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

UPCYCLE: What about prom?? When Life Doesn't FIt the Canonical Storyline

May 15, 2025 • Jennifer Brubaker • Episode 134

0:00 | 43:35

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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 the air, I wanted to revisit a favorite conversation of mine because Sometimes it’s almost as if your teens didn’t see your parenting vision board, isn’t it? What happens when they deviate from the plan? This isn’t how it was supposed to be. This isn’t how I planned or what I thought.

Delve into a thought-provoking exploration of the challenges and complexities associated with deviating from societal and familial canonical storylines. Let’s have a conversation about how social norms and values use canonical stories to shape our understanding of the world and our place within it. Unpack the significance of embracing individuality while navigating the rigid structures imposed by canonical narratives, and reflect on the ways in which these narratives influence our perceptions of self and others.

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