How To Get Your Kids To Listen

Dr. Rosina McAlpine is an author, family wellbeing expert, multi-award-winning educator, and CEO of Win Win Parenting.

In my interview with Dr Rosina, she shares her "two-step process" for helping kids learn to manage their emotions and solve problems.

“Parenting is a joyful, loving, wonderful, but hard gig.”

Julie King is the co-author of two best-selling books: "How To Talk So LITTLE Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7", and "How To Talk When Kids Won't Listen: Whining, Fighting, Meltdowns, Defiance, and Other Challenges of Childhood".

In my interview with Julie, she shares how to use playfulness to get your child to cooperate (even when you aren’t feeling playful).

“I don’t know a single parent who doesn’t at some point get very frustrated and angry with their children. It’s just normal. The question is, ‘What do we do with that feeling? How do we manage it ourselves?’”

Dr Chelsey Hauge has taught and researched at The University of British Columbia, Stanford University, and Mills College. 

Her expertise lies in educational neuroscience, social emotional learning, educational equity, and building calm, cooperative family relationships.

In my interview with Dr Chelsey, she shares how to use "Re-casting" to correct your child’s behavior, without resorting to threats, consequences, or punishment.

“It’s usually more about the parent than it is about the child.”

Dr Ross Greene is a clinical psychologist, and author of the best-selling books "The Explosive Child" and "Raising Human Beings".

In my interview with Dr Ross, he shares how you can use a behavioral model he developed, called the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) model, to solve problems with kids instead of trying to fix their behavior.

“I find that if I’m interested in having kids listen to where I’m coming from, I need to listen to where they’re coming from first.”

Dr Heather Wittenberg is a working mom of four kids. She is a practicing psychologist, specializing in the development of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, and is a nationally known parenting writer, speaker, television guest expert, and social media presence.

In my interview with Dr Heather, she shares how to really understand why your child act the way they do. She also shares the five personalities types of young children, that you can use to understand your child's behavior.

“When children feel that they’re heard, seen, and appreciated, they’re much more likely to go along with you, even if they don’t really want to.”

Heather Lindsay is a parenting and life coach, NLP practitioner, and the author of My Big Emotions.

In my interview with Heather, she shares the two most common communication styles, and how to use your child's preferred communication style to make it much more likely that they will hear you and listen to you.

"Let's work with them rather than against them. That is what stops parents arguing with their kids, stops kids feeling like the parents are constantly attacking them, and gets us back to that family cooperation we want."

Tia is a parenting coach, teacher, business owner, best-selling author and most importantly a MOM. She has a Masters degree in Early Childhood Ed., certified in Positive Discipline and has worked with kids and families for over 17 years.

In my interview with Tia, she shares strategies for how to parent smarter, not harder, including how to use "Golden Time" to proactively fill your child's emotional needs.

“There’s so much we can do as parents to make our days really easy and enjoyable.”

Karen Thurm Safran is a mom with two grown children. For over twenty years, she's worked in K-12 Education Technology, making learning fun for kids. She has a BA degree in psychology from Mount Holyoke College and an MBA from Santa Clara University. She is the author of "Parenting - Let’s Make a Game of It."

In my interview with Karen, she shares how to use the “Playfulness Mindset” to help your children enjoy cooperating and listening.

“When you are stressed out, you don’t think properly. Whereas if you’re playful, you can think more rationally, and then you find things, and things get done.”

Dr. Paul Jenkins is a child and family psychologist, coach, speaker and author, with over two decades of experience as a professional psychologist. He is the author of Pathological Positivity, and the host of the popular Live On Purpose Radio podcast.

In my interview with Dr. Paul, he shares how “detaching yourself from the outcome” helps your children respond more positively, while allowing you to stay calmer.

“Parents need to take care of themselves, or else they’ll find themselves getting tipped over, or upset, or frustrated”

Jennifer Kolari is a child and family therapist with a busy practice based in Toronto and San Diego, a highly sought-after international speaker, and the founder of Connected Parenting. She is also the author of "Connected Parenting: How To Raise A Great Kid" and "You’re Ruining My Life! (But Not Really) Surviving the Teenage Years with Connected Parenting".

In my interview with Jennifer, she shares how to use the “C.A.L.M. Technique” to turn your language and words into “medicine” that calms your child, and helps them cooperate.

“Behavior is never the problem. Behavior is a symptom of the problem.”

Sarah Rosensweet is a certified peaceful parenting coach, speaker, and educator, and the host of the top-rated parenting podcast, The Peaceful Parenting Podcast.

In my interview with Sarah, she shares why getting your child's attention is the first step to getting cooperation, and how to create “win-win solutions” when dealing with your children.

“Take those few seconds to connect and delight in our child”

Lisa Smith is a parent coach, speaker, author and host of the weekly podcast, Real World Peaceful Parenting. She is also the author of the international best-selling book “The Angry Parent: How to Find Peace in Your Parenting Through the Message of Anger.”

In my interview with Lisa, she shares the four steps to getting your kids to listen without yelling.

“No matter what you’re doing, and no matter where you’re at, you are not alone.”

Judy Arnall, BA, CCFE, DTM is a certified brain and child development specialist and master of non-punitive parenting and education practices. She is the founder of the Attachment Parenting Canada association and is the bestselling author of 5 print books translated into 5 languages, including “Discipline Without Distress” and “Parenting with Patience”.

In my interview with Judy, she shares how to calm down your child’s brain so that they can listen to what you are saying.

“Kids don’t wake up in the morning and say, “I’m gonna bug my parents today.” They don’t. They are just natural emotion-letter-outers.”

Anna Seewald is an internationally recognized parenting expert, keynote speaker, parent educator, divorce mediator, and the host of the top-rated podcast Authentic Parenting.

In my interview with Anna, she shares why listening to your children is critical if you want them to listen to you, and how you can become better at listening to your children.

“Listen to our children with curiosity, with presence, with openness, with no agenda”

Jessie Buttons is the go-to parent coach for families across New Zealand and beyond. With years of experience in the field, she has gained a reputation for her practical and effective strategies for improving family life and managing challenging behaviors. 

Beyond her expertise in parenting, Jessie also draws on her high profile nanny experiences from around the world, and also on her own experience as a mother of one and step mother to 3.

In this interview with Jessie Buttons she shares the four Natures of children that she identified while working with children from around the world, and how understanding the Nature of your child can make it much easier to get them to cooperate.

When children feel connected to you, they want to follow you. And they want to listen, and they will cooperate. And so, when a child gets the message, "I see you, I'm connected to you," then they will cooperate.

Rebecca Rolland is the author of The Art of Talking with Children (HarperOne, 2022).

She is a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and serves on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. She also served for years as an oral and written language specialist in the Neurology Department of Boston Children's Hospital and advises the World Bank on curriculum development and workplace learning.

In my interview with Rebecca, she shares how to use a technique called “Curious Waiting” to connect with your child and understand them better.

"The thing is really to realize that when a child feels as if you’re bonded, they want to help you meet your goals also.”

Nathan Wallis is a neuroscience trainer, and the host of the documentary “All in the Mind”, and co-host of the TV Series “The Secret Life of Girls”. He regularly appears on national radio and TV as a guest expert on parenting, teaching and understanding the brain development of young people.

In my interview with Nathan Wallis, he shares why kids will listen to you if you listen to them, and how to use the latest neuroscience discoveries to get your kids to cooperate.

“Neuroscience helps us to understand that it’s hard work being a child. By understanding the neurobiology of the brain, I think it makes us more tolerant of the fact that they’re emotional.”

Dr. Beth Trammell is a licensed psychologist, author, speaker. She serves as Associate Professor of Psychology at Indiana University East as well as the university’s Director of the Master of Mental Health counseling program. She is also the author of "Make Words Matter".

In my interview with Dr Beth, she shares how to use a technique called “Pairing” to intentionally reconnect with your child on a daily basis.

“We just have to pause to think about what it is that we really want to build in the relationship right now, or what skill do we want to build in our child right now? And then say those words.”

Dr Jean Clinton is an infant child and adolescent psychiatrist that has been in practice for about 35 years. She focuses on translating the latest brain science into information that parents can use to help their children and make parenting easier and more rewarding.

In my interview with Dr Jean, she shares what it really means when your child is not cooperating, and how to build your child’s emotional competence and capacity.

“The other thing I’d like parents to know is 'It’s progress'. We’re not going for perfection, because I’ll tell you with five kids, it was always about progress because you get it with one kid and the next one is completely different.”

Dr Hilary Mandzik is a licensed psychologist and has been working with and supporting parents for almost two decades. She now focuses exclusively on parenting support and coaching.

In my interview with Dr Hilary, she shares why connection leads to cooperation, how to better connect with your child, and the single most important thing we can do for our kids to help them develop emotion regulation.

“There are no bad guys here. Not bad parents, not bad kids. It’s just people who are doing the best with what they have in that moment. And we can all do better over time.”

Sandi and Melissa Schwartz are a mother-daughter team, internationally acclaimed authors, coaches and public speakers. They co-founded Leading Edge Parenting in 2007, co-authored Authentic Parenting Power in 2013 and each have their own thriving coaching practices supporting parents and children around the world.

In my interview with Sandi and Melissa Schwartz, they share a simple, 3-step "One Minute Miracle" technique that you can use to get your children excited about cooperation, while also building a deeper connection and respect between you.

It's not just about listening; it's about creating the kind of connection so that they want to be cooperative.

Elisabeth Stitt is the founder of Joyful Parenting Coaching, and the author of Parenting as a Second Language.

In my interview with Elisabeth, she shares how to get your kids to take more responsibility, and how to make parenting easier by planning for the difficult times in collaboration with your kids.

“If we're just all doing it together and we make it a routine and we make it light hearted, then everybody is helped altogether.”

Shirley Pastiroff is a Counsellor, Parent Coach and author of The Mindful Parent. She has trained and supported thousands of parents in their journey to becoming the parents they always wanted to be, and to having the relationship with their children they always wanted to have.

We've really been all oversold the idea of parenting as this incredibly difficult job, rather than a really precious relationship.

Dr. Jenny Michaelson, PhD., is PCI Certified Parent Coach® and mother of two. She helps parents get in touch with their values, to help them make the best parenting decisions for themselves and their children.

In my interview with Dr. Jenny, she shares practical techniques for connecting with your child and getting them to transition from doing something they want to do (playing with their toys) to something you want them to do (eating dinner).

When parents take a moment to connect with their child before they direct them to something...that really works.

In my interview with Naama Cameron, an ex-nursery school teacher, experienced parent coach, and mom of two, she shares her secrets to getting kids to listen and cooperate while maintaining a strong parent-child connection.

If you have your clear boundaries, like I said in the beginning, and you are consistent with them and you follow through, your children know that you follow through, and so they trust you.