The Whole Parent Podcast

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 why toddlers don’t store memories the way we fear—and why repair matters more than perfection. Parents will leave with relief, neuroscience-backed reassurance, and a clearer understanding of how safety, emotional honesty, and returning to connection shape a child far more than a tense moment ever could. Send us a textSupport the showLinks to help you and me: To support the Podcast, Subscribe on Substack Get Jon’s Top Five Emotional Regulation Games Get Jon’s Book Punishment-Free Parenting Preorder Jon’s Children’s Book Set My Feelings Free Follow Whole Parent on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, Youtube

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 require you to violate your boundaries,” he walks through real parent questions about food comments, gift overload, and forced affection. Parents will leave feeling less alone, more grounded in their authority, and clearer about how to protect their kids without carrying everyone else’s feelings.Send us a textSupport the showLinks to help you and me: To support the Podcast, Subscribe on Substack Get Jon’s Top Five Emotional Regulation Games Get Jon’s Book Punishment-Free Parenting Preorder Jon’s Children’s Book Set My Feelings Free Follow Whole Parent on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, Youtube

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 and why the real issue isn’t whether Santa is “real,” but how we show up when kids ask big questions. Parents will walk away with clarity, compassion, and practical ways to navigate Santa conversations in a way that protects imagination, emotional safety, and the parent-child relationship. Send us a textSupport the showLinks to help you and me: To support the Podcast, Subscribe on Substack Get Jon’s Top Five Emotional Regulation Games Get Jon’s Book Punishment-Free Parenting Preorder Jon’s Children’s Book Set My Feelings Free Follow Whole Parent on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, Youtube

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 reframes sore losing as a regulation issue, not a character flaw. Parents will walk away with clarity, compassion, and practical ways to build frustration tolerance and resilience without shaming, fixing, or lowering expectations.Send us a textSupport the showLinks to help you and me: To support the Podcast, Subscribe on Substack Get Jon’s Top Five Emotional Regulation Games Get Jon’s Book Punishment-Free Parenting Preorder Jon’s Children’s Book Set My Feelings Free Follow Whole Parent on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, Youtube

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 how stress, fatigue, and old neural pathways quietly take over, even when our values are different. Parents will leave with relief, self-compassion, and practical nervous-system tools to interrupt inherited patterns and respond with more intention when it matters most.Send us a textSupport the showLinks to help you and me: To support the Podcast, Subscribe on Substack Get Jon’s Top Five Emotional Regulation Games Get Jon’s Book Punishment-Free Parenting Preorder Jon’s Children’s Book Set My Feelings Free Follow Whole Parent on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, Youtube