Real World Peaceful Parenting

This episode is part of our December Calm & Connection Toolkit - four of our most downloaded episodes designed to help you find peace through the holiday chaos. Whether you’re brand new to this podcast or revisiting these essential tools, this series will help you understand your nervous system, your triggers, and your child’s developing brain during one of the most stressful times of the year.In this episode of Real World Peaceful Parenting, Lisa Smith dives into the real-life stories of parents navigating the tricky psychological triggers that hijack our best intentions. Identity, social standing, and loss—these three triggers can turn any ordinary parenting moment into a heated, reactive spiral. Lisa and her Hive community guests share candid experiences of snapping, struggling with morning chaos, sibling fights, and managing judgment from others. More importantly, they reveal how awareness and simple tools can help you pause, name your trigger, and respond from your higher brain—creating connection instead of conflict.This episode is packed with honesty, practical strategies, and relatable moments that remind you: you’re not broken, your child isn’t “difficult,” and it’s possible to parent from calm, confidence, and connection.What You'll Learn:How identity triggers make you question yourself as a parent, and how to respond instead of reacting.Why social standing triggers hijack us with shame, judgment, and comparison, and how to keep your focus on your child instead of the audience.How loss triggers activate grief and fear over your child, your relationship, or your family vision—and what to do about it.Real-life examples from parents of toddlers, tweens, and teens showing how triggers show up in daily life.How naming your triggers (identity, social standing, loss) can calm your nervous system and bring your thinking brain back online.Practical strategies to respond from your values, repair relationships after a snap, and foster connection even in difficult moments.

This episode is part of our December Calm & Connection Toolkit - four of our most downloaded episodes designed to help you find peace through the holiday chaos. Whether you’re brand new to this podcast or revisiting these essential tools, this series will help you understand your nervous system, your triggers, and your child’s developing brain during one of the most stressful times of the year.Ever lost it with your kid and wondered, what just happened? You’re not alone—and you’re not broken. In this episode, Lisa Smith dives deep into the three psychological triggers that hijack every parent: identity, social standing, and fear of loss. She breaks down why our reactions are often more about our own wounds than our child’s behavior—and how awareness can help us respond with calm, connection, and confidence. Whether you have a toddler, a strong-willed 8-year-old, or a moody teenager, this episode will give you actionable tools to pause, recognize your triggers, and parent from your higher brain instead of your fight-or-flight instincts.What You'll Learn:Why “bad behavior” isn’t the real problem—it’s what it triggers in your nervous system.How the identity trigger makes us feel like failures when our child’s actions contradict the parent we want to be.How the social standing trigger hijacks us with shame, comparison, and fear of judgment from others.How the loss trigger creates grief and fear about your child, your relationship, and your family vision.How to pause and recognize which trigger is activated in the moment, instead of reacting automatically.Practical next steps to start responding from your higher brain, not your reactive one, so your child hears your guidance instead of your frustration.

This episode is part of our December Calm & Connection Toolkit - four of our most downloaded episodes designed to help you find peace through the holiday chaos. Whether you’re brand new to this podcast or revisiting these essential tools, this series will help you understand your nervous system, your triggers, and your child’s developing brain during one of the most stressful times of the year.What happens when your child is melting down… and your nervous system decides to join them? In this powerful episode, Lisa shares real-life stories, neuroscience-backed insights, and go-to tools for calming yourself when your child’s behavior sets off alarm bells inside you. You’ll walk away with practical techniques to regulate in the moment, repair after a blow-up, and parent from a place of connection—even on the hardest days.What You'll Learn:Why your nervous system gets activated when your child melts down—and how to notice it soonerThe real reason your triggers aren’t flaws (and what to do with them instead)Four go-to regulation tools you can use in under 30 secondsHow to co-regulate without abandoning yourselfWhat to say to repair with your child after a dysregulation spiralHow to build a daily practice of self-awareness that leads to more peace at home

In this powerful, compassionate episode, Lisa speaks directly to parents who feel stuck in old patterns — yelling, threatening, reacting, or feeling like every attempt to change just hasn’t worked. With the holidays approaching and stress rising, Lisa explains why this is actually the perfect moment to learn new tools that make parenting calmer and more connected.She walks listeners through what really happens inside her upcoming Discipline Without Damage class on December 9th — including the real-life coaching, the mindset shifts, the actionable tools, and the instant clarity parents experience. If you’ve ever wondered, “What if I try again and nothing changes?” Lisa answers that fear with honesty, hope, and a clear roadmap forward.This episode is your reminder: You’re not failing. Your child isn’t broken. You simply need a framework that finally fits your strong-willed child.What You'll Learn:Why traditional “power over” parenting backfires with strong-willed kids — and why it’s not your fault it hasn’t worked.The difference between power over and power with, and how this one shift dramatically reduces pushback, yelling, and power struggles.Why the holidays intensify behavior challenges, even in kids who are usually flexible or easygoing.Exactly what happens in the Discipline Without Damage class — the structure, the coaching, and how transformation begins in real time.Why past attempts to change may not have stuck, and how having the right framework finally makes sustainable change possible.Three core tools you’ll walk away with that you can use immediately during bedtime, homework battles, morning chaos, and holiday stress.

Heading into the holidays with a strong-willed child can feel like stepping into a pressure cooker — overstimulation, routine changes, late nights, sugar highs, and endless expectations. In this episode, Lisa shares the exact framework that transformed bedtime, power struggles, and emotional blow-ups in her own home: shifting from power over to power with. You’ll learn why traditional discipline fails with strong-willed kids, how to understand their wiring, and what to do in the heat of the moment to create cooperation instead of battles. This episode is your roadmap to calmer days, easier transitions, and deeper connection — especially during the holiday season.What You'll Learn:Why strong-willed kids push back harder when parents use power-over tactics like threats, yelling, or “because I said so.”How to shift into power-with parenting, where boundaries stay firm but connection and autonomy open the door to cooperation.The real reason your child melts down more during the holidays — and how to decode the unmet needs underneath the behavior.How overstimulation, disrupted routines, and sensory overload impact your child’s nervous system (even when they’re having fun).Simple phrases and strategies to replace yelling, threatening, and forcing compliance with calm leadership.How to hold the same boundary with a completely different energy that invites cooperation rather than triggering defiance.