The Art of Raising Humans

In this episode of Art of Raising Humans, Kyle and Sara tackle one of the most emotionally loaded parenting questions: When should you push your child to persevere and when is it healthier to back off?
 
Parents often worry that letting kids quit will undermine grit, confidence, or future success. But pushing too hard can erode trust, increase anxiety, and disconnect kids from their own sense of agency. So how do you know the difference?
 
This episode breaks down the brain science behind perseverance, the role of emotional safety in growth, and how to support kids through challenge without breaking their spirit. You’ll learn how to recognize when struggle is productive, when stress has tipped into overwhelm, and how thoughtful backing off can actually increase long-term resilience.
 
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re building perseverance—or protecting your own anxiety—this conversation will help you find the middle ground.
 
In this episode, we discuss:
The difference between perseverance and endurance at all costs
How brain development impacts persistence
Signs pushing is helpful vs harmful
Why trust and regulation come before growth
 
View the full podcast transcript at: 
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/when-to-push-and-when-to-back-off-how-to-build-perseverance-without-breaking-your-childs-spirit
 
Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.
 
Resource Website: 
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com
Video Courses: 
https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/
Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans
Instagram: 
https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans
Podcast Website: 
https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com
Book List:
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist
 
The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.

This episode of Art of Raising Humans features a powerful conversation with Kirk Martin and his son Casey Martin on modern fatherhood, emotional safety, and trust.
 
Kirk shares his journey from reactive parenting to connection-based leadership, while Casey reflects on what it was like to experience that change as a child. Together, they explore how kids test consistency before they trust it, why emotional vulnerability in dads matters, and how real connection is built over time—not in perfect moments.
 
This episode is especially meaningful for dads who want deeper relationships with their kids and for parents learning that growth, repair, and trust happen slowly—and relationally.
 
In this episode, we discuss:
Emotional vulnerability and strength in fatherhood
How children respond when parents begin to change
Why trust is built through consistency, not words
The impact of ADHD on parenting and connection
What kids can teach parents when we’re willing to listen
 
View the full podcast transcript at: 
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/kirk-casey-martin-how-dads-build-trust-emotional-safety-and-real-connection-with-their-kids
 
Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.
 
Resource Website: 
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com
Video Courses: 
https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/
Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans
Instagram: 
https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans
Podcast Website: 
https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com
Book List:
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist
 
The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.

As parents, we often believe we know why our kids behave the way they do.
We assume intentions, assign meaning to their actions, and respond from that story, often when we are stressed, tired, or triggered.
 
But what if those assumptions are wrong?
 
In this episode of Art of Raising Humans, we explore one of the most common and overlooked parenting mistakes, mind reading our children. This happens when we assume we know their motives without actually checking.
 
We unpack why the parent brain does this under stress, what brain science and child development tell us about behavior, and how these assumptions quietly erode connection, trust, and cooperation, especially with tweens and teens.
 
In this episode, you will learn:
• Why the human brain jumps to negative interpretations under stress
• How nervous system dysregulation leads parents to misread behavior
• Why kids often cannot articulate their own motives and what that means for discipline
• How curiosity builds safety, honesty, and long term behavior change
• What it looks like to assume the best without losing boundaries
• Practical ways to pause assumptions and respond with clarity and connection
 
This episode is for parents who want to move beyond control, power struggles, and miscommunication and toward deeper understanding, cooperation, and trust.
You do not need to read your child’s mind.
 
You need to make space for their voice.
 
View the full podcast transcript at: 
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/why-parents-misread-their-kids-behavior-and-how-brain-science-changes-the-way-you-respond
 
Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.
 
Resource Website: 
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com 
Video Courses: 
https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/ 
Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans 
Instagram: 
https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans 
Podcast Website: 
https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com 
Book List:
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist 
 
The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.

Parents are often told to “forgive yourself” or “you’re doing great.” While well intentioned, that message often falls flat for parents who are thoughtful, reflective, and deeply invested in their growth.
 
In this episode of Art of Raising Humans, we explore why self-forgiveness is most effective when it comes after responsibility, reflection, and repair. We explain the brain science behind shame, learning, and nervous system regulation, and why skipping reflection can keep parents stuck in cycles of guilt rather than growth.
 
You’ll learn how shame activates the brain’s threat system, why responsibility is different from self-criticism, and what actually allows parents to change patterns without burning out. We also share a practical framework for reflection, repair, and growth that makes self-compassion feel earned rather than hollow.
 
This episode is for parents who care deeply, are unlearning inherited patterns, and want to keep growing without shame driving their parenting.
 
View the full podcast transcript at: 
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/forgive-yourself-and-keep-growing-why-self-compassion-only-works-after-responsibility
 
Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.
 
Resource Website: 
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com 
Video Courses: 
https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/ 
Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans 
Instagram: 
https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans 
Podcast Website: 
https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com 
Book List:
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist 
 
The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.

Most parents want their children to be responsible, capable, and independent.
But when it comes to building habits, morning routines, homework, chores, hygiene, emotional regulation, many well-intentioned parents accidentally sabotage the process without realizing it.
 
In this episode of Art of Raising Humans, Kyle and Sara break down the most common ways parents unintentionally derail habit building in kids, tweens, and teens, and what actually helps habits stick without nagging, shaming, or taking over.
 
You’ll learn why becoming the reminder, lecturing, rescuing, using shame, or expecting adult-level consistency backfires and how habits grow instead through ownership, scaffolding, realistic expectations, and nervous-system safety.
 
This episode covers:
Why habits fail when parents carry the responsibility
How shame, anger, and pressure shut down learning
What to do instead of lecturing or reminding
How to use visual supports and external reminders effectively
Why consistency matters more than perfection
How to scaffold habits without creating dependence
What repair looks like when things fall apart
 
This conversation reframes habit building as a developmental skill, not a motivation problem and offers practical tools parents can use immediately to reduce power struggles and build lasting responsibility.
 
If you’re tired of repeating yourself and wondering why habits won’t stick, this episode will help you stop unintentionally getting in the way and start supporting real growth.
 
View the full podcast transcript at: 
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/how-parents-sabotage-habits-in-kids-and-what-actually-helps-them-stick
 
Visit our website and social media channels for more valuable content for your parenting journey.
 
Resource Website: 
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com 
Video Courses: 
https://art-of-raising-humans.newzenler.com/ 
Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/artofraisinghumans 
Instagram: 
https://www.instagram.com/artofraisinghumans 
Podcast Website: 
https://www.theartofraisinghumans.com 
Book List:
https://www.artofraisinghumans.com/booklist 
 
The Art of Raising Humans podcast should not be considered or used as counseling but for educational purposes only.