June 17, 2025

Why Solving Your Kid's Problems May Be Making Things Worse | Ep 81

15 minutes

Ever feel like you're constantly trying to fix things for your anxious kid, but nothing seems to help? You're not alone. Today I'm joined by therapist Bryce Hamilton who shares why our natural parenting instincts might actually be making anxiety worse - and what to do instead.

💡 What You'll Learn:

✅ Why "good parenting" can accidentally feed anxiety (and what to do instead)

✅ The magic questions that empower your kid instead of creating dependence

✅ How to handle sibling conflict without becoming the referee

✅ Supporting kids through divorce (and the mistakes that make it harder)

✅ Why kids with OCD need you to step back (not swoop in)

✅ The one thing every parent needs to hear about struggle and resilience

🔑 Key Takeaways:

"I've never met a bad parent" - We all want to do our best, but sometimes our help becomes a hindrance.

Stop jumping to problem-solving - Ask "How can I support you?" instead of "Here's what you should do."

Kids push against solutions they didn't ask for - Even 2-year-olds resist when we solve problems for them.

Struggle builds resilience - If kids never face hard things, they never learn they can handle them.

🗣️ Memorable Quotes:

"We often expect our kids to apologize when they've done something wrong, but then we're not willing to do that as a parent."

"You can't control that other parent even when you are married. You can't control anybody else."

"We need them to struggle because otherwise how do they learn to be resilient?"

📚 Resources Mentioned:

Accidental Experts Podcast with Bryce Hamilton

Find Bryce on Facebook, YouTube, and all podcast platforms

🎯 For Parents of Kids with OCD/Anxiety:

If your child struggles with OCD or severe anxiety, remember:

Validate their feelings without feeding the compulsions

Empower them to handle uncertainty

Don't swoop in too quickly - let them build confidence

Get specialized help when regular parenting strategies aren't enough

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:04 The Accidental Experts Podcast

00:53 Bryce's Background and Practice

01:28 Parenting Challenges and Advice

02:02 Handling Anxiety and OCD in Kids

05:21 Sibling Conflict Resolution

08:02 Supporting Kids Through Divorce

11:41 Empowering Kids and Building Resilience

14:09 Final Thoughts and Words of Wisdom

15:28 Where to Find Bryce

💬 Connect with Bryce:

Podcast: Accidental Experts with Bryce Hamilton

Practice: Kansas City (specializes in children, adolescents, and adult women with childhood trauma)

📱 Connect with Me:

Instagram: @erindaviscoaching

TikTok: @erindaviscoaching

YouTube: @erindavisyoutube

Podcast: Bossing Up: Overcoming OCD

Work with me: https://livebeyonddoubt.com/relationshipocdcoaching

💭 Reflection Question: What's one area where you might be solving problems for your kid instead of empowering them to find their own solutions?

⭐ Loved this episode? Leave a review and share it with another parent who needs to hear this message!

🔥 ROCD driving you crazy? Join my FREE masterclass: "The Relationship Anxiety Fix: 3 Mental Shifts to Quiet the Doubts & Feel Confident in Your Relationship" where I'll show you how to transform your relationship in just 45 minutes.

📧 Want more support? Get my FREE 5-day email course: "The Overthinker's Guide to Love" - transform relationship overthinking into relationship clarity.

💬 Ready for 1:1 help? Apply for private ROCD coaching → Relationship OCD Coaching

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This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

DISCLAIMER: https://bit.ly/3ycFiY4

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By Erin Davis

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