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.

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