Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens

Eps 415: Navigating sibling dynamics with Erica Whitfield


Listen Later

My guest today is Erica Whitfield.  


I don’t have many episodes about sibling dynamics, so I’m very excited to have Erica here to dig into scapegoated siblings. Erica explains what exactly a scapegoated sibling is and why some kiddos may feel disconnected from their parents. We get into other roles that siblings may fall into and how we, as parents, can make sure we’re there to hold & support all of our kids. Erica talks about how past trauma can affect our parentings and how we can recognize if we’re starting to scapegoat. I ask Erica what to do if we notice that we’re in that dynamic, and we touch on how neurodivergence, birth order, & your own relationships and history can affect these roles. Erica explains what to do to start repair - asking for feedback, negotiating, and finding balance, & justice, and we explore a few different ways to ask for that feedback. 



Takeaways from the show

  • What is a scapegoated sibling? 
  • Nurturing communication between siblings 
  • Resentment between siblings 
  • Other roles that kids can fall into 
  • How to communicate to your child that you can handle their challenges & journey 
  • Signs you may be scapegoating one child 
  • How to correct when you see yourself in this dynamic 
  • Neurodivergence, birth order, & your own relationships playing into these roles 
  • “Dynamics play out until they get healed” 
  • Inviting & preparing for feedback from your teens about their experience

  • For more details, including transcripts, visit our website here.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Joyful Courage for Parenting TeensBy Casey O'Roarty

    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8

    4.8

    247 ratings


    More shows like Joyful Courage for Parenting Teens

    View all
    ADHD Experts Podcast by ADDitude

    ADHD Experts Podcast

    1,330 Listeners

    Respectful Parenting: Janet Lansbury Unruffled by JLML Press

    Respectful Parenting: Janet Lansbury Unruffled

    3,660 Listeners

    Mindful Mama: Raising Kind, Confident Kids Without Losing Your Cool | Parenting Strategies For Big Emotions & More by Hunter Clarke-Fields

    Mindful Mama: Raising Kind, Confident Kids Without Losing Your Cool | Parenting Strategies For Big Emotions & More

    446 Listeners

    Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children by Debbie Reber

    Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

    983 Listeners

    What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson

    What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms

    1,001 Listeners

    AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety by Natasha Daniels: Child Therapist, Child Anxiety and Child OCD Expert

    AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety

    1,214 Listeners

    In It: Raising Kids Who Learn Differently by Understood.org, Gretchen Vierstra, Rachel Bozek

    In It: Raising Kids Who Learn Differently

    249 Listeners

    Raising Good Humans by Dear Media, Aliza Pressman

    Raising Good Humans

    1,891 Listeners

    THE AUTISM ADHD PODCAST by Holly Blanc Moses

    THE AUTISM ADHD PODCAST

    636 Listeners

    Flusterclux With Lynn Lyons: For Parents Who Worry by Lynn Lyons LICSW, Robin Hutson

    Flusterclux With Lynn Lyons: For Parents Who Worry

    456 Listeners

    Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens by Dr. Lisa Damour/Reena Ninan

    Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens

    103 Listeners

    Good Inside with Dr. Becky by Dr. Becky Kennedy

    Good Inside with Dr. Becky

    4,531 Listeners

    We Can Do Hard Things by Treat Media and Glennon Doyle

    We Can Do Hard Things

    41,514 Listeners

    This Is So Awkward by Peoples Media, This Is So Awkward

    This Is So Awkward

    330 Listeners

    Divorce with Sam and Leah by Sam and Leah

    Divorce with Sam and Leah

    45 Listeners