Dial Down Family Drama: 5 Easy Tips to Reduce Conflict With the Ones You Love

In this episode, you’ll get 5 effective strategies to help you improve your family dynamics, resolve almost any conflict like a pro, and create a better bond.

Spending time with family is awesome, but it can also be challenging because, as much as you wish everyone could get along, different personalities and opinions don’t always mix well together.

When family drama starts, don’t allow yourself to get sucked into it. You can learn how to dial down the drama and build trust and connection.

Today I invite you to sit on the couch next to me and my family here in Vermont as our three adult kids discuss all the ways Chris and I have screwed up as parents and the things we did that built trust and brought us closer.

I can’t wait for you to hear the truth bombs our kids are dropping. They’re shockingly insightful and will change your relationships for the better.

Listen, and you’ll learn:

• The mistakes we (and other parents) made and how to fix them
• How to set powerful boundaries that everyone knows and respects
• The most tactical way to deal with difficult relatives and their BS
• The 6 words that increase trust in any relationship
• What to do when you repeat the same toxic relationship patterns
• 5 secret words that will get your kids (or anyone) to tell you the truth
• One simple tool that makes discipline and boundaries easier for you (and your kids)

Share this episode with your family, and consider listening to it WITH your kids. It’ll definitely spark an interesting conversation because we get real and raw, and hold nothing back.

If you’re looking to get closer to someone you love, this episode is exactly where you should start.

I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Xo Mel 

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In this episode, you’ll learn:

• 02:40: My daughter recently schooled me in a conversation about boundaries. 
• 10:40: Ladies and gentlemen… my family.
• 13:25: A listener asks, “Are your kids really that open in real life?”
• 16:05: What we said to our daughter that knocked down barriers between us.
• 18:30: Here’s the #1 reason why kids don’t get honest with their parents.
• 21:30: This is how Chris and I think about the purpose of parenting.
• 26:00: Shouting out research around addiction so we can have compassion.
• 30:10: Chris shares how he became addicted to recreational drugs..
• 33:00: How do you start forming a good bond with your kids at an early age?
• 35:00: Trust us; you’re going to screw up as a parent, and it’s okay.
• 39:30: Expressing our emotions lets our kids know they can express theirs.
• 41:30: Oakley shares how seeing his dad cry impacted his life.
• 45:15: A listener asks: How do you get your teens to open up to you?
• 48:30: How do you find peace in your mistakes with your kids?
• 54:00: Your kid wants to leave school for a partner somewhere else: try this.
• 58:00: The #1 question I ask my kids when they’re struggling.
• 1:05:00: Know somebody in a relationship with somebody who is stifling them?

Resources and go deeper:

• For Closed Captions: Watch on YouTube and turn on “CC.” For instructions to turn on closed captions, click here.

• Washington Post: 8 ways parents can teach their teens to be honest. 
• Mt. Sinai School of Medicine: New fascinating research around drug addiction. 
• Dr. Thomas Gordon: Parent Effectiveness Training (popular book for parents)
• American Psychological Association: Family routines can improve health.
• Harvard Business School: Family rituals can improve your holidays.
• UC, Berkeley: 3 ways to change your parenting for the teen years.