Why Don’t My Kids Listen?

Somewhere around eleven, twelve, thirteen, something shifts. The kid who used to tell you everything starts giving you one-word answers. They stop looking for you and wanting to spend time with you. The door that used to stay open is closed. And the thing that makes sense for us ...  Show more

You're at the checkout, almost done, and your child grabs something and asks, "Can we get this?" And four words come out before you've even thought about them: "We can't afford it." It feels honest. Responsible, even. Like you're teaching them the value of money. Most of us say i ...  Show more

You try to help your kids do something they are struggling with, something they say they care about. But they won’t listen to you, even though it would be so much easier if they did! It turns into a huge fight and you’re left feeling angry and resentful. I want to give you script ...  Show more

In this episode, I answer the following parent question: Nothing we do makes our daughter happy. Why can’t she just accept a comment, advice, suggestion without complaining and pushing back? How can I make her listen and accept what she is being told without an argument? 

We often think that the only way to get our kids to listen is to use threats, bribes or punishments. Those actually decrease natural obedience over time. There is another way to do it, tune in to find out how. Yelling, threats and bribes really do seem to work in a pinch- kids ty ...  Show more

Kids will refuse to do all kinds of things we ask of them, greeting others is only one of many! How do we first get to the reason and then guide based on both their feelings and level of comfort and our expectations for politeness or independence (depending on the situation?) Hav ...  Show more