How to be a parent and not a cop at home. If you've ever caught yourself using "command presence" with your kids, this episode is your roadmap back to calm, connected parenting.

In this episode of the Code4Couples Podcast, Cyndi Doyle sits down with Lynn McLean, a licensed clinical social worker and registered play therapy supervisor, to explore how law enforcement parents can strengthen family connection by shifting away from authoritarian "command presence" parenting. Lynn shares practical tools from her parent training program, including the A.C.T. model (Acknowledge the feeling, Communicate the limit, Target an alternative) to help parents set limits with empathy and consistency. Together, they discuss how hypervigilance and control learned on the job can spill into home life — and how first responder families can build trust and calm through reflective responding and intentional communication.

Hosted by Cyndi Doyle, licensed professional counselor supervisor, retired police spouse, and author of Hold the Line: The Essential Guide to Protecting Your Law Enforcement Relationship.

Grab your copy of Hold the Line → https://www.amazon.com/Hold-Line-Protecting-Enforcement-Relationship-ebook/dp/B08TPRTY9G#customerReviews

🎙 Invite Cyndi to speak or train your department → https://code4couples.com/training/

00:00 – Intro & why this conversation matters 02:10 – What "command presence" looks like at home 05:45 – The cost of authoritarian parenting for first responder families 09:00 – Lynn introduces the A.C.T. model 14:30 – Parenting with empathy: reflective responding in action 21:00 – Thermostat vs. thermometer parenting 27:00 – How to repair after yelling or losing your cool 32:00 – Learn more about Lynn's parent class 33:00 – Closing & final takeaways