(If you'd like to watch the video or listen to the audio of this text, they're below.)

There are so many assumptions in our culture about discipline that come from incorrect information about the way our brains, bodies, and nervous systems work. We know so much more than we did even 5 years ago, but it takes a lot longer for the information to make it into the lives of families. We’re going to begin with some new information and how we can begin to apply that information in our families TODAY. We’re on the cutting edge here and this information has the potential to make radical changes in the way you look at your kids and how you handle conflict and big emotions in your family so that it feels much better for everyone, which is the focus of our course!

I’m Rebecca Thompson Hitt, Founder and Executive Director of The Consciously Parenting Project. I’ve been working with families for over 20 years. I have a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Barry University in Miami Shores, FL. I have boys, who you’ll inevitably hear about in this course, and a husband, who you’ll probably also hear about, so I want to share that I’m actively parenting and applying this information in my own life and in my private practice with clients around the world. And I’m here to share some of this important and life-changing information with you today and in this course.

We’ve all learned that when someone does something wrong, we need to punish them and make them feel badly for what they’ve done. We’ve been taught that learning happens there. But what if the behaviors our kids are showing us are really part of how they communicate their needs? The younger the child, the less able to communicate their needs effectively. We add in our own stories about what’s happening (our child is bad, naughty, inconsiderate…) and our child’s real needs get lost in the mix. What if the expression of the feelings is part of the way we learn, grow and connect with one another? What if the behaviors are really just part of their solution and we’re missing what the problem really is?

If we can begin to look at not what’s wrong with our children, but rather what’s happening for them, we start to shift what we’re seeing. Today I’m going to share my Brain Stoplight with you. It is one of the most important and influential tools I’ve come upon to help me understand what’s happening for me and what’s happening for someone else. Even if you’re familiar with it or you’ve heard it before, it’s important to look at it again with where you are now and where your kids are now. It changes as we change and grow. What we look like on green, yellow, or red looks different at different ages and stages of development and in different parts of our own growth.

When you’re listening, I want you to start with yourself and apply this to you. What do you look like on green, yellow, and red? I’d invite you to really pay attention to yourself over the next week. And then, listen again and think about your people- your partner, your kids, your mother-in-law, the person at the grocery store. Just notice and start to look at the world through this lens.

This course is based on my 3rd book, Nurturing Connection. You'll be receiving a copy of the audio book and the PDF download, but if you'd like to purchase your own copy to hold in your hands, it is available on Amazon.