The Lila Rose Show E349: Dr. Greg Popcak: Spanking Doesn't Work (And Never Did) | E349 Lila Rose Show | Lila Rose Show
13 snips
Sep 8, 2026 Dr. Greg Popcak, a Catholic therapist, author, and parenting expert, explores why parenting is a relationship to form, not a project to manage. He connects attachment with faith, explains tantrums as regulation struggles, and discusses teaching skills instead of punishing failures. They also cover firm yet gentle discipline, repairing family patterns, role-playing for resilience, and making time for prayer, meals, and meaningful connection.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Attachment Shapes A Child’s Faith
- Attachment means a child instinctively turns to a caregiver for safety, comfort, needs, and life’s answers.
- Prompt, consistent caregiving also shapes how children later understand whether God responds when they call.
Teach Behavior Instead Of Expecting It
- Treat behavior as a skill children must be taught, not proof they should already know what to do.
- Build structure and support for sleep, meals, sibling relationships, and church behavior instead of reacting after failure.
Use Connection To Calm Tantrums
- Interpret tantrums as dysregulation and desperation rather than deliberate defiance, especially before age six.
- Hold the child close, regulate your own body, and help them learn calming steps through your presence.
