This episode is for parents of teens — especially parents of high school seniors navigating college admissions decisions — who are feeling emotionally stretched during seasons of uncertainty.

Whether your student is facing college rejection, deferral, acceptance anxiety, or simply standing at the edge of a major transition, this Christmas Eve message is a reminder that nothing needs to be fixed right now.

Recorded for Christmas Eve but designed to be evergreen, this episode holds space for the emotional rollercoaster of parenting teens, waiting for college decisions, and letting go of familiar routines — without rushing grief or forcing solutions.

In This Episode, We Talk About

• Supporting teens through college admissions stress
• Parenting high school seniors during the holidays
• What parents can say when students are disappointed by college decisions
• Why emotions often surface when academic pressure eases
• How parents can hold space without trying to fix everything

Who This Episode Is For

• Parents of teens
• Parents of high school seniors
• Families navigating college admissions decisions
• Parents supporting teens through rejection, deferral, or waiting

A Note From Me

In my work with students and families, I see how heavy this season can feel — especially when answers are still unclear. If this episode resonated with you, please know you’re not alone, and you don’t have to navigate this season by yourself.

Ways to Connect or Reach Out

If you’d like to get in touch, learn more about my work with students and families, or ask a question sparked by this episode, here are a few ways to connect:

• 🌐 Website: www.thecollegecounselingmom.com
• 📧 Email: lindsay@thecollegecounselingmom.com
• 📱 Instagram: @thecollegecounselingmom

College decisions are starting to land—and for many families, this season feels heavy, emotional, and charged. Whether your teen is celebrating an acceptance, navigating a deferral, processing a rejection, or simply watching it all unfold from the sidelines, December can feel like everything is suddenly on the line.

In this episode, we slow the moment down.

You’ll hear why college decision season hits teens so deeply, what different admissions outcomes actually mean (without the spreadsheets), and how parents can support their kids without making the process more stressful or assigning meaning too quickly.

This conversation is about perspective, steadiness, and remembering that one decision does not define a life.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Why teens experience college decisions as identity-level events
• How social comparison and school environments amplify emotions in December
• What acceptances, deferrals, and rejections really mean—and what they don’t
• Why December decisions are inputs, not conclusions
• How to avoid panic-driven changes to your teen’s college list
• What parents can say (and avoid saying) to support their teen emotionally
• How your calm and perspective matter more than any outcome

Key Takeaway for Parents:

College is a path, not a prize.

This week doesn’t determine your teen’s worth, future, or potential—and your steadiness right now can make all the difference.

Resources & Support:

If you’re navigating the college process or supporting a teen through high school decision-making, you don’t have to do it alone.

👉 https://freebie.thecollegecounselingmom.com/newsletter-sign-up

January brings clarity—and we’ll be talking more about next steps, perspective, and planning in the weeks ahead.

Connect With Me:

📧 Email: lindsay@thecollegecounselingmom.com

🌐 Website: www.thecollegecounselingmom.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecollegecounselingmom/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecollegecounselingmom/

(If this episode resonated, send it to another parent who could use a little perspective this week.)

Loved This Episode?

• Follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes
• Leave a review — it helps other parents find the show
• Share this episode with a friend, school parent group, or family member

Thank you for listening — and for showing up for your teen with steadiness and care.

In today’s episode, I’m sharing a moment from the Jasmine Star Business Mentorship community that sparked a powerful reflection on how we—and our teens—view progress. When someone vulnerably shared their struggle to celebrate small wins, I responded with encouragement, and what unfolded was a reminder of how deeply this mindset shows up in adults and students alike.

But just as meaningful as the conversation itself was the community behind it. The support, the “me too” moments, and the shared humanity inside that space revealed something important: we don’t grow alone. And this isn’t just true for us as adults—it’s true for our teens as well.

Parents need community. Teens need community.

And both need environments where growth is seen, celebrated, and supported.

This episode explores why celebrating small wins matters, how identity is shaped in the process, and how community plays a vital role in helping both adults and teens see their own progress more clearly.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why adults and teens struggle to celebrate small wins
• How your reactions shape the way your teen interprets their own progress
• The powerful role community plays in helping us see our growth
• How small wins influence identity, motivation, and confidence
• Language shifts parents can use to support a growth mindset
• Ways to reframe academic pressure, rejection, and stress for your teen
• Practical strategies to help your teen value the journey, not just the outcome

The Power of Community (For Teens and Parents)

Inside the mentorship program, the moment someone admitted they struggled to celebrate small wins, the community responded with empathy—not judgment. That collective support is what makes growth feel possible.

Parents need that same kind of support.

Raising teens can feel isolating, and yet so many families face the same challenges. When parents have a trusted community—other adults who understand the pressures, the emotions, and the desire to get it right—it helps them stay grounded, patient, and confident.

And when teens have community, they feel less alone in their challenges and more empowered to keep trying.

Community creates belonging.

Belonging fuels resilience.

And resilience helps small wins take root.

Key Takeaways for Parents:

• Small wins reveal who your teen is becoming, not just what they achieve.
• Your home can be the safe place where effort is valued more than perfection.
• Community helps adults and teens feel supported, understood, and less alone.
• Micro-celebrations are essential for motivation and emotional regulation.
• Rejection isn’t a verdict—it’s redirection, and you can help your teen see that.
• Modeling your own small wins helps your teen learn to recognize theirs.

Try This at Home:

• Ask your teen: “What’s one small win from today?”
• Praise identity traits (courage, perseverance, initiative) instead of results.
• Share your own small wins out loud to normalize the practice.
• Create a “family win jar” to read together each week or month.
• Encourage community—clubs, teams, study groups, supportive adults.

Shoutout

A heartfelt thank-you to the incredible humans inside the Jasmine Star Business Mentorship community. Your vulnerability and support inspired this episode and reminded me how deeply we all need spaces where we feel seen and supported.

Connect With Me

If this episode encouraged you or helped you see your teen differently, I’d love to hear from you. Share a small win—yours or your teen’s—and let’s celebrate together.

lindsay@thecollegecounselingmom.com

www.thecollegecounselingmom.com

On Social: @thecollegecounselingmom

If your teen has ever seemed “off” — quieter than usual, overwhelmed, irritable, or just drifting around the house with zero direction — you’re not imagining it. These dips are incredibly common, and today we’re breaking down exactly why they happen and what you can do to support your teen without pushing too hard or making things worse.

In this episode, we’re talking about the real reasons behind your teen’s sudden mood shifts: underdeveloped executive functioning, unstable routines, hidden stress, emotional overload, and the overwhelm they often can’t put into words. You’ll learn what actually helps (and what doesn’t) when your teen shuts down, snaps, or retreats.

We’ll walk through simple tools you can use today — The 3-Minute Reset, the 10–20 Minute Start Rule, how to gently anchor routines, and the exact phrases that help your teen feel understood instead of judged.

If you’re looking for practical, compassionate ways to support your overwhelmed teen, this episode gives you the scripts, structure, and science-backed insight you need. Parenting the teenage years doesn’t have to feel like guesswork — you just need a few grounded strategies that truly work.

For resources, checklists and more helpful tips sign up for my weekly newsletter.

Let’s stay connected!
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecollegecounselingmom

Website: www.thecollegecounselingmom.com

Email: lindsay@thecollegecounselingmom.com

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.

Episode 6: What Financial Fit Means — and Why It Matters More Than Rankings

Description:
Your kid is amazing. They’ve worked hard, gotten the grades, and maybe even landed an acceptance at one of those gasp-worthy colleges. But now you’re staring at the financial aid letter — and wondering if you’re going to have to crush their dream.

In this episode, I’m breaking down what financial fit really means (and why it matters more than college rankings). We’ll talk about what to look for in aid packages, how to compare public vs. private schools, when loans make sense, and how to take the emotion out of the money talk. Spoiler: It’s not about love or shame. It’s about math. And peace of mind.

If you've ever asked, “What if we can’t afford the school they love?” — this one’s for you.

What You’ll Hear:

• A real family story where the “cheaper” school was actually the best fit
• Why prestige doesn’t equal value — and how to calculate true cost
• The overlooked generosity of some private schools
• A student who said yes to a full ride and is now thriving (and studying abroad!)
• How to explain student loans to your teen without guilt
• What financial fit really looks like for your family

Resources Mentioned:

• 🎁 Free College Money Conversation Starters
• 🧮 Net Price Calculators (found on every college website’s financial aid page)

Want to keep the conversation going?
Follow me on Instagram at @thecollegecounselingmom or shoot me a DM with your biggest money worry — I’ll meet you there with a spreadsheet and some snacks.

There's a special tone only teenagers can pull off — that half-sigh, half-eye-roll combo that says, "Why are you like this?" It usually shows up right after you ask something like, "Did you turn that thing in?"

You're not crazy. It really does feel like every conversation is a landmine. You just want to help. They just want you to stop talking.

And yet… they still haven't done the thing.

So today, we're talking about how to have actual conversations with your teen without losing your voice, your temper, or your will to live.

In this episode, I'm sharing what's really going on in your teen's brain when you try to help, why every reminder feels like a personal attack to them, and what you can do differently to keep the peace while still staying involved.

I'll share two real stories from my own parenting — one about letting my son face the consequences of missed deadlines, and another about the night I almost ruined a breakthrough moment by jumping in too soon. Both taught me more about parenting than any book ever could.

You'll also learn practical strategies like "Parent Office Hours" (a game-changer for reducing daily conflict), language swaps that turn you from critic to coach, and how to know when to step back versus when to step in.

This episode is for any parent who's tired of nagging, tired of the eye rolls, and ready to try something different.

In This Episode:

• Why every conversation with your teen feels like a fight (and what they're actually hearing when you talk)
• The real story of my son Jake and the discussion board posts that taught me the power of natural consequences
• The night I made mac and cheese instead of lecturing — and how it led to a breakthrough
• How to set up "Parent Office Hours" to reduce daily conflict
• Language swaps that actually work: turning "Did you finish it?" into "Do you need help with that?"
• When to step back and let them struggle vs. when to step in (and how to tell the difference)
• Why the goal isn't silence — it's moving from manager to mentor

Key Takeaways:

• When you say "I'm just reminding you," they hear "You're failing again"
• Teenagers crave control — even over things they hate doing
• Sometimes the best teaching tool is letting them faceplant a little while you quietly hold the Band-Aids
• Structure disguised as freedom (like Parent Office Hours) can save your sanity
• The line between stepping back and stepping in moves depending on the season — you have to keep recalibrating

Real Stories from This Episode:

• The Discussion Board Disaster: How my son missed multiple posts in his dual-enrollment class, lost a letter grade, and learned more from that consequence than from a thousand reminders
• The Team Moment: The night my son wanted to quit his team, and how I almost blew it by jumping in with solutions instead of just listening

Connect with Lindsay:

• Website: thecollegecounselingmom.com
• Instagram: @thecollegecounselingmom
• Email: lindsay@thecollegecounselingmom.com

A Note from Lindsay: Parenting teens isn't for the faint of heart. But when you shift from constant reminders to intentional conversations, everything softens a little. You can't control their deadlines, their tone, or their volume — but you can control yours. And sometimes, that's enough to keep the peace.

If this episode made you laugh, nod, or breathe a little easier, share it with another mom who's in the same boat.

You've got this — and I've got you.