e041 – The Part-Time Jungle Podcast: Leaving the Nest with Mojo and Moxie

Danni Mcfarland and Christine Klassen are two 'almost 50' gals living their best lives. They met when their oldest boys became fast friends at a local park. A few dozen playdates, cases of wine, dinner dates and vacations later – the rest is history!  Over a glass or 2 of wine, they decided to create a blog, born from a desire to include the more established woman in the blogging sphere. They wanted to create a template that was relatable to a family that is starting to face the challenges of kids leaving the nest, “big kid issues,” aging, and the excitement and trepidation of this next stage. And the rest is history! In this episode: * Kids Learning Adulting. As their children enter the adult phases of their lives, Danni and Christine talk about the challenges they may face. * Moments to Reflect On. With their kids' new level of maturity, Danni and Christine are able to have more meaningful conversations with their children, and see the paths they take guided by their decisions.  * Vulnerability. Being vulnerable and real on social media is very important, but there’s a fine line between being vulnerable, and unintentionally hurting people. * Words of Advice. Children should be afforded the opportunity to take responsibility for their actions. Connect with Mojo and Moxie: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojo_and_moxie_/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mojoandmoxies * Website: https://mojoandmoxie.ca   Connect with Tiana and The Part-Time Jungle: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parttimejungle/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parttimejungle/ * Website: https://theparttimejungle.com   *Thank you to Emily Mc., my amazing professional student intern, who wrote the show notes for this episode! KIDS LEARNING ADULTING Both Danni and Christine have kids who are young adults, and with the pandemic, they have been back at home. They’ve also been learning how to “adult” during these times, and they each follow their own individual schedules. Danni notes that a good analogy is giving the kids their independence as they learn adulting. On the other hand, Christine talks about how she does not make breakfasts or lunches for her kids anymore, and leaves them to their own devices until dinner. One of Christine’s children is away at school, so she speaks about how there’s an adjustment period when they arrive back home. Another thing that Christine touches on is the difference in maturity between her 17 year-old, and her 21 year-old. She notes that she sees her 21 year-old as a fully grown man, but cannot picture her 17 year-old being at that maturity level as of right now. SUPPORTING FROM AFAR Whilst recognizing that their kids are all grown up now, Danni says that the door does not automatically close on them when they turn 21. They are still welcome to come home or go to their parents for support, which a lot of kids forget whilst trying to prove their independence. They also give the reminder that it’s okay to stray from what you thought you were originally going to do.  MOMENTS TO REFLECT ON Christine describes her favourite part of this stage of motherhood as being able to see her children’s decisions and how their paths are being guided. She also finds comfort with knowing that she helped shape her children as people, and that she can help guide them as they get older. Danni enjoys being able to talk to her children as adults and have more meaningful conversations with...