How attachment-first parenting helps kids thrive in the age of screens and AI

In this episode of Parent Like a Psychologist, I sit down with Todd Sarner, parenting coach, marriage therapist, and author of The Calm and Connected Parent: An Attachment-First Guide to Raising Resilient Kids in the Age of Screens and AI.

Todd’s work centres on helping parents lead with calm confidence, strong boundaries, and deep connection. His attachment-based approach is steady, warm, and refreshingly practical, especially for parents of neurodivergent kids.

This conversation goes deep into the heart of modern parenting, and why connection is the foundation for everything else, including behaviour, emotional regulation, sibling dynamics, and screen time.

We explore:

Why “attachment-first parenting” matters more than ever in a world of screens, AI, and constant distraction

The real reason many common parenting approaches fall flat (hello, pendulum swings between “gentle” and “tough love”)

How kids signal their need for connection, even when it looks like resistance, complaining, or pushing you away

Why teenagers often open up only right before bed, and how to use that time wisely

The truth about sibling rivalry and how much of it comes down to a child’s fear of losing your attention

Why one-size-fits-all parenting doesn’t work, and how to read each child’s unique temperament and needs

Simple shifts parents can make to build resilience, cooperation, and trust

How to balance warmth and boundaries without yelling, threatening, or feeling like you’re constantly firefighting

Parents today are raising kids in a completely different world, social media, algorithms, AI, academic pressure, and constant stimulation.
Todd explains how secure attachment acts like a compass, helping children feel safe, grounded, confident, and better able to manage challenges.

If you’ve ever felt:

torn between being “gentle” and setting firm limits

confused by conflicting parenting advice

frustrated when strategies work for one child but not another

overwhelmed by kids fighting, screen battles, or emotional ups and downs, this episode gives you clarity and direction.

Todd is a parent coach and couples therapist based in the U.S., known for his attachment-based, developmentally aware approach to raising resilient kids. His new book, The Calm and Connected Parent, offers a clear, compassionate roadmap for parenting in the digital age.

This is one of those conversations that will leave you feeling seen, supported, and equipped with practical tools you can use right away.

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts, or listen now on Parent Like a Psychologist.

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