Understanding Children’s Needs

This podcast explores the importance of understanding the underlying needs driving children's behavior, rather than simply reacting to the surface behavior itself. It presents a framework for identifying unmet needs (safety, connection, autonomy, competence) using examples like breakfast battles and homework resistance. The author emphasizes the need to listen and understand before correcting, promoting deeper connections and more effective problem-solving. Practical tools and steps are provided to help parents become "emotional detectives" who address root causes instead of just symptoms. The approach is grounded in developmental psychology and illustrated with personal anecdotes from the martial arts instructor, Cj TruHeart.