Parenting can feel like you’re doing everything “right” and still constantly butting heads. In this episode of Unlocking School Success, I chat with human behavior specialist and Teaching Our Youth founder Karen Wagnon, about using personality and temperament (including the DISC model) to understand what’s really driving kids’ behavior at home and at school.

Karen explains that kids are born with different traits and emotional needs, and when those needs aren’t met, parents and teachers often react to the surface behavior instead of the root cause.

What you'll learn:

• Why what works beautifully for one child can totally backfire with another-and how to adapt without losing authority.
• How to look for the root cause of shutdowns, defiance, or explosions instead of only addressing surface behavior.
• Why bridging teaching styles and learning styles in school can reduce frustration (without immediately jumping to labels).
• How leading with curiosity (not judgment) helps kids feel safe enough to talk-especially in the teen years.

This episode will help if:

• You feel like you’re playing “whack-a-mole” at home - constantly reacting to behavior without real progress.
• You have siblings with wildly different personalities and you’re not sure how to parent them fairly and effectively.
• Your child is struggling in school and you’re hearing labels like “lazy” or “unmotivated.”
• You want to advocate for your child with teachers but need better language and clearer insight into what your child needs.
• You’re in the teen years and it feels like your once-close kid is pulling away-and you want to protect the long-term relationship.

Full Show Notes here: https://www.reframeparenting.com/blog/podcast-understanding-childs-behavior-through-personality

Quick Links:

Karen’s website (Teaching Our Youth)

Recommended Resources:

Different Children, Different Needs by Dr. Charles Boyd (affiliate link)

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