logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2021
13m 8s

What Changes a Child’s Behavior

MICHELLE KENNEY, M. ED
About this episode
We parents have been taught that our children’s behavior must be corrected through punishments and manipulations, and sadly, this has been accepted as the default mode of parenting. And when compounding other stressors in lives, it becomes so easy to unconsciously fall back on that out of desperation to change their behavior. So I want to talk about where we ... Show More
Up next
Jul 28
Play Instead of Punishment
When your child is being hard, what is the first tool you reach for? A countdown. A consequence. A lecture. A raised voice. Almost every one of those is a version of the same instinct: when my child gets hard, I get harder. It makes complete sense, because that is exactly what we ... Show More
18m 38s
Jul 21
Your Neurodivergent Child Doesn’t Need a Different Parent
When Cammie's son began struggling with school, anxiety, and sensory challenges, she heard the same message so many parents hear: maybe he needed a different approach. But instead of abandoning connection, she leaned into it, and watched something remarkable happen.In this episod ... Show More
20m 34s
Jul 14
Your Child is Not Disrespectful, They Are Dysregulated.
For years, I believed that when my daughters pushed back, they were being defiant. Then one afternoon at the American Girl store, my youngest daughter had a public meltdown that completely changed the way I understood children's behavior and my role as a parent.In this episode, I ... Show More
24m 37s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Encouraging positive behaviors in kids without enabling
As parents in the modern age; we want to undo a lot of the things that didn’t serve us as children and sometimes in our attempts to do better we can swing completely in the other direction and over-validate our children and enable undesired behaviors rather than encourage positiv ... Show More
36m 7s
Apr 2023
182: How to get frustrating behavior to stop
All of our children go through phases when they do things we wish they wouldn’t do. Sometimes those things are relatively harmless but are pretty annoying, because they take extra time for us to clean up - things like eating (and making crumbs) in areas where we don’t want them t ... Show More
42m 22s
Oct 2025
The Discipline Reframe Every Parent Needs: Teach Don’t Punish
If you’ve ever wondered why traditional discipline like timeouts, threats, punishments feel off or doesn’t actually work, this episode will change the way you see toddler behavior. I’m joined by Devon Kuntzman, toddler expert and founder of Transforming Toddlerhood, to talk about ... Show More
42m 13s
May 2022
Responding when a Kid Misbehaves
<p>It's embarrassing when your child misbehaves, especially in public. How can you choose to use effective discipline in that situation? John and Danny share why being too strict is not helpful with discipline. Featuring Dr. Kevin Leman and Jean Daly.<br><br>Find us online at <a ... Show More
11m 29s
May 2024
213: How to stop using power over your child (and still get things done)
Ditch Punishments and Rewards for Respectful Parenting Do you hate punishing (with Time Outs, withdrawing privileges, or even yelling at) your child? Do you feel guilty after you punish them, wishing there was a way to just get them to listen? And do bribes ("If you brush your te ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 2025
The Science of How Discipline and Punishment Impact a Child’s Brain Differently
Send us Fan MailParents, this one is big.Today we’re breaking down punishment vs discipline, what science says, how it impacts your child’s brain, and why so many of us feel stuck in the cycle of punishing even when we don’t want to.If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t want to yell, ... Show More
29m 21s
Sep 2025
How to connect with a child that shuts you down (without losing your cool)
Send us Fan MailThis episode will change how you see your child’s moods and how you respond to them.If you’ve ever tiptoed around your child in the morning, worried the “wrong” cereal bowl or shirt will set off a meltdown, this conversation is for you.Joining me is Dr. Alex Reed, ... Show More
1h 8m
Feb 2020
Ep 106 - Parenting Struggle: How to Start Having a Less Stressful Relationship with Your Child
<p>Parenting, while it is a beautiful gift, can test the limits of ourselves. If we don't know how to manage the stress that our child's behavior can bring, we can create some serious short and long-term relationships with ourself and our child. &nbsp;Yes....it needs to be addres ... Show More
16m 10s
Sep 2025
3 Ways to Change Your Child’s Irritating Behavior (And Yourself!) #519
Your kids are going to do things that are annoying, irritating, and sometimes just wrong. You will be justified in getting angry and correcting them. But I want you to turn what usually separates you from your child…into a bonding opportunity to draw you closer. I want you to dea ... Show More
21m 32s