Episode 45: Tools for Dealing with Parenting Conflict with Lisa Reichelt
In this episode of De-Stress the Nest, parenting coach Lisa Reichelt joins host Hannah Morgan to share five practical, proven strategies to reduce conflict and strengthen relationships at home. From lowering your voice to leading with empathy, Lisa shows how intentional responses—not quick reactions—can dramatically shift the dynamic with your kids. Whether you’re parenting a toddler or a teenager, these tools will help you create more calm and connection.
Key Takeaways
Your response as a parent sets the tone
Conflict is often escalated by how we react, not just our kids
Silence gives space for problem-solving
Asking questions helps kids own their behavior
Lead with empathy—without giving in
Quotes
“Lowering your voice creates calm instantly.”
“Silence is powerful. It forces reflection.”
“Empathy isn’t weakness—it’s modeling a healthy relationship.”
“When parents change, kids respond differently.”
Resources Mentioned
Champion Your Parenting – Coaching, tools, and support to help parents reduce conflict and build strong, lasting relationships with their kids.
Heron House Management – Virtual house management for busy families: we handle your to-dos so you can focus on what matters most.
Subscribe & Leave a Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue to bring you valuable content!
Episodes Released Weekly on Tuesdays
This episode of De-Stress the Nest is sponsored by Heron House Management.
About Heron House Management:
Heron House Management is a virtual house management service that takes the stress out of your busy life by taking on your mental load and managing your To Do list. We provide fractional virtual house management for busy families at 10, 15 and 20+ hours/month.
Meal planning, signing up for kids activities, scheduling doctor's appointments, finding a house cleaner, planning your kid's birthday party, getting quotes for that home renovation project, or scheduling a monthly date night with your significant other and so much more. We do it all!
-
[00:02] Hannah Morgan: Welcome to De-Stress the Nest, a podcast for busy parents where experts share bite-sized tips on how to create systems that minimize stress at home. I'm your host, Hannah Morgan.
[00:16] Hannah Morgan: Today’s episode is sponsored by Heron House Management — the first-ever virtual house management service that lightens your mental load by handling your to-do list with monthly subscriptions of 10, 15, and 20+ hours per month. From meal planning and doctor’s appointments to birthday parties and home projects, Heron House Management helps busy families reclaim their time and live their best lives. Learn more at heronhousemanagement.com.
[00:38] Hannah Morgan: On today’s episode, I’m joined by parenting coach Lisa Reichelt of Champion Your Parenting, who shares practical and compassionate strategies for reducing conflict at home with your children. We talk about how small shifts in your parenting response — like lowering your voice, creating silence, and leading with empathy — can make a big impact on your relationship with your child.
[00:57] Hannah Morgan: Lisa, I’m thrilled to have you on the show today. You are a parenting coach — let’s hear more about who you are and what you do.
[01:09] Lisa Reichelt: Thank you so much, Hannah. It’s just awesome to be here. I love that I get a chance to share with you about what I do, because it’s somewhat unknown out there that parent coaching is actually an option for parents who are really struggling with how to parent their kids.
You know, in life we turn to experts for all kinds of things — if your plumbing goes bad, you call an expert. But for some reason, we think we should just know how to parent because we have a child. That’s not true. There’s so much to be gained from seeking out people who’ve gone before you and can offer guidance.
So, as a parent coach, I meet with parents one-on-one to help them adjust their parenting so that their relationship with their child — no matter their age — can be the best it can be and stay strong over time. It’s a wonderfully rewarding job. I love it.
[02:07] Hannah Morgan: I love that. They say parenting is the only job you’re expected to do perfectly — with no handbook. So I appreciate that you’re offering the kind of support parents need through every phase of their child’s life.
So, today you’re talking about calming conflict. Tell us more about your approach and how it can help our listeners.
[02:29] Lisa Reichelt: Yes — and I say “our approach” because I have a business partner, so we teach this together. Our goal is to help parents take ownership and realize how much their own reactions might be feeding the conflict, instead of helping calm it down.
We encourage parents to focus on controlling themselves, because their child will respond differently when the parent reacts differently to the conflict.
[03:03] Hannah Morgan: What kind of impact have you seen this make in families?
[03:10] Lisa Reichelt: It’s tremendous. Parents will come back to us after trying it and say, “I can’t believe how much that changed my child’s reaction.”
One of the first steps we teach is simply to lower your voice. When conflict starts, our voices usually rise — we get emotional, and we try to outdo the other person, whether that’s a spouse, a coworker, a sibling, or our child.
If you can pause and lower your voice, you’ll often see your child start to mirror that calm energy. A lot of people call that “mirroring.” When you manage your own response, your child begins to follow suit.
[04:08] Hannah Morgan: Absolutely. So that’s one step. Can you walk us through the other four?
[04:15] Lisa Reichelt: Sure! The second step is to allow for silence. Silence is powerful.
During conflict, parents tend to throw out questions or demands — but if you say something like, “Oh my goodness, what are you going to do about that?” and then let the silence sit, it can cause your child — whether they’re a toddler or a teen — to reflect.
Silence brings calm, but it also gets their wheels turning to solve the problem. Because often, the issue is one you want your child to take ownership of — but parents jump in too quickly to fix things.
[05:10] Lisa Reichelt: The third step is to ask questions that give your child that ownership.
For example, I had a mom tell me her teenage son said he’d take a nap and then do his homework, but his nap turned into a full night’s sleep. Instead of lecturing him, she said, “Hmm, looks like you needed more rest than you thought. What’s your plan to find time to study?”
She handed the responsibility right back to him — and that’s a great approach.
[06:02] Hannah Morgan: Oh my gosh, I feel that so much! My kids fight, and then bring the problem to me — but I try to give them tools to mediate it themselves. I’ll ask, “Did you talk to your brother about it first? Did you ask nicely?” And I tell them, “Let me know if you still need help after those steps.”
So yes, totally agree with creating space for their own solutions. What’s next?
[06:21] Lisa Reichelt: The final step is to take a close look at why the conflict is happening.
With teens especially, that “why” can be elusive. Their emotions might be tied to something that happened at school, and they take it out on you. The key is: don’t take it personally.
Ask yourself, “Why might they be acting this way? Are they hungry? Stressed? Upset about something?” Understanding the root helps you approach it with more clarity and empathy.
[07:10] Hannah Morgan: So much of this is about leading with empathy — both toward your child and toward yourself. It’s about checking in on what energy you’re bringing into the conversation, and creating space for something more productive instead of escalating the conflict, right?
[07:32] Lisa Reichelt: Exactly. And parents sometimes think empathy means giving in — but it’s not. Empathy is role modeling what healthy relationships look like.
It’s not about caving. It’s about standing firm in your values and modeling the kind of communication and connection you want your child to learn. It’s confident parenting, not passive parenting.
[08:01] Hannah Morgan: I love that. Now, it sounds like this was developed with teens in mind — does it work for younger kids, too?
[08:09] Lisa Reichelt: Absolutely. I’ve coached parents of toddlers and also of adult children — and this approach works across the board.
With little ones, you can say, “It looks like you’re having a hard time. I’m going to sit with you until you feel calm.” Even that small response helps shift their experience — and it sets the tone for your whole relationship.
[08:40] Hannah Morgan: I love that. These are fantastic ways to reduce conflict and minimize stress at home. Thank you so much for sharing your insight!
[08:48] Hannah Morgan: Thanks for listening to De-Stress the Nest — the podcast where experts share bite-sized tips on how to simplify your life. Don’t forget to subscribe and tune in every Tuesday for more ways to make home feel easier.
