S2 Ep6: Treating Children Like People Who Matter, With Dr. Naomi Fisher

“We depoliticize distress by locating it in the individual.” — Naomi Fisher  Naomi Fisher helped me become a better mother without ever even meeting me. I stumbled across her work when one of my children was dealing with school anxiety. Doing so empowered me to take my child’s distress seriously and trust my instincts as a mother.  In this podcast episode, Dr. Fisher and I discuss the myriad harms of authoritarian parenting practices, that focus on compliance above all else. Dr. Fisher’s work focuses heavily on school anxiety and refusal. Some of the topics we discuss in this episode include:  The weaponization of mom-guilt and mom-shaming to gain compliance from mothers and children.  Why we spend so much time teaching parents not to trust their children’s emotions.  Alternatives to forced compliance, and what to do when a child doesn’t feel like they can go to school.  Why catastrophization plays such a significant role in parenting.  Antidotes to rigid thinking, and what to do when plan A (or B, or C) doesn’t work.  Why the relationship with the child must always come first.  Trusting children to know their needs, and helping them to advocate for those needs.  I absolutely love listening to Dr. Fisher, and I listen to this recording every time I need a pep talk to get through the hard times with my own kids. I hope it will have the same effect on you.  About Dr. Naomi Fisher Naomi Fisher is an independent clinical psychologist. She specializes in trauma, autism and alternative ways to learn. She has a doctorate in clinical psychology from Kings College London (Maudsley), a PhD in developmental cognitive psychology also from Kings College (IoPPN), and a degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of Cambridge. She is the author of four books: Changing Our Minds, The Teenager’s Guide to Burnout, A Different Way to Learn, and When the Naughty Step Makes Things Worse.  I urge everyone to visit her incredible Substack, where you will find so much wisdom.  You can also check out her website here.  Supporting This Podcast This podcast depends on you to survive and thrive!  If you like this podcast, you can help me continue making it with your support! A few free ways to support include: Leaving a positive review on your favorite podcast platform. Liking and sharing the podcast on social media. Heart-reacting the Substack post. If you really love the podcast, you can get more of it by becoming a paid subscriber. Paid Substack subscribers get at least one bonus episode of the podcast each month, as well as eight bonus Substack posts and access to the Liberating Motherhood community.