Ever wondered why your kid will chat absolute waffle to their mates but gives you the emotional equivalent of a grunt? 

Yeah. Same. 

This episode dives into how to actually get your kids and teens talking — honestly, openly, and without the whole “parent vs child showdown”. 

We’re flipping the script today: 

Not “how to talk so they’ll listen”… 

But how to listen so they’ll talk. 

In this episode I cover: 

✨ Why lecturing shuts them down (and why listening opens them up) 

✨ What “autonomy-supportive” parenting actually looks like (don’t panic, no fairy-godmother energy required) 

✨ The seatbelt sentence that saves every heated conversation 

✨ The 6 questions that work like psychology cheat codes 

✨ How to talk to your kid about risky behaviour (like trying a cigarette) without them wanting to crawl into a hole 

✨ How YOUR emotional regulation sets the tone for theirs 

✨ Why this whole approach actually works according to research, not Instagram memes 

It’s calm, it’s honest, it’s sweary, and it’s the episode I wish parents had when we were teens doing dumb shit ourselves. 

📚 Research Moments (for the nerds or the nosy) 

• Grolnick & Ryan (1989) 

• Rogers & Farson (1957) 

• Soenens & Vansteenkiste (2005) 

• Miller & Rollnick (1991) — Motivational Interviewing 

• Deci & Ryan (2000) — Self-Determination Theory 

• Bandura (1977) — Social Learning Theory 

• Eisenberg et al. (1998) 

These support everything I talk about today — honesty, autonomy, emotional safety, and why your tone matters more than your punishment. 

📄 Patreon Bonus 

AHHHHH! - shock, she isn't on the ball! - if you want the download before I get Patreon up to speed, EMAIL ME!!

💌 Come Say Hi 

Instagram: @the_off_script_parent_podcast 

Email: [email protected] 

Be kind to yourself and your kids — neither of you asked to be here and it’s wild out there. 

Much love, Mother Dearest xxx