Episode
A conversation with Carrie Scharbo about how to handle your kids leaving home
- Published
- Aug 27, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1597
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/firestarters-with-shannon-watts-6727386/episodes/a-conversation-with-carrie-scharbo-about-how-to-handle-your-kids-leaving-home/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/firestarters-with-shannon-watts-6727386/a-conversation-with-carrie-scharbo-about-how-to-handle-your-kids-leaving-home.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
Shannon and Carrie sat down for an honest, warm conversation about one of the most significant transitions in a mother's life: the empty nest. Carrie is right in the thick of it, with her daughter back at college for her sophomore year and her 17 year old son preparing to leave for a cultural immersion program in Europe. Shannon opened up about navigating this transition five times over, sharing candid stories about kids who came home unexpectedly, the balance between staying connected and giving space, and why, as she wrote in you don't have to be miserable when your kids leave , she found herself more excited than devastated when the last child left. They talked about the grief that sneaks up on you not at the goodbye but in everything that shifts afterward, and about redefining your relationship with your kids without clinging or disappearing. As Shannon put it, you don't have to be miserable when your kids leave, but a rich next chapter doesn't happen by accident. You have to prepare for it, and you have to choose it. Connect with Carrie: Instagram | Substack | Website If you’re looking to unleash your potential, find your personal, professional, or political fire, and to connect with a community who is doing the same, click here to learn more. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe