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

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

Jen is Zen - The kind of person who...

March 13, 2025 • Jennifer Brubaker • Episode 187

0:00 | 11:24

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Have you ever let go of the limiting beliefs holding you back and truly allowed yourself to dream? In this Jen is Zen episode, we explore what happens when you suspend your disbelief and give yourself permission to imagine the life you truly want.

We often think self-esteem comes from achieving big milestones—landing the job, losing the weight, earning the degree—but true confidence is built in the small, daily commitments we make to ourselves. The way we treat ourselves when no one is watching, the tiny habits we follow through on, and the promises we keep to ourselves shape the way we see who we are.

In this episode, we ask:

🔹 What kind of person do I need to become to have the life I want?

🔹 How do I shift the stories I tell myself about what’s possible?

🔹 What is one small daily action I can take to start trusting myself more?

By building the habit of keeping small promises—whether it’s making your bed, drinking more water, or sticking to a simple self-care routine—you create a new narrative of self-trust and empowerment. Because you are the kind of person who follows through. And that is where real transformation begins.

So today, I challenge you to suspend your disbelief. Dream big. Then, take one small step toward becoming the version of yourself who actually lives that dream.

✨ Join the March Matrenaissance movement! If you haven’t already, listen to the main Matrenaissance episode from last week, and stay tuned as I bring you conversations with women just like you—women who have transformed their lives and are ready to share what they’ve learned.

📢 Let’s keep the conversation going!

💌 Take the Matrenaissance survey: www.reframing-me.com

📲 Follow along @ReframingMe everywhere

📧 Want to share your story? Email me at jen@reframing-me.com

You are the kind of person who…? Let’s rewrite that story together.

Please help me with my Matrenaissance Identity Theory of Communication research by completing a completely anonymous survey at https://forms.gle/spQCBxhLweDXP2zk8

This research has been approved by the UNCW Institutional Review Board.

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