This week, I’m sharing Mistake #10: I Thought Obedience Should Look Happy. I used to struggle when my children were upset, frustrated, or disappointed, even when they were still doing what I asked. In this episode, I talk about learning to make room for hard emotions while still holding clear boundaries. All feelings are welcome. All behavior is not.

Be sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

You can take the free Potty Training Personality Training Quiz Here:

https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/6a6a16f5dc2a6a6776255ee4

The Well-Rounded Potty Training Course:

https://drbethlong.thinkific.com/courses/potty-training-made-easy-course

Beyond Words: The Art of Effectively Communicating With Your Children:

https://amzn.to/3L2Nr7T

Follow Me Here:

Instagram: @drbethlong

Facebook: Beth Long, PhD

Tiktok: @drbethlong

This week, I’m sharing Mistake #9: I Thought Punishment Was the Best Teacher.

For a long time, I believed punishment was the clearest way to teach obedience, respect, and authority. In this episode, I talk about why punishment and teaching are not the same thing, and how shifting from control to instruction can help children build the skills, understanding, and respect we actually want them to carry forward.

Be sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

You can take the free Potty Training Personality Training Quiz Here:

https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/6a6a16f5dc2a6a6776255ee4

The Well-Rounded Potty Training Course:

https://drbethlong.thinkific.com/courses/potty-training-made-easy-course

Beyond Words: The Art of Effectively Communicating With Your Children:

https://amzn.to/3L2Nr7T

Follow Me Here:

Instagram: @drbethlong

Facebook: Beth Long, PhD

Tiktok: @drbethlong

This week, I’m sharing Mistake #8: I Assumed the Worst About Their Behavior.

Looking back, I sometimes saw my children’s mistakes as character flaws when they were really signs of skills they had not learned yet. In this episode, I talk about the difference between judging behavior and identifying the missing skill, and why that shift can completely change the way we respond to our children.

Be sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode!

You can take the free Potty Training Personality Training Quiz Here:

https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/6a6a16f5dc2a6a6776255ee4

The Well-Rounded Potty Training Course:

https://drbethlong.thinkific.com/courses/potty-training-made-easy-course

Beyond Words: The Art of Effectively Communicating With Your Children:

https://amzn.to/3L2Nr7T

Follow Me Here:

Instagram: @drbethlong

Facebook: Beth Long, PhD

Tiktok: @drbethlong

This week, I’m talking about a parenting mistake I didn’t recognize for a long time: focusing more on my children’s shortcomings than their strengths. I became so aware of what needed correcting or improving that I sometimes missed what was already good. In this episode, I share why our children need us to notice their growth, strengths, and character just as intentionally as we notice the areas where they still need guidance.

Take the FREE Potty Training Personality Quiz here:

https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/6a6a16f5dc2a6a6776255ee4

Be sure to pick up your copy of Dr. Long’s book, Beyond Words: The Art of Effectively Parenting Your Children. You can grab it on amazon.

You can find The Well-Rounded Potty Training Course at www.drbethlong.com.

Follow Me:

Instagram: @drbethlong

Facebook: Beth Long, PhD

TikTok: @drbethlong

This week, I’m sharing Mistake #6: I Tried to Make my Children's Bad Feelings Go Away. I often responded to my children’s difficult emotions by distracting them with something fun or trying to quickly make them feel better. In this episode, I discuss ambivalence, the ability to hold two truths and emotions at the same time, and why our children need us to sit with their feelings instead of rushing them away.

Be sure to pick up your copy of Dr. Long’s book, Beyond Words: The Art of Effectively Parenting Your Children. You can grab it on amazon.

You can find The Well-Rounded Potty Training Course at www.drbethlong.com.

Follow Me:

Instagram: @drbethlong

Facebook: Beth Long, PhD

TikTok: @drbethlong

This week, I'm sharing how I confused protection with preparation. I'll talk about why I wish I had spent more time teaching my children to navigate the world instead of simply trying to keep them from it, and how intentional conversations build lasting trust.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so that you don’t miss an episode!

Be sure to pick up your copy of Dr. Long’s book, Beyond Words: The Art of Effectively Parenting Your Children. You can grab it on amazon.

You can find The Well-Rounded Potty Training Course at www.drbethlong.com.

Follow Me:

Instagram: @drbethlong

Facebook: Beth Long, PhD

TikTok: @drbethlong

This week on the Works of Wonder Podcast, I'm sharing Mistake #4: I Micromanaged Their Friendships.

As parents, it's natural to want to protect our children from being hurt or influenced in unhealthy ways. I know I did.

But I learned that constantly trying to control their friendships wasn't building wisdom, it was limiting opportunities for trust, communication, and growth.

Our greatest influence doesn't come from choosing every friend our child has.

It comes from building a relationship where they want to tell us about those friendships. A relationship where they know they'll be met with guidance instead of fear, wisdom instead of judgment, and support instead of control.

My prayer is that this episode encourages you to invest deeply in the relationship with your child so they continue coming back to you as they navigate friendships, decisions, and life.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so that you don’t miss an episode!

Be sure to pick up your copy of Dr. Long’s book, Beyond Words: The Art of Effectively Parenting Your Children. You can grab it on amazon.

You can find The Well-Rounded Potty Training Course at www.drbethlong.com.

Follow Me:

Instagram: @drbethlong

Facebook: Beth Long, PhD

TikTok: @drbethlong

This week on the podcast, I continue Season 2 with another lesson from my 10 biggest parenting mistakes. In this episode, I share the moment I realized I had begun trusting my own efforts, fear, and desire for control more than I was trusting God with my children.

I explore how easy it is for parents to carry burdens they were never meant to bear. I discuss the difference between faithful stewardship and trying to control every outcome, reminding parents that while we are called to teach, guide, and love our children, we were never called to determine the course of their lives.

This episode encourages parents to release the weight of trying to "play God" and instead embrace the peace that comes from faithfully parenting the children God has entrusted to them. When we surrender control, we create space to parent with greater confidence, intentionality, and trust.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so that you don’t miss an episode!

Be sure to pick up your copy of Dr. Long’s book, Beyond Words: The Art of Effectively Parenting Your Children. You can grab it on amazon.

You can find The Well-Rounded Potty Training Course at www.drbethlong.com.

Follow Me:

Instagram: @drbethlong

Facebook: Beth Long, PhD

TikTok: @drbethlong

This week on the podcast, I continue Season 2 with another lesson from my 10 biggest parenting mistakes. In this episode, I explore how many parents unknowingly tie their identity and success to their child's behavior, allowing moments of struggle, disobedience, or difficulty to become a measure of their own worth.

Through both clinical insight and personal reflection, I want to encourage parents to separate their identity from their child's choices and remember that behavior is often a reflection of developing skills, not a report card on their parenting. I work to discuss the importance of staying grounded, responding with intention instead of shame, and focusing on the long-term work of teaching rather than chasing perfect behavior.

This episode reminds parents that your child's behavior does not determine your success. Faithful, intentional parenting is measured by your willingness to guide, teach, and love your child through every stage of growth.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so that you don’t miss an episode!

Be sure to pick up your copy of Dr. Long’s book, Beyond Words: The Art of Effectively Parenting Your Children. You can grab it on amazon.

Follow Dr. Long:

Instagram: @drbethlong

Facebook: Beth Long, PhD

TikTok: @drbethlong

This week on the podcast we kick off Season 2 with the first episode in a new series covering her 10 biggest parenting mistakes. In this episode, I reflect on one of the most impactful lessons from my own parenting journey: listening to outside voices when I should have trusted the wisdom, discernment, and guidance God had already given me.

Through both personal reflection and clinical insight, I discuss how easy it can be for parents to rely too heavily on friends, trends, or outside opinions, especially when those voices feel confident and convincing. I encourage parents to remember that no one knows their child quite like they do, and that what works beautifully for one family may not be what another child needs.

This episode challenges parents to quiet the noise, trust their God-given intuition, and parent with greater confidence, discernment, and intentionality as they learn to honor the unique needs of their own child.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so that you don’t miss an episode!

Be sure to pick up your copy of Dr. Long’s book, Beyond Words: The Art of Effectively Parenting Your Children. You can grab it on amazon.

Follow Dr. Long:

Instagram: @drbethlong

Facebook: Beth Long, PhD

TikTok: @drbethlong