If you’re parenting a teen right now—whether they’re a freshman finding their footing or a senior preparing to leave the nest—you know this season is a swirl of emotions. Gratitude and heartache. Joy and overwhelm. Pride and the ache of watching them grow faster than you’re ready for.

This Thanksgiving week, I’m inviting you into a grounded, honest conversation about the real kind of gratitude— not the Pinterest-perfect kind, but the kind that sits with you in the middle of late-night conversations, rushed dinners, forgotten hoodies, college deadlines, and the quiet realization that time is moving faster than you ever expected.

In this episode, I share a story that stopped me in my tracks: seeing one son home from college, looking older and more sure of himself, and moments later laughing with my younger son as he told me about his day. Two boys, two seasons, one mom trying to hold both gratitude and grief in the same breath.

We talk about:
• Why the teen years feel so emotionally charged for parents
• How to stay grounded when gratitude feels hard
• What teens really remember (hint: it’s the ordinary moments)
• Why comparison steals clarity—and how to quiet it
• The invisible “countdown clock” parents feel and how to navigate it
• Why we’re not meant to parent alone, and how community changes everything
• Small gratitude practices that actually work in a full, messy season

You’ll also hear how I’m parenting differently this time around—inviting others in, leaning on support instead of holding everything quietly, and creating spaces where parents can be honest, seen, and deeply supported.

Whether you’re parenting a:
• Freshman — navigating beginnings
• Sophomore — watching quiet growth
• Junior — seeing resilience in real time
• Senior — savoring the final stretch of everyday moments

…there is gratitude to be found here—imperfect, tender, real gratitude.

This episode is for the mom who’s tired, overwhelmed, deeply grateful, and unsure how those feelings can all exist at once. (Spoiler: they can.)

If this season feels full and emotional for you too, I hope this conversation makes you feel less alone and more grounded in the beauty of the moments that matter most.

✨ Want more support, encouragement, and resources for parenting teens? Join my newsletter so you never miss the tools, stories, and community spaces I’m creating for parents just like you:
👉 https://freebie.thecollegecounselingmom.com/newsletter-sign-up

Share this episode with a mom who needs a soft place to land today.
Happy Thanksgiving — I’m grateful you're here.