34 // Why kids do the exact opposite of what you say

The Raising Kids with Purpose Podcast · Oct 8, 2026 · 18m

"Don't kick it in the middle!" Every parent on my son's 9- and 10-year-old soccer team yells it, and every single time, the ball goes right down the middle for the other team to kick in the goal. Then the coach changed his words, and they stopped getting scored on as much as they were.

In this episode, I break down why your child's brain can't really process a "don't," why "don't" is every parent's go-to (it's not your fault!), and the simple flip that helps your kids actually hear you.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why the brain has to picture the thing you don't want before it can cancel…