Calm Parenting Podcast When PDA Kids Resist | What My Son Taught Me About Anxiety #563
Feb 15, 2026
A parent shares personal PDA experiences and a hiking story that reveals role reversal in anxiety. The conversation explores how attention can heighten a child's distress and why giving space sometimes helps. Strategies for managing anxiety transference and choosing when to push or pause are highlighted. Resources and a parenting program for PDA support are mentioned.
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Growing Up With PDA Traits
- Kirk Martin recounts his lifelong struggle with PDA traits and how they affected school, work, and honesty.
- He reveals that those same traits later appeared in his son, making the story deeply personal.
PDA Is Misunderstood Behavior
- Kirk Martin argues PDA kids aren't lazy or merely defiant and often reject only arbitrary external demands.
- He explains they often place high internal demands on themselves, which fuels perfectionism and explosive reactions.
Son Leading Through Anxiety
- Kirk shares a father-son hiking trip where roles reversed and his son Casey led with calm confidence.
- Casey gave Kirk control over the start time and reassured him, showing learned coping and leadership.