153: Why Parenting Strategies Aren't Working (& What to Do Instead) - Jeanne & Josh's Story

Watch my video →How to End Your Child's Meltdowns in 8 Weeks or Less

For eight years, their son had never once said "I love you", and waking him up for school usually meant getting kicked or hit.

Jeannie and Josh are the parents of an eight-year-old adopted, neurodivergent, highly sensitive boy. Their days had turned into a cycle of hitting, yelling, and dysregulation that started the moment their son woke up. Josh stopped kissing him awake because it usually ended with knuckles to his forehead. Simple things like ice cream runs turned into battles. They had read the books, tried the strategies, and listened to every ADHD and sensitivity podcast they could find.

None of it stuck, because they were still coming at it from one question: how do we fix him?

The turn came when they stopped asking that question. Their story depicts what it feels like to look at your own reactions, childhood, and parenting patterns. It also demonstrates what happens when both parents finally speak the same language.

If you're carrying fear about who your child might become in five years, don’t miss this episode.

You’ll learn:

[0:00] Introduction

[2:13] Every parenting idea they had got roadblocked, and they didn't know why

[4:13] Signs Josh and Jeannie wish they'd caught earlier

[8:26] Things they tried before finding me, and why the "fix him" mindset failed

[12:04] Why strategies alone don't work without deeper seismic shifts underneath

[14:05] The hardest part now isn't their child’s behaviour, it's family members who don't get it

[18:58] How Josh’s co-regulation also co-regulated the traumatised boy inside his dad

[21:00] The fear of picturing their son at 16, and the big leap that followed

[28:02] Information-based programs can leave you more overwhelmed, not more healed

[34:43] The moment they realised their son hadn't said "I love you" in eight years

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