If you have a spicy kid — the one who knows every button, tests every boundary, and can reduce you to screaming about shoes at 7am — this episode is for you.
And if you've ever tried to stay calm, validate feelings, offer choices, read the books, do the things — and still felt like nothing was working?
In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Paul Sunseri — child and family psychologist, TEDx speaker, published researcher, and developer of Intensive Family-Focused Treatment (IFFT) — to talk about what actually works with strong-willed, oppositional, and defiant kids.
We dig into why gentle parenting gets misunderstood, why some kids just come into the world harder to parent (and what to do about it), how to get kids to actually listen without badgering or yelling, why you never have to argue with your child again, and what to do when you know what you should say but you're too triggered to say it.
What You'll Learn
- Why some kids come into the world harder to parent, and why that is not a reflection of your parenting
- The bank account metaphor: why harder kids need more deposits, and what happens when the account runs dry
- How to set up a morning routine that runs on incentives and independence instead of chaos and nagging
- How to handle disrespect at any age — including the specific language that works with teenagers
- Why you never have to argue with your child again — and exactly how to exit any argument in progress
Alive & Well – Nervous System, Productivity, Time Management, Somatic Tools, Work-Life Balance, Burnout, Anxiety