What If... It's Your Turn to Fly? Hanna Bankier on the Courage to Launch Kids & Find Your Wings

At some point in parenting, the job changes. The children we've spent years raising begin building lives of their own. They need us differently. The relationship shifts. And somewhere between pride, worry, freedom, grief, joy, and the occasional urge to step in and fix everything, we're left with a question we may not have expected:What happens to us when they begin to fly?Hanna Bankier, founder of BirdyLauncher, believes it's time to rethink the way we talk about this transition. Rather than an “empty nest,” she sees launching as an opportunity—for our children to become more fully themselves and for parents to rediscover who they are becoming, too.Drawing from her own experiences with immigration, motherhood, a high-powered television career, divorce, reinvention, and launching two sons, Hanna joins us for a wonderfully candid conversation about letting go without disconnecting and staying close without holding on too tightly.We explore:Why Hanna believes language like “empty nest” gets this transition wrongThe complicated mix of grief, relief, pride, worry, freedom, and joy that can accompany launching childrenWhy parenting older kids may have as much to do with managing our own anxiety as managing anything they're doingHow relationships can evolve from authority toward mutualityNavigating college departures, returns home, changing boundaries, and new expectationsWhy letting our kids struggle, choose, fail, and figure things out can be one of the hardest forms of loveWhat launching children can reveal about identity, relationships, careers, and the roles we've allowed to define usHanna's hilarious—and surprisingly powerful—new parental “job description”How curiosity, community, values, and a willingness to ask “What if?” can help us find our own way forwardBecause launching isn't only about helping someone else find their wings. Sometimes it's an invitation to remember that we have wings, too.Learn more about Hanna and Birdy Launcher at BirdyLauncher.com.We would love to hear from you—please send us some "Fan Mail"!Support the showFrom Our Heart to Yours...Hearing the stories of others helps us connect more deeply to our own—because legacy is built in how we live, every single day.Support the ShowIf The P-I-G has meant something to you, consider supporting or sponsoring the podcast. Learn more at thepigpodcast.com/sponsorship.Connect with Us📬 The P-I-G Website: https://www.thepigpodcast.com/contact📱 Facebook: /podcast.thePIG📱 Instagram: /thepigpodcast📱 LinkedIn: /thepigpodcast