Finding LIFE Podcast — Parent 2 Parent Episode: “Parenting Doesn’t End at 18”

In this heartfelt and eye-opening Parent 2 Parent episode, we walk directly into the emotional reality so many parents face but rarely talk about: what it feels like when your child becomes a legal adult—but still very much needs you. Culture tells us that at 18, parenting somehow “ends.” But any parent who has lived through this transition knows the truth—your child turning 18 marks a new chapter, not the final one.

This episode explores the emotional, developmental, and relational shifts that happen as our children cross the threshold into adulthood. It’s a season filled with pride, fear, grief, excitement, uncertainty, and hope—all at the same time. Many parents silently struggle with the internal tension of letting go while still wanting to protect, guide, and support. And many young adults struggle with the pressure to “have it all together” before they’re ready.

We break down:

• Why turning 18 doesn’t magically create emotional maturity

• How brain development continues well into the mid-20s

• The grief parents experience as roles change and identities shift

• Why support and guidance are still critical in early adulthood

• How to parent with your young adult instead of parenting over them

• What healthy boundaries and expectations look like in this new season

• How to repair past ruptures so the relationship can grow forward

• The difference between control, care, and connection

• Why young adults often test or distance themselves—and what they actually need during that time
  

We also talk honestly about the silent shame many parents feel during this stage:

The “Did I do enough?”

The “Did I mess something up?”

The “Why does this hurt so much?”

The “Am I allowed to still be their parent?”

This episode affirms that these questions are normal—and that love doesn’t expire at 18. Parenting simply transforms.

Through reflection, compassion, and real-life examples, we guide parents into embracing this new role:

Less manager, more mentor.

Less correction, more connection.

Less control, more collaboration.

Your child still needs your wisdom, your grounding presence, your voice, your guidance—and your grace. Just in a different way.

Parenting doesn’t end at 18. It evolves. It deepens.

It becomes the relationship they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.

Finding LIFE Podcast — Parent 2 Parent Episode: “Repair Is the Real Power”

In this transformative Parent 2 Parent episode, we dive into one of the most important—yet often overlooked—truths in parenting: the real power is not in getting everything right… it’s in repairing what went wrong.

So many parents were raised to believe that mistakes, missteps, or emotional slip-ups meant failure. Many of us grew up in homes where adults didn’t apologize, didn’t acknowledge harm, and didn’t repair emotional disconnects. Because of that, today’s parents often carry silent pressure to parent “perfectly”—to avoid mistakes at all costs, to always have the right answer, and to hide their humanity to maintain authority.

But perfection creates distance. Repair builds relationship.

This episode explores why rupture and repair is one of the most powerful tools a parent can master. We talk about how emotional ruptures—raised voices, misunderstandings, moments of impatience, hurt feelings—are normal in every relationship. What determines the emotional health of a home is not whether ruptures happen, but how intentionally and compassionately we repair them.

Together, we unpack:

• Why the belief “I must get everything right” is a trauma response

• How unhealed childhood wounds make repair feel threatening or uncomfortable

• The neuroscience of repair and why it deepens trust

• How apologizing as a parent strengthens—not weakens—your leadership

• What healthy repair sounds like (and what it doesn’t)

• How to reconnect with a child who shuts down, withdraws, or acts out

• Why modeling repair teaches children emotional intelligence, accountability, and resilience
  

We walk parents through a simple but powerful Repair Conversation Framework that can be used after arguments, mistakes, or emotional disconnects. It includes how to name what happened, validate your child’s experience, own your role without shame, and rebuild closeness through honesty and intention.

Most importantly, this episode helps parents release the pressure of perfection and embrace the truth:

Your kids don’t need a perfect parent.

They need a present parent.

They need a parent who can model honesty, humility, and reconnection.

Repair is where trust is built.

Repair is where emotional safety grows.

Repair is where generational cycles break.

This is one of the most healing conversations of the season—an invitation for every parent to lead with courage, compassion, and the confidence to say, “Let’s start again.”

Finding LIFE Podcast — GenZ Episode: “Messing Up Doesn’t Mean You’re Messed Up”

In this empowering GenZ episode, we break down one of the most damaging lies young people carry: the belief that every mistake says something about who they are. Together, we unpack the pressure teens feel to be perfect, always get it right, and never disappoint the people around them—and how that pressure leads to shame, anxiety, and hiding instead of growth.

This episode teaches teens how to separate identity from performance. Messing up is a moment, not a definition. It’s feedback, not a flaw. It’s a chance to reset, not proof that something is wrong with you.

Through honest conversation, we explore:

• Why one bad decision doesn’t make you a bad person

• How shame tries to convince you that you are your mistakes

• The difference between accountability and self-blame

• How resilience grows every time you get back up

• Why healing requires self-compassion, not self-judgment

• How to rewrite your internal story after a setback

This episode invites teens to breathe, slow down, and see themselves through a lens of truth instead of fear. You can learn from your mistakes without carrying them as your identity. You can grow without punishing yourself. And you can move forward knowing this simple fact:

Messing up means you’re human—not messed up.

Finding LIFE Podcast — Parent 2 Parent Episode: Emotional Regulation: Leadership in the Home

In this cornerstone Parent 2 Parent episode, we take a deep, honest look at what true leadership in the home really means—and why emotional regulation is at the center of it. Parenting isn’t just about rules, direction, or keeping the house running. It’s about the energy you bring into your home, the emotional example you set, and the way your children learn to understand themselves by watching you.

We explore how childhood experiences, stress, and unhealed patterns can shape the way parents respond—sometimes with patience and clarity, and other times with frustration or reactivity. This episode challenges parents to examine their emotional habits and consider the impact they have on the emotional climate their children grow up in.

One of the most powerful moments in this episode is the introduction of the Parent Leadership Survey, a courageous exercise where parents ask their children a series of questions about how they lead emotionally. It’s an opportunity for parents to receive honest feedback—directly from the children they love—about how supported, seen, and emotionally safe they feel at home. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s awareness, curiosity, and growth.

We walk through what emotional leadership looks like:

• Responding instead of reacting

• Modeling calm even when life feels overwhelming

• Repairing with humility when we get it wrong

• Creating space for children to express themselves without fear

• Leading with empathy instead of control

• Showing kids what accountability and emotional maturity look like in real time
  

This episode invites parents into a new level of self-reflection. It teaches that emotional leadership doesn’t start with changing your children—it starts with regulating yourself, healing your patterns, and choosing to lead your home with intention.

At its heart, this conversation is about building a home where emotional safety becomes the foundation for strong relationships, secure children, and generational healing. It’s about parents becoming the type of leaders their children can trust, learn from, and grow with.

Finding LIFE Podcast — GenAlpha Episode: “I Can Make Mistakes”

In this confidence-building GenAlpha episode, we help our young villagers understand that mistakes aren’t something to fear—they’re a normal, important part of growing up. With gentle encouragement and kid-friendly examples, we show them how mistakes help us learn, try again, and get better over time.

This episode reminds every child that messing up doesn’t make them “bad” — it makes them human. And every mistake is a chance to grow.

Finding LIFE Podcast — GenZ Episode: “I Don’t Have to Lose It”

In this real and relatable GenZ episode, we break down what it means to stay grounded when everything in you wants to snap, shut down, or walk away. We talk about impulse, pressure, and those moments when emotions get loud—but also the power you have to slow down, breathe, and choose a different response.

This episode teaches teens that self-control isn’t about being perfect—it’s about knowing you don’t have to lose it to be heard, respected, or understood. You can stay you, even in the moment.

Finding LIFE Podcast — GenZ Episode: “Emotions Don’t Control Me”

In this grounding GenZ episode, we talk about what it means to feel your emotions without letting them take over your decisions, your relationships, or your sense of self.

Through real, relatable examples, we help teens understand how to pause, reflect, and respond instead of reacting on impulse. This episode empowers young listeners to recognize their emotional patterns, build self-control, and remember that feelings are signals—not dictators.

“Being Grateful & Not Comparing — Finding Joy in Your Own Journey”

It’s easy to look around and feel like everyone else has more — more friends, more confidence, more everything. But what if the key to happiness isn’t having more… it’s being grateful for what’s already yours?

In this episode of the Finding LIFE Podcast: GenAlpha Coaching Corner, LIFE and Coach Jon sit down with our tweens to talk about gratitude, comparison, and finding joy in your own unique journey.

They explore what happens when we stop measuring ourselves against others and start appreciating who we are, what we have, and how far we’ve come. It’s a powerful reminder that everyone’s story unfolds at its own pace — and yours is already enough.

Tune in as they discuss:

• Why comparing yourself to others steals your peace

• How gratitude builds confidence and joy

• Ways to focus on progress instead of perfection

• Learning to celebrate others without losing yourself

This episode is all about helping our GenAlpha listeners see the beauty in their own reflection — because your story, your pace, and your growth are what make you special.