The Empowering Parents Podcast - Child Behavior Help The Total Transformation Way

This week we spoke with Dr. Maria Gilmour about a wide range of parenting topics. Dr. Gilmour is a parent educator and board-certified behavior analyst who has been working with families and schools for the past 20 years to help parents bring their home life back to the loving basics. She is the author of the recently published book, "Seven Superpowers: How Parents Can Shift from Punishment and Co...

What causes bad child behavior? James Lehman says it happens because children don’t yet know how to solve problems effectively. To put it another way, they act out as an attempt to handle life’s problems. And they continue to act out, frankly, because it’s working for them. This episode discusses how understanding this will help you to improve your child's behavior. Articles referenced in episode:...

Does your child complain constantly? No matter how hard you try, something is always wrong: from what you made for dinner, to the horrible school you force them to attend, to the unfair rules in your house and everything in between. Here's what you can do as a parent. The Total Transformation® Program: https://www.empoweringparents.com/product/total-transformation-program-subscription/ Our website...

Some degree of backtalk is normal for adolescents and teens—it’s how they learn to assert themselves and become independent. But too often, they don’t assert themselves appropriately, and their backtalk becomes disrespectful and obnoxious. At this point, parents need to take action for their own sanity and for the sake of their kids, who need to learn to assert themselves appropriately to become w...

Meltdowns and tantrums are inevitable. But, depending on how we respond, we can manage the frequency and intensity of these behaviors with these tips. Articles referenced in episode: https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/managing-the-meltdown/ The Total Transformation® Program: https://www.empoweringparents.com/product/total-transformation-program-subscription/ Our website: https://www.empower...

If your child is unmotivated you need to know that yelling and fighting won't solve the problem. If you’re yelling and fighting over these issues, you’re giving your child more power in the struggle, and you don’t want to do that. In this week's podcast, we discuss what parents can do instead. Articles referenced in episode: Motivating the Unmotivated Child: https://www.empoweringparents.com/artic...

Every parent of an acting-out child knows that once your kid has a reputation for being a troublemaker at school, it’s very difficult to undo that label. That’s because your child becomes the label. When the teacher looks at your child, the teacher often just sees a troublemaker. Here's what you can do this school year if your child is a class troublemaker. Articles referenced in episode: https://...

You’d do anything for your child, but you feel guilty about admitting the truth, even to yourself. The truth is, sometimes you don’t like your child very much. It’s a secret that many parents of acting-out kids share but rarely confess to anyone. Articles referenced in episode: https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/i-love-my-child-but-sometimes-i-cant-stand-him/ All Our Oppositional Defiant Di...

If the thought of your child starting school fills you with dread, you’re not alone. Right now, thousands of parents across the country are asking themselves, “How am I going to get my child up on time, get them to do their homework, and make sure they stay out of trouble this year?” Here are seven things you can do now to make sure your child is prepared for the new school year. Articles referenc...

If you have siblings in your household, there is a good chance that they don't always get along. Some sibling rivalry is normal, but when it gets out of control you need to put a stop to it. Learn how to help your kids cope with rivalry and jealousy. Articles referenced in episode: https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/siblings-at-war-in-your-home-declare-a-ceasefire-now/ The Total Transformat...

Do you tiptoe around your child out of fear they will act out? Do you walk on eggshells hoping your child doesn't explode and start another screaming fight. Kids who act out want their parents to tiptoe around them — it's how kids control their parents. To the child, it's "leave me alone or else." Or, "give me what I want or else." It's a form of manipulation kids use when they don't yet possess m...

Here are eight practical steps you can take today to manage your acting-out kids. Articles referenced in episode: https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/8-ways-to-manage-acting-out-kids/ The Total Transformation® Program: https://www.empoweringparents.com/product/total-transformation-program-subscription/ Our website: https://www.empoweringparents.com/ Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.e...

There are few things in the world that hurt a parent more than hearing their child say, “I hate you.” The words cut like a knife. The child you love so much and have sacrificed for in so many ways now says they hate you. In today's podcast we discuss why our kids talk to us this way and offer some effective ways to respond as a parent. Articles referenced in episode: https://www.empoweringparents....

How do you know if your child is going through an adolescent phase or if their out-of-control behavior is here to stay? Here's what you need to know as a parent to tell the difference between normal teenage behavior and something more serious. Articles referenced in episode: https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/is-it-an-adolescent-phase-or-out-of-control-behavior/ The Total Transformation® Pr...

Parents who don’t have effective parenting skills will often use aggression as a substitute. When you use aggression as a parenting style, it often solves your short term problem of controlling children. Aggressive parents can get the compliance they are looking for, at least initially. But it comes at a cost. In this podcast, we discuss why aggressive parenting doesn't work and what you can do in...

It’s important to teach kids how to negotiate because it’s a necessary life skill. But don’t let them negotiate away your power as a parent. Unfortunately, this is what happens when you give in or over-negotiate with your kids. Join Kimball Lewis as he discusses how and when to negotiate your child's curfew. Articles referenced in episode: https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/teen-curfewsshou...

You are your child’s authority—that’s your role and responsibility. Do you have an emotional relationship with your child? Yes. But if you try to be friends with your child, it comes at the cost of your authority, and it undermines your role as a parent. Learn more about this important topic in today's podcast. Articles referenced in episode: https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/your-child-is...

Effective consequences are a critical component of improving your child's behavior. But consequences alone are not enough. As a parent, you need to learn how to coach your child on how to behave better. You need to be able to offer your child effective ways to solve their problems without having to resort to abusive or defiant behavior. In this episode, Kimball introduces listeners to the three ke...

Consequences are a key component of improving your child's behavior, but you need to know how to design and use them effectively. In this week's episode, Kimball shares 14 tips to ensure that your consequences are effective. Articles referenced in episode: https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/how-to-give-kids-consequences-that-work/ The Total Transformation® Program: https://www.empoweringpar...

When your child lies to you, it stirs up a potent mix of emotions. You might feel angry, hurt, and offended all at once. Lying is extremely upsetting for parents because it shakes the foundation of trust we have in our child. In this episode of The Empowering Parents Podcast, Kimball explains how to talk to your child about lying. Also included in this episode is a clip from The Total Transformati...

This week, Kimball responds to a question from one of the parents we work with at Empowering Parents, who asks, "is the consequence we gave our child too harsh?" Also in this episode is a special message from James Lehman in The Total Transformation Program. The Total Transformation® Program: https://www.empoweringparents.com/product/total-transformation-program-subscription/ Our website: https://...

Over the years, many parents in blended families have come to Empowering Parents about stepchild disrespect. In some cases, their stepkids didn’t respect them, and in others, their biological child didn’t respect their new spouse. Here's what you can do if you are a struggling parent in a blended family. The Total Transformation® Program: https://www.empoweringparents.com/product/total-transformat...

It’s incredibly frustrating to deal with a child who refuses to take care of himself or herself—a child with bad hygiene. They look bad, and we often see it as a poor reflection of our parenting. In this week's podcast, Kimball talks about what you can do as a parent if you are struggling with this difficult and awkward issue. Article referenced in episode: https://www.empoweringparents.com/articl...

Many parents who use the Empowering Parents coaching service complain about their kids’ rooms being so messy they can’t walk through them. In this week's podcast, Kimball shares four tips to help you get your kids to clean their room by themselves. We especially love this episode because it shows you how to apply our Total Transformation Program approach to a specific problem. The Total Transforma...

Every parent’s goal should be to teach and coach their child to better behavior. And the most effective way to change your child’s behavior—and assert your parental authority—is through clear and consistent consequences that are tied to that behavior. Learn more on how to do that in this episode of The Empowering Parents Podcast. The Total Transformation® Program: https://www.empoweringparents.com...