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Disrespect from children isn't just about bad manners—it's often about children struggling with big emotions, lacking skills to express themselves, or testing boundaries. When children talk back or roll their eyes, our response determines whether the behavior becomes a pattern or remains a passing moment.

• Children often show disrespect due to frustration, feeling powerless, or lacking tools to express themselves
• Kids model behavior they've seen from adults, siblings, or media
• Testing limits is part of children's development at every age
• Matching their tone or attitude only reinforces disrespectful behavior
• Lecturing during emotional moments is ineffective; save teachable moments for later
• Simple, clear responses work best: "I don't speak to you that way and expect the same from you"
• Give children a chance to try again with respect
• The "mom look" or silence can be more powerful than words
• Walking away shows you won't engage with disrespect
• Model respectful speech even when frustrated
• Praise respectful behavior when you see it
• Role-play scenarios to practice respectful disagreement
• Create and post family rules around tone and language
• Use natural consequences rather than punishment
• Always circle back when everyone is calm to discuss better approaches

Check out my show on YouTube called the Pam Show on my channel, Pamela Palanza, and visit my website pamelapalanza.com for more parenting resources.

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www.specialneedspro.net

Afraid to Ask, Ashamed to Fight eBook

Nancy Perkins, special needs advocate and author, returns to discuss her new ebook "Afraid to Ask, Ashamed to Fight" which provides parents with essential guidance for navigating the special education system. She shares insights from both her professional experience and personal journey as the parent of a son with autism spectrum disorder.

• Title "Afraid to Ask, Ashamed to Fight" reflects parents' fear of appearing uninformed and intimidation when confronting school systems
• School administrators sometimes instruct teachers not to inform parents about services their children are entitled to receive
• "Wait and see" responses from schools often mean waiting for a child to fail before intervention begins
• Schools withhold information due to lack of knowledge about special education law and financial constraints
• The Procedural Safeguards Notice (for ages 3-21) is a vital resource for understanding parental rights
• Bringing lawyers to IEP meetings can create unnecessary hostility—try working with advocates first
• Children should attend their own IEP meetings starting at age 14-16 for post-high school planning
• Be alert to informal "suspensions" when schools ask parents to pick up children for non-medical reasons
• Documentation is critical—record all communications with detailed notes about dates, times and outcomes

Find Nancy's ebook at www.specialneedspronet.com and click on "ebook" in the dropdown menu. You can preview the first three pages before purchasing.

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Parenting during times of high expectations and social media perfection can make us feel like failures, but struggling doesn't mean you're failing—it means you're human. Good parents worry about doing it wrong and care about how their actions affect their children, while truly bad parents don't show up, try, or care.

• Fatigue is the number one issue reported by women in recent surveys
• Yelling, needing alone time, or relying on screen time doesn't make you a bad parent
• Lower your expectations and give yourself grace during difficult days
• Try the "I'm going to rest for 30 minutes then we'll all clean" parenting hack
• Your presence matters more to your children than perfection
• Children will remember you showing up, not whether everything was perfect
• Repeat the mantra "I'm doing the best I can with what I've got today"

Please leave a review if you enjoyed this episode—it helps other parents find us. If you have friends with children who could use some parenting tips, feel free to share, and you can always find me on my socials. Until then, remember, hug and love your babies.