Episode 356: How To Make Sure Connection Works (Especially With Sensitive Or Anxious Children)
Release Date: 08/21/2025
Episode 359: Supporting SIBLINGS of Kids With Big Emotions
Your Parenting Long Game
When you're raising a child with big emotions, it’s natural for an "easier" sibling to get less of your time and attention. But a more flexible child may pay a quiet price -- giving in to avoid conflict, hiding their feelings, or believing they matter less. Chances are, you've noticed that but aren't sure what to do. Fortunately, a few small shifts can make a big difference in how they view themselves (and will can make you feel less guilty). In this episode, you’ll learn how to: Spot the signs that an "easier" child is struggling Show them that they matter (even if you've...
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Episode 358: If You Want Negative Behaviors and Attitudes to Stop, You Must Know This
Your Parenting Long Game
If you’re raising a child with big emotions, you know how draining it can be when they melt down, argue, refuse to cooperate, or fall apart after the smallest setback. It’s easy to assume these behaviors are defiance, disrespect, or laziness… but most of the time, they’re actually signs that your child is missing something that you can provide! In this episode, you’ll learn: The two main sets of skills kids with big emotions often lack How to recognize behaviors that signal a missing skill rather than misbehavior Why addressing missing skills reduces drama now and builds your...
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Episode 357: Can Kids CHOOSE To Act Differently When They're in Yuck?
Your Parenting Long Game
Many kids with big emotions have big reactions when things don’t go their way. They may yell, slam doors, roll their eyes, or even say disrespectful things when they are upset. And while it’s natural for parents to think that our children are choosing to be rude or defiant, something else is actually happening instead. In this episode, you’ll learn: What's going on in the brain that explains why Yuck behaviors are not a conscious choice Why this is NOT an excuse for negative behavior How kids can learn to handle their “Yuck Urge”… and how this builds their confidence...
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Episode 356: How To Make Sure Connection Works (Especially With Sensitive Or Anxious Children)
Your Parenting Long Game
You’ve heard how important it is to have a strong connection with your children. But when we are raising kids who are anxious or sensitive, sometimes our attempts to connect with them are more about fixing a problem than about making a genuine connection… and they feel that! The good news is, one little change can improve your influence and help your child handle their uncomfortable moments with less stress (for them) and less exhaustion (for you). In this episode, you’ll learn: What genuine connection looks like and sounds like How this strong parent-child connection SAVES you...
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Episode 355: Addressing YOUR Back-to-School Anxiety
Your Parenting Long Game
A new school year can bring excitement, but for kids with big emotions, it may also bring worry, “what if” questions, and knots in the stomach. As parents, we want to jump in with reassurances, solutions, or distractions, but those attempts -- which are actually signs of our anxiety -- often increase our kids’ Yuck. Fortunately, a simple strategy can help us center ourselves so we can support our children more effectively. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why we need to regulate ourselves before we try to help our kids Simple actions we can take reduce their...
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Episode 354: When Your Child’s Behavior Isn’t Getting Better and You Lose Your Cool
Your Parenting Long Game
Let’s be honest: Raising a child with big emotions can take a lot of energy. Dealing with resistance, dramatic reactions, and everything else in your life can be exhausting, so it’s natural to lose your patience (and, unfortunately, your influence). This episode shares a specific strategy to stay calm and keep your influence… even when it’s taking longer for your children’s behavior to improve than you’d like. In this episode, you’ll learn: The 3 main reasons kids don’t do what we ask Why we tend to lose our cool when there is a setback in our child’s...
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Episode 353: Why Your Child Doesn’t Listen When You’re Being Nice (and Why “Mean” Isn’t the Answer Either)
Your Parenting Long Game
Having a strong relationship with our kids is a huge priority for many of us. So when we’re setting limits or addressing our kids’ big emotions, we usually approach them in a nice (or what we think is “respectful”) way. Unfortunately, many kids won’t listen – or feel confident – when we’re being so nice. So how can we raise kids who follow limits and can handle hard feelings… without ruining our relationship? In this episode, you’ll learn: What it really means to “respect” your children One question you can ask yourself when you’re struggling to...
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Episode 352: Inside the Mind of a Strong-Willed Child (and Their Parent)
Your Parenting Long Game
Often when our kids refuse to do what we ask, it can seem like they are being deliberately defiant or strong-willed. But often in these situations, our kids are having a hard time with something beyond their control…and our frustration with them only makes things worse. Fortunately, when you take a closer look at what is really going on for a “strong-willed” child, you can see what they really need in order to feel and act more positively. In this episode, we’ll look at several real-life situations from the dual perspectives of a child and parent. You’ll learn: Why...
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Episode 351: When Your Child Gets Upset No Matter What You Say (The Power of Silence)
Your Parenting Long Game
It’s natural to want to help a child when you see that they’re upset. But sometimes our attempts to soothe their big feelings and calm them down actually makes things worse, leaving us feeling confused and helpless. Ironically, doing less in those situations – not saying much! – actually does more to make the situation better. In this episode, you’ll learn: What happens when we do and don’t try to make our child feel better How to handle a child who questions why we’re not doing more How this simple strategy sets kids up to be more resilient in...
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Episode 350: Parent Questions: Child Who Doesn’t Like Positive Feedback, Child Who Won’t Solve “Boredom” Issue
Your Parenting Long Game
This week, I’m doing something a little different: Instead of picking the topic myself, I’m answering parents’ questions. These questions demonstrate challenges that many of us face behind closed doors — and I’m sharing practical ways to handle them with more confidence and calm. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to respond to two specific situations as a connected and confident Leader Parent What to do when children respond negatively to positive feedback Why kids with big emotions frequently complain of being bored but resist any suggestion you make -- ...
info_outlineYou’ve heard how important it is to have a strong connection with your children. But when we are raising kids who are anxious or sensitive, sometimes our attempts to connect with them are more about fixing a problem than about making a genuine connection… and they feel that! The good news is, one little change can improve your influence and help your child handle their uncomfortable moments with less stress (for them) and less exhaustion (for you).
In this episode, you’ll learn:
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What genuine connection looks like and sounds like
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How this strong parent-child connection SAVES you energy
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A simple metaphor to help you remember how to make this type of connection in the moment
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FREE RESOURCE: Understanding the Yuck Curve
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