Tom's son Patrick is an easy-going kid who is well-liked by his classmates and a favorite for hugs. Tom appreciates this but is also worried his son does not have enough competitive grit for what he perceives is a tough world ahead or the Zombie Apocalypse. Tom shares his experience growing up and the tough road he had early in his career. Maribeth helps Tom reframe his view on Patrick and assuage some of his worries.

Jay is frustrated that his three-year-old Ace is starting to hit when he's upset. He doesn't know how to help him and is losing his patience with Ace's tantrums. Ace has showed that he craves physical interactions with his dad but Jay is hesitant to engage in play fighting as he does not want to encourage violent play or behavior outside the home. Maribeth helps Jay with tips on how to handle the hitting during tantrums. She also urges him to engage in physical play regularly in order to teach safe and model healthy physical interactions.

Edwin gets frustrated with the way that his daughter spends her allowance while he finds value in his son's spending choices.

Gus is a stay-at-home dad balancing three young kids. In this episode, he needs help with his middle child and only son, Ivan. Ivan seemingly ignores Gus and his wife when they ask him to do something he doesn't want to do. They've tried threats, pleading, and punishment but nothing seems to work.

Maribeth answers this question from our Facebook Group: I am struggling with troublesome 3's. Like really struggling. My son is constantly ignoring us and/or doing the opposite of what we ask, getting distracted and taking forever to get ready to leave the house. Hitting and pushing his 11 month old brother. I find I am yelling far too much, but i just dont know what to do anymore. I try to stay calm, but i am going back to work on a few weeks and I am stressed about getting out of the house in time to get the kids to daycare and get to work on time. Besides waking up at 4am to leave the house by 745, what do I do to get my oldest to just follow my instructions and get ready to leave in the morning?

Joe wants his daughter to be more open to trying new things. He exposes her to lots of experiences but doesn't know how to transition her to take the leap with trying something new. Maribeth tries to guide Joe through strategies to expose her to new activities depending on what type of learner she is. She also points out that his daughter is trying activities, mastering them, and making strides in her own way. 

James was always active and had trouble sitting still. This translated to a difficult time thriving in traditional schooling settings. Noelle and her husband had James tested and found solutions that worked for their family including medication and home schooling.

Alice struggled through her schooling and teachers never expected much from her. She was never diagnosed with a learning difference, and was simply overlooked until college. Alice used her hardworking grit and perserverence to complete college and earn a PhD. She wants things to be different with her kids. They each have different needs and learning challenges and she's doing her best to find the paths and resources to build on their strengths instead of forcing them into the normative box.

John always felt like he was outside of the box and didn't fit the norms. He was diagnosed and medicated for OCD. But the medication dulled him, and still had trouble prioritizing and quieting his mind. He met Maribeth, took another look at himself, and discovered his ADHD.

Sebastian had problems sitting still and behaving like the rest of his classmates at school. So early on in his academic career in just first grade, he was diagnosed with ADHD and medicated. The medication made him focused but took away part of his ability to express himself. Sebastian looks back at his childhood, the path that his diagnosis and medication put him on, and uses that insight as a way to see his daughter who has many similar traits.