Time Out Not Working? Try a Calm Down Corner

Send your child to calm down, not to be alone. A calm down corner works when it’s Time Away: a short break in a spot near you, where she gets calm with you close by, then comes back and tries again. In this video, a clinical psychologist and mom of four shows you why the time-out chair turns into a chase and what to do instead.You’ll get a toddler discipline plan you can use the next time she hits, screams, or melts down: how to set up the calm spot, how to practice it on a calm day, the exact words to use in the moment, and what to do when she won’t go.The research on time-out comes from Dadds and Tully’s 2019 review in American Psychologist and from a University of Michigan study of about 1,400 families (Knight et al., 2020).In this episode:→ The three ways time-out turns into a fight→ Why the chair becomes a game→ How to set up a calm down corner (and where it goes)→ The exact words for hitting, screaming, and “I hate you”→ What to do when she won’t goGrab my free Better Behavior Guide 👉 https://www.drlindsayemmerson.com/better

Know the reason. Hold the bedtime. Bedtime battles grow when "one more sip of water" works some of the time, and it works because you've stopped believing your own rule. In this video, a clinical psychologist and mom of four gives you the reason behind an early bedtime and the exact words to hold it.You'll get the hours of sleep your child needs at every age, how to work backward to the right bedtime, and how to build a bedtime routine that leaves nothing to bargain over.The sleep hours come from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's consensus statement (Paruthi et al., 2016). The finding on short sleep and behavior comes from Gruber et al. (2012), published in Pediatrics.In this video:→ The one sentence that ends the nightly "one more"→ Why granting, bargaining, and blowing up all make bedtime longer→ How many hours of sleep kids need at every age→ How to work out your child's bedtime from the morning backward→ Exact words for the sip of water, the second bathroom trip, and "I'm not tired"Grab my free Family Meeting Guide 👉 https://www.drlindsayemmerson.com/meeting

Move bedtime before the clock moves. When the clocks fall back, your child’s body clock doesn’t, so she gets sleepy early and wakes up early. In this episode, a clinical psychologist and mom of four gives you the exact two-night plan her family uses every time.You’ll get the bedtimes for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, how to shift naps, a gentler four-night version for babies and sensitive sleepers, and how to handle the 5 a.m. wake-up.The finding on how long sleep stays off after the fall time change comes from Lahti and colleagues (2008), published in BMC Physiology.In this episode:→ Why the extra hour doesn’t reach your child→ The two-night bedtime plan, with exact times→ What to do with naps this week→ A four-night version for babies and sensitive sleepers→ How to keep her in bed on the early mornings😴 Sleep Training Checklist → https://www.drlindsayemmerson.com/sleep⏰ The color-coded alarm clock we use (Teach Me Time) → https://link.amazon/B074LeULa

Meet your baby first. Then buy. These are the baby registry must-haves from a clinical psychologist and mom of four: what to register for, five things to skip, and three to wait on. It's the list I sent my brother-in-law when he asked what to put on his registry.You'll also hear the baby products you don't need, and why, so your list stays short and every item on it has a reason to be there.The safe sleep points follow the American Academy of Pediatrics' 2022 recommendations (Moon, Carlin & Hand, 2022, Pediatrics). The baby carrier finding is from Anisfeld and colleagues (1990, Child Development).In this episode:→ Five registry items to delete tonight→ Three things to buy after you've met your baby→ Sleep, diapers, feeding, and bath: the short list by brand→ What I wore through four nursing babies→ The baby carrier I give at every baby shower🛒 Everything I mention (affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you):SLEEPSemphis 3-in-1 Baby Bassinet → https://amzn.to/4iduZa9Babyletto Lolly 3-in-1 Convertible Crib → https://amzn.to/4hRXXwlDelta Children Summer Breeze crib mattress → https://amzn.to/4B4Flk7Waterproof crib mattress cover → https://amzn.to/47VCpZzKeaBabies crib sheets → https://amzn.to/3WngsQAHalo SleepSack and SleepSack Swaddle → https://amzn.to/4ihRkDrAden + Anais baby blankets → https://amzn.to/4jiO4J6Sound and video baby monitor → https://amzn.to/4yf803eDIAPERS AND CLOTHESHuggies Little Snugglers diapers → https://amzn.to/3TPsTUH]Diaper Genie diaper pail → https://amzn.to/4hJ5rS5Baby changing pad → https://amzn.to/4hGqMvvChanging pad cover → https://amzn.to/4hUjgMaWashable changing pad liners → https://amzn.to/47PdDudDesitin diaper rash cream → https://amzn.to/4ylH5mhComfy Cubs muslin burp cloths → https://amzn.to/4zrnp1nFEEDINGGlamourmom nursing bra tanks → https://amzn.to/47POBuYReusable nursing pads → https://amzn.to/4zu3VJIESEN nursing pillow → https://amzn.to/4yJP7X8Breast pump → https://amzn.to/3VxVw9tBreast milk storage bags → https://amzn.to/4yKLDnzBottles → https://amzn.to/4jexMAZBottle cleaning set → https://amzn.to/3W1U7beFormula  → https://amzn.to/4jC3bxxBATH AND CAREIngenuity FoldAway baby bather → https://amzn.to/4hZEvfSKeaBabies hooded towel → https://amzn.to/4hX0vb2Aveeno Baby wash and shampoo → https://amzn.to/4zufXCzHiphop Panda baby washcloths → https://amzn.to/4zxa0oIElectric baby nail buffer → https://amzn.to/3TARqgdOUT THE DOORGraco Extend2Fit 2-in-1 Convertible Car Seat → https://amzn.to/4yOzQ7IChico KeyFit 30 Rear-Facing Infant Car Seat With Base → https://amzn.to/4BaddMrBaggallini Everywhere Bagg → https://amzn.to/4ihNJW0Travel wipes → https://amzn.to/4hTzUvHDisposable changing pads → https://amzn.to/4ydlA7dBaby K'tan baby carrier → https://amzn.to/47PBNVlErgobaby Omni Deluxe carrier → https://amzn.to/4yiEg5BFOR LATERBOB Revolution jogging stroller → https://amzn.to/4rXKyG8Baby Trend Snap-N-Go car seat stroller frame → https://amzn.to/4ym9jO3Bumkins bibs → https://amzn.to/47gmrJuInglesina Fast Table Chair → https://amzn.to/4zudbgDNuby No-Spill Sippy Cup with Flex Straw → https://amzn.to/4jTk9Y4FOR MOMPalmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks → ​​https://amzn.to/4Bfbm93

How to stop toddler whining comes down to one instruction: answer the voice, not the whine. Whether it’s a snack, a toy, or five more minutes of screen time, this video gives you the exact two sentences to say the second the whine starts.You’ll learn why giving in “just this once” keeps the whine coming back louder, why snapping or over-explaining doesn’t stop it either, and what it actually sounds like in a pickup line or a toy aisle.Whines are harder for your brain to tune out than ordinary speech, which is why staying calm through one feels so much harder than it should.In this episode:→ The two sentences that stop a whine→ Why giving in on the fourth whine teaches your child to keep going→ What the fix sounds like with a real four- and five-year-old→ What to expect in week one (including why it may get louder first) → The one thing to do before the whine even startsJoin the Parent Solutions Library 👉 https://www.drlindsayemmerson.com/solutions

Whether you lean strict or soft, you've probably never been told which parenting style you slip into, or what the research shows happens to kids raised inside each one. This video walks you through the three you're most likely to land in, in plain language, with no shame attached and gives you the piece you've been missing: Reasoned Rules, the way into the style linked to the best outcomes for kids. You'll learn the difference between rules that build respect and rules that just build compliance, why "being the fun parent" can quietly backfire, and the one style researchers consistently find produces the best outcomes for kids, on every measure that matters. Researchers Lamborn, Mounts, Steinberg, and Dornbusch (1991) followed adolescents raised in all four styles and found one pattern stands out clearly above the rest and it may not be the one you'd assume. In this episode: → Why being the "fun parent" can work against you long-term → Where "gentle parenting" actually lands — and why it's not always what you think → The strict style that gets obedience but not always trust → The one style the research consistently points to as the winner → Reasoned Rules — the piece you've been missing, and the one sentence to say tonight Reserve your seat in my free workshop 👉 https://www.drlindsayemmerson.com/workshop

Is your child misbehaving at school and you don't know how to respond when the call comes in? When your child is misbehaving at school, the call itself is often the hardest part, the instant defensiveness, embarrassment, or panic that hits before you even know the full story. This video walks through a simple 3-step method for responding to a school behavior report in a way that actually changes things, instead of just discharging your own stress onto your child.Most parents decide the punishment before they've even heard what really happened — and that reaction is usually about the parent's own feelings, not the child's behavior. A calmer, more curious response gets better information and better outcomes.Parents' own emotional state at the moment of a discipline decision directly organizes how they respond to their child — when that emotion is too strong or mismatched to the moment, it undermines the quality of the response, which is exactly why the first step in this method isn't about your child at all.In this podcast: → Why the call itself triggers a punishment decided in the wrong state of mind → The Check, Ask, Choose Method - 3 steps for responding to any school behavior report → The one question that gets the real story instead of shutting your child down → How to pick one consequence instead of stacking a second punishment on top of the school's → What changes, and by when, once you consistently respond this wayGrab my free Better Behavior Guide 👉 https://www.drlindsayemmerson.com/better

Learning how to build confidence in kids starts with a hard truth: the instinct to jump in and help isn't just harmless, it can quietly teach your child that they can't handle hard things alone. If your child refuses the puzzle above their level, hides when it's their turn, or gives up the second something gets tricky, this is the pattern behind it.Confidence for kids doesn't come from praise or from things going smoothly, it comes from tolerated struggle. In this video, I break down exactly what's happening in the moment you rescue, why it backfires, and the specific low-stakes practice that rebuilds a child's willingness to try.Research on self-efficacy shows that a child's belief in their own capability is built primarily through mastery experiences — actually doing the hard thing, not through being told they're capable.In this episode: → Why "he won't try" is fear of failure, not laziness and why it's often tied to a label → The Rescue Reflex: the parenting instinct that feels like love but teaches "you can't handle this" → The exact phrase to say instead of stepping in → What this looks like with a toddler vs. a big kid, start to finish → How long it takes before you see your child attempt something without checking your face firstGrab my free Better Behavior Guide 👉 https://www.drlindsayemmerson.com/better

You've asked your child to do something for the fifth time, you're already late, and something in your chest goes hot before you've even decided how to respond. That's the amygdala hijack and it's the reason you sometimes hear yourself yell something you didn't plan to say.This podcast walks through exactly what's happening in your brain in that moment, why the instinct to raise your voice louder makes it worse, and the exact three-step method I use myself to stop the hijack before it turns into yelling, in about 90 seconds.UCLA researchers found that simply naming an emotion measurably calms amygdala activity in the brain, the same region driving the hijack. This isn't a willpower problem. It's a brain problem, and once you can see it happening, you can actually stop it.In this podcast: → Why the instinct to raise your voice makes the hijack worse, not better → What's actually happening in your brain in the seconds before you yell → The 90-Second Reset — the exact three-step method, in real time → What to expect in the first week, and when it actually starts to stick → The one thing your child learns every time you catch it instead of losing itReserve your seat in my free workshop 👉 https://www.drlindsayemmerson.com/workshop

Posting your kids online feels harmless — a cute photo, a proud caption, gone in the time it takes your thumb to move from camera roll to send. But most parents are moving faster than they realize, and the research on what that actually creates for your child might surprise you.This podcast breaks down exactly what's happening every time you hit post, why the instinct behind it is a good one even when the follow-through isn't, and the one three-second habit that turns posting from a reflex into a real family decision.A 2024 study of 228 parents published in the Italian Journal of Pediatrics found that 93% had no idea there was legislation or real risk tied to sharing their child's content online, most parents genuinely don't know what they don't know.In this podcast: → The reflexive thoughts that feel harmless but move faster than the thinking → What's actually happening to your child's digital footprint every time you post → The one specific question that fixes this in three seconds → What it looks like in real life, at two different ages → What changes for your family once this becomes a habit💬 Comment ASK below if you're going to try the three-second question next time you go to post.Grab my free Family Meeting Guide 👉 https://www.drlindsayemmerson.com/meeting