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...Read More

Holiday season = pressure cooker for kids and parents. In this episode, Lisa explains why behavior often spikes during gatherings and travel, and how to see meltdowns as communication from a dysregulated nervous system. You’ll learn a simple 3-question framework to decode what’s underneath the behavior, meet core needs without rewarding the meltdown, and hold...Read More

In this episode, Lisa clears up one of the biggest misconceptions about peaceful parenting: that being kind means being a pushover. She shares the powerful “redwood tree” metaphor for holding firm, loving boundaries, walks through real-life examples from toddler to teen, and offers five key permissions every peaceful parent needs to confidently lead their family....Read More

Parent coach Lisa Smith welcomes Jason Holzer, co-founder of 4D Leaders, for a practical conversation on using sports as a training ground for life. They unpack how to build identity beyond wins and losses, why effort and emotional regulation matter more than trophies, and how parents and coaches can collaborate without eroding trust. You’ll hear...Read More

Screen-time fights aren’t really about screens—they’re about leadership. In this episode, Lisa breaks down why device limits feel so hard (hello, underdeveloped prefrontal cortex and dopamine loops), how we accidentally train kids to ignore us, and what to do instead. You’ll learn a simple, repeatable framework to set clear limits, hold them without overexplaining, and...Read More