The Last Parenting Book You’ll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What's Next

by Meagan Francis

Your guide to celebrating and loving your kids more than ever in the weeks, months, and years before they begin their adult lives

 We read the parenting books. We cheer from the sidelines. We grow accustomed to the joys and pains of raising toddlers, kids, tweens, and teens. And then, before we know it, it's our kids' last first day of school, the last time we'll watch them take the field, or the last night they sleep at home before heading off to their next adventures. A season of our lives as moms is ending, and we may be mourning its passing. And yet, while our kids still need us—in some ways, more than ever—this stage can also be an opportunity for personal transformation.

Author Meagan Francis understands the mixed feelings that come along with this stage. As a mom of five kids ages teen to young adult, she's been blogging and podcasting about motherhood for more than twenty-five years while going from five kids under her roof to just one. In The Last Parenting Book You'll Ever Read, Francis will take you by the hand and lead you through the final stage of "active" parenting, as your teenagers prepare to step into the world…and you explore what it means to step back into yourself. 

The Last Parenting Book You'll Ever Read is about coming to terms with the many endings that moms of teenagers experience—but more than that, it's about all the new beginnings on the horizon, and how moms can still hold their families close while letting them go. With compassion for the big feelings that accompany big transitions, Francis helps readers harness some of the mothering energy they've been directing toward their children and redirect it back toward nurturing themselves. 

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2025

About the author

As a mother of five kids ages teen to young adult, a parenting writer for twenty-five years and the cohost of The Mom Hour podcast, which has been in constant publication for ten years and downloaded over 20 million times, Meagan Francis has long been a strong advocate for women and mothers and a celebrated voice in the parenting community, with the clear messages: motherhood doesn’t have to be miserable, and it’s all gonna be okay. Meagan lives in Michigan. Her writing and podcasts can be found on Substack.

Reviews

[Emily Loomis Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part 1 was a 5-star recommend-to-everyone read and Part 2 was a 3-star “eh this just doesn’t fit me”. The first part about the lifestyle changes from little kids to teens/young adults was truly fascinating. The second part was mostly advice for surging forward and it just fell flat to me.

[Kathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still have little kids so I'm technically not this book's target audience, but I enjoyed it as a preview of what's to come. The author offered a great perspective on how it feels from going to being SO needed to needed much less for the practical things (meals, etc) and more for the life skills (how to make a dentist appointment or buy insurance on the marketplace). It was a good balance of advice and personal anecdotes and was a fast read.

I also appreciated that she only alluded to her kid's specific challenges and didn't air their dirty laundry publicly. She clearly has a lot of respect for her kids as their own people and tells her story/experience separately from theirs. In the age of the oversharing mommy blogger, that's refreshing.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[kellymross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me feel deeply seen. As I prepare for the transition of my children leaving home over the next few years—however that may unfold—this book offered exactly the perspective I needed. I found myself highlighting several passages that really resonated. Although I haven’t read any of Meagan’s previous books, this one felt so complete that it might just BE the last parenting book I’ll ever need! I'm incredibly grateful to the author for helping me reframe these upcoming changes as opportunities rather than losses, and to NetGalley for the early copy.

[Anna Blankenship · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's set the tone... I am not an empty nester, nor will I be anytimes soon as I have a pre-teen and two toddlers. BUT I found myself identifying and understanding Meagan, especially in the first half of the book. She talks about how our "arms-full" periods differ greatly from our "hands-free" ones, and I felt this to the bone. As I navigate my life being needed and pulled by my two youngest boys, I have felt my closeness with my eldest wavering. This is a taste of what I will likely feel more of when he, and his brothers, grow older and eventually leave the mothership.

Meagan's experience with five kids is a realistic view into motherhood, a job we believe we should be experts on, yet so very few of us feel we are doing a good job. From feelings of needing to simply survive the day, to feeding growing boys, Meagan is real about this "job." She teaches us to move past our fears that are rooted in raising newborns and being courageous about stepping back into OUR life. When days of naps, temper tantrums and diapering are well past us, we can venture into the world again with our "big" kids and enjoy connecting with them differently.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m facing the beginnings of an empty nest this fall — both daughters will be in college. I was hoping this book would help give me some insight into that transition. It didn’t.

At the time of this writing, this author still had one kid left at home starting her junior year of high school. That’s still a lot of parenting, witness-to-their-lives left to do. Francis doesn’t know what a completely empty house looks, sounds, and feels like. I know that I don’t either yet, but I will in 4.5 weeks and it scares me. What does it look like on the other side? What do I do with myself?

I needed more from this book and was left wanting. Does anyone know: is there a book out there that talks about what this empty-nest transition looks like for women?

[Honi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five big, grateful, emotional stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book came to me at just the right time. Here’s a quote that hits for me, “Perhaps some of the sadness over facing the ‘last’ of any of these big events is the knowledge that we’re out of chances to appreciate it enough, to really notice every moment, to get it exactly right. And one of the hardest lessons I’ve learned as a mother is that not only will I not ever get it exactly right, I probably won’t remember it later even when I do.” 💜

I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an emptying nest. Thanks Meagan for looking ahead with positivity and care!

[Mireille Duval · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Meagan Francis' podcasts so I feel like I knew some of this beforehand. I'm really interested in the topic, too, as my eldest inches her way through adolescence, though there isn't as big a "get out at 18" culture in my country as there seems to be in the US. Anyway, I thought the second part, about what midlife lady leisure pursuits she's turning to, was stronger than the first one, about her kids - possibly because the first part was pretty vague? For understandable reasons of privacy and stuff, but still.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. The only reason this book was published is because the author has other parenting books in her name. To call it a parenting book was quite a stretch though. I'd say 80% or more was the author looking back on her earlier mothering years and it read like a journal, not a self-help book. I feel like the editor told her to add a few bullet points at the end of a few chapters just to be able to call it a parenting book.

[Kate Puleo Unger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is less self-help/parenting manual and more memoir. It feels like talking to a friend about the shift in parenting as kids get older, which isn’t surprising given that it’s written by a long-time podcaster. I always feel like I’m joining a conversation among friends when I’m listening to a podcast like The Mom Hour. This book was affirming and comforting but nothing profound or spectacular.

[Stacey Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

From one of my fave podcast hosts- I’ve been listening to the mom hour since it began 10 years ago. I thought maybe I’d be reading this “too early” in my parenting career but I appreciated the perspective of slowing starting to find yourself again after the little kid years, and how caregiving can morph over the years. Reads more like a series of essays but I didn’t mind.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book and want to have a copy for my shelf! The book made me feel seen as a mom of littles but also made me excited for the next stage of life. There was so much wisdom and insight that was so valuable and I can see myself referencing this for many stages of my parenting journey.

[Char · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was good Overall had lots of insights and made you reflect. I found that I enjoyed the 1st part much more than the 2nd part. A good read and lots of information we know just need to fully embrace and make part of our lives. I read book first then went back through and made notes for reference.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve love listening to Meagan’s podcasts for many years. She has so much great advice and a way of making everyone feel good about their mothering despite flaws.
I was just expecting something different. Mostly I’m just not quite in the stage of life it’s meant for. I thought it would be more about parenting teens and not so much about how to handle an empty nest.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh no oh NO, I'm going to have to buy this for all of my friends. I wanted to send quotes to about ten people which is a sign of a great book.

The Advanced Review Copy (ARC) was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Janet Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a long time podcast fan of author Meagan Francis, I was excited for this book as my kids grow up too. Pretty good read on a variety of topics about what we lose and gain throughout our lives as mothers.

[Morton Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compassionate | Well-Researched | Practical

Summer Reading Guide 2025

[Mary Chong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good solid ideas: ie, each kid is different and let them be themselves (let them go). Empty nester to self-nurture instead of worrying about kids.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book until the last few chapters when the author got a bit preachy as well as (probably unintentionally) political.

[Julie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

real raw and so helpful

[Kristin Hallett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice flow, interesting content, I can definitely relate and will pass this book on to other friends.

[Emma Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful, entertaining read for parents with kids half out the door, or soon to be in that stage.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m usually not a fan of parenting books. But this one didn’t read as a parenting book. Meagan is a few years ahead of me in motherhood, and this book gave me a peek into this next stage with her typical grace, love, and honesty about motherhood.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. Despite the title, this book is really geared more towards mothers with talk of perimenopause and hormones. There are some chapters that a father could gain insights from, but they may feel a bit left out in other places. This is part memoir about the author's 5 children, divorce, and subsequent remarriage, but it doesn't overwhelm the book. It inspired me a bit to start thinking of my future as I have similarly aged children.

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part memoir and part guide to the next phase of mothering with actionable suggestions. I’ve always enjoyed the mom hour and enjoyed this until the end when I felt like it went off on a tangent about perimenopause and raising chickens.