Parenting Without Punishment: What to Do When Your Kid Melts Down in Public

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

March 24, 2026

Duration

37m

Channel

Good Inside with Dr. Becky

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Your kid is melting down in public… and you feel it: “If I don’t shut this down, I'm a pushover. My kid will walk all over me." In this first episode of our new **Is It True?** series, Dr. Becky and Myleik Teele take a closer look at a belief so many parents carry, though rarely question: If I don’t punish, I'm being permissive. Together, they unpack what’s underneath that fear, why punishment can feel so satisfying (and why it often doesn’t work), and what it actually looks like to hold boundaries without being harsh or permissive. They also explore how this question lands differently for Black parents, where the stakes of “not listening” can feel much higher. This is the first in a recurring format we’ll revisit, slowing down common parenting beliefs and expanding them into something sturdier, more usable, and more true. And once you've listened, visit the Good Inside blog: https://www.goodinside.com/blog/is-it-true-is-not-punishing-permissive/ where Dr. Becky shares some examples of "same team leadership. Join Good Inside Membership: http://www.goodinside.com Follow Dr. Becky on Instagram: @drbeckyatgoodinside Sign up for our weekly email: https://www.goodinside.com/newsletter

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Dr. Becky

  host

  Clinical psychologist and parenting expert; host of Good Inside.

• Myleik Teele

  guest

  Entrepreneur and founder of Curlbox; podcaster and author.

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Good Inside with Dr. Becky, featuring Dr. Becky and Myleik Teele, Parenting Without Punishment: What to Do When Your Kid Melts Down in Public explores replacing punishment with connection-based leadership during kids’ public meltdowns moments They unpack how parents often interpret kids’ misbehavior—especially in public—as a threat to authority, triggering a reflex to punish to avoid looking “weak.”

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