The Whole Parent Podcast

In this episode, Jon speaks directly to parents worn down by constant power struggles—especially those navigating an ODD or PDA diagnosis—starting with the raw truth that holding the line often makes everything explode. Instead of doubling down on consistency or control, he reframes defiance as a nervous system response to perceived threat, not a character problem or a parenting failure. Listeners will walk away with relief, language for what’s really happening in these moments, and a steadier way to hold boundaries without becoming the enemy—grounded in safety, flexibility, and the radical idea that a child’s push for autonomy is not something to extinguish, but something to work with.
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Links 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
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In this episode, Jon slows down one of the most familiar parenting moments—“You need to say you’re sorry”—and asks what we’re actually teaching when we force an apology. Rather than treating “sorry” as proof of character or accountability, he explores what’s happening in a child’s brain when adults are tense, watching, and waiting for the right words. The episode reframes apologies not as a demand, but as one small part of repair, shifting the focus from appeasing adults to caring for the person who was hurt. Parents will leave with a clearer, calmer way to handle these moments—one that builds empathy, responsibility, and real reconciliation instead of compliance. 

Send us a text
Support the show
Links 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 what we often call “bossy” behavior and reframes it as leadership energy colliding with an underdeveloped social brain. Through vivid playdate moments and real parent questions, he unpacks why telling kids to stop being bossy misses the point—and how correction can quietly turn into shame, especially for strong-willed kids. Parents will walk away with a clearer way to distinguish control from influence, language that builds social awareness without dulling confidence, and a grounded reminder that the goal isn’t to soften a child’s intensity, but to help them learn how to lead in ways others want to follow.
Send us a text
Support the show
Links 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

This episode is for the parent quietly watching from the sidelines, wondering if their child is falling behind socially—or if they’re the only one who seems worried about it. We step into those moments where your kid hangs back, plays alone, gravitates toward adults, or misses social cues, and we slow the whole story down. Instead of rushing to labels or fixes, this conversation reframes social “lag” as temperament, context, and skill development unfolding on its own timeline. We explore how easily our own childhood wounds sneak into our fears, how extroversion gets mistaken for health, and why opting out isn’t the same thing as being excluded. Most of all, this episode offers relief: a way to see your child more clearly, respond with curiosity instead of panic, and trust that many of the traits that worry us at six can become strengths later—if we don’t shame them out of existence first.
Send us a text
Support the show
Links 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

This episode is for the parent quietly watching from the sidelines, wondering if their child is falling behind socially—or if they’re the only one who seems worried about it. We step into those moments where your kid hangs back, plays alone, gravitates toward adults, or misses social cues, and we slow the whole story down. Instead of rushing to labels or fixes, this conversation reframes social “lag” as temperament, context, and skill development unfolding on its own timeline. We explore how easily our own childhood wounds sneak into our fears, how extroversion gets mistaken for health, and why opting out isn’t the same thing as being excluded. Most of all, this episode offers relief: a way to see your child more clearly, respond with curiosity instead of panic, and trust that many of the traits that worry us at six can become strengths later—if we don’t shame them out of existence first. 
Send us a text
Support the show
Links 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