The Girlfriend's Guide to an Empty Nest – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Girlfriend's Guide to an Empty Nest

Anne Watson and Becky Kopitzke

Religion & Spirituality

Frequency: 1 episode/16d. Total Eps: 49

Hey! We are Anne & Becky! Here we discuss the challenges and joys of the empty nest phase, sharing personal experiences and advice. You aren't alone if emptying nesting feels HARD! We cover topics such as the grieving process, reconnecting with spouses, rediscovering purpose, and the transition from parent to friend. We share the importance of faith and humor in navigating this season of life. We pray these episodes bless and prepare you for emptying nesting... and make you giggle!

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https://www.beckykopitzke.com/girlfriendsguide
51 shares
https://www.theinspiredbusiness.co/
49 shares
https://www.annemwatson.com/podcast
49 shares

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Score global : 62%

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48. The Fun Parts of Having Adult Kids & Hobbies for Mid-life

Season 3 · Episode 48

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 • Duration 31:22

Today you are in for a big giggle fest. We start the episode with a hilarious story from Anne’s life messing with her son (in a very harmless way) and also give some conversation topics for making your kids cringe! Lol!

We also dissect an article about current trending hobbies for mid-life women and give our thoughts on it.

Today we chat about:

Why fun is important to incorporate into your relationship with your launched kids
Ideas of ways to add laughter and play into your life
Why hobbies are not a luxury but a need
Bird watching … Yay or nay?
Why it’s not a failure to not finish a book
Our experiences with book clubs
The protein train … are we on it?
Explanation of mahjong (a tile game)
Surprising trends amongst college aged kids
Wonderments about if certain lingo is dating us??!!

Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:

⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠

Instagram

Connect with Becky:

Website⁠

⁠Her books⁠

The Inspired Business podcast

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47. We are Baaaaccck! Season 3 is HERE! (Chatting Influencers Impact on us and Our Kids)

Season 3 · Episode 47

Tuesday, September 1, 2026 • Duration 28:48

Ahh! We are SO ready to be back with the girlfriends on this show! As Anne says, we are back BABY! What a joy it is to hop on these mics and share our hearts with you. Recording these conversations truly is so dang fun and we pray they bless you immensely too, friends.

Things we dive into today for our first episode back:

Highlights (and lowlights) of our summers
Plans for fall for the podcast
Thoughts on make-up today vs when we were kids
TikTok, ADHD, trends and marketing thoughts
A very interesting influencer neighbour that Anne has
Social media’s influence on kids and adults (the good, the bad and the ugly)
How social media makes you notice aging and bodies more
Aging in an anti-aging world
The online message of “You aren’t doing enough.”
Our opinions on nylons (are they of the devil? Possibly)
What we can learn from younger generations and their approach to the socials

Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World: Amazon link here

Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:

46. Advice for When Your College Kids Move Home for the Summer

Season 2 · Episode 46

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 • Duration 35:30

Today we are sharing our thoughts on how our parents raised us and how that influenced how our generation then raised kids in a “hovering” fashion.

Becky also shares her concerns about her daughter moving home for the summer and Anne shares her experience with this with her own kids. For any girlfriends in this boat of kids temporarily moving home, we pray this one is so encouraging and empowering!

Topics in our conversation today:

Do you give your child rules when they return home from college to live at home for the summer?
The balancing act of not policing your kids but still giving them independence and healthy expectations for living back at home
Things giving us joy with our kids right now (there ARE pros of social media!)
The only rule Anne had for her kids when they moved home for the summer
Factors that impact your future relationship with your kids positivity
The powerful teacher that failure can be and why we need to let our kids make mistakes
The struggle to trust your kids AND God
Practical statements you can say to your kids when giving your opinions to them without judgment
The wisdom of still investing in what fills you up, even when they are home for the summer.
The grief of things still changing and evolving and how to deal with that in a healthy way
Validation that this season has really hard, awkward and not fun parts
Hope for a future where you actually enjoy an empty home
Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:

45. Raising Boys & Gaining Sons-in-Law

Season 2 · Episode 45

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 • Duration 37:24

No brothers? No sons? No problem! :)

For those girlfriends who want to better understand raising boys or how to interact with/encourage the boys in their lives (sons-in-law, boyfriends of your daughters etc.), this episode is for you!

We share today about:

Anne’s experience raising a son vs raising her daughters
Helping your kids navigate online dating
A funny story of Anne standing up for her son his freshman year of college
What matters to boys in college compared to what matters to girls
Things Anne wishes she would have talked to her son about more
Different techniques for learning about what is going on in a son’s life
Anne’s biggest fear as a mother of a son
Why you have to sometimes be more intentional connecting with your sons than your daughters once they leave home/get married
Tips for being an open and not pushy parent, so your kids want to come to you for advice
Unique Advice on welcoming new “kids” into the family via sons-in-law
Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:
⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠
Instagram

Connect with Becky:
Website⁠
⁠Her books⁠

44. Becoming Someone Joyful to Be Around

Season 2 · Episode 44

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 • Duration 35:00

There is a different tone in homes when laughter is easy, jokes are made more often and when your spouse is actually enjoyable to be around and not weekly getting a case of the Sunday Scaries (you know, dreading the upcoming work week). So today we pose the question: what can we do to set a joyful atmosphere in our homes as wives and moms? This episode is all about intentionality. Taking action to get a better outcome.

We pray this one encourages you, girlfriends!

Today we dive into:

How our contentment at work (or lack of) impacts our home lives
Why YOUR pursuit of joy benefits your loved ones too
Thoughts on changing jobs in the Empty Nesting season to bring you more purpose
Looking for next steps once your kids leave, to lead you to new callings
Our experience with being Empaths and how that feels when your spouse is down
Recognizing the impact you have as a woman on the mood in the home
Ideas to have more fulfilling relationships and days
How to find things that bring you joy and how to allow your deep dreams to awaken
Amazing stats about productivity in your 50’s and 60’s
Accidental joy hunting vs intentional joy hunting
The importance of staying curious

Episodes mentioned:

Doing Some Thing Badly episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/37-how-about-not-setting-goals-this-new-year/id1760203235?i=1000743952619

Smothering Your Dog Once Your Kiddos Leave episode:

43. Letting Your Kids Walk Through Difficulty in Order to Grow

Season 2 · Episode 43

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 • Duration 36:44

Today is an episode for all the mama bears out there who just want to swoop in and fix things for their kids. It is such a HARD thing when your cub is grown and now you are required to play a supportive role, not a fix it role.

We chat today:

The importance of life’s trials being allowed to be a teacher
Encouraging vs fixing
Thoughts on how hardships in life shapes you (and your kids)
The natural feeling of wanting to fix things
The pain of watching your kids experience pain (even when it results in good things)
Why the answer isn’t always to make struggles go away
How issues in relationships can teach our kids how to handle conflict and more
Ideas on how to give your perspective to your kids with loving language
Successes AND failures providing lessons for all
Noun Parenting vs Verb Parenting
The skill of trusting your kids and your good job as a parent

Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:

⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠

Instagram

Connect with Becky:

42. When Your Adult Kids Are on the Struggle Bus (and you can’t really help)

Season 2 · Episode 42

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 • Duration 33:29

Today we are navigating a tough topic: what to do when your grown children are struggling. It is SO hard on a mama’s heart when situations arise that you can’t practically do anything to fix, other than letting them know you are there to listen and sympathize.

Today we chat about:

Reflections of our own childhoods
Our own parent’s style for parenting vs our own styles
How to to give our imperfect parents grace
Becoming the mom you wish you had growing up yourself
How the older generations view emotions as weakness (and the impact of that on their kids)
Thoughts on mental health in the church and our kids lives
The wisdom of just asking your grown kids how to best help them
The importance of apologizing to your kids
Giving yourself grace for not knowing how to do everything right
Why looking to the grace of God first, helps you to then have grace for yourself

Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:

⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠

Instagram

Connect with Becky:

41. Being Yourself Without Apology as You Age

Season 2 · Episode 41

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 • Duration 31:52

Today we are chiming in on how to take care of ourselves. Please note, taking care of yourself doesn’t just mean exercise or eating nourishing meals. It also means learning how to be resilient to peer pressure to do something a certain way, like those around you are. We also share about caring for our future self by caring for our current selves physically and emotionally. We’ll be chatting today tons too about clothing and how to let yourself wear what you wanna! Even if your kids think your fashion is wacky :)

You’ll hear today:

The freedom that comes from not caring what others think about your words, appearance, life choices etc
Our thoughts on dressing aging bodies (is it okay to still dress like your 20 even when you aren’t?)
Being mindful to listen to the right voices
The comfort and confidence to be yourself, unapologetically
How clothing can become an unhelpful armour
Anne’s experience “getting her colors” done
The power of considering what is right for you and not just doing what appears right to other
Considering “Grandma You” and what you can do to be the version of her you desire to be one day
Commentary on barrel jeans … what the heck?!
How you feel vs what other people think
Watching out for the “Comparison Gauge"
Finding health promoting behaviors that work for you personally
Learning what feels good for you (which might not look like what the influencer says to do or buy)

Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

40. Our Husbands Take Over the Podcast for a Day!

Season 2 · Episode 40

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 • Duration 35:15

The day has finally arrived …. Our hubbies borrow our microphones and host the show for a special episode! Get ready for some jokes but also some great male insights to the Empty Nesting season. You’ll hear new information from stories already shared on this podcast, all from Rick and Chad telling THEIR experience of these moments. They may or may not also make a few jabs at Anne and Becky : ) To quote Rick, “This is our chance to throw our wives under the bus.” LOL!

The guys chat about:

How launching a child looks different outwardly on dads and what they actually are thinking inside
Mindsets dads use to help with the deep emotions that come with kids leaving the home
Drop off Day from a dad’s perspective (including some funny memories!)
Why our husbands wanted to come on the show
Advice for dads dropping off kids at college
The blessings that come from less kiddos in the home
The mixed emotions that come with an Empty (or Emptier) Nest
How dads (these dads at least) feel when the kids come back for visits (tripping over shoes anyone else?!)
How marriages and friendships change when the kids are no longer living in your home
How conversations change with your kids once they leave
Thoughts on boundaries to set with kids when they come home after being on their own
How the dads chatted with their kids about money to set them up for adulthood budgets

Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:

39. Mentoring Your Kids Once They Leave + Being a Freshman Old Person!

Season 2 · Episode 39

Tuesday, February 10, 2026 • Duration 34:52

Tune in today to hear about some exciting things coming to the show! Think HUSBANDS! You’ll also hear on today’s episode how to practically transition into your new roles in the Empty Nest season and we also share a fun BAD challenge to join us in this year!

Today we also chat about:

Expert Adults vs Baby Adults
The sweetest listener review from a military mama
A refreshing way to look at being in your 50’s (it’s funny but true!)
Shifting from guide to mentor to your kids (what the practically looks like)
Compassion for moms, no matter what your child decided to do post high school
Helpful analogies for this stage of life
The exciting possibilities for moms in the Empty Nest season
Why it’s not all about your kids anymore
The wisdom of embracing the suck
Thoughts on “shoulding” on yourself vs listening to what God is asking you to do (even if you stink at it)
An invitation to do something you are terrible at this year
Get in Touch With us!⁠⁠

Connect with Anne:
⁠Swayology Business podcast⁠
Instagram

Connect with Becky:
Website⁠