Loving that Midlife

Becoming a Mother-in-Law: What to Do (and Not Do) in This New Role

Are you stepping into the role of mother-in-law — or already in it and wondering if you're getting it right? You're not alone. And this episode is for you.  Lori shares the practical advice, mindset shifts, and honest coaching she gives to women navigating one of the most significant new relationships of midlife: the relationship with a child's spouse.  In this episode, you'll hear:    •  The one thing Lori told her own daughter-in-law early on — and why saying the hard thing first builds more trust than anything else    •  Why making the holidays non-negotiable is one of the fastest ways to create resentment (and what to do instead)    •  The truth about unsolicited advice — and why it lands as criticism every single time    •  How to examine the thought "she's taking my child away from me" — and the reframe that changes everything    •  Why holding two truths at once is the key to a healthy mother-in-law relationship  Plus — a tender word for the mother-in-law who is hurting, who is being kept at a distance, or who is watching another grandmother get what she's longing for.  And a Midlife Moment about the quiet surprise of missing your daughter-in-law more than you expected.  This one is full of love — and full of the honest, practical coaching that actually helps.  If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

When Mother’s Day Disappoints You: Expectations, Hurt Feelings & Emotional Adulthood

Mother’s Day can bring flowers, brunch, and sweet social media posts… but for many women, it also brings disappointment.  Maybe you only got a text from your adult kids. Maybe your husband didn’t plan anything. Maybe you spent the weekend celebrating everyone else and ended the day feeling unseen, hurt, or resentful.  In this episode, Lori talks honestly about the emotional expectations many women carry into Mother’s Day, birthdays, and family holidays — and what happens when reality doesn’t match the picture in our heads.  This is not an episode about “never feeling disappointed.” It’s about learning how to recognize:  *  unspoken expectations,  *  the painful stories we tell ourselves,  *  emotional martyrdom,  *  and when disappointment is actually pointing to a real relationship issue that needs attention.  Lori also shares a personal story about one of the biggest arguments in her marriage — and how disappointment eventually led to an important conversation and years of growth.   If you’ve ever ended a holiday feeling hurt, overlooked, emotionally exhausted, or unsure what to do with your disappointment, this episode will help you approach those feelings with more clarity, honesty, and emotional maturity.   In this episode:  *  Why unspoken expectations create resentment  *  The difference between disappointment and rejection  *  How “people are going to people”  *  When mindset work helps — and when a conversation is needed  *  Why emotional adulthood matters in family relationships  *  How to stop handing other people full responsibility for your happiness  You are not wrong for wanting to feel loved and appreciated. But learning what to do with disappointment may change your relationships — and your peace — more than getting the perfect Mother’s Day ever could.   If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

50 Episodes In: The 5 Mindset Shifts That Help Me Survive (and Thrive) in Midlife

Have you ever felt like you should have midlife more figured out by now — but somehow the ground just keeps shifting beneath you? You're not alone. And you're not broken. In honor of 50 episodes of Loving That Midlife, Lori is sharing the five mindset shifts that she comes back to again and again — both in her coaching practice and in her own life. These are the shifts that don't just sound good. They actually change things. In this episode, you'll hear about:  •  Why you can trust yourself far more than you think you can — and how to start building that trust  •  The difference between solving midlife and navigating it (and why that shift changes everything)  •  The most expensive thought most midlife women carry — and the story from Lori's own 40th birthday that illustrates it perfectly  •  Why identity isn't something you find in midlife — it's something you build, one choice at a time  •  How to treat your feelings as data instead of directions — and what emotional adulthood actually looks like Plus — a Midlife Moment about what it’s like to put something out into the world and wonder if it’s actually making a difference. If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

When College Kids Come Home for the Summer: How to Welcome Them Back Without Losing Your Mind

Your college kid is almost home — and you have feelings about that. You're excited. You've missed them. You've maybe already planned their favorite meals. And you're also a little nervous about what it's going to look like when two very different sets of expectations collide under the same roof. In this episode, we're talking about how to welcome your college kid home for the summer — with more peace, more connection, and a lot less conflict. We'll cover: * Why the transition home is harder than it looks — for both of you * How to have the expectations conversation before they ever pull into the driveway * Why you should give them a few days before you dive into the rules * What it means that everyone has changed — not just them * Practical tools for managing your own thoughts when the summer isn't going the way you pictured * A gentle word for the moms whose kids aren't coming home at all this summer Whether your college kid is coming home for the whole summer, half the summer, or not at all — this episode is for you. Because loving them well in this season doesn't mean controlling the outcome. It means showing up with intention, grace, and a willingness to meet them where they are now. If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com

Why You’re Still Triggered (Even After Doing the Work)

Have you ever thought, “I’ve worked on this… so why is it still bothering me?” You’ve done the work. You understand your patterns. You’re trying to respond differently. And yet—you still get triggered. In this episode, we’re talking about why emotional triggers don’t just disappear—even after growth—and why that doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. If you’ve ever felt frustrated with yourself for still reacting, still feeling hurt, or still getting pulled into the same patterns, this conversation will help you understand what’s really happening. We’ll cover: *  What emotional triggers actually are (and why they stick around)  *  Why growth doesn’t mean you stop having reactions  *  The difference between being triggered and how you respond  *  How to stop judging yourself for where you are in the process  *  Simple, practical tools to handle triggers with more awareness and self-trust  We’ll also talk about giving yourself more grace in this season—and why learning to respond differently matters more than trying to never feel triggered again. If you’ve been wondering why you’re “still dealing with this,” this episode will help you see that nothing has gone wrong. You’re not broken. You’re learning. If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend! And if you loved this episode, please rate the show and leave a review so others can find it, too.   You can also follow me on my socials: Instagram: @loribuckcoaching Facebook: Lori Buck Coaching Website: www.loribuckcoaching.com  Email: lori@loribuckcoaching.com