Parent With A Pro

If you are not consistent, it does not matter what else you do.  This was a truth I was surprised to learn while recording this episode of the podcast.  You could be using great techniques, but if you're not consistent, negative behavior will not improve.  If you and your spouse/partner parent differently, your child's behavior will not improve.  If you switch your approach frequently, your child's behavior will not improve. Listen to this episode to learn why consistency is critical and how to become consistent enough to see positive changes in your child's behavior.   LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

Today we are going to talk to Jeff Tesch about a common parenting mistake therapists are seeing and how to fix it.  This mistake is one that parents make completely on accident, but it's having a huge effect of our kid's behavior. The great thing is that after this episode, you'll know what it is, what to do differently, and you'll see positive results in your family as a result. Today we are going to talk to Jeff Tesch about a common parenting mistake therapists are seeing and how to fix it.  This mistake is one that parents make completely on accident, but it's having a huge effect of our kid's behavior.The great thing is that after this episode, you'll know what it is, what to do differently, and you'll see positive results in your family as a result.Happy Listening! LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

Last week we talked about some factors that influence behavior that are actually in your control. This week, we continue the conversation discussing a few more surprising factors we have influence over. I really love the last idea that Mike Fitch, CMHC shares in this episode! LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

There are many factors that influence our children's behavior that are out of our control.  However, we are lucky that there are some factors that are in our control.  In this week's and next week's episode, we will teach you some fundamentals to creating an environment which fosters good behavior.  If some of these fundamentals are missing, it's not really fair to expect our kids to behave well. Listen this week and next week to learn what you can do to help your children behave their best. To check out Part 2, go here. LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

So this is going to be a shorter training today to give you one specific tool to start implementing right away and start to see results. But let me tell you a little why I wanted to use this. I recently read a really popular parenting book that is SO good in SO many ways.  However, it suggests using a couple warnings before you follow through so that your child has a chance to change their behavior. When I read it, I thought “This sounds really great and I'm going to start using this in my home.” We started using it and we saw really good results pretty quickly. But then after a couple of weeks we literally started hearing our kids say, “Oh, you get to ask me one more time before I have to do it.” I thought, “No! That is not the point of this.” Today, Jeff Tesch, LMFT is going to teach us why warnings are sabotaging our parenting and what we should do instead.   LISTEN ABOVE OR READ THE SUMMARY BELOW Jeff Tesch, LMFT What Could Cut Misbehavior in Half I had two families in yesterday. Both of them have

If you are dealing with behavior that never seems to improve, you're in the right place. As parents of strong-willed kids, there can be a possibility that your child is dealing with an abnormality in their functioning.  They could have inherited or developed anxiety, ADHD, depression, or autism, just to name a few.  A professional's help is needed to get a clear diagnosis. We often get asked: "How do I know if I need to seek professional help for my child? Where do I go if I do think they need professional help?" We seek to answer both those questions and more in today's episode. LISTEN ABOVE OR READ THE SUMMARY BELOW Mike Fitch, CMHC   What Kind of Counselor Should I Be Looking For It can be overwhelming because there’s a lot of different kinds of mental health professionals. There’s clinical mental health counselors, licensed marriage family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, and even family physicians. So Mike is going to talk us through where we would go next if we think that there's so

Last week, we talked about helping our kids become more empathetic.  In this companion episode, we teach you how to help your children develop the critical life skill of offering apologies.  The steps taught are so simple are so powerful.  This is a must listen for everyone! (hint: you could even take notes for yourself.  This episode has helped me a ton) LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

A question we get asked repeatedly is "How do I teach my child empathy?"  As parents, we want our kids to be concerned about the feelings of others, to be empathetic. Today's episode is full of tips to help your children see things from other's perspective and help them show empathy to others. LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

Our world is full of tragedies, natural disasters, and violence.  It isn't uncommon for these events to frighten our children or cause an increase in their anxiety.  With so many such events occurring recently, we wanted to create a podcast that would coach parents through talking to kids about tragedies and helping them feel calm after they've occurred. I learned so many new things recording this episode that will forever change how I handle tragedies with my kids.   LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

If you have multiple kids in your home and those kids don't always get along, then today's episode is for you.  In this episode you will learn specific steps for solving sibling squabbles.  I always love how Jeff teaches solutions to our parenting issues in a way that simplifies our parenting instead of complicating it and today is no exception! Here's to fewer sibling squabbles in all our homes! LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

Have you ever wondered "Why is my child behaving like this?!" If so, you'll love today's episode. Marriage and family therapist, Jeff Tesch teaches us what drives our children's misbehavior. This episode will give you great insight into the mind, heart, and behavior of your child. LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

Believe it or not, our children are not born knowing what behavior is appropriate and what behavior isn't. It is our responsibility as parents to teach appropriate behavior to our kids. But how do we do this? By how we respond to behavior. If we respond to negative behavior by giving our kids an uncomfortable consequence and respond to positive behavior with a positive consequence, your kids will eventually learn what is OK and what isn't. To help you do that, we created this episode to teach you our favorite positive reinforcement technique. You can modify this for kids of any age. By the end of this episode, you'll have a fun way for you to get your kids to repeat good behavior. LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

Have you ever had weeks where you saw improvement in your child's behavior only to be follow by weeks of regression? I have and it stressed me out!  So much so, that I decided we needed a whole podcast on it. This episode will help you know how much regression is normal and how to handle it when you see it.   LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!  

If you're tired of letting the stress of parenting control you, you will definitely want to listen to this episode! One of the things we face almost daily as parents of sassy, spirited, and strong-willed kids is a feeling of stress or overwhelm.  These feelings can lead us to react poorly, they can suck the fun out of parenting, and  they can make everyday feel like an uphill battle. This episode is one of my favorites ever.  Jeff Tesch, LMFT teaches some really powerful tools to help us address our stress and function from a healthier place. LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

There are so many factors that can affect a child's behavior.  They are external factors, like environment and internal factors, like depression, anxiety, or ADHD. In today's episode we talk about an internal factor, Sensory Disorder.  A lot of people want to know what it is, if their child has it, how it can effect behavior, and if it can be treated.  Luckily, Mike Fitch, CMHC has a lot of experience with diagnosing and treating kids with sensory disorder and was willing to teach us all about it.  If you think sensory disorder might be an issue for your child, you'll want to make sure you listen to this episode! LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

If you have aggressive kids, you are not alone!  A lot of people in our private Facebook group have mentioned that their kids are really aggressive: hitting, biting, yelling, spiting, etc. In today's episode, we learn why kids are aggressive, how to respond to it, and how to know if they need some extra help handling their aggression. LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON! Links mentioned in this episode: Bonus: Breathing Exercises Episode 019: Discipline Technique to Avoid Because They Hurt More Than They Help

According to marriage and family therapist and researcher, Jon Gottman, in order for you to have a healthy relationship with your child you need to have FIVE positive interactions to every ONE negative interaction.  It's kind of like a bank account, positive interactions count as deposits and negative interactions count a big withdrawals.  It's pretty easy to have a healthy positive:negative ratio with kids who behave really well, but what about the ones that need correction often? In today's episode, Jeff Tesch, LMFT teaches how to connect with your child while you correct them.  The techniques taught in this episode will help your disciplining count as a positive for both of you!  How awesome is that? LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

Am I alone?  Or is your authority also challenged at least once an hour? Challenging authority is a common characteristic of strong-willed kids, but it's not one that we need to just put up with.  In today's episode, Jeff Tesch LMFT teaches how to handle kids who challenge your authority in the healthiest way. LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!

I have to admit that one of the things that's been really tough for me is feeling a deep connection with my kids when they are misbehaving.  Their misbehavior frustrates me and sometimes gets me to the point that even though I love them, I don't like being around them. A little while ago, marriage and family therapist, Jeff Tesch taught me about something called "Play Therapy".  Play therapy has been proven to be one of the most effective ways for a therapist to help a child heal from deep traumas.  Additionally, a simplified version of it can be used at home to connect with ANY child, which leads to improved behavior, and has the added perk of improving a child's ability to concentrate for longer periods of time! In today's episode, Jeff Tesch, LMFT teaches ALL OF US how to use play therapy in our own homes.  I have been using it for the last couple of weeks and have been amazed at the results.  I have seen improved behavior, I have felt deeply connected to my kids, I have genuinely loved being around them

In last week's episode, we talked about sassy, spirited and strong-willed kids that are bossy or don't pick up on social cues easily.  This week, we're covering the opposite end of the spectrum by talking about kids who are more shy.  Clinical mental health counselor, Mike Fitch teaches that a child might fit into this category for one of the following reasons: They have anxiety about social situations They are naturally more introverted They have been burnt in social situations and have given up They have been bullied and are afraid If you have a child who is more on the shy side, this is a great episode to listen to!  Mike outlines how to recognize why your child is shy and specific strategies to help them be comfortable socially. LISTEN ABOVE.  A BLOG POST VERSION OF THIS PODCAST WILL BE COMING SOON!