Performhappy With Rebecca Smith

Watching your child struggle can be exhausting. You see how hard they are trying, yet small moments turn into big emotions, power struggles, or shutdowns. You may wonder why it feels so hard to stay calm when all you want to do is help.In this episode, I talk with calm parenting expert Kirk Martin about how parents’ emotions and reactions shape their children’s behavior and confidence. Kirk works with families raising strong willed and ADHD wired kids, and he explains why calm, confident leadership creates more change than control ever does.Kirk shares a pivotal moment from his own parenting journey. After a heated argument, he discovered his son was writing a school paper calling his dad his superhero. That moment revealed how deeply kids want connection and approval, even when behavior looks difficult or defiant.We discuss why yelling, nagging, and over managing often backfire. When parents stay regulated, set clear boundaries, and give kids ownership within those limits, power struggles decrease and kids a