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
76 episodes
What If ODD Is A Cry For Autonomy... #75
In this episode, Jon speaks directly to parents worn down by constant power struggles—especially those navigating an ODD or PDA diagnosis—starting with the raw truth that holding the line often makes everything explode. Instead of doub...
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49:37
Should you make your child apologize? #74
In this episode, Jon slows down one of the most familiar parenting moments—“You need to say you’re sorry”—and asks what we’re actually teaching when we force an apology. Rather than treating “sorry” as proof of character or accountabil...
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42:59
Stop Telling Kids “Don’t Be Bossy”; Do This Instead #73
In this episode, Jon explores what we often call “bossy” behavior and reframes it as leadership energy colliding with an underdeveloped social brain. Through vivid playdate moments and real parent questions, he unpacks why telling kids to stop ...
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50:15
Navigating Jealousy and Envy with Kids #72
This episode is for the parent quietly watching from the sidelines, wondering if their child is falling behind socially—or if they’re the only one who seems worried about it. We step into those moments where your kid hangs back, plays alone, gr...
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49:23
Is Your Kid "Falling Behind Socially"? #71
This episode is for the parent quietly watching from the sidelines, wondering if their child is falling behind socially—or if they’re the only one who seems worried about it. We step into those moments where your kid hangs back, plays alone, gr...
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50:42
When is it time to let your kids quit.... #70
In this episode, Jon sits with one of the most charged moments in parenting—the car door open, practice about to start, and a child saying, “I don’t want to do this anymore.” Through personal story and real parent questions, he explore...
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53:44
What to do about Pretend “Guns” #69
In this episode, Jon addresses one of the most loaded questions parents ask quietly: what does it mean when my child wants to play guns, war, or “bad guys”? Grounded in the idea that most parents aren’t reacting to the play itself, ...
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49:47
The Neuroplasticity of Parenthood #68
This episode is a quiet, reflective departure from Jon’s usual teaching format—part science, part story, part meditation on what parenting does to the human brain. Beginning with the migration of the Arctic tern, Jon explores how love quite lit...
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18:25
Secrets, Promises, And Safe Homes #66
In this episode, Jon tackles one of the most anxiety-provoking parenting topics: kids and secrets—and why secrecy can feel so loaded for both children and parents. Centered on the idea that the most powerful word in a child’s world isn’t rul...
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45:34
The Labels That Teach Us Who We Are #64
This episode is a departure from Jon’s usual Q&A format—a reflective, narrative-style episode that zooms out to explore how words quietly shape who our kids believe they are. Beginning with the now-famous classroom experiment by Jane Elliot...
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13:09
How to Ditch Power Struggles #63
In this episode, Jon unpacks the moment every parent dreads—when a child looks at you and says, “You can’t make me.” Rather than framing it as defiance or disrespect, he explores what’s actually happening in a child’s nervous system when...
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43:45
Seeker, Parenting Type Series #62
Find out YOUR Parenting Type CLICK HEREIn this episode, Jon introduces the Seeker parent: the caregiver driven by curiosity, depth, and a longing for wh...
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48:47
Driver, Parenting Type Series #61
Find out YOUR Parenting Type CLICK HERE'In this episode, Jon introduces the Driver parent: the caregiver who leads with momentum, decisiveness, and an i...
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45:51
Nurturers, Parenting Type Series #60
Find out YOUR Parenting Type CLICK HEREIn this episode, Jon introduces the Nurturer parent—the caregiver who leads with empathy, emotional attunement, a...
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48:51
Guardians, Parenting Types Series #59
Find our YOUR Parenting Type CLICK HEREIn this episode, Jon introduces the Guardian parent, the first of four parenting types, describing caregivers who...
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42:25
New Year, New You? #34
In this episode we explore why parenting resolutions usually fail and show how timing, identity, and community make change stick. We share concrete scripts, fresh start tactics, and small habits that turn calm, respectful parenting into a daily...
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31:41
What Toddlers Truly Remember About A Hard Holiday #58
In this episode, Jon slows the conversation down to sit with one parent’s deeply human question: what do our kids actually remember when we’re struggling? Responding to a mom navigating her first Christmas after separation, he unpacks ...
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43:35
When YOUR Parents Violate the Boundaries... #57
In this episode, Jon reflects on the ROUGH moments at family gatherings where love, history, and boundaries collide.... especially when you’re parenting in front of the people who raised you. Anchored in the reminder that “love does not requ...
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51:07
The Great Santa Controversy #32
In this throwback episode, Jon takes on the Santa question: the moment every parent eventually faces when wonder collides with honesty. Framed around the tension between magic and trust, he explores how Santa works in a child’s developing brain...
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41:07
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