You've tried the charts. The consequences. The calm voice you read about in that book. And yet you keep finding yourself yelling, controlling, or checked out and wondering: Who is this person? If you've ever felt like parenting is turning you into someone you don't recognize, this episode is for you. We explore the neuroscience that explains why behavior management keeps failing, what your child's brain is actually responding to (hint: it's not your words), and how to come home to the parent you actually want to be.

Key Topics:

• Why you feel like you're becoming a parent you don't recognize

• The neuroscience of interbrain synchronization and "right brain to right brain" communication

• Why behavior management approaches keep failing

• How your emotional state shapes your child's developing brain

• Why parenting is a practice, not a set of techniques

• Four practical shifts to prioritize presence over management

Resources Mentioned:

• Research by Allan Schore on right brain development and interpersonal neurobiology

• Dr. Gordon Neufeld's attachment-based developmental approach (neufeldinstitute.org)

• Your Parenting Practice — coaching and community for reflective parenting

Connect:

• innerlifeparenting.com

What do you do when your child’s emotions feel like too much?

The crying that won’t stop.
The meltdowns that fill the room.
The anger, the whining, the clinginess that seems to hijack your nervous system.

Most of us were raised to believe that big feelings are a problem to fix, stop, or control. That a “good” child is a calm child. And that if our kids can hold it together sometimes, they should be able to do it all the time.

When your child’s emotions feel overwhelming, it’s easy to assume something is wrong—either with them or with you. In this episode, Raelee Peirce explores why big feelings aren’t a discipline problem, what meltdowns are really communicating, and how making room for emotions supports true emotional development. 

What if behavior problems are really connection problems in disguise? In this episode, we explore why "stuck tears" drive so much childhood aggression, why our discipline tools often backfire, and what it actually looks like to tend the roots instead of fighting the symptoms. 

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why "stuck tears" are behind so many behavior problems—and what that actually means
• The exhaustion cycle that traps parents and children together
• Why time-outs and consequences often fuel the very problems we're trying to fix
• The six stages of connection and how they unfold in childhood
• Why a child can only connect as deeply as the relationship allows
• How to use the natural moments of your day (mornings, pickups, meals, bedtime) to build connection
• What it means to help a child's tears "come unstuck"
• Why taking care of yourself isn't separate from taking care of your child

You've asked three times. They're still not moving. Sound familiar?

Here's what no one told you: your child can't follow a direction from someone they're not connected to in that moment. It's not defiance—it's disconnection.

In this episode, I break down what "connection before correction" actually means (hint: it's not about calming tantrums), and give you the simple, seconds-long practice that changes everything—from morning battles to bedtime resistance.

If you're tired of repeating yourself, this one's for you.

If you've ever felt that sinking feeling when your child whines "I'm bored" - that pressure to come up with activities, suggest something, or hand over a screen - this episode is for you.

Parent Coach Raelee Peirce cuts through the confusion about childhood boredom and gives you permission to stop being your child's entertainment committee.

You'll discover:

• What boredom actually IS (hint: it's not a lack of things to do)
• Why our children are the most stimulated AND most bored generation ever
• The three reasons kids lose their natural curiosity and creativity
• Why trying to "fix" boredom makes it worse, not better
• The exact steps to take when your child says "I'm bored" (and what NOT to do)
• Real examples of what emergence looks like in 5-year-olds, 8-year-olds, and 10-year-olds
• How to know if it's working (and what to do if it's not)

This isn't about being a "mean parent" who doesn't care if their child is uncomfortable. It's about understanding that boredom is a symptom of missing emergent energy - and that energy can't develop when we keep filling the space from the outside.

If you're ready to help your child discover that they have something inside them - curiosity, imagination, creativity, initiative - this episode will show you how.

Your consequences aren't working. Not because you're doing them wrong—but because you can't punish a child into maturity.

In this episode, discover why most behavior problems are actually DEVELOPMENT problems, and what your child actually needs to grow past the lying, the meltdowns, the defiance, and the risky choices.

Spoiler: It's not a bigger consequence.

In this episode, you'll discover:

✨ Why taking things away often makes behavior WORSE, not better

✨ The difference between a child who's defiant and a child who's developmentally stuck

✨ Three questions to ask before you consequence that will change everything

✨ What your lying 7-year-old, your phone-obsessed 13-year-old, and your risky 16-year-old all have in common

✨ How to shift from "What do I DO?" to "What does my child NEED?"

✨ Real scripts for responding to challenging behavior without consequences

✨ Why maturity can't be taught, rewarded, or punished into existence—and what actually works

Connect With Me:

Have questions about this episode? Wondering how to apply this to your specific situation?

Visit innerlifeparenting.com to work with me one-on-one.

And if this episode helped you see your child—and your parenting—differently, please share it with another exhausted parent who needs to hear this message.

What if the challenging behavior you're seeing isn't something to fix, but something to understand?

In this episode, I'm sharing the framework that completely changed how I parent and coach families - and it has nothing to do with new strategies or discipline techniques.

When managing behavior isn't working, it's usually because we're asking the wrong question. Instead of "What do I DO?" we need to ask "What do I SEE?"

I'll walk you through the three essential lenses for seeing your child:

• Attachment - Are they resting in connection or desperately pursuing it?
• Vulnerability - What feelings are too scary to show you?
• Maturation - What capacity just hasn't ripened yet?

Through real coaching stories (including one about sibling meanness that shifted in just two weeks), you'll learn how changing what you see naturally changes how you respond - without trying harder or doing more.

This episode is for you if:

• You feel like you've tried everything and nothing's working
• You're exhausted from managing behavior all day long
• You wonder if something is "wrong" with your child (or you)
• You want to understand what's really driving the challenging behavior

Your child isn't broken. They're not bad. They're just trying to tell you something - and this episode will help you understand what that is.

Key Takeaways:

✨ The secret to parenting isn't in what you DO, it's in how you SEE your child
 ✨ Misbehavior is often just immature pursuit of connection
 ✨ Defended hearts can't grow - children need to feel vulnerable feelings
 ✨ You can't discipline someone into developmental maturity
 ✨ One shift in seeing can create more change than a hundred strategies

Resources Mentioned:

• Dr. Gordon Neufeld & the Neufeld Institute
• Kim John Payne & Simplicity Parenting
• PCI Parent Coaching

Connect with Raelee:

• Website: innerlifeparenting.com
• Lead Parent Coach at heypoppins.com

Action Step:

Choose ONE challenging behavior your child is showing right now. Look at it through all three lenses (attachment, vulnerability, maturation) and notice how your response naturally shifts when you see the need underneath the behavior.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with another parent who needs to hear that their child isn't broken. We're all in this together.

Rooted in Relationship: When Managing Behavior Isn't Working - helping parents see their children through the lenses of attachment, vulnerability, and maturation.

Feeling overwhelmed by the chaos of family life? In this episode of Rooted in Values, we explore how rhythm—not rigid schedules—can bring more ease, connection, and joy into your home. Discover simple ways to create predictable flow in your day, reduce stress, and foster deeper family bonds. Tune in for insights, practical tips, and wisdom from the Bahá’í Writings and Kim John Payne on why rhythm is the key to a more peaceful home. 

Join Raelee Peirce, Certified PCI Parent Coach, as she explores the mental load parents carry every day. In this episode, Raelee dives into how the invisible weight of parenting can affect your well-being and offers practical tips for sharing the load and creating a more balanced family life. 

Rooted in the work of Kim John Payne of Simplicity Parenting, this podcast helps parents navigate everyday challenges with warmth, clarity, and confidence.

Through insightful conversations and practical strategies, Raelee explores how to set loving boundaries, nurture strong family relationships, and honor each child’s unique temperament—including neurodivergent needs. Parenting isn’t about power over our kids, but standing strong for them—guiding them with steadiness, connection, and trust.

If you’re looking for a place to feel seen, supported, and reminded that you’re doing meaningful work, you’re in the right place. Welcome to Rooted in Values—where we parent with intention and stay grounded in what truly matters. 🌱✨