If your mornings feel like a daily emotional avalanche, lost shoes, floppy limbs, scratchy socks, MELTDOWNS, you’re not alone. In this episode, Jon goes back to the original Whole Parent format and answers real listener questions about morning routines, meltdowns, and the brain science behind why kids fall apart at the exact same time every day.

Instead of asking “What am I doing wrong?”, we flip the script:
What if the problem isn’t you… it’s the lack of brutal predictability?

Jon breaks down how kids’ underdeveloped executive function makes mornings uniquely hard—and how a simple, boring, repeatable routine can take the mental load off their brains and yours.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why mornings are so hard for kids’ brains
  How an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex, weak time sense, and limited executive function make “getting out the door” way more complex for kids than it is for adults.
• The power of “brutally predictable” routines
  Why turning mornings into the same simple sequence every day (with visual aids, checklists, or songs) actually reduces meltdowns and resistance.
• How long it should really take to get out the house
  Jon’s 20-minute rule for shoes/coats/backpacks—and why building in buffer time makes you less likely to snap, rush, or bark orders.
• Connecting before correcting
  What to do in the first 3–5 minutes after kids wake up, and why a few minutes of cuddle + connection can change the whole morning.
• When your kid’s “routine” includes a meltdown
  How kids unconsciously bake the meltdown into the pattern—and how to replace that step with connection, play, or a job instead of power struggles.
• Brain-based hacks that actually feel doable
  Including:
  • Turning the morning into a game instead of a battle
  • Giving kids simple “jobs” that channel their energy
  • The “put the shoes to bed” trick to end the Great Shoe Hunt every morning

Listener questions in this episode:

• Nancy:
  “My 6-year-old wakes up slow and my 3-year-old wakes up fiery. No matter how early I start, we’re either late or someone is screaming. What am I doing wrong in our morning routine?”
• Dave:
  “Every morning falls apart at the exact same spot: shoes and coats. My 4-year-old goes floppy, my toddler zigzags half-dressed, and I feel my patience evaporate. How do I break this pattern without becoming the drill sergeant I swore I’d never be?”
• Anonymous (aka The Great Shoe Hunt):
  “Every single morning turns into a shoe hunt. One shoe is in the pantry, the other in the bathtub. Is there a brain hack for kids who cannot keep track of their shoes?”

Key Takeaways:

• Your mornings probably aren’t failing because you’re a “bad” parent. They’re failing because kids’ brains can’t carry that many steps without structure.
• A brutally predictable routine + a visual aid (chart, checklist, pictures, or song) can remove 80% of the morning chaos.
• Build in more time than you think you need so you’re not parenting from panic and hurry.
• Connection first, then routine: those first minutes after wake-up are prime time to fill your child’s emotional cup.
• If your kid’s “routine” currently includes a meltdown, your goal is not to shame it away—but to replace that step with play, jobs, or connection.
• Responsibility (like putting shoes “to bed” at night) isn’t punishment—it’s how kids build agency, confidence, and resilience.

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It all started with a gold star. A single shining sticker on a kindergarten chart that—without me realizing it—began rewiring my understanding of love, worth, and motivation. In this episode of The Whole Parent Podcast, we dive into the hidden cost of praise—why “good job” might be doing more harm than good, and how something as innocent as a sticker chart can turn play into performance.

Drawing on groundbreaking research from psychologists like Edward Deci and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, I unravel how extrinsic rewards shift our kids’ focus from curiosity to compliance…and why this shift often leaves adults feeling hollow, disconnected, and trapped in perfection.

Through personal stories and parenting insights (including an unforgettable block tower moment with my son), we explore what happens when we stop praising kids for performing and start truly seeing them instead. If you've ever wondered whether we’re raising children who chase approval instead of wonder, this episode is for you.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why praise can undermine confidence and creativity
• The difference between being seen and being evaluated
• How to encourage intrinsic motivation in your kids—and yourself
• A new language of love that sounds nothing like “good job”

Let’s trade gold stars for presence—and rediscover the quiet magic of being enough, just as we are.

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A grainy home video from 1993 opens a door many parents avoid: the thin line where love and control blur. From that single forced smile, we follow the thread into cognitive dissonance, exploring why we promise ourselves we won’t yell and still end up yelling, and why small justifications feel so necessary when our identity as a “good parent” is on the line. Leon Festinger’s doomsday research gives language to our everyday contradictions, showing how, when identity is threatened, we don’t change our minds.... we change reality.

We bring this science home with two stories. Lisa’s body remembers what her beliefs reject, and the old neural pathways fire when her child pushes back. Then Tina Payne Bryson shares a vivid, practical moment at a “sticky theater,” modeling how to regulate first, lead with curiosity, validate a child’s feeling, and hold the boundary without collapsing into punishment. The method is simple but not easy: calm nervous systems, shorter stories, cleaner choices, and consistent repair when we miss. Shame tightens the loop; curiosity loosens it.

There’s a deeper conflict beneath tactics: loyalty. When Daniel chooses a new approach and his mom hears, “So we did it all wrong,” the tension isn’t about timeouts—it’s about belonging and gratitude. We talk about honoring our parents’ love while retiring what harmed us, letting love and harm share the same page. That lens scales up to national myths too, where competing truths demand better storytelling. The payoff is quiet and powerful: a parent who almost prompts a thank you—and waits. The child thanks on his own. The cycle doesn’t shatter; it thins, and light gets through.

If this conversation gave you a new way to see your past or a tool to try tonight, tap follow, leave a quick review, and share this episode with one parent who needs it. Your recommendation helps more families find practical calm and truthful hope.

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This is one of my shorter mini-episodes where I read this weeks Substack article. 

We answer here the simple and yet extremely common question "What are we supposed to do when our kid hits us or someone else?" 

If you would like to support my work consider subscribing on Substack for $5 per month.

It is the best way to support my work and keep the podcast episodes coming!

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Stories aren’t just how we pass time—they’re how we pass on what it means to be human. We sit down with librarian and children’s literature expert Betsy Bird to unpack why reading aloud is more than a bedtime ritual. It’s brain food during the fastest phase of neural growth; a daily practice that builds language, attention, and the social skill that holds every relationship together: empathy.

We dive into research showing how literary fiction boosts theory of mind, helping kids understand that other people think and feel differently than they do. That skill matters in a polarized world where algorithms reward outrage and flatten nuance. Books slow us down long enough to inhabit another mind—what author John Green calls “shrinking the empathy gap.” We also confront the rise of organized book bans: why diverse stories and queer themes draw fire, how librarians already vet collections for age and quality, and what censorship really fears—children learning to perspective-take beyond the boundaries someone else drew for them.

Betsy shares three unforgettable picture books parents can use tonight. The Rabbit Listened models presence over fixing;  Sorry You Got Mad turns a bad apology into a real one; Touch the Sky reframes perseverance as a long, honest process. 

Along the way, we honor Banned Books Week as a reminder to protect access to complex stories. 

If this conversation sparked an idea or gave you something to try with your kids, subscribe, leave a quick review, and share this episode with one parent who’d love it. Your recommendation helps other families find the show—and keeps the circle of stories alive.

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My oldest son couldn’t read at seven. And me? I was writing a parenting book for a major publisher. Being asked to speak to thousands of parents. Teaching emotional development, brain-based learning, and motivation. The irony wasn’t lost on me.

In this episode, I tells the vulnerable and surprising story of how we stopped trying to teach how to read, and started teaching why to read instead. What happened next wasn’t magic. It was science, patience, and a little bit of kiwi bird trivia.

Along the way, I share:

• Why panic over “late readers” is often just parental shark music
• The real reason traditional reading instruction fails so many kids
• What it looked like to let go of benchmarks and trust the process
• How a graphic novel cracked everything open
• And why motivation, not instruction, is the foundation of literacy

If you’ve ever worried your child is falling behind… this episode is a deep breath. Not because everything resolves perfectly. But because it reminds you what matters most.

🎧 Listen now for the story, the science, and the shift that changed everything.

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Key Links:

📖 Get My Book: Punishment-Free Parenting: The Brain-Based Way to Raise Kids Without Raising Your Voice – Available Now

📖 Get Alfie Kohn's Books: Unconditional Parenting and Punished By Rewards  
📝 Join My Email List for exclusive insights, parenting tips, and updates – Sign Up Here

Episode Description:

What if the very thing we’ve been striving for as parents—obedience—wasn’t actually a virtue? What if, instead of making our kids good, it made them vulnerable?

In this episode, we take a hard look at the dangers of unquestioning compliance. We start at the Nuremberg Trials, where Nazi officials defended their crimes with four chilling words: I was just following orders. We revisit the infamous Milgram experiment, where 65% of ordinary people delivered what they believed to be fatal electric shocks—just because an authority figure told them to.

Then, we bring it home.
How does this obsession with obedience play out in our parenting?

With the help of Alfie Kohn—renowned author and parenting expert—we examine why traditional parenting methods prioritize compliance, why that might be a problem, and what we can do instead. We break down research showing that demanding obedience undermines empathy, critical thinking, and moral integrity.

By the end of this episode, you’ll learn:
✅ Why most parents unknowingly work against their long-term parenting goals
✅ How punishment and rewards both create conditional love—and what to do instead
✅ The real-world dangers of raising kids to obey without question
✅ What research-backed strategies actually help kids become ethical, independent, and strong

Because one day, we won’t be the authority in their lives anymore. And the only voice left… will be their own.

Chapters & Key Moments:

🔹 (00:10) The Chilling History of Obedience – From Nuremberg to Milgram: How history warns us about blind compliance
🔹 (07:00) The Parent’s Dilemma – Why parents say they want independent, critical thinkers… but demand obedience
🔹 (12:45) The Cost of Compliance – What happens when we condition kids to follow orders at all costs
🔹 (18:10) Unconditional Parenting with Alfie Kohn – A deep dive into parenting beyond punishment and rewards
🔹 (26:40) The Real Goal of Parenting – How to raise kids who think for themselves, challenge injustice, and make good choices

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IT'S HERE! 

Get Punishment-Free Parenting on Audiobook 

Why does it feel like one partner carries the weight of managing the home and kids while the other thinks everything is equal? If you've ever felt exhausted by the invisible labor of parenting—or if you've ever felt like nothing you do measures up to your partner’s expectations—this episode is for you.

In this episode of The Whole Parent Podcast, I sit down with Eve Rodsky, author of Fair Play, to unpack the division of labor in parenting. We dive into the mental load, the emotional labor, and why so many families fall into patterns where one parent (usually mom) takes on the bulk of the work—often without even realizing it.

Eve shares the Fair Play framework, a system that helps couples move from frustration and resentment to true partnership in running a household. We’ll talk about: 

✔️ Why "helping" isn't the same as "ownership"
✔️ How assumptions about gender roles silently shape our parenting dynamics
✔️ The hidden labor of planning, managing, and executing daily family life
✔️ How to  start creating a more equitable system
✔️ The simple mindset shift that can transform your relationship

If you’ve ever caught yourself saying “I have to do everything around here” and “I shouldn’t have to ask for help”, OR "My partner doesn't trust me" and "I can't do anything right...." this episode will change the way you think about parenting, partnership, and fairness in your home.

📖 Punishment-Free Parenting

🃏Fair Play Cards

📖 Fair-Play Book

🔗 Fair Play resources

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a partner or a friend. Let’s change the way we divide the mental load—one family at a time.

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Get your own copy of the audiobook HERE

What do we do when we mess up as parents?

In this Episode of the Whole Parent Podcast, I read a long section from the Chapter on Repair from my brand new book Punishment-Free Parenting: The Brain-Based Way to Raise Kids Without Raising Your Voice.

Every parent has moments they wish they could take back. Maybe it’s the sharp tone, the overreaction, or the moment frustration boiled over. But what happens next matters even more than the mistake itself. In this key section from my book, Punishment-Free Parenting, all about reconciliation and repair—how to rebuild trust, reconnect with your child, and model emotional responsibility.

Parenting isn’t about perfection; it’s about showing up, even after we mess up.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✔️ Why mistakes are inevitable in parenting—and why that’s okay
✔️ How rupture and repair strengthen your relationship with your child
✔️ A step-by-step approach to making things right after a parenting misstep
✔️ The power of modeling apologies and accountability for your kids
✔️ Why repair isn’t just about saying sorry—it’s about rebuilding trust

Key Takeaways:

• Rupture is normal. Repair is what builds resilience.
• Apologizing to your child teaches them how to take responsibility for their own actions.
• Connection, not control, is what makes discipline truly effective.
• It’s never too late to make things right.

Resources & Links:
📖  Punishment-Free Parenting
📩 Join the Whole Parent Newsletter for weekly parenting insights – CLICK HERE
🎙️ Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear this!

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Resources Mentioned:
Punishment Free-Parenting
The Way of Play
Emotional Regulation Game Guide

Traditional Parenting Fails for ADHD Kids.

Growing up with ADHD this is the episode I wish my parents had...

In this episode, I’m sharing why traditional, compliance-based parenting doesn’t work for kids with ADHD and what we can do instead. I sat down with Dr. Josh Wyner and Dr. Tina Payne Bryson—two incredible experts—to break down the science behind ADHD and offer practical, brain-based strategies you can start using today.

We talk about identifying ADHD in kids, what’s really happening in the ADHD brain, why traditional parenting (aka compliance and punishments) backfire. We also give an alternatives: collaboration, creativity, and especially play to  completely transform your relationship with your ADHD child. 

This episode is personal, practical, and, I hope, incredibly helpful for anyone raising an ADHD kid—or even just trying to parent differently.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why traditional parenting strategies fail kids with ADHD.
• How understanding emotional tagging and time blindness can change your perspective on ADHD behaviors.
• Three practical strategies to connect with ADHD kids: collaborative problem-solving, fostering autonomy, and using play to build essential skills.
• BONUS: An exclusive never before heard exerpt from my upcoming book Punishment-Free Parenting

Featured Guests:

• Dr. Josh Wyner: Neuroscientist and founder of Willow Family Health, a nonprofit focused on neurodiversity-affirming mental health care.
• Dr. Tina Payne Bryson: Co-author of The Whole-Brain Child and The Way of Play—and one of the most compassionate voices in parenting today.

My Key Takeaways:

• ADHD isn’t about laziness or bad behavior—it’s about brain's placing different emotional value on things. Understanding those differences is the first step to parenting with empathy.
• Collaboration is everything. When we involve our kids in problem-solving, we’re building lifelong skills and deeper connections.
• Play isn’t just for fun; it’s one of the most effective ways to help ADHD kids build impulse control, emotional regulation, and attention skills.

Call to Action:
If this episode resonates with you, I’d love for you to preorder my book, Punishment-Free Parenting. It’s packed with practical tools and real stories, just like this episode, and it’s designed to help you parent with more connection and less stress—whether your child has ADHD or not.

Thanks for listening to The Whole Parent Podcast! If you found this episode helpful, share it with a friend or on social media—I’d love to keep this conversation going.

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