Gracebased Podcast

We’ve all been there: a simple request turns into a power struggle, and before you know it, the "train is off the tracks." In the series finale, Megan Hunt shares how to navigate these moments using the Levels of Engagement framework. Learn why "winning" an argument is never as important as repairing the relationship, and how to turn every conflict into a coaching opportunity that prepares your child for the real world.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Levels of Engagement: A "step-stool" approach to correction.
  • Level 1: Playful Engagement: De-escalating 80% of behaviors with a light touch.
  • Level 2: Structured Engagement: Giving specific choices and "two-second" directions.
  • Level 3: Calming Engagement: Recognizing when the "lid is flipped" and shifting focus from obedience to emotional regulation.
• The "Re-Do" in Action: Why practicing the right behavior is more effective than lecturing about the wrong one.
• The Anatomy of a Repair: Megan shares a vulnerable story about a pajama-time power struggle with her two-year-old and why saying "I’m sorry" is essential, even when you're the parent.
• Reflecting vs. Retaliating: How to move from "re-litigating" the past to "narrating" your child’s feelings to help them feel seen and known.
• Character Coaching: Using correction cycles to identify where a child needs extra support—whether it's self-control, boldness, or gentleness.

Key Takeaways

• Match the Intensity: Use only the level of engagement necessary to solve the problem. Once the behavior changes, "step down" the stool back to playfulness.
• Connect Before You Correct: You cannot successfully correct a child if you aren't in connection with them.
• Repair is the Finish Line: A correction cycle isn't complete until the relationship is fully restored.
• Launch-Ready Skills: Every conflict at home is a "practice round" for the conflicts your children will face as adults.

Meet Our Guest: Megan Hunt

Megan Hunt is a TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) practitioner, elementary school teacher, foster/adoptive mom, and Head Parenting Coach at The Well. She is dedicated to giving parents practical, hope-filled tools to raise kids with grace.

Podcast Catchphrases for Ep 8

The Levels of Engagement Step-Stool

Level | Strategy | GoalPlayful | Use a silly voice, a challenge, or a joke. | De-escalate and redirect.
Structured | Give two "Yes" choices (e.g., "Pants or shirt first?"). | Return to cooperation.
Calming | Stop the task. Focus on breathing, water, or a quiet space. | Regulate the brain's "fight or flight" response.

Meet Our Guest: Megan Hunt

Megan Hunt is a TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) expert, elementary school teacher, foster and adoptive mom, and the Head Parenting Coach at The Well. She specializes in helping parents develop a framework for discipline that prioritizes connection and long-term emotional health. 

get more free resources at www.gracebased.com 

It is one of the most common misconceptions in parenting: that "punishment" and "discipline" are the same thing. In this episode, Megan Hunt breaks down the profound difference between the two. While punishment often focuses on making a child pay for a mistake, true discipline focuses on teaching them how to do better next time.

Correcting Without Shame: How to address the behavior without attacking the child’s identity.

Holding the Line with Grace: The art of maintaining firm boundaries while remaining your child's biggest ally.

The Power of the Proximity and Tone: How your body language, volume, and word choice can either de-escalate a situation or pour gasoline on the fire.

Meet Our Guest: Megan Hunt

Megan Hunt is a TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) expert, elementary school teacher, foster and adoptive mom, and the Head Parenting Coach at The Well. She specializes in helping parents develop a framework for discipline that prioritizes connection and long-term emotional health. 

Learn more about building healthy family culture and get free resources at www.gracebased.com

Episode 6: The Balancing Act—Nurture & Structure

Finding the sweet spot between "warm and fuzzy" and "rules and results" is one of the greatest challenges in parenting. In this episode, Megan Hunt breaks down why the most effective correction happens when Nurture and Structure are in perfect harmony. When we lean too far into one, we lose the connection; when we balance both, we create a safe harbor for our children to grow.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Golden Mean: Why high nurture plus high structure equals the "Ideal Parent" quadrant in TBRI.
• Handling Resistance with Grace: What to do when your child pushes back against the schedule without losing your cool.
• Flexibility vs. Rigidity: Practical ways to keep the "bones" of your day strong while remaining responsive to your child's needs.

Key Takeaways

• Structure Provides Safety: Kids thrive when they know what to expect. Predictability is a form of love.
• Nurture Provides Access: Without nurture, structure feels like a burden. Nurture is the "oil" that keeps the gears of discipline moving smoothly.
• The "Both/And" Approach: You don't have to choose between being the "fun parent" and the "firm parent."

Meet Our Guest: Megan Hunt

Megan Hunt is a TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) expert, elementary school teacher, foster and adoptive mom, and the Head Parenting Coach at The Well. She specializes in helping parents develop a framework for discipline that prioritizes connection and long-term emotional health. 

learn more and get free resources at www.gracebased.com 
check out our award winning kids podcast Lightcatchers. wwww.bealightcatcher.com 

Episode 5: Giving Voice—Correction Through Empowerment

Discipline doesn’t have to be a power struggle where someone has to lose. In this episode, Megan Hunt dives into the proactive side of Correction from Connection, focusing on a transformative tool: Giving Voice. By offering choices and sharing power, we don't just manage behavior—we build a bridge of trust that lasts.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Defining "Giving Voice": Moving beyond compliance to help children feel heard and valued.
• The Power of Choice: Why offering two "yes" options can stop a meltdown before it starts.
• Sharing Power vs. Losing Control: How to empower your child without abdicated your role as a leader.
• Grace vs. Permissiveness: Finding the sweet spot between firm boundaries and empowering grace.
• Real-Life Transformation: Megan shares a powerful story of how giving a child a voice turned a high-tension moment into a deepening of their bond.

Key Takeaways

• Connect Before (and After) You Correct: True discipline is rooted in the relationship, not just the rules.
• Proactive over Reactive: Giving voice is a tool you use before things escalate, setting your child up for success.
• Win the Heart, Not Just the Argument: You don’t have to lose the relationship with your children to "win" at discipline.

Meet Our Guest: Megan Hunt

Megan Hunt is a TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) expert, elementary school teacher, foster and adoptive mom, and the Head Parenting Coach at The Well. She specializes in helping parents develop a framework for discipline that prioritizes connection and long-term emotional health.

learn more at www.gracebased.com
check out our award winning kids podcast www.bealightcatcher.com

In this episode Cody and Megan dive deep into the secret super power of parenting: play. 

They cover questions like: How does play help us connect with our kids on a deeper level? Can play actually help redirect misbehavior or teach new skills? How can families build play into their daily routines without making it another chore?

Get more free resources geared for families and kids, including our award winning kids podcast "Lightcatchers" 
check out www.gracebased.com
www.bealightcatcher.com

In this episode join Cody and Megan discuss, what does it really mean to model good behavior for our kids and why that is much more powerful than lecturing them on good behavior.

They also cover questions like: 
- How can parents know if their expectations are age-appropriate and grace-filled?

Raising kids is difficult, and discipline is a needed part of parenting. Cody and Megan give a TBRI (Trust Based Relational Intervention) framework for working with kids and correcting their behaviors. 

Get more free resources geared for families and kids, including our award winning kids podcast "Lightcatchers" 
check out www.gracebased.com
www.bealightcatcher.com

In this episode join Cody and Megan discuss, what does it really mean to be emotionally present with our kids? What’s the difference between regulation and co-regulation—and why do both matter? How can parents learn to tune in to their child’s emotional or sensory needs?

Raising kids is difficult, and discipline is a needed part of parenting. Cody and Megan give a TBRI (Trust Based Relational Intervention) framework for working with kids and correcting their behaviors. 

Get more free resources geared for families and kids, including our award winning kids podcast "Lightcatchers" 
check out www.gracebased.com
www.bealightcatcher.com 

Discipline is a hard, but essential practice in the life of every parent.

Join Megan Hunt and Cody Kimmel in this series as they examine attachment styles and how to raise healthy kids.

Kids need guidance, correction, and firm boundaries to mature into the adults we all hope they will become. But discipline can also feel overwhelming. If we do it the wrong way, we risk destroying our relationship with our children. If we avoid it, we undermine our ability to help them reach the maturity they need to thrive in the world. With so much at stake, there has to be a better way to discipline our kids.

Fortunately, there is. And it actually has nothing to do with the moment correction happens. In order to discipline our kids without destroying the relationship, we have to be correcting them from a place of deep, regular connection.

Learn more and get more free resources at www.gracebased.com

Trusting God with the Outcome.
This episode is a breath of fresh air for weary or anxious parents. You’ll be reminded that your child’s story is ultimately in God’s hands. Parenting isn’t about controlling results—it’s about being faithfully present and pointing them to hope in Christ. Even if your child struggles, you can walk with them in love, trust, and grace.

Learn more and get more free resources at www.gracebased.com

Responding with Wisdom, Not Panic
It’s one thing to believe in grace—it’s another to parent with it. This episode with Aaron and Dana explores how to put grace into practice when kids fail, when they question, or when you don’t know what to say. You’ll get practical examples, language you can use, and tools to stay grounded in love when the conversation gets hard.
get more free resources like this at www.gracebased.com