Ep 269: Are You a Consistent Parent?

<p>Sheri Glucoft Wong, author of <a href="https://amzn.to/3TlyPC2"><em>Raising Kids</em></a>, shares the importance of being a consistent parent, even when raising teens feels like a complicated maze. As a therapist, Sheri has a wealth of insight on how to effectively and consistently communicate with our kids. </p><p><br></p><p>If you've enjoyed Talking to Teens, we'd love if you could leave us a five-star rating, and if you have time, a review! </p><p><strong>Full Show Notes</strong></p><p>As parents, we all have those moments when communicating with our teen feels easy, and other times when no matter what we say, it leads to conflict. Why is that? What makes the difference between feeling effective vs ineffective?</p><p>This week we’re exploring that idea with our guest Sheri Glucoft Wong, a nationally recognized family therapist and author of <em>Raising Kids: Your Essential Guide to Everyday Parenting</em>. Sheri introduces the concept of being “on your spot” as a parent – when you feel aligned in your head, heart, and gut about an issue, communicate it clearly to your teen, and they respond accordingly without a power struggle.</p><p>What does it mean to be “on your spot” and why does it create cooperation not conflict? How can we get “off our spot” and start grasping for leverage through threats and consequences? Sheri explains why threats often backfire and how a simple “tweak” using “when/then” language instead of “if/then” can turn things around.</p><p><strong>The Power of Being “On Your Spot”</strong></p><p>Being on your spot as a parent means you feel clear and aligned internally about an issue, so you can take a firm yet kind stance with your teen. Sheri shares how parents have no trouble insisting kids wear seatbelts in the car – they never threaten or bribe, they just know it’s non-negotiable. But with other issues, like manners or chore completion, they struggle because they’re not fully on their spot.</p><p>In our interview, Sheri describes how being on your spot means your head, heart,