Maria thought she had cracked the code on parenting. Her 3-year-old son, Kai, was thriving at his new preschool. His teacher raved about his behavior during pickup. "He's such a sweet boy," she'd say. "Never any problems here." Even Maria's husband could breeze through bedtime routines without ...
I once worked with a dad - let’s call him Amir - who was getting daily emails from his son's teacher. His previously well-behaved 5-year-old had suddenly become the kid who was pushing, hitting, and telling everyone he didn't want to be at school.
Amir was exhausted. His family had just moved t...
"Every morning, it's the same thing," Priya told me during our coaching call, and I could hear that familiar exhaustion in her voice that so many parents carry. "Zara stands in the preschool line, looks at me with this little smirk, and says 'I don't want to go to school today' in this sad voic...
Mike was trying to get his 5-year-old daughter ready for bed when she completely lost it. She didn't want to brush her teeth, didn't want to put on pajamas, and was melting down about everything. When he gently but firmly guided her toward the bathroom, she spun around and hit him in the chest ...
Last week, my 7-year-old was sprawled on our bedroom floor in full meltdown mode over a shirt. Her and her sister had a disagreement about a shirt and her world had officially ended. I listened, I problem-solved, I offered alternatives.
But 30 minutes before we needed to leave, she was still on...
A mom's message stopped me cold: "My daughter is only 7 and the back talking has increased. I notice it more in the mornings and when she is tired and dysregulated. I try to have a lot of patience with her but I'm not going to lie at times I get loud when I correct her. The main thing I do is t...
During a recent coaching call, a dad shared something that made my heart sink because I knew exactly what he was going through.
His 5-year-old son was having explosive tantrums at home over things like wanting a second helping of dessert. Full-on screaming, stomping, demanding behavior that lef...
You walk into the room and see one kid hovering, smirking or looking away.
The other one’s crying.
And you know something just happened.
Maybe someone grabbed something.
Maybe someone knocked over the blocks.
Maybe your older child did that quiet, calculated thing that makes your toddler scream...
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A reframe for when your child demands something out of nowhere (and won’t let it go)
A parent came to our group coaching call frustrated. Her 6-year-old had seen another child wearing a pair of cartoon pajamas and suddenly couldn’t let it go.
"I want those!" he cried.
Over and over. Loud. Pub...
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As summer winds down and those back-to-school displays start appearing everywhere, I know what might be stirring in your heart.
While other guides focus on lunch boxes and supply lists, I want to talk about something deeper: The emotional landscape your child is navigating, and how you can be...
A mom told me recently, “They were fine one second, then suddenly it’s this huge meltdown over who walked into the house first.”
She was exhausted. Not from the yelling itself but from feeling like she had to play judge and jury. Again. And again and again.
“I’m constantly deciding who’s right,...
I need to tell you something that might make you uncomfortable: I have used time-outs with my kids. All three of them. And we have incredible relationships.
I know, I know. You've been told they're harmful. You've read the Instagram graphics about how time-outs create shame and disconnection. Y...
