Raising kids is a wild ride, and every age brings its own chaos and charm. In this episode, we get into what actually works — staying present, setting limits that stick, helping kids build responsibility, and handling lying without turning it into a meltdown moment. We also talk middle school friendships, teen independence, media boundaries, and the very real stress parents carry at every stage. If you’ve ever looked around and thought, “Is everyone else figuring this out except me,” you’re in the right place. In this episode: - Catching kids being good - Setting limits while staying encouraging - Fairness, responsibility, and chores - Why kids lie and how to respond in a way that supports growth - Middle school routines, emotions, and boundaries - Connecting with teens who swear they don’t need you - Managing your own stress as a parent
Episode Notes / Resources
Wait Until 8th: https://www.waituntil8th.org/
American Academy of Pediatrics Social Media Guidelines: https://www.aap.org/socialmedia
Boston Children’s Guided Self-Management Tools for Anxiety: https://www.childrenshospital.org
Common Sense Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
No. Why Kids of All Ages Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It — David Walsh (2006): https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/No-Kids-of-All-Ages-Need-to-Hear-It-and-Ways-Parents-Can-Say-It/David-Walsh/9780743271507
Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood — Jim Fay & Charles Fay: https://www.loveandlogic.com/collections/books/products/love-and-logic-magic-for-early-childhood
The Everyday Parenting Toolkit — Alan E. Kazdin: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/alan-e-kazdin/the-everyday-parenting-toolkit/9780547829329/
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk — Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlich: https://www.facebook.com/howtotalkbooks/
Positive Parenting: Strategies to Help Children and Teens Thrive — AAP: https://shop.aap.org/positive-parenting-paperback/
Why Kids Lie — Child Mind Institute: https://childmind.org/article/why-kids-lie/
Lying and Child Development Study (2008): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3431103/
Theory of Mind, Executive Function, and Lying Meta-Analysis (2021): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33544950/
Prosocial Lying in Children Study (2021): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105045