You Raised Them to Leave with Brenda Seefeldt

Dropping your child off at college isn't only a transition for them.It's a transition for you.In this final episode of the Shock portion of our empty nesting series, I'm joined by pastor, author, speaker, and longtime youth pastor Brenda Seefeldt, who has worked with teenagers and young adults since 1981.Brenda and I talk about what young adults are really experiencing as they leave home, why parents may be unintentionally preventing their kids from developing resilience, and why failure might be one of the greatest teachers we allow our children to have.We also talk about the natural separation that happens between young adults and their parents, the importance of trusted adults outside the family, how faith becomes personal during the college years, and why constantly rescuing our kids can make adulthood harder instead of easier.In this episode, we talk about:Why today's young adults may feel less prepared for independenceThe difference between protecting children from danger and protecting them from discomfortWhy middle school and high school are safe places to learn how to failHow failure develops resilience, grit, coping skills, and confidenceWhy ages 18–25 are naturally years of separation and identity formationHow a young adult's faith begins becoming their ownWhy your teenager needs trusted adults besides Mom and DadHow too much communication can make the college transition harderWhy parents must resist the instinct to rescueThe emotional growth happening in the parent after the child leavesWhy prayer becomes such an important part of letting goThe truth I want you to remember:Failure is survivable.Failure may change the plan, but it does not eliminate God's ability to redeem the story.Your child cannot fail so badly that they move beyond God's heart toward them.And neither can you.Connect with Brenda SeefeldtBrenda Seefeldt is an ordained pastor, speaker, author, longtime youth pastor, and lead pastor of Larger Story Church.Find more from Brenda at Bravester.com.Her books include:I Wish I Could Take Away Your PainTrust Issues with God Story of Two Lost SonsWhat's Coming NextThis episode closes our Shock series.Next week we're stepping into Limbo—that strange middle space between what was and whatever comes next.Read along with the series on Substack and join me each Thursday on the Start Your Comeback podcast.And if you're walking through a transition of your own, grab a copy of Start Your Comeback and the Start Your Comeback Game Plan workbook. Links below.Your next chapter doesn't begin when everything makes sense.Sometimes it begins when you decide to take the next step anyway.Let's create your transition gameplan:Book your discovery callYou can find me at:Book: Start Your ComebackWorkbook: The Game PlanWebsiteInstagramFacebookShockLimboRe-Entry...