Jul 16, 2026
Remember when adulting meant bringing a calculator to the grocery store so you didn't have to put things back at checkout, and wondering why it cost so much just to turn on the lights?
Parents don't want to watch their kids struggle the way they did.
So, they help. Proofreading the resume, that's normal. Making the follow-up phone call for them? That's where it gets murky. Parents step in because they love their kids.
But when does helping stop helping?
I don't have kids myself, but I do get a front row seat watching friends and clients live this exact thing right now. So, I brought in career coach and former recruiter Liz Lewine, she's interviewed thousands of candidates over 20 years, to talk about what she's actually seeing with teens and young adults entering the workforce, the skills they're missing, and the ways well-meaning parents get in the way without realizing it.
We get into:
- A degree gets them in the room. It doesn't get them the job
- The soft skill employers actually want? Showing up and being easy to work with. That's it.
- Let them fail. It's the fastest way they'll ever learn anything, and yes it's going to kill you a little to watch.
- How to help them become independent without feeling like you shoved them off a cliff
- What to actually do if your adult kid's back living in your house
- One question to ask yourself before you jump in to "help"
If your kid's headed to college, just graduated, or you're quietly plotting how to get Johnny off the payroll this one's for you.
Links
Connect the Liz
https://lizlewine.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lizlewine/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/liz.feigert
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-lewine-461b82/
Connect with Kim
Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlmagic
Tik Tok
https://www.tiktok.com/@kimbarnesjefferson
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimjeffersoncoach/
https://kimbarnesjefferson.lpages.co/fflpersonaquiz_podcast
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