Latest / Play Therapy Parenting: Real Parenting Questions Answered by a Child Therapist
S2E46 - How to Set Limits When the Behavior Comes Out of Nowhere
In this episode, I answer a question from Kendall about how to set limits when you can't predict a behavior in advance—like when a child suddenly lashes out at a sibling "for no reason." I walk through how to balance proactive expectations with in-the-moment limit setting using the ACT model (Acknowledge, Communicate the limit, Target alternatives).
I also explain how to shift the language from parent-imposed consequences to child-led choices, so children learn that their actions have natural outcomes. Finally, I share why emotional vocabulary is essential for building regulation and why…
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