The Two Jobs of Parents and the Importance of Boundaries

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Dr. Becky Kennedy: Protocols for Excellent Parenting & Improving Relationships of All Kinds

Huberman Lab

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The Two Jobs of Parents and the Importance of Boundaries

Parents have two essential jobs, one of which is setting boundaries. Boundaries are commitments we make that do not require the other person to act, preserving our values and needs. Establishing boundaries in a parent-child relationship is crucial for maintaining safety and ensuring children's well-being.

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Episode notes

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Becky Kennedy, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, bestselling author, and founder of Good Inside, an education platform for parents and parents-to-be. We discuss actionable protocols for raising resilient, emotionally healthy kids and effective alternatives to typical forms of reward and punishment that instead teach children valuable skills and strengthen the parent-child bond. These protocols also apply to other types of relationships: professional, romantic, friendships, siblings, etc.

We explain how to respond to emotional outbursts, rudeness, and entitlement, repair fractured relationships, build self-confidence, and improve interpersonal connections with empathy while maintaining healthy boundaries.

We also discuss how to effectively communicate with children and adults with ADHD, anxiety, learning challenges, or with “deeply feeling” individuals.

The conversation is broadly applicable to all types of social interactions and bonds. By the end of the episode, you will have learned simple yet powerful tools to build healthy relationships with kids, teens, adults, and oneself.

For show notes, including referenced articles and additional resources, please visit hubermanlab.com.