Calm Parenting Podcast

Morning Madness & Tough Transitions: 12 Creative Ideas #444 Do you have kids that are tough to get to bed and then get out of bed the next morning?! What about kids who struggle with transitions or who are late? This podcast is packed with ideas to help you get your kids moving--without the battles--even if they struggle with ADHD or anxiety. Our Winter Sale on the Get Everything Package conti...

Why Kids Say 'No' Instantly (You Won’t Like My Response!) #443 So you ask your child to do something, even something simple. Put your shoes on, Take the trash out. Brush your teeth. Put your dishes in the sink. It’s not hard to do. If they just did what you asked them to do, they’d be done in like 20 seconds! Instead, they react with a sigh, a groan, muttering something like “that’s dumb,” or “I d...

Q&A: Social Skills, ADHD, Impulsivity, Physically Explosive, Testing, Refusal, Anxiety Do you have a child who struggles with focus, impulse control, social skills, or anxiety? Does your child ever become physically explosive? Should we get testing done? What should we focus on in the teen years? What about kids who refuse to do things or go places? This Q&A is packed with insights and str...

Scripts For Kids Who Talk Back, Refuse to Go Places or Listen #441 Do your kids talk back to you or use a disrespectful tone? Struggle with anxiety and lash out when asked to go to new activities or school? You’re not alone! Which parenting approach works best in each situation? Kirk gives you specific scripts, different options, and practical action steps that work. This is a must listen! Take ad...

How to Discipline Intense Kids Without Giving In Or Escalating You are going to second-guess yourself when disciplining a strong-willed child with intense emotions. Are we being too soft? If we don’t address this, what message does that send to siblings? If we used the tougher approach like our family insists, would our child be acting out this way? Kirk gives you practical steps to connect AND di...

Want to Podcast, Write A Book, Help People? 10 Important Lessons Want to start your own podcast, write a book, or help others using your unique gifts? I hope I can inspire you and save you time and money with hard-fought lessons I've learned over the past 25 years. Begin 2025 with hundreds of practical strategies that really work with your strong-willed kids. Visit https://celebratecalm.com/calm-2...

Consequences for Defiance, Disrespect & Lying? Your toddler yells, "I hate you, Mommy!" Your child lies right to your face or responds in a disrespectful tone to test boundaries. Teens and tweens roll their eyes at you or begin drinking/vaping against your rules. What are appropriate consequences? What works even better than consequences?! Kirk gives you scripts and actions steps for kids of a...

Why Won’t My Kids Just Do What I Ask?! It's not like you are asking your kids to do anything unreasonable or hard! And yet they resist you. How can we get our kids to actually be responsible for themselves without the power struggles? Kirk shows you exactly how with some powerful scripts that may change your relationship with your strong-willed child…and their behavior. Begin 2025 with hundreds of...

Meltdowns Over Meaningless Things? Kids Won’t Let You Correct Them? You have a child who lashes out and screams disrespectful things at you over something seemingly insignificant…and then later acts LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED. When you try to talk to your kids about their behavior, they laugh or won’t even listen. This is a very powerful podcast with deep insights, scripts and practical action steps. B...

Are Kids Rejecting Your Authority…Or Your Anxiety? We can very quickly stop 80% of power struggles with our kids. And it has nothing to do with controlling their behavior—only our own anxiety. Our anxiety compels us to lecture and micromanage…and that causes kids to resist you even more! Kirk gives you 6 practical action steps to stop this dynamic now!  Begin 2025 with hundreds of practical strate...

Change Behavior ASAP At Home & School: 3 Quick Tips You're out of sync, tired, overwhelmed and secretly can't wait for your kids to go back to school after a long holiday break! So how can we get some positive momentum to begin 2025? Kirk gives you three concrete strategies and scripts that change behavior at home AND in the classroom. Begin 2025 with hundreds of practical strategies that real...

5 Quick Tips To De-Escalate Meltdowns & Sibling Fights During Chaotic Holiday Break You have tired, irritable kids who are bored, out of their routine, and bugging each other. You’ll be tempted to double down on consequences in the moment—which spiral into huge meltdowns (and fights between spouses!). So how can you de-escalate tense standoffs and sibling fights, in the moment, instead of ruin...

What Your Kids Will Remember & What They Will Forget What if there isn’t really anything wrong with your strong-willed child? What if these irritating traits will serve them well in life? What if instead of trying to change their nature, you need to change? Kirk shares the powerful story of what finally compelled him to change and saved his relationship with his son. This is the final week of...

When To Say No & Yes (Bored, Unhappy, Tattling and Fighting Siblings) So how do you respond when your kids are bored or don’t like their gifts? When siblings tattle or fight…or your grown siblings create drama during family get-togethers? When holiday plans go awry, family judges you? Kirk gives you scripts to use in these tough holiday situations. Our Christmas Sale is here! Visit https://cel...

Stop Power Struggles with Toddlers, Teens & In-Between If you have a strong-willed child, you WILL have power struggles (no matter their age!). You’ll likely second-guess yourself, feel frustrated, and disagree with your spouse. So what are appropriate expectations at various stages of kids’ development? What should you focus on and what should you let go, from the toddler through the teenage...

Self-Centered Child? Unfair With Siblings, Does Minimal Work & No Chores Your strong-willed kids are NOT going to do things your way. You are NOT going to change their nature. They will choose the harder path and touch the hot stove. It will make you uncomfortable and siblings will say it’s unfair. Kirk gives you scripts and actions steps to stop the battles and motivate your kids. This is the...

Expert Button-Pusher Who Argues & Negotiates? 5 Scripts & Action Steps to Help. Do you have a child who is an expert button pusher? Just so naturally gifted at arguing, negotiating, and wearing you down? It provokes you, your spouse or siblings and then spirals your home out of control. How do you respond without escalating the situation OR letting your kids get away with disrespect? Kirk...

Q&A: Picky Eater Picks on Siblings, Entitled Kids & Tantrums, Won’t Show Math Work, Bad Manners What should we do with a picky child who creates stress at meal times and won’t show his math work, a sibling who picks on her younger brother, or a child who doesn’t exhibit good manners? How we do reset after we’ve created kids who feel entitled to get take-out, etc? What should we think about...

Stop Homework & Homeschooling Battles: 10 Ways to Jumpstart Your Kids’ Brains Do you have a strong-willed, ADHD, or neurodivergent child who should be able to buzz through school work…but will spend more time fighting you than it would take to actually complete the assignment?! You’re not alone. Kirk shares 10 practical, creative strategies to help your kids complete school work with less stre...

Grumpy, Complaining, Tantrumy Kids from Ages 2-22? Do you have a child who can be grumpy, throws tantrums, complains about everything that’s wrong, controls the emotional tide of your home, whose mood does determine your mood? What if your child wakes up miserable and makes everyone else miserable? Kirk gives you action steps and scripts in this powerful podcast with lots of insight into strong-wi...

Crash Course: Kids Who Don’t Comply, Listen, or Care About Consequences You have kids who don’t always listen, want to do things their way, and don’t care about consequences. What DOES work with these kids? In less than 20 minutes, Kirk shares 10 rapid fire ideas to show you exactly how to get strong-willed kids to be responsible for themselves…when nothing else works. This is a must listen. Share...

Feeling Judged By Family? 10 Quick Tips With A Strong-Willed Child How do you handle parents and extended family who always have strong opinions on what you’re doing wrong and should be doing without being defensive? How can you get them to come alongside and actually help/support you? How can you be confident and create positive experiences with family? Kirk gives you 10 quick tips! Our Black Fri...

How to Avoid Embarrassing Meltdowns in Public & With Family Your kids are more emotional, particular, and little things set them off. Their meltdowns and related defiance are not always predictable. What works with other kids backfires with your kids. And our kids are prone to melting down in public…and around family, which is embarrassing. So how can you handle these common situations differe...

How Chicken Nuggets Build Confidence & Stop Misbehavior (Part 2) Kirk shares his favorite idea for building your child's confidence, gives you a script for addressing a lack of motivation, and shares how chicken nuggets (and a larger purpose) can change your child. Visit https://celebratecalm.com/black-friday/ to purchase the Get Everything Package at the lowest prices of the year. Get practic...

8 Ways to Build Confidence & Stop Misbehavior (Sibling Fights, Lying, & More) Part 1 Do you have kids who pick on siblings, lie, make excuses, won’t admit when they do something wrong? Who cheat or quit at games, act silly in class? All of these behaviors have the same root cause. Kirk gives you 8 practical, concrete strategies to build your child's confidence...and stop the misbehavior. V...