not our time right now, but still trust that we are o...
As we in the Northern Hemisphere (sorry, Australian friends!) reach the Autumnal Equinox, we can use it as a time to reflect on our own summer abundance. We may not be tending to crops, but we have each been tending to and nurturing other aspects of our lives. Each of us is growing and changing, and each of us is doing so in our own way. This change of season is a good time for us to look at our family system to see h...
In this bonus episode, I'm starting a weekly series, reading and discussing excerpts from my new book, Reframe the Moment. Not only do I think it'll be fun, but I also think it's appropriate because each essay grew out of a Jen is Zen episode, so why not bring it full circle. Plus, i love the fact that I can share where I am now or what/how I'll see each episode now versus then. Video is available ...
Gratitude doesn’t need perfection. Some days are filled with sunshine and ease, while others feel heavy, overwhelming, and far from what we hoped for. But gratitude isn’t about flawless circumstances - it’s about choosing to notice the good, even in the middle of the mess.
This Jen is Zen reflection explores how to practice gratitude in everyday life, especially when parenting teens, caring for aging parents, and juggl...
Parenting teens has a way of stirring up echoes from our own adolescence. When our kids face rejection, heartbreak, or big milestones, it can trigger memories of our past - and without realizing it, we may project our old wounds or family narratives onto their story. In this episode of Reframing Me, we explore how to notice when we’re parenting our younger selves instead of the teen in front of us, how to disrupt the ...
It’s a hard time to be a teenager. Many worry about their safety at school, feel overwhelmed by daily pressures, and struggle with anxiety about the future. Recent studies show what parents already know in their hearts: our teens are hurting, and they need support.
It’s a hard time to be a parent, too. Watching your child feel stressed, anxious, or hopeless — and not always knowing how to help — can feel overwhelming. ...
Invisible labor is the unseen work that keeps families, relationships, and workplaces running smoothly, yet it often goes unrecognized. Tasks like scheduling appointments, handling logistics, emotional support, and household responsibilities are rarely acknowledged as productivity, but they are the foundation that makes visible accomplishments possible.
Sociologists call this the mental load - the constant planning, an...
***My new book is available now on Amazon!! Reframe the Moment: Choose Your Zen!***
Three years ago, this podcast began as a way to make sense of parenting teenagers and the shifts that happen in midlife. Since then, it’s become a space for exploring both family communication and personal rediscovery. In this episode, I share the journey of starting Reframing Me, what I’ve learned along the way, and why this community ...
Too often we save things for “someday” - the outfit, the earrings, the nice dishes, or even the opportunities that matter most. This reflection explores how waiting for the perfect time can keep us from experiencing joy and growth right now. A reminder that the present moment is all we truly have, and sometimes the best thing we can do is simply use the sticker.
***My new book "Reframe the Moment: Choose Your Zen...
Back-to-school season brings big shifts for everyone - middle schoolers learning their place, high schoolers chasing independence, college students finding their footing, and moms adjusting to the changes at home. This episode explores why these transitions feel so heavy, how family systems shift when kids grow and launch, and what it means to navigate both the chaos and the quiet that follow.
Marking 20 years at UNCW and 25 years in the classroom, this reflection looks back at what I wish I could have told my 23-year-old self. Words and thoughts have power - they can be tools that build the life we want or weapons that tear us, and others, down. This episode is a reminder to choose them wisely.
Order Reframe the Moment: Choose Your Zen and 'Twas the Night Before Move In NOW!!
Thank you so much for bein...
The launching stage of family life - as we empty the nest - brings both growth and grief. As kids step into independence, parents often face a quieter house, shifting family roles, and the ache of ambiguous loss - missing someone who is still “kind of here.” This episode explores how the ReFRAME model can help midlife women navigate these changes, reconnect with their identity, and find meaning in the swirl of transit...
It doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful. You are better, stronger, and smarter than you think you are. If you are going to make assumptions about your abilities, why not assume the best?
This week, I launched my book - Reframe the Moment: Choose Your Zen. I was so excited to share it with everyone that I posted a super cute reel announcing the book, and the response was amazing! So many kind words. So much suppor...
Thank you for being here! Get excited! my new book is almost here!
Are you a sharent? Do you share pictures, stories, videos and information about your kids online? Many of us do it regularly without ever thinking about how it impacts our kids. As the Facebook generation hits their "digital coming of age," we are starting to see the consequences of our oversharemting.
What about teens who overshare?
And the bi...
Thank you so much for being here! Get excited! My new book is coming soon! Ordering info to follow!
Practice the Pause. There’s a big difference between our reaction and our response. We can’t do much about our reactions, but can you practice the pause before responding? In that slight pause, we can often see a very different response, which can lead to a very different result.
We can’t control what our day brings - une...
Exercise is medicine for our body and soul, but what if it's the secret ingredient you've been missing in your family? A communication tool that fosters trust, emotional regulation, and lifelong bonding. Exercise is an unexpected but powerful way to build connection with your teen through movement.
Whether you're walking side by side, cheering from the sidelines, or swapping stories about your workouts ...
Thank you so much for being here! Happy July! I am simultaneously shocked that it is already July and confused as to how it is ONLY July, when I feel like I have lived four lifetimes since January! It's time for our annual check-in to see where we're at six months into the year - your intention, your goals - I had ZERO idea what my intention even was for this year, so don't feel bad if you may be just a...
Thank you so much for listening! I'm so happy you're here!
Most people spend more time thinking about what they don’t want than thinking about what they do want.
The overall narrative to focus on what we don’t want – avoiding the bad – or thinking in terms of the negative – quite often overshadows what we do want. And that tends to create a vacuum in our present because we don’t really find ourselves with any...
Thank you so much for being here! Welcome to our fabulous community of women - most of us are moms who are raising teens and rediscovering ourselves.
I am in the process of planning our summer vacation, so I thought it was the perfect time to revisit this episode because traveling with teens is always an adventure!!
After a couple of weeks way from the mic, I am back and ready to go!! Well, kinda... and kinda out of my ...
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