Janice is a mother to a 4 and a half year old boy and a 2 and a half year old girl. As a busy working mom she struggles with navigating how to practice "gentle parenting". She finds herself trying to choose between disciplining or coddling her son when he acts out. She asks herself questions like "am I coddling too much?" and "are they taking advantage of me and acting out?". She does her best to respect her son's big feelings but can't help but be overwhelmed whenever he acts out and throws a tantrum. Today we talk about what it truly means when kids "act out" and how to approach them when this happens. We talk about how to practice respectful and kind communication with a specific tone rather than coddling and the importance of validating feelings. We also talk about how to pre-plan for triggering situations that might lead to tantrums and how to slow down and be particularly thoughtful about their schedules and busy lives.

"When we get frustrated and angry and we're like "stop crying, stop acting this way, what are you complaining about?" we are adults- we have much better coping mechanics. And when we say that it's like we're not acknowledging how they are feeling and then they are going to act that way more."

- Sue Groner

This week on The Parenting Mentor:

• Tips on language and communication practices to use when kids act out
• Tips for validating your kid's feelings and the importance of this
• How to truly enforce rules such as "people don't hit people" effectively
• Tips for getting on your kid's team and why this creates respect and stronger communication

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Here, you can listen in on real sessions with parents who open up about the specific challenges they face with children from 2 to 22. Listen along and gain perspectives and strategies to help you parent with sanity and joy.

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