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
232 episodes
Jen is Zen - Grateful for the Imperfect
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, ev...
•
Episode 218
•
14:43
The Same Old Story: Breaking the Cycle When Our Past Sneaks Into Our Parenting
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 narra...
•
Episode 217
•
29:11
Revisiting Mental Health and Our Teens: Six Things Parents Can Do to Help Cope in Troubled Times
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, a...
•
Episode 23
•
43:03
Jen is Zen - Invisible Labor
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 ar...
•
Episode 216
•
18:47
Three Years of Reframing Me: Parenting Teens, Midlife Shifts, and Rediscovering Ourselves
***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 midli...
•
Episode 215
•
16:58
Jen is Zen - Use the Sticker - Stop Waiting for the Perfect Time
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 ...
•
Episode 214
•
10:50
From Chaos to Quiet: Navigating Back-to-School Transitions for Teens and Moms
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 thes...
•
Episode 213
•
41:23
Jen is Zen - Words are Weapons - Choose to Use Them as Tools Over Attacks
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 ...
•
Episode 212
•
13:09
Navigating the Launch: Using the ReFRAME Model and Understanding Ambiguous Loss
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 “...
•
Episode 211
•
48:37
Jen is Zen - What if it's not good?
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 boo...
•
Episode 210
•
8:57
Oversharenting! What Happens When Facebook Babies Grow Up?
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...
•
Episode 209
•
54:16
Jen is Zen - Life is Too Short to Hate Your Nails
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 prac...
•
Episode 208
•
10:52
Exercise to Build a Stronger Relationship with your Teen: How Movement Connects Us
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 w...
•
Episode 207
•
35:10
July Check-In
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...
•
Episode 206
•
31:33
Jen is Zen - Want Street
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 ba...
•
Episode 205
•
11:36
Upcycle: Traveling with Teens
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 tim...
•
Episode 66
•
34:34
Jen is Zen - That's Hypernormalization, and it's Trying to Protect You
Thank you so much for being here!! I am so appreciative of you for tuning in!We’re living in a time when the world feels increasingly chaotic, and somehow we’re expected to keep functioning like everything’s fine. In this episode, I expl...
•
Episode 204
•
12:59
The Berry Breakdown - Tips for Listening In and Listening Out
Thank you so much for being here!! It wasn’t about the berries! In this episode of Reframing Me, we explore how small, everyday moments—like an almost missed berry picking trip—can trigger deeper emotional responses in parents ...
•
Episode 203
•
27:53
Jen is Zen - Yes, YOU Have a Summer Body
Thank you so much for being here! In the U.S. (and especially living at the beach!), Memorial Day is the "official" launch of summer! And never is our unappreciation of our bodies as great as it is during the summer. Can we say that we love our...
•
Episode 202
•
12:31
Are You Tired? The 7 Types of Rest You Need
Welcome to the show! I'm so happy that you're here! If you’re a mom, especially a mom of teenagers, you are probably feeling tired. All. The. Time. But what if your exhaustion isn’t just about lack of sleep? What if it’s about t...
•
Episode 201
•
33:20
Jen is Zen - Episode 200!! Je suis le ciel (I am the sky)
Thank you so much for being here! It's our 200th episode!! And today, for the first time, "Reframing Me" is ranking in France, so I am dusting off my high school French (well... that may be a BIT of a stretch...).“You are the sky. Ev...
•
Episode 200
•
18:36
UPCYCLE: What about prom?? When Life Doesn't FIt the Canonical Storyline
With prom season in full swing, and graduations upon us, and wedding season – tryouts – the post-college decision day aftermath - and of course the always a favorite "What are you going to do after graduation?” question that may be looming in t...
•
Episode 134
•
43:35
UPCYCLE - The Mom Episode Part 2: Getting Back to Business
Thank you for being here today! In celebration of Mother's Day, let's revisit our special Mom episodes! When these first aired, I was excited about our upcoming 50th episode. Now, here I am, about to record our 200th episode! In part 1 ...
•
Episode 51
•
28:37
UPCYCLE: The Mom Episode Part 1 - Girls Can Do Anything and 7 Tips for Work-Family Integration
Thank you for being here today! In celebration of Mother's Day, let's revisit our special Mom episodes! When these first aired, I was excited about our upcoming 50th episode. Now, here I am, about to record our 200th episode! I guess I was ri...
•
Episode 49
•
52:53
Jen is Zen - It's Not a Change... It's a Transformation
Thank you SO much for being here! Today’s Jen is Zen is episode number 199! As I approach 200, I can't help but reflect on what a transformation I have undergone over these last couple/few years! Through my curiosity, I discovered myself...
•
Episode 199
•
16:11