The Whole Parent Podcast
Welcome to 'The Whole Parent Podcast,' where we dive deep into evidence-based parenting strategies, blending cutting-edge psychology with real-world experience. Each episode offers insightful discussions, expert interviews, and practical tips to empower you and your family through the joys and challenges of raising children. Join us as we explore not just the highs of parenting, but navigate the complexities and embrace the journey together.
Episodes
56 episodes
What to do about a SORE LOSER..... #56
In this episode, Jon explores why losing hits kids so hard—and why meltdowns over games are rarely about the game itself. Centered on the idea that “losing feels like a threat when a nervous system can’t predict what’s coming next,” he r...
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49:47
Parenting on Autopilot... #55
In this episode, Jon explores why parents often find themselves reacting on autopilot—saying things they swore they’d never say, in a tone that feels uncomfortably familiar. Centered on the idea of “factory default settings,” he explains...
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42:30
When kids get MAD that you hold boundaries.... #54
Episode SummaryIn this episode, Jon explores what it means to hold boundaries when your child is angry with you—and why that discomfort doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. Grounded in the truth that “kids aren’t supposed...
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46:44
Why Toddlers Say "No"... #53
In this episode, Jon unpacks why toddlers seem to say “no” to everything—even the things they want—and why this phase isn’t defiance or manipulation, but their earliest tool for agency. Framed as a selfhood struggle, not a p...
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46:03
What to do with a REALLY clingy kid.... #52
In this episode, Jon answers three real parent questions about clinginess — those “Velcro moments” when a child won’t let you leave the room and panic replaces logic. Through stories, brain science, and attachment research, he explores why clin...
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43:39
Managing the Dreaded Transitions... #51
In this episode, Jon digs into the real reason transitions feel so “impossible” for kids — not because they’re being dramatic, but because shifting out of a moment they love can feel like a genuine shock to their system. Through stories, neuros...
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38:43
Why Kids Interrupt... Impulse Control, Time Blindness, and what you can do about it #50
In this episode, Jon unpacks why kids interrupt, especially in those moments when it “starts to feel disrespectful and chaotic” and you’re thinking, they’re old enough, they should know better. He breaks down what’s really happening in...
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45:48
What to do when your kid gives up before they even TRY? #49
In this episode, Jon answers three real parent questions about kids who shut down, melt down, or avoid trying altogether — the moments when, as one child put it, “I’d rather not try than be bad at it.” Through stories, neuroscience, and relatab...
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46:23
Gift Overload, Meltdowns, And Real Gratitude #48
Episode Summary Jon unpacks why kids often look “ungrateful” or overwhelmed during gift-heavy holidays—and why it has nothing to do with entitlement and everything to do with biology, routine disruption, and emotional overload. Throu...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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47:40
Parenting Brilliant, Awesome, Neurodivergent, Kids #47
To support the podcast, head over to Substack and become a monthly or annual paid subscriber. It's the only way Jon gets paid for this. In this episode, Jon answers a parent’s questi...
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52:38
How To Stay Regulated While Your Kids Battle Over A Lego #46
Subscribe on Substack to support the show!Buy Punishment-Free Parenting (Jon's book) nowIn today’s episode, Jon returns to the show’s original...
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51:36
How to Make the Morning Madness Suck Less #45
If your mornings feel like a daily emotional avalanche, lost shoes, floppy limbs, scratchy socks, MELTDOWNS, you’re not alone. In this episode, Jon goes back to the original Whole Parent format and answers real listener questions about morning ...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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41:44
When Approval Becomes Addition: The Cost Of Praise #44
It all started with a gold star. A single shining sticker on a kindergarten chart that—without me realizing it—began rewiring my understanding of love, worth, and motivation. In this episode of The Whole Parent Podcast, we dive into th...
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15:55
Breaking The Cycle Of Love And Control (Premium Episode) #43
A grainy home video from 1993 opens a door many parents avoid: the thin line where love and control blur. From that single forced smile, we follow the thread into cognitive dissonance, exploring why we promise ourselves we won’t yell and still ...
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25:35
What to do about hitting? (Mini Episode) #42
This is one of my shorter mini-episodes where I read this weeks Substack article. We answer here the simple and yet extremely common question "What are we supposed to do when our kid hits us or someone else?" If you woul...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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10:17
Picture Books and Other Threats (with Betsy Bird) #41
Stories aren’t just how we pass time—they’re how we pass on what it means to be human. We sit down with librarian and children’s literature expert Betsy Bird to unpack why reading aloud is more than a bedtime ritual. It’s brain food during the ...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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28:04
How My 7-Year-Old Learned to Read (Without Me Teaching Him) #40
My oldest son couldn’t read at seven. And me? I was writing a parenting book for a major publisher. Being asked to speak to thousands of parents. Teaching emotional development, brain-based learning, and motivation. The irony wasn’t lost on me....
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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16:53
How to Not Raise a Nazi.... #39 (Free Premium Episode)
Key Links:📖 Get My Book: Punishment-Free Parenting: The Brain-Based Way to Raise Kids Without Raising Your Voice – A...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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35:05
The invisible thing killing your marriage (with Eve Rodsky) #38
IT'S HERE! Get Punishment-Free Parenting on Audiobook Why does it feel like one partner carries the wei...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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36:24
What to do when we mess up [featuring an excerpt from Punishment-Free Parenting] #37
Get your own copy of the audiobook HEREWhat do we do when we mess up as parents? In this Episode of the Whole Parent Podcast, I read a long section from the Chapter on Repair...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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25:56
Parenting ADHD Kids with Dr. Josh & Dr. Tina Payne Bryson (Premium Episode) #36
Resources Mentioned:Punishment Free-Parenting
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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39:20
5 Hacks: How to Speak Kid #35
Help me out! My book Punishment-Free Parenting: The Brain-Based Way to Raise Kids Without Raising Your Voice comes out in LESS THA...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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31:58
New Year, New You? #34
Help me out... My book is behind on pre-sales and I'm trying to make up a lot of ground before release on January 28th, 2025. If you love the podcast, please consider preordering—it’s th...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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24:46