“Why is my child so disrespectful?”

It’s a question many parents ask out of frustration and confusion.

In this episode, we take a closer look at what’s really behind that word, because often what looks like disrespect is actually distress. When a child talks back, shuts down, or lashes out, they may not be trying to challenge authority, they may be overwhelmed and struggling to manage emotions they don’t yet have the skills for.

When we see it as intentional, we tend to respond with correction or control, which can escalate things.

But when we pause and recognize the distress underneath, we shift from reacting to understanding, and from correcting to connecting.

This doesn’t mean removing boundaries, it means approaching behavior with awareness so children feel supported, regulate more easily, and learn more effectively.

Jennifer's Takeaways:

Understanding Disrespect vs. Distress in Children (00:00)
The Role of Emotional Regulation and Perspective Taking (02:09)
Parental Reactions to Children's Behaviors (02:58)
Strategies for Managing Children's Behaviors (06:10)
Building Connection and Cooperation (07:56)
The Impact of Parental Behavior on Siblings (11:43)

Meet Jennifer Kolari

Jennifer Kolari is the host of the “Connected Parenting” weekly podcast and the co-host of “The Mental Health Comedy” podcast. Kolari is a frequent guest on Nationwide morning shows and podcasts in th US and Canada. Her advice can also be found in many Canadian and US magazines such as; Today’s Parent, Parents Magazine and Canadian Family.

Kolari’s powerful parenting model is based on the neurobiology of love, teaching parents how to use compassion and empathy as powerful medicine to transform challenging behavior and build children’s emotional resilience and emotional shock absorbers.

Jennifer’s wisdom, quick wit and down to earth style help parents navigate modern-day parenting problems, offering real-life examples as well as practical and effective tools and strategies.

Her highly entertaining, inspiring workshops are shared with warmth and humour, making her a crowd-pleasing speaker with schools, medical professionals, corporations and agencies throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

One of the nation’s leading parenting experts, Jennifer Kolari, is a highly sought- after international speaker and the founder of Connected Parenting. A child and family therapist with a busy practice based in San Diego and Toronto, Kolari is also the author of Connected Parenting: How to Raise A Great Kid (Penguin Group USA and Penguin Canada, 2009) and You’re Ruining My Life! (But Not Really): Surviving the Teenage Years with Connected Parenting (Penguin Canada, 2011).