Ever catch yourself saying, “I wish I had more time… I wish I had more energy… I wish I could focus more on my kids…”? As parents, we spend a lot of time at the wishing well, tossing in our hopes and waiting for something to change. But wishing wells are bottomless. They swallow our “I wish” and never deliver the “then.”

In this episode of The Business of Parenting Podcast, Jackie Mourot, Ed.D. introduces a powerful new metaphor — the wishing jar. Unlike the well, a jar has a bottom. It gives you a place to capture your wishes and surround them with the resources, skills, and opportunities you already have.

Jackie shares her own weeklong experiment (starting with helping her new middle schooler adjust), showing how she shifted from “I wish” to “I can” by recognizing the present possibilities already within reach.

If you’ve been stuck in wishing well mode — especially at the start of a busy school year — this episode will inspire you to pair your hopes with purposeful action and lead your family with confidence.

To hear about the entire weeklong experiment, check out The Business of Parenting Blog this Wednesday at TheBusinessofParenting.com

If you enjoyed this episode and it helped you, don’t forget to like, follow, subscribe, or leave a review/comment to let us know what resonated most—and share it with a parent who make be stuck at the wishing well who needs a little encouragement.

EPISODE CREDITS

Host: Jackie Mourot, Ed.D. Produced by: The Business of Parenting Original Music: No Roots — composed and produced by Matheo Mourot © 2025. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

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