You love the same kids. You probably even want many of the same things for them. So why can you and your spouse look at the exact same parenting moment and see it completely differently?

In this episode of The Art of Raising Humans, Kyle and Sara share more of their own parenting story—including the beliefs they brought into parenting, the conflicts they didn’t expect, and the very different approaches they initially had to sleep, big emotions, discipline, connection, and their roles as parents.

They talk openly about how childhood experiences, personality, fear, expectations, and even professional training can shape the way we respond to our kids—and why getting on the same page doesn’t mean becoming the same parent.

You’ll hear how they moved from judging each other’s approach to building a shared vision for their family, while still making room for their individual strengths.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why different parenting styles can create so much tension between couples
• How your own childhood can quietly influence the way you parent
• Why shared long-term goals matter more than handling every situation identically
• How to start moving toward a more connected, collaborative approach to parenting together

If parenting disagreements are creating tension in your marriage or leaving you wondering how you’ll ever get on the same page, this conversation will give you hope—and a different way to think about becoming a team.

Want help putting this into practice?

Download our free Parenting Together Workbook, created to help you and your spouse or co-parent talk through your different perspectives, uncover what’s shaping the way each of you parents, and begin building a more intentional, shared approach to raising your kids.

👉 Download the Parenting Together Workbook here: www.artofraisinghumans.com/parent-together-workbook

View the full podcast transcript at: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/when-you-and-your-spouse-parent-differently-how-to-get-on-the-same-team

Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.

Resource Website: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com

Video Courses: 

https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans

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Podcast Website: 

https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com

Book List:

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist

The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.

Curiosity is one of the most beautiful parts of childhood. It drives kids to ask questions, explore new ideas, take healthy risks, and discover who they are.

But as kids get older, curiosity can also become scary for parents.

What happens when curiosity leads your child toward pornography, vaping, alcohol, sex, risky online content, dangerous challenges, or choices they may not be ready to handle?

In this episode of The Art of Raising Humans, Kyle and Sara explore how parents can protect their kids without teaching them to fear curiosity or hide their questions. They explain why curiosity is a normal part of child and adolescent development, why teens are especially drawn to novelty and new experiences, and how parents can become the safe person their child turns to when curiosity takes them somewhere unfamiliar.

You’ll learn:

• Why curiosity changes as children move from childhood into the tween and teen years
• How to consider curiosity, risk, access, and readiness before deciding how much freedom to give
• The SAFE framework for responding when your child brings you an uncomfortable or concerning question
• How to create boundaries around screens, pornography, substances, relationships, risky behavior, and other areas of exploration without shutting down communication

Kyle and Sara also share practical ways to guide curiosity differently with younger children, tweens, and teenagers, and how to prepare kids for moments when curiosity, peer pressure, and impulsiveness collide.

The goal isn’t to raise kids who never take risks or ask hard questions. It’s to raise kids who stay full of wonder while gradually learning how to pause, assess risk, seek help, and make choices that protect their future.

View the full podcast transcript at: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/the-wonder-and-danger-of-curiosity-how-to-help-kids-explore-safely

Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.

Resource Website: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com

Video Courses: 

https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans

Podcast Website: 

https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com

Book List:

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist

The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.

Do you ever feel like you are managing every detail of your child’s life—schoolwork, activities, friendships, schedules, and responsibilities—yet worry they may not be learning how to handle life without you? Or maybe you try to give your child more freedom, only to watch them become overwhelmed, make a choice they regret, or expect you to rescue them afterward.

In this episode of The Art of Raising Humans, Kyle and Sara Wester talk about the difference between giving children small choices and helping them practice the meaningful decision-making skills they will need for adulthood. From choosing classes, activities, and friendships to managing time, money, and growing responsibilities, children and teens need opportunities to make real choices while parents are still nearby to guide them.

You’ll learn how to give your child an appropriate voice without putting adult-sized pressure on them; how to know when to step in and when to step back; and how to help them recover when a decision does not work out. This episode is for parents who want to raise confident, capable kids—not kids who need a parent to manage every next step.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why too much control—or too much freedom—can leave kids anxious and unprepared for adulthood.
• How meaningful choices build confidence, responsibility, resilience, and executive-function skills.
• Age-appropriate choices for elementary-aged children, tweens, and teens.
• How to coach your child through decisions and mistakes without rescuing, shaming, or taking over.

View the full podcast transcript at: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/are-you-giving-your-child-real-choices-how-to-build-confidence-without-giving-up-leadership-ep-227

Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.

Resource Website: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com

Video Courses: 

https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans

Podcast Website: 

https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com

Book List:

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist

The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.

Does your teen have no clear plan for college, work, or life after high school? When they say, “I don’t know,” it can bring up a lot of fear for parents. Are they behind? Unmotivated? Will they be able to support themselves and find a meaningful path?

In this episode, Kyle and Sara Wester explain why pressure often makes teens shut down and how parents can guide their teen forward without taking over or backing away completely. Your teen does not need to have their whole future figured out right now. They need opportunities to learn about themselves, build real confidence, and practice making thoughtful next-step decisions.

You’ll learn:

• Why uncertainty is not the same as laziness or a lack of potential
• How your own fear can accidentally make future conversations feel overwhelming
• Curious questions that help teens discover strengths, interests, and what drains them
• Practical ways to build ownership through experiences, responsibility, and small decisions

Whether your teen is anxious about the future or seems completely unbothered by it, this conversation will help you replace pressure with calm, connected leadership and help them grow into an adult who can navigate whatever comes next.

View the full podcast transcript at: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/when-your-teen-has-no-idea-what-to-do-with-their-life

Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.

Resource Website: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com

Video Courses: 

https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans

Podcast Website: 

https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com

Book List:

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist

The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.

Why can the child who is most like you also be the one who pushes your buttons the fastest?

Maybe their anxiety, sensitivity, stubbornness, big emotions, or need for control feels painfully familiar. Without realizing it, parents can begin reacting to their own past instead of responding to the child in front of them.

In this episode of The Art of Raising Humans, Kyle and Sara explore why familiar traits can feel so triggering and how parents can interrupt old patterns without blaming themselves or trying to fix their child. They share a brain based, relationship first way to grow in awareness, regulate in the hard moments, and give your child the safety and guidance you may have needed too.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why your child’s behavior can activate old fears, memories, and pressure
• How to notice when you are parenting from a trigger instead of the present moment
• Why understanding yourself helps you respond to your child with more calm and connection
• How to break unhealthy family patterns while still setting clear, confident limits

Your child does not need a perfect parent. They need a parent willing to pause, get curious, and choose a new path.

View the full podcast transcript at: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/when-your-child-is-just-like-you-how-to-stop-repeating-old-patterns

Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.

Resource Website: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com

Video Courses: 

https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans

Podcast Website: 

https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com

Book List:

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist

The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.

Have you ever worried that you missed your chance to build a secure attachment with your child? Or wondered why your child shuts down, becomes clingy, or struggles to bring their emotions to you?

In this episode, Kyle and Sara talk with licensed professional counselor and attachment expert Eli Harwood, also known as The Attachment Nerd, about what secure attachment really looks like and how parents can strengthen it at any age.

Eli explains why attachment is not about perfect parenting or avoiding conflict. It is about becoming a safe, steady person your child can turn to when life feels hard—and a secure base from which they can confidently explore the world.

In this conversation, you’ll discover:

• What the four attachment patterns can reveal about a child’s behavior
• Why responding to emotions does not make children weak or overly dependent
• How one secure relationship can make a lasting difference in a child’s life
• How parents can work through their own emotional baggage and create a different legacy for their children

This hopeful conversation will help you see everyday emotions, conflicts, and repairs as opportunities to build the kind of relationship your child can carry into adulthood.

Eli Harwood, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor, USA TODAY bestselling author, mother of three, and creator of Attachment Nerd. She has more than 19 years of clinical experience helping individuals and families understand attachment and build healthier patterns of connection. Her books include Raising Securely Attached Kids, Securely Attached, and How to Deal with Your ____ So Your Kids Don’t Have To.

Connect with Eli:

Website: https://www.attachmentnerd.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/attachmentnerd/

Books: https://www.attachmentnerd.com/books

How to Deal Podcast: https://podcast.attachmentnerd.com/

View the full podcast transcript at: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/how-to-build-a-secure-attachment-with-your-child-at-any-age-with-eli-harwood

Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.

Resource Website: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com

Video Courses: 

https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans

Podcast Website: 

https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com

Book List:

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist

The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.

Few things frustrate parents more than trying to have an important conversation with a child or teen and hearing, “I don’t care” or “I don’t know.”

It can feel dismissive, disrespectful, avoidant, or even scary. Parents may start wondering: Do they really not care? Are they lying? Are they avoiding responsibility? Am I losing influence?

In this episode of The Art of Raising Humans, Kyle and Sara talk about what may actually be happening underneath these common responses. They explain why “I don’t care” can be a form of armor, why “I don’t know” can be a shutdown response, and why pushing harder often makes kids more defensive instead of more honest.

You’ll learn how to stay calm, lower the pressure without lowering the boundary, and help your child move from defensiveness into reflection, responsibility, and repair. Kyle and Sara also share practical ways to respond to kids ages 8–18, including what younger kids, tweens, and teens may need when they seem shut down or checked out.

This episode is especially helpful for parents who want to reduce power struggles, build emotional intelligence, strengthen connection, and guide their child with calm leadership instead of fear.

When your child says, “I don’t care” or “I don’t know,” try not to chase the words. Look underneath. Behind both phrases is often a child who feels overwhelmed, ashamed, confused, or unsure how to move forward.

Listen to this episode to learn how to respond with connection, clarity, and confidence.

View the full podcast transcript at: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/when-your-child-says-i-dont-care-or-i-dont-know

Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.

Resource Website: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com

Video Courses: 

https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans

Podcast Website: 

https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com

Book List:

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist

The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.

What if our teenagers’ risky choices, rebellion, or need to prove themselves are partly attempts to answer a deeper question: Am I ready to grow up, and does anyone see who I am becoming?

For thousands of years, communities intentionally helped young people transition from childhood into adulthood. Today, many teenagers are left to create their own rites of passage through drinking, drugs, sexual experiences, reckless behavior, or other choices they believe will prove they are grown.

In this episode, Kyle and Sara talk with Dr Arne Rubinstein about how parents can help teenagers experience this transition in a healthier, more meaningful way.

Dr Arne explains why teenagers need belonging, emotional safety, meaningful challenges, trusted adults, and opportunities to discover the gifts they can contribute to the world. He also shares how families can create an intentional rite of passage without needing an elaborate ceremony or extended retreat.

But this process is not only about helping teenagers mature. Parents must also be willing to change.

As children move toward adulthood, parents are invited to release some control, relate to them differently, and create space for greater responsibility, independence, and trust. Without that shift, even a powerful experience can quickly dissolve when the family returns to its old patterns.

This conversation will help you see adolescence as more than a difficult stage to survive. It is a pivotal season in which parents can help young people develop purpose, confidence, responsibility, and a clearer vision of the adults they want to become.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why teenagers often create their own unhealthy rites of passage

• The three stages of a meaningful transition into adulthood

• Why stories and vulnerability can reach teens more effectively than lectures

• How challenges, vision, and recognition help teenagers discover who they are

• Why boys and girls may need different forms of support during adolescence

• How to honor your teenager’s natural gifts and strengths

• Why parents must go through a transition alongside their children

• Practical ways to continue the growth after the meaningful moment is over

About Dr Arne Rubinstein

Dr Arne Rubinstein, OAM, is the founder and director of the Rites of Passage Institute and a globally recognized expert on rites of passage. After 15 years in emergency medicine, he dedicated his work to helping young people, families, schools, and communities navigate major life transitions. His work has reached more than 450,000 people across 25 countries.

Connect with Dr Arne Rubinstein and the Rites of Passage Institute

Visit the Rites of Passage Institute

Explore camps, training, books, and resources

Follow the Rites of Passage Institute on Instagram

Connect with the Rites of Passage Institute on LinkedIn

Listen now and discover how intentional moments of connection can help your teenager step toward adulthood knowing they are seen, supported, and capable.

View the full podcast transcript at: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/why-teens-need-a-rite-of-passage-and-parents-need-one-too-with-dr-arne-rubinstein

Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.

Resource Website: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com

Video Courses: 

https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans

Podcast Website: 

https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com

Book List:

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist

The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.

Have you ever wondered whether your child’s sensitivity, strong will, quietness, or intensity is something you need to change?

When a behavior repeatedly frustrates or worries us, it is easy to start seeing our child as the problem. We may lecture more, push harder, compare them to other children, or try to shape them into someone who feels easier and less frightening to raise.

But what if the trait you are trying to eliminate was never broken?

In this episode, Kyle and Sara explore the important difference between accepting who your child is and guiding how they use their strengths. You will learn how sensitivity can become empathy, strong will can become leadership, quietness can reflect thoughtfulness, and intensity can grow into passion and purpose.

They also share practical language for responding to children and teens without shaming their identity, while still maintaining boundaries, teaching responsibility, and developing emotional regulation.

You’ll discover:

• How parental fear can turn guidance into rejection

• Why children need to know, “I am loved as I am, and I am capable of growing”

• How to find the strength underneath a frustrating behavior

• What children ages 8–18 need from parents at different developmental stages

• Four questions to help you decide whether a moment needs acceptance, guidance, or a clear boundary

• How protecting your child’s dignity strengthens your influence into adulthood

Your child does not need you to fix who they are. They need your help becoming the healthiest, wisest version of who they already are.

Learn more about Parent Relationship Coaching and the Art of Raising Humans at ArtOfRaisingHumans.com.

View the full podcast transcript at: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/what-you-should-never-try-to-fix-about-your-child

Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.

Resource Website: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com

Video Courses: 

https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans

Podcast Website: 

https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com

Book List:

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist

The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.

In today’s digital world, boys are being shaped by voices most parents never invited in.

Social media, porn culture, toxic influencers, looksmaxxing, pressure to be rich, pressure to be ripped, and the constant message to “act like you don’t care” are all reaching boys earlier than many adults realize. But how do we talk to our sons about these things without fear, shame, lectures, or panic?

In this episode of The Art of Raising Humans, Kyle and Sara talk with Daniel Principe, a youth advocate and educator from Australia who works with boys, schools, parents, and communities to help young men grow into courageous, respectful, empathetic adults.

Daniel helps parents understand the world boys are navigating right now and why curiosity matters more than judgment. He shares why boys need more than warnings about what not to become. They need a hopeful, healthy vision of who they can become.

Together, Kyle, Sara, and Daniel discuss how parents can approach difficult conversations about masculinity, body image, pornography, online pressure, consent, relationships, and character. They also explore why boys are not bad or broken, why parents should not parent from shame, and how adults can become safe, steady voices in a very noisy culture.

This conversation is honest, hopeful, and deeply practical for parents raising boys in a world that often pulls them toward disconnection, insecurity, and apathy.

Daniel Principe is a passionate youth advocate and educator who creates spaces that champion boys into becoming good men. He works with young people, parents, educators, and communities to challenge harmful cultural messages and invite boys toward courage, respect, empathy, and healthy relationships.

Learn more about Daniel’s work at DanielPrincipe.com.au.

Connect with Daniel on Instagram: @lastoftheromans.

Listen to The Art of Raising Humans wherever you get your podcasts.

View the full podcast transcript at: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/raising-boys-in-a-digital-world-masculinity-porn-body-image-and-character-with-daniel-principe

Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.

Resource Website: 

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com

Video Courses: 

https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans

Podcast Website: 

https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com

Book List:

https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist

The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.