Calm Parenting Podcast

Why don’t consequences work? What are appropriate expectations of your child and yourself? How can we discipline without being authoritarian or permissive? What three questions should we ask before we discipline? Kirk shares how he struggled with discipline and gives you three practical actions steps and scripts that actually work. Want to change your family very quickly?  Join 300,000 other...

Sometimes the stress of the school year can strip your kids of their confidence and create conflict even with siblings. Kirk gives you 6 new, creative, and powerful strategies to rebuild your child's confidence, reconnect as a family, and help with screen dependence. Want to change your family very quickly?  Join 300,000 other podcast listeners who changed themselves and stopped the powe...

I don’t know how to describe this episode other than to say it is filled with several profound and practical insights and scripts that will change your family. It includes two phrases that work 99% of the time to de-escalate and discipline a defiant child…but by the end of the story, we discover he wasn’t really defiant, just overwhelmed. Like most of us as parents. Want to change your family very...

In Part 2 of this series, Kirk addresses how to get your kids to understand how their brains work best. As one child mentioned after listening to Part I, “I have super powers!” Kirk also gives you specific tools to counter weaknesses so your kids can be successful and confident. Want to change your family very quickly?  Join 300,000 other podcast listeners who changed themselves and stopped t...

How should you talk to your kids about their diagnosis or struggles? How can we do this in a positive, constructive way without shame, negativity, or singling them out? I want to give you a framework that builds your kids’ confidence and gives them practical tools to overcome weaknesses. This is very important so please share. Want to change your family very quickly?  Join 300,000 other podca...

Before I was the Calm Guy, I was the Triggered Guy! My default mode was, “My strong-willed son is doing things on purpose to irritate me and I need to correct him for that.” But then I learned how to turn those irritating behaviors and power struggles into opportunities to teach and bond. I give you 10 practical action steps and scripts. Want to change your family very quickly? Join 300,000 other...

Do you have a child who HATES being corrected? Even if you do it in a very sweet way, your child gets furious, lashes out, screams or covers his or her ears. Does your child blame others and refuse to listen? Good! You’re not alone. Kirk gives you 11 very specific scripts and action steps to get kids of all ages to listen without the power struggles. Want to change your family very quickly? Join 3...

I have told this story before, but today a new flood of emotions came out as I realized this story with my own son…mirrored my experience with my own Dad. Walk step-by-step with me through the ups and downs of discipline, self-doubt, guilt, and ultimately connection with an outwardly defiant strong-willed child. Please share this one. It’s very powerful. Want to change your family very quickly? Jo...

Your strong-willed kids experience childhood differently than other kids. Sometimes it’s hard to really understand. There’s no instruction manual for these kids. This episode will give you much-needed, rare insight into how to help your kids feel confident and good about themselves. We encourage you to let your kids listen to parts of this episode to prompt helpful conversations. Our Summer Sale c...

Do you have a child who fights you over going to new places or hemming and hawing about not going to that expensive camp you paid for? Do you have a child who is nervous about family vacation or an upcoming move? Kirk gives you very specific strategies and scripts to overcome anxiety, stop the power struggles, and bond with your child through these big emotions. Our Summer Sale continues this week...

How To Be A Dad Your Kids Listen To It’s really hard for some Dads to connect with their strong-willed child. So they end up sabotaging the relationship. Kirk shows you exactly how to rebuild this relationship with very specific, concrete action steps and words. Please forward to your husband.  Our Summer Sale continues this week. Visit  https://celebratecalm.com/products  to take a...

Our greatest enemy is our own self-inflicted parental anxiety. It sabotages our efforts and hurts relationships. Your anxiety yields the exact opposite outcome you want—your kids resist you and misbehave more! Kirk gives you 7 action steps and scripts to break this negative cycle. Our Summer Sale begins now. Visit  https://celebratecalm.com/products  to take advantage of our Summer Sale...

You’re supposed to be on vacation relaxing. Instead, your strong-willed child doesn’t listen, makes “bad choices,” and someone gets hurt. This can either ruin your vacation with endless fights OR be an opportunity to change behavior and draw closer to the challenging child. There is A LOT of insight into strong-willed kids in this fun, instructive story. Our Summer Sale begins now. Visit  htt...

How do you motivate kids to do tasks without reminding them 18 times...or do uncomfortable things without arguing every single day? What should you do when a child defies you, disregards your instructions, doesn't do school work or go to sports practice? Should you force your teenager to go on family vacation? Kirk's a...

Spicy Toddlers, Teens & In Between: 10 Ways to Prevent Constant Battles How should you respond when your teen or tween defies you and complains that you’re too controlling? How can you stop the power struggles with spicy toddlers? How can you help kids struggling with behavior and confidence? Kirk gives you powerful scripts and specific strategies to stop the battles and drama. We are extendin...

Plans get changed, your child gets disappointed or doesn’t get his way. This turns into a nuclear meltdown with defiance and disrespect. But there is a solution. Do you know WHY your kids sometimes go scorched earth? How can you de-escalate everyday situations without threatening consequences or talking too “calmly” to your kids? Kirk gives you five specific action steps and a creat...

No wonder you second guess yourself—you are doing the hardest job on the planet while being observed and judged by the people you thought would support you in this…and sometimes you even get undermined from within your home. You constantly feel the need to take the temperature of the home and then get accused of coddling your child when you are just protecting your child. You are courageously deal...

I want your kids to have the tools to clean up their own messes in life—with siblings, with a future spouse, with classmates, within themselves. To know how to deal with internal disappointment and frustration. And you, of course, want your kids to clean up their physical messes in your home! How can you do this without ruining your relationship or constantly resorting to consequences? Kirk s...

So what DOES trigger you? Messes, sibling fights, kids not listening, whining and complaining and tantrums, silliness at bedtime, kids talking back, procrastination? Maybe all of these common things! Kirk gives you specific action steps so you can preserve your sanity, overcome your triggers, stop reacting AND get your kids to be responsible for themselves. Our Mother's Day Sale continues this wee...

"How do I get my husband on board with parenting our kids differently?" Kirk provides 10 concrete approaches with actual scripts and examples to use in different situations. You can use a mix soft and tough approaches to motivate and encourage your husband to get on the same page.  The perfect way to get on the same page with your spouse is to take advantage of our Mother's Day Sale. Visit ht...

You ask your strong-willed child to do something that’s not a big deal, but they instantly refuse or ask, “Why?” Is your child being defiant, rebellious or difficult on purpose? Or is something else going on? Kirk gives you an actual script and 5 specific action steps so you know how to handle this situation next time. Take advantage of our Mother's Day Sale! Visit https://celebratecalm....

Many of our kids begin to internalize, “I’m a bad kid, I’m slow so I’m not smart, there’s something wrong with me. I’m always in trouble, no one is ever happy with me.” That internal dialogue will sabotage your child’s success and relationships for a lifetime (many of us still struggle with limiting beliefs). The good news is we can change that NOW. Kirk gives you specific scripts to cultivat...

I don’t know what it’s like to be a Mom. So I wanted to share the powerful reflections of a real life Mom—not an expert Mom or someone who has it all together—for three reasons. Because her voice, like yours, deserves to be heard and respected and honored. I think this will encourage A LOT of Moms so you feel seen. And you may want to ask/request that your husband listen to this as an early Mother...

The normal parenting strategies don't work with strong-willed kids! You are doing all the things you are supposed to do. The time-outs, behavior charts, and taking away phones are not changing your kids' behavior--whether they are toddlers or teens or adopted. Kirk gives you specific action steps that DO work with kids of all ages.  This is the final week of our Spring Sale on the Get Everyth...

5 Things I Feared About My Son & His Future #470 Our son had extremely intense meltdowns, got in trouble routinely at school, didn't study or try his hardest, had a messy bedroom, and left lights on everywhere. Diagnosed with an alphabet soup of labels, he didn't listen, did argue, and underperformed in school. How did we address these issues and did we really have reasons to fear for his futu...