We’re depleted, and often we don’t know how to break out of the cycle of exhaustion we’re caught in. One of the simplest ways out of this cycle, however, takes one of the simplest actions: Choose different thoughts. In this episode, you’ll learn: The concept of...

You know it’s important to set rules and boundaries if you want to raise responsible, resilient children. But how do you set rules and boundaries that children will actually follow? In this episode, you’ll learn: The components of “effective” rules and boundaries  3...

You may want to stop using those parenting strategies that don’t work and make you feel bad (what I call “band aid parenting” strategies). You may promise yourself that you’ll start using more respectful, effective, long-lasting strategies (what I call “long game...

It’s that time of the year when we’re all thinking about improvement. When it comes to your family, you likely want to see more respectful, resilient behavior and more connected relationships. But your attempts to make things better may not be leading to long-term...

For many of us, our days consist of doing things for other people, and IF there happens to be time left over (there usually isn’t), we might think about what we need. Unfortunately, putting our needs behind everyone else’s doesn’t just affect us; it affects our...

Especially when we’re not in a good place as parents, it’s hard not to take it personally when kids say “I hate you” or “You never give me anything I want!” And when we do take it personally, the situation often goes downhill. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why...

When we’re feeling stressed or frustrated, one of the first things most of us try to do is change what’s happening around us. We think that if our kids would only act differently, if our spouse would only do more, if our mother would stop judging us… then we can feel...

It’s likely that your children and adolescents are complaining now more than ever… and let’s be honest, it can get pretty annoying. So it makes sense that your instinct is to try to motivate them to think more positively or have a better attitude. But trying to do...

Even though the holidays were stressful in past years, they also meant fun traditions, time with family, and (at least some) events to look forward to. Now, after an already-challenging year, this holiday season is going to look very different for most of us. It’s...

When our children are misbehaving, we often assume that they are “choosing” to do what they are doing. In reality, their negative behaviors and attitudes are more likely a sign of missing skills than a choice they are making. In this episode, you’ll learn: The science...

Of course we want our children to have great relationships with their siblings, other family members, friends, and peers. But what happens when our children struggle with these relationships? While we can suggest ways they can act differently, we tend to underestimate...

Many of us spend the majority of our parenting time and energy trying to address the behavior, moods, and attitudes of the same  child. But what about the siblings of these “challenging” children who don’t receive as much of our attention or energy because they’re...

The demands on our time and energy are greater than ever before. And many of us have already TRIED taking things off of our plate and decreasing our expectations of ourselves…but we’re still feeling overwhelmed.  In this episode, you’ll learn: Why many of us are...

We may believe that it’s our job to foster responsible, respectful behavior in our children. But what if we try to talk to them about their behavior and they refuse to acknowledge that they’ve done anything wrong? What if, when we bring up things they’ve done (or...

Most of us want to raise responsible, resilient, confident children -- without feeling overwhelmed ourselves. I started my business over a decade ago (and this podcast a little over a year ago) because I genuinely know how to help parents do just that. When the...

It’s relatively easy to show kids how much we support them when they’re doing what we want them to do. But what happens when they are not doing what we want? During those times, many of our children feel that we are NOT supportive… which often makes them think that we...

As the novelty of a new school year is starting to wear off, kids’ behavior may be becoming more and more frustrating. Often our instinct is to respond to this behavior by asking “How can we make them do what they’re supposed to do?” instead of “WHY aren’t they doing...

Many of us were raised to believe that when you’re responding to kids’ behavior, you can either be firm OR you can be respectful -- not both, and definitely not both at same time. Not only is it possible to balance firmness and respect, but it’s actually essential to...

No matter how many strategies you have, no matter how good your intentions are, you’re going to make mistakes as a parent. You’re going to do things you regret. And while you may acknowledge that you’re human -- that you’re far from perfect -- you may still worry...

We know it’s our job to teach our kids how to act more responsible. But what happens when you can’t find consequences that work to motivate long-term responsible behavior? In this episode, you’ll learn: Why trying to find the “best” consequence often leads to more...

Many parents these days are feeling guilty, especially as we’re stressed or depleted and taking that Yuck out on our families (or dealing with Yuck in other ways that we regret). The truth is that most of us DON’T know how to deal with our Yuck in a healthy way....

Because kids have been home for so long, many of the activities that they used to enjoy are no longer engaging them. So they are bored, and as a result, their behavior has become more negative. While many parents recognize that kids’ boredom leads to misbehavior, most...

As parenting seems harder and more depleting these days, it’s easy to focus on the things that we’re doing wrong. We may worry that we’re letting our kids spend too much time on screens… or that we’re not supporting them in the “right” way. Unfortunately, focusing on...

You may know all of the reasons that spending one-on-one time with your kids is important, and you’ve probably experienced the positive effects of having this time with them. But these days most of us are just trying to get through the day, so finding the time and...