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I'll never forget the time my 7-year-old had a full meltdown on our bedroom floor over a shirt disagreement. After 30 minutes of listening, problem-solving, and offering alternatives, I finally said, "It's okay to feel upset. Don't let your feelings get in the way of your responsibilities." Then I walked away. Five minutes later, she was completely ready. In this episode, I break down why constant emotional processing without expectations can actually increase your child's emotional intensity and prevent them from building resilience. Chapters: Intro: Emotional Validation Has Gone Too Far - 00:00 Meltdown Story: What I Said to My 7-Year-Old - 01:05 How to Model "Both/And" Language - 11:28 Building Resilience: When to Process vs. Redirect - 13:22 💌 Get TMP Times in your inbox every Monday. Start your free 7-day trial 👉🏽 https://www.themompsychologist.com/tmptimes 💌 Free Parenting Script Pack: https://themompsychologist.com/script-pack 💌 Follow me over on Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/themompsychologist If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a rating. It truly helps. Thanks for tuning in!

Try my free 7-day trial of TMP Times: https://www.themompsychologist.com/tmptimes You cannot force food down a child's throat. You cannot force pee into a potty. You cannot force a brain to fall asleep. If you're fighting these battles every single day, you're fighting battles you can never win and it's making everything worse. In this episode, I break down the 3 power struggles you'll never win (food, potty training, sleep), introduce the Division of Responsibility framework that removes the battle entirely, and give you exact scripts for dinner refusals, bedtime stalling, and morning routine resistance. You'll learn the difference between controlling their body (which creates psychological reactance) vs. controlling the environment (which actually works). Scripts for What You CAN Control FOR FOOD BATTLES: When they refuse dinner: "This is what we have for dinner. Eat what you want from your plate. When dinner's over, we'll have a small dessert." When they demand dessert without eating: "Dessert is part of our meal. Here's your portion. Still hungry after? More dinner is available." When they say "I don't like this": "Okay, you don't have to eat that. What else on your plate would you like to try?" When they haven't eaten much all day: "I notice you haven't eaten much today. Your body might be feeling hungry. Here's what we have. Take what you'd like." FOR BEDTIME BATTLES: When they won't stay in bed: "I see you're not sleepy yet. Time for your body to rest though. You can look at books or play quietly in bed." When they keep asking for "one more" thing: "Last call - need anything before I go? Water? Hug? Okay, that's it. I'm going to rest too now." When they stall at bedtime: "Teeth brushing time. You can do it yourself or I can help. What works for you?"

Ever feel like the more you correct your child’s backtalk, the worse it gets? In this episode, I’m breaking down why that happens and sharing real-life scripts and mindset shifts that actually work. You’ll walk away with practical tools to handle those tough moments, connect with your child, and bring more peace to your home. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts! Drop me a DM over on Instagram @themompsychologist so we can keep this conversation going! All my love, Dr. J ❤️ Wanna go deeper? Join my live Discipline Masterclass on September 17th - www.themompsychologist.com/discipline-class Download my free Script Pack at www.themompsychologist.com/script-pack Work with me at www.themompsychologist.com/membership Weekly newsletter with scripts, tips, and real-life stories from my motherhood journey - www.themompsychologist.com/tmptimes

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts! Drop me a DM over on Instagram @themompsychologist so we can keep this conversation going! All my love, Dr. J ❤️ Important note: This applies to neurotypical children or when neurodivergence has already been considered. If your child might be neurodivergent, the "perfect at school, difficult at home" pattern often indicates masking and genuine depletion rather than boundary-testing. It's *still* important to focus on guiding children's behavior through respectful boundaries, teaching, and clear expectations.  Wanna go deeper? Join my live Discipline Masterclass on September 17th - www.themompsychologist.com/discipline-class Download my free Script Pack at www.themompsychologist.com/script-pack Work with me at www.themompsychologist.com/membership Weekly newsletter with scripts, tips, and real-life stories from my motherhood journey - www.themompsychologist.com/tmptimes

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts! Drop me a DM over on Instagram @themompsychologist so we can keep this conversation going! All my love, Dr. J ❤️ Wanna go deeper? Download my free Script Pack at www.themompsychologist.com/script-pack Work with me at www.themompsychologist.com/membership Weekly newsletter with scripts, tips, and real-life stories from my motherhood journey - www.themompsychologist.com/tmptimes

Okay, real talk... mornings can bring out a whole different side of me, and I know I’m not the only one! In this episode, I’m getting honest about my “Nagging Nancy” moments, why our kids push back on routines, and how I’m learning (slowly but surely) to step back and let them take the lead. We’re talking about building real motivation, letting natural consequences do their thing, and giving ourselves grace when things get messy. If you’re tired of the morning chaos and want some practical, heart-centered tips (plus a mantra to keep you grounded), this one’s for you. Let’s grow together, one imperfect morning at a time!  Download my free Script Pack at www.themompsychologist.com/script-pack Work with me at www.themompsychologist.com/membership Weekly newsletter with scripts, tips, and real-life stories from my motherhood journey - www.themompsychologist.com/tmptimes  

I don’t know about you but I was never taught about body safety or consent. Let alone my growing body, puberty or sex. It just wasn't the type of conversations I had with my parents. Left to my own devices, friends and media became my biggest teachers. I don’t want this for my kids. I want to be involved in helping them understand boundaries, their bodies, and how to keep themselves safe. I want to give you my 7-step process on teaching kids about body consent and safety.

So your child has been watching a certain TV show or playing on a certain app and you’ve realized that you no longer want them on it.  You want to set a boundary but you also know how upsetting this will be for them.  What do you do?!  In this episode, I’ll share the exact script to use during these moments and important things to keep in mind!   If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a rating. It truly helps. Thank you again for listening. Parent coaching & community: http://themompychologist.com/membership Discipline Workshop (free): Http://www.themompychologist.com/workshop Instagram: https://instagram.com/themompsychologist YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/themompsychologist

When it comes to screen time - my biggest tip is to make sure your children are exposed to quality content. To me, quality boils down to being: 👶🏽Age appropriate (made exactly for your child’s age range and development). 📚Educational and/or inspiring (versus just entertaining). 💃🏽Engaging and interactive (encourages them to participate either by calling out answers, dancing, sharing their ideas, etc). Nowadays, there are so many options to choose from that it can be hard to know what is quality and what’s not. That’s why in this video, I’ll be sharing some of my current (and past) favorites that I think you should check out. Keep in mind, this is not an exhaustive list. I kept the list short for a reason. Save 50% off your annual plan using my affiliate link- https://playpokpok.com/redeem/?code=50DRJAZMINE

Uh oh! You just got word that your child is being excluded by kids at school. Other kids are saying hurtful things and don’t let your child play with them. You feel horrible and want this to STOP. You want your child to wake up and stop being friends with them but you also don’t want them to feel judged and shut down. In this episode, I’ll share: Best ways to respond in these moments so your child feels supported but also knows how to stand up for themselves How to help your child think about friendship in a more holistic way Tools to teach your child how to make and keep good friends  Check out books like: The Not So Friendly Friend- https://amzn.to/3QFbysE Let’s Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent and Respect- https://amzn.to/3WFgx09 The Survival Guide for Making & Keeping Friends- https://amzn.to/3UWlwZ7 The Little Book of Friendship- https://amzn.to/4bylSKV My Way to Making Friends- https://amzn.to/3WHba0y How to Be a Friend: A Guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them- https://amzn.to/3UHSATx ________________________________________________________________________ If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a rating. It truly helps. Thank you again for listening. Parent coaching & community: http://themompychologist.com/membership Discipline Workshop (free): http://www.themompychologist.com/workshop Instagram: https://instagram.com/themompsychologist YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/themompsychologist

As a psychologist and mom of three, I don’t always know the right things to say at the right times nor do I always say things how I mean to say them.  What helps me is having a few go-to phrases to fall back on during stressful moments because it helps me to redirect my focus to what matters - my relationship with my child.  Here are a few of my favorite go-to parenting phrases for intense moments. _______________________________________ If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a rating. It truly helps. Thank you again for listening. Parent coaching & community: http://themompychologist.com/membership Discipline Workshop (free): www.themompychologist.com/workshop Instagram: https://instagram.com/themompsychologist YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/themompsychologist

So lately your child has been saying some really shocking things like “You like my sister more than me!” or “I’m such a boring kid!”  You’re trying to stay curious and get her to open up about her feelings but it keeps happening and each time she says it, it really stings. What do you do? In this episode, I’ll share: Why kids resort to these phrases & what they’re really trying to say How to respond best in the moment   _______________________________________ If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a rating and review. It truly helps. Thank you again for listening. Join the waitlist for my membership: www.themompsychologist.com/membership Discipline Workshop (free): http://www.themompychologist.com/workshop  Instagram: https://instagram.com/themompsychologist YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/themompsychologist

90% of your child’s brain develops by age 5. To ‘develop’ is to change, and your child’s brain is changing at rapid speed. Here are the top 5 things to make sure you start teaching your child by age 5 in order to maximize this growth period & set your child up for success. Having trouble getting your little one to get involved around the house? Check out this video for practical tips to motivate your child to do chores (without bribes or allowance). You can also download my free chore checklist, which includes age-appropriate chores for toddlers through teens as well as a chore chart to help keep everyone organized and accountable. ___________________________________________________ If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a rating. It truly helps. Thank you again for listening. Parent coaching & community: http://themompychologist.com/membership Discipline Workshop (free): www.themompychologist.com/workshop Instagram: https://instagram.com/themompsychologist YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/themompsychologist

If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a rating. It truly helps. Thank you again for listening. Parent coaching & community: http://themompychologist.com/membership Discipline Workshop (free): www.themompychologist.com/workshop Instagram: https://instagram.com/themompsychologist YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/themompsychologist  

If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a rating. It truly helps. Thank you again for listening. Parent coaching & community: http://themompychologist.com/membership Discipline Workshop (free): www.themompychologist.com/workshop Instagram: https://instagram.com/themompsychologist YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/themompsychologist