Parenting in 2026 isn’t harder because you’re doing it wrong. Trust me! It’s harder because the old tools don’t work anymore.

Today it's the first episode of the year!! So I’m reintroducing the foundation of emotionally intelligent parenting and sharing why emotional intelligence is no longer optional, it’s essential.

So I decided to talk about what emotional intelligence actually looks like in everyday family life, why behaviour is NEVER the full story, and how raising emotionally intelligent kids doesn’t require more charts, consequences, or parenting hacks.

Instead, I put together a list of 26 simple, practical ways to bring emotional intelligence into your home in 2026, WITHOUT doing more (or aiming for perfection). It sounds like a lot but I promise they are quick simple bite sized things.

This episode is for parents who are tired of reacting, tired of yelling, and tired of feeling like they should know better. I have a lot of teachers and therapists who listen and love the podcast too, so anyone who lives or works with kids will enjoy this!

Here's to a calmer, more connected way to raise resilient, confident kids in 2026. This episode is your starting point :)

📲 Prefer to watch this episode and full video on YT? Find it here!

🩷 Hi! I’m an award-winning Emotional Intelligence parenting consultant, best-selling author and international speaker. I’m also a paediatric anxiety therapist and I love helping kids, parents and educators use emotional intelligence to become calmer, more connected and live happier lives!

Book a FREE 30 min consult with me to discuss coaching, support, collaborations or speaking engagements.

E: [email protected]

W: www.stephaniepinto.com

FB: fb.com/stephpinto

IG @emotionally.intelligent.parent

Have you joined my Facebook Group for parents? There are 148,000+ parents in the community!

🎉 Join Let's Raise Emotionally Intelligent Kids now.

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Ever had your child tell you something worrying, only for them to suddenly deny it?  Or stress endlessly about tests and friendships but won’t let you help? 🥴

In this special 2 year anniversary episode, I’m diving into one of the most emotionally complex listener questions I’ve received so far. A mum reached out about her sensitive, bright 8-year-old who’s struggling with intense test stress, perfectionism, big mood swings at home, and confusing stories about bullying that seem to shift.

This episode is one of my deepest, most layered breakdowns yet. I unpack what’s really going on beneath these behaviours, why kids often hold it together at school but unravel at home, how perfectionism and identity can get tangled, and why shame can lead children to retract stories that were emotionally true moments earlier.

Even if your situation looks nothing like this one, I promise you’ll walk away with powerful insights you can apply to your own parenting. I share scripts, reframes, and emotionally intelligent strategies for supporting a dysregulated child, navigating school conversations gently and safely, and staying grounded yourself, esp when your own past experiences get triggered.

It’s a heartfelt, practical, compassion-filled deep dive… and one I’m so excited to share with you.

📲 Prefer to watch this episode and full video on YT? Find it here!

🩷 Hi! I’m an award-winning Emotional Intelligence parenting consultant, best-selling author and international speaker. I’m also a paediatric anxiety therapist and I love helping kids, parents and educators use emotional intelligence to become calmer, more connected and live happier lives!

Book a FREE 30 min consult with me to discuss coaching, support, collaborations or speaking engagements.

E: [email protected]

W: www.stephaniepinto.com

FB: fb.com/stephpinto

IG @emotionally.intelligent.parent

Have you joined my Facebook Group for parents? There are 140,000+ parents in the community!

🎉 Join Let's Raise Emotionally Intelligent Kids now.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if… the way you’ve been trying to “stay calm!” “set boundaries!” or “teach emotional regulation!” is actually the wrong way around?

In this special 2-year anniversary episode of the Emotionally Intelligent Parenting Podcast — I’m sharing the 10 big lessons that completely changed the way I parent… and the way I think about parenting.

These are the mindset-shifts that no one teaches us, but every emotionally intelligent parent needs to hear.

I talk about:

🩷 why you can’t teach calm from chaos

🩷 why repair matters more than how the moment went

🩷 how triggers are actually invitations

🩷 and how to use emotional intelligence as strategic power in your home (not “soft, gentle, permissiveness” as so many people confuse it for)

This episode is like 2 years of parenting interviews, neuroscience research, deep real-life conversations, and lived experience — distilled into 10 golden mindset resets you can start using today.

Whether you’ve been here since day one, or you’re new to this community… this one will stretch you, inspire you, and make you look at parenting in a totally new way.

Ok let’s kick off Year 3 with clarity, courage, and the confidence to raise a generation who will change the world... one emotionally intelligent conversation at a time! Woo!

📲 Prefer to watch this episode and full video on YT? Find it here!

🩷 Hi! I’m an award-winning Emotional Intelligence parenting consultant, best-selling author and international speaker. I’m also a paediatric anxiety therapist and I love helping kids, parents and educators use emotional intelligence to become calmer, more connected and live happier lives!

Book a FREE 30 min consult with me to discuss coaching, support,

collaborations or speaking engagements.

E: [email protected]

W: www.stephaniepinto.com

FB: fb.com/stephpinto

IG @emotionally.intelligent.parent

Have you joined my Facebook Group for parents? There are 140,000+ parents in the community!

🎉 Join Let's Raise Emotionally Intelligent Kids now.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the secret to raising confident, emotionally resilient toddlers isn’t about getting it right all the time — but what we do after things go wrong?

In this heartwarming and honest conversation, I sit down with Devon Kuntzman, founder of Transforming Toddlerhood and the original toddler parenting coach on Instagram, to talk about the power of repair over perfection.

Together we explore:

• Why parents feel so much pressure to be perfect — and how the brain science shows that it’s the repair moments that truly matter
• How rupture and repair wire your child’s brain for resilience and emotional intelligence
• The powerful role of repair in reducing shame (for both parents and kids)
• Real-life examples of what repair sounds like after yelling, meltdowns, or power struggles
• Why giving ourselves permission to be human is the key to raising secure, strong kids

Devon also shares insights from her brand-new book, Transforming Toddlerhood, which is packed with practical tools, encouragement, and a fresh, empowering perspective for parents in the thick of toddler life.

If you’ve ever worried that you’re messing it up — this episode is your reminder that every moment of repair is a chance to reconnect and grow together. 

ORDER TRANSFORMING TODDLERHOOD NOW! https://www.transformingtoddlerhood.com/book/

Follow Devon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/transformingtoddlerhood/

Prefer to watch instead of listen? Find this episode and the full video on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoDg6uayhMY

🩷 Hi! I’m an award-winning Emotional Intelligence parenting consultant, best-selling author and international speaker. I’m also a paediatric anxiety therapist and I love helping kids, parents and educators use emotional intelligence to become calmer, more connected and live happier lives!

Book a FREE 30 min consult with me to discuss coaching, support, collaborations or speaking engagements.

E: [email protected]

W: www.stephaniepinto.com

FB: fb.com/stephpinto

IG @emotionally.intelligent.parent

Have you joined my Facebook Group for parents? There are 140,000+ parents in the community! 🎉 Join Let's Raise Emotionally Intelligent Kids now.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the start of this year, I shared a post on Instagram about children and anger, and it went VIRAL.

Hundreds of thousands of parents liked, shared, and commented, because it hit home in such a powerful way.

Why? Because so many of us have been fed myths about what anger in kids means, and what we’re “supposed” to do about it.

So today I broke it all down.

👉 What an angry child doesn’t mean (hint: think entitlement, rudeness, or needing harsher punishments).

👉 What anger really is a signal of... from overwhelm to dysregulation to sensory overload.

👉 How you can respond with calm, confidence, and compassion (instead of conflict).

If you’ve ever felt lost, frustrated, or unsure when your child lashes out, this is the episode that will shift everything.

You’ll leave with a new perspective, and practical strategies to handle anger in a way that builds connection, not chaos.

🩷 Hi! I’m an award-winning Emotional Intelligence parenting consultant, best-selling author and international speaker. I’m also a paediatric anxiety therapist and I love helping kids, parents and educators use emotional intelligence to become calmer, more connected and live happier lives!

Book a FREE 30 min consult with me to discuss coaching, support, collaborations or speaking engagements.

E: [email protected]

W: www.stephaniepinto.com

FB: fb.com/stephpinto

IG @emotionally.intelligent.parent

Have you joined my Facebook Group for parents? There are 140,000+ parents in the community! 🎉 Join Let's Raise Emotionally Intelligent Kids now.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Raising kids and teens can be hard right... but you don’t have to do it alone. Self-care and prioritising our wellness is also hard... do you know why most of us actually don't do it? My guest does!

Drum roll please... because today I sat down with the one and only Amy Nesbitt, host of the Whole Wellness Mamas annual summit, to talk about how to overcome the challenges of motherhood, the importance of self-care, and finding a community that truly “gets it.”

We discuss:

• The real struggles mums face and how to navigate them without losing yourself
• Practical tips for managing stress, overwhelm, and the tricky child/teen years
• How connection and support can make even the hardest parenting days feel lighter
• Amy’s personal experiences as a mum and the lessons she’s learned along the way

This conversation is full of empathy, encouragement, and actionable insights... perfect for any mum who wants to feel seen, supported, and a little less alone.

Grab your FREE PASS to her summit coming up next week here (click or copy/paste): https://www.wholewellnessmamas.com/summit?sa=sa00824047863b5bb9e3305d0ce57f8fef670d1005

Hi! I’m an award-winning Emotional Intelligence parenting consultant, best-selling author and international speaker. I’m also a paediatric anxiety therapist and I love helping kids, parents and educators use emotional intelligence to become calmer, more connected and live happier lives!

Book a FREE 30 min consult with me to discuss coaching, support, collaborations or speaking engagements.

W: www.stephaniepinto.com

FB: fb.com/stephpinto

IG @emotionally.intelligent.parent

Have you joined my Facebook Group for parents? There are 140,000+ parents in the community! 🎉

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve ever felt like traditional parenting advice, or even the school system, just doesn’t FIT your child, especially if they’re neurodivergent, this episode is going to shift your perspective.

I’m joined by the brilliant Christina Keeble—an AuDHD mother of two neurodivergent PDAers, and a Neurodiversity and Educational Consultant with over 23 years of experience. Christina has worked with schools, families, businesses, and government organisations to change the way we see and support neurodivergent kids.

Together we dive into:

✨ Why kids’ need for connection never fades (even if society acts like it should)

✨ How school expectations often clash with children’s real needs

✨ Why rewards and consequences often do more harm than good

✨ How neurodivergent kids challenge social hierarchies—and why that’s actually a strength

Stick around to the end, where Christina shares powerful insights for parents considering leaving the school system—you don’t want to miss it.

This is one of those conversations that will leave you both challenged and encouraged. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of how to nurture trust, connection, and resilience in your kids.

🎁 CLAIM YOUR GIFT! Only for listeners, you can access my popular online course for parents of ADHD kiddos: From Blowups to Balance, instead of $97 just pay $17! Head to www.stephaniepinto.com/courses and use code ADHDPOD17

Hi! I’m an award-winning Emotional Intelligence parenting consultant, best-selling author and international speaker. I’m also a paediatric anxiety therapist and I love helping kids, parents and educators use emotional intelligence to become calmer, more connected and live happier lives!

Book a FREE 30 min consult with me to discuss coaching, support, collaborations or speaking engagements.

W: www.stephaniepinto.com

FB: fb.com/stephpinto

IG @emotionally.intelligent.parent

Have you joined my Facebook Group for parents? There are 140,000+ parents in the community! 🎉

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wonder why, no matter how hard you try, you keep slipping back into the same old parenting reactions? The ones you swore you’d never repeat?

You're in the right place. Today I spoke with Lael Stone, educator, TEDx speaker, parenting counsellor, and now author of the brand-new book Own Your Story.

Lael told me how our childhood “imprints”, the beliefs, feelings, and patterns you absorbed when we were little, are quietly steering our parenting today.

She revealed:

✨ Why your biggest triggers hold the key to your growth

✨ How to break the cycles you inherited (without shame or guilt)

✨ The gentle art of “reparenting” yourself so you can parent differently

✨ Why having kids brings your deepest wounds to the surface — and how to heal them

This is your chance to step out of the old loops and create a calmer, more connected home… starting from the inside out!!

Grab a copy of Lael’s book Own Your Story, and let’s dive in!

Find Lael's work at www.laelstone.com.au and her book is available at all stores and online now!

🌟

Follow me on Insta @emotionally.intelligent.parent

Have you joined my Facebook Group for parents? There are 140,000+ parents in the community! 🎉

JOIN US HERE!

Hi! I’m an award-winning Emotional Intelligence parenting consultant, best-selling author and international speaker. I’m also a paediatric anxiety therapist and I love helping kids, parents and educators use emotional intelligence to become calmer, more connected and live happier lives!

Book a FREE 30 min consult with me to discuss coaching, support, collaborations or speaking engagements.

💡 Head to www.stephaniepinto.com

Or stalk me on the socials...

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/emotionally.intelligent.parent/

FB: fb.com/stephpinto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MIC DROP MOMENT!

So I have now come to question every situation I've been in because... what if every argument, every eye-roll, every “you’re so unfair!” moment… isn’t just something to survive, but an invitation to finally break old habits and RECREATE who you are in the face of stress and conflict? Stay with me...

Today I’m sharing a powerful coaching strategy, a monumental shift that will change how you see fights/upset/arguments/ with your kids, your partner, and even strangers at the checkout. Inspired by a real-life parenting moment that brought this lesson home for me and my son last night, I'll show you exactly how emotional intelligence helps you move from control to connection, EVEN in the heat of the moment.

You’ll learn:

• Why conflict is never really about “winning” and the powerful quote that will transform the way you respond
• The hidden truth every tough conversation reveals: the gap between who you want to be and what you’re currently doing (hello, cognitive dissonance)
• What to say (and not say) when tensions rise, with four practical, honest scripts you can start using today
• Why you don’t have to handle things perfectly, but you do need to do one important thing after a tense situation
• Simple ways to model emotionally intelligent conflict resolution for your kids — even if you’re still figuring it out yourself

This isn’t just about staying calm. It’s about becoming the kind of parent, partner, and person you truly want to be — one choice, one conversation at a time.

Because in every moment, you get to decide: Will I escalate… or evolve?

🌟 Follow me on Insta @emotionally.intelligent.parent

Have you joined my Facebook Group for parents? There are 140,000+ parents in the community! 🎉

JOIN US HERE!

Hi! I’m an award-winning Emotional Intelligence parenting consultant, best-selling author and international speaker. I’m also a paediatric anxiety therapist and I love helping kids, parents and educators use emotional intelligence to become calmer, more connected and live happier lives!

Book a FREE 30 min consult with me to discuss coaching, support, collaborations or speaking engagements.

💡 Head to www.stephaniepinto.com

Or stalk me on the socials...

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/emotionally.intelligent.parent/

FB: fb.com/stephpinto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people believe that parenting is all about managing your child’s behaviour. But the truth is BOTH your child’s outbursts AND your own reactions are driven by your nervous systems. And no-one knows this stuff!

In this powerful and validating conversation, I sit down with Justin Sunseri (LMFT and host of the Stuck Not Broken podcast) to explore how the Polyvagal Theory completely shifts the way you understand both your children’s behaviour AND your own emotional patterns.

We unpack:

• Why your child isn’t “bad”, they’re dysregulated
• Why you keep snapping, yelling, or shutting down, even when you don’t want to
• The difference between compliance and true regulation
• How to co-regulate with your child when you’re feeling triggered too
• Why emotionally intelligent parenting starts with nervous system awareness, not just strategy
• How to begin creating a home that feels truly safe, for everyone

If you’ve ever felt stuck in reactive loops, overwhelmed by your child’s big emotions, or ashamed of your own responses, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and truly practical tools.

If you're like me and like to WATCH as well as listen - you can see this episode over on YouTube.

FIND JUSTIN'S WORK AND PODCAST HERE: www.justinlmft.com

🎁🎁🎁 My gift to you is my hugely popular, short online course that unpacks all of this! Access my Decoding and Defusing Challenging Behaviour Course for 50% off this week only, use code Decode50 and find it at www.stephaniepinto.com/courses

🌟 Follow me on Insta @emotionally.intelligent.parent

Have you joined my Facebook Group for parents? There are 140,000+ parents in the community! 🎉

JOIN US HERE!

Hi! I’m an award-winning Emotional Intelligence parenting consultant, best-selling author and international speaker. I’m also a paediatric anxiety therapist and I love helping kids, parents and educators use emotional intelligence to become calmer, more connected and live happier lives!

Book a FREE 30 min consult with me to discuss coaching, support, collaborations or speaking engagements.

💡 Head to www.stephaniepinto.com

Or stalk me on the socials...

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/emotionally.intelligent.parent/

FB: fb.com/stephpinto

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.