Real Transformations: Defiance, Yelling, Explosive Anger, and More
Ceara Deno, MD • August 18, 2025
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6 Families’s Stories of Real Transformation

A defiant 6 year-old.
An explosive 11 year-old.
A mom who ‘always’ yelled.
Overwhelmed parents of preschoolers who frequently fought.
An argumentative, defensive teenager.
A withdrawn tween with low self-esteem.
What do these 6 families have in common?
These are 6 actual families who transformed their lives and their parenting from working together.
They went from chaos, tears, and explosions, to peace and harmony and joy.
Here are their transformational stories:
1.) A Defiant 6 year Old
Mary was struggling with her 6 year old son’s aggression and defiance. It felt like they
were stuck in constant power struggles, and she worried that he would start to internalize
that he was a “bad kid.”
After working together, Mary was able to understand and connect with her son better, even
when he experienced big emotions. She learned to calm herself, so that she was able to
help her son calm down. She learned to set peaceful boundaries, that did not create
power struggles, and created a feeling of her and her son being on the same team.
“My son is doing so much better even my parents noticed the difference. I am more aware
of his feelings and have more empathy for him. We avoid a lot of power struggles now. I
am able to choose which battles are important, which ones are truly worth fighting, and
which ones are not. I feel more confident. I have more patience and skills, and I’m better
able to manage challenging behavior.”
2.) An Explosive 11 Year Old:
Harrison was a sensitive 11 year old with explosive anger, and near constant power struggles with his parents, especially around screen time and school work.
After working together, Harrison’s mom said she saw a “night and day difference in his relationship with the world.” He was able to tolerate frustration better, talk about his feelings instead of exploding, try harder in school and activities without giving up in frustration. At home, they had a warmer, closer, more connected relationship. They were able to enjoy family time more, with fewer meltdowns or power struggles.
3.) A Mom Who “Always Yelled”
Sarah felt like her kids weren’t listening to her, which would then result in her yelling. She
worried the kids would remember their childhood as “mom always yelled.”
After working together, Sarah learned to calm herself, so she didn’t need to yell. She
connected better with her kids, so the relationship felt closer and more loving. The kids
became better listeners and more cooperative. Because of these changes, Sarah felt more
confident as a parent, which made her feel more confident and optimistic in the rest of her
life too.
“It’s truly a miracle how different our home feels…more warmth, love, calm, peace
and connection. I have never felt more connected with my kids. This was instrumental in
moving forward and living my best life as a mom.”
4.) Overwhelmed Parents of Preschoolers Who Frequently Fought
Tina and Dave were busy parents struggling with feeling overwhelmed, not knowing how to
stop their children from fighting, and blaming each other. Everything felt like a
struggle.
After working together, the parents learned to to de-escalate conflict without needing to yell.
The home felt more peaceful, and the children got along better. The parents felt like they
were finally “on the same page,” and didn’t blame each other anymore.
“Our whole family
feels calmer and less chaotic. I’m less triggered and more able to pause. My spouse and I
have a shared language and tools around parenting. I have more trust in my relationship
with my child. I’m able to let sh*t go! Our family dinners have become this fun place
where the kids share about their day, not a battleground like it was before.”
5.) An Argumentative, Defensive Teenager
Lindsey and Brett were struggling with their teenage son’s defensiveness. They felt like
they were always fighting and arguing with him, especially around school work and chores.
After working together, Lisa and Brett learned to connect with their son so they felt closer.
The house became more peaceful. Their son was able to listen better, without becoming defensive.
He became more cooperative and took more initiative.
“Everything feels lighter. I’m more
able to let stuff go. My son has really stepped up and taken ownership for getting his
homework done. I came to the realization that pushing more doesn’t work. My spouse
and I have a shared language and tools now. We have a whole tool box to use. Things are
less confrontational. I’m taking more time for myself now, too.”
6.) A Withdrawn Tween with Low Self-Esteem
Christine and Bill were noticing that their sensitive 12 year old son was starting to shut
down and withdraw more and more, especially when his father would yell, which was
often. They worried about their son’s dropping self-esteem, and longed for a more
peaceful home environment.
After working together, both parents learned to calm themselves and dissolve the triggers
which caused them to become angry. Bill was able to connect better in a way that his son
responded to better.
Bill shared, “After doing this work, I am more thoughtful and deliberate as a parent. I’m
able to slow down and listen better. I’m able to pause. I can see that behavior is an unmet
need. I’m less quick to react with anger. I’m more able to focus on the good in my son,
and to enjoy him more.”
If these stories resonate, we should chat.
The next step is a free call where I learn more about your family and share exactly what I think might be helpful.
This could be working together 1-on-1.
This could be my new group program for parents of spirited kids ages 5-12.
Regardless of the specifics, you can have a more peaceful home. Let’s chat and make it a reality.

I f you are the parent of a highly sensitive or strong-willed kid, stuck in constant power struggles, meltdowns, or angry outbursts, I’d like to share something with you. This is my method how I transform families. I’d like to share exactly how I take families from constant power struggles and meltdowns, to peace, harmony and connection . In only 12 weeks. Working one-on-one with parents. Via weekly Zoom calls. Here is What I Do: Step #1 : We transform your listening, so your child learns how to listen more respectfully to you, too. Step #2 : We strengthen self-empathy & self-compassion, so you feel connected, confident, and joyful as a parent. Step #3 : We stop patterns leading to big explosions and dysregulation. This means your child has fewer meltdowns, and you can actually enjoy your child, and stop walking on eggshells. Step #4 : We teach you how to set boundaries peacefully, so your child behaves better, listens more, and argues less. Step #5 : We stop sibling fighting, so your children get along better, and you don’t need to constantly referee fights. Step #6 : We focus on communicating differently, so your kid is more open to feedback and correction, and less likely to shut down, lash out, or become defensive. Step #7 : We learn how sensory challenges and your child’s high sensitivity might be creating challenging behaviors--so we can make life easier for you both. Step #8 : We get you and your partner on the same page, so you can stop disagreeing about parenting and start supporting one another. Step #9 : We celebrate your child’s unique personality, so you can enjoy your child, and stop feeling stressed, anxious or fearful about their future. Step #10 : We focus on your needs as a parent, so you feel less stressed, more calm, and joyful. So then what? What happens next? How will you feel? First, you will feel calmer. More confident. You’ll enjoy your child more. You’ll see your child in a more positive, hopeful way. You’ll connect better. Your child will listen more. Behave better. Have fewer meltdowns or big emotional explosions. You’ll notice your child using words to express their emotions and needs in healthier ways. You and your child will both feel less reactive, less bothered by little issues, and more able to find joy and connection. If you have a partner, the two of you will feel more like a supportive parenting team, and less likely to feel criticized, blamed, or judged for your parenting. You’ll have a shared vision and goal in parenting, and understand how to support each other better. You’ll feel more confident setting peaceful limits, and your children will be better able to hear you say no and tolerate the feelings that come with that. You will be able to go places that you might not have taken your child in the past, for fear of what might happen. If you have multiple children, they will fight less, get along better, and learn how to handle conflict between themselves more. If you are highly sensitive, you will better understand how to support your own needs as a parent, so you are less likely to feel overwhelmed and overstimulated, and more likely to feel energized and at peace. If your child is highly sensitive, you’ll better understand how to create a life that supports your child’s unique needs, and know how to make life function better for everyone. ******* If you are ready for support with your highly sensitive or strong-willed child’s big emotions or power struggles, you don’t have to do this alone. Let’s chat, and I can share more about how I can help create harmony. Schedule a free call with me today.

Many common challenges parents face with children misbehaving or being oppositional are actually signs of hidden sensory issues. This includes challenges like meltdowns, picky eating, hyperactivity, and resistance to hygiene—these can all be signs of hidden sensory issues. Discover practical ways parents can support their child’s sensory needs with empathy and simple accommodations.

These are the parenting ideas that help me to show up when life is messy. I call them my parenting mantras. How did I come up with these?
They arise from my experience as a mom for 16 years; my experience helping parents create peace and connection as a parent coach for 8 years; and my experience helping parents of NICU babies handle new parenthood and a child’s health crisis as a pediatrician in the NICU for 20 years.
These mantras that have helped me through my own struggles, and I think they can help you as you navigate parenting struggles, and seek to create a more peaceful, connected home as well.

Sometimes in our most stressful parenting moments, we can feel like we are not on the same page with our partner, or even that we are on opposing teams. This can happen because we have different parenting styles which can become more accentuated when a child is highly sensitive, or has big emotional reactions. Sometimes what appears to be a parenting challenge is actually a relationship challenge instead. Here are some common dynamics I see that are actually relationship challenges disguised as a parenting challenge.

Does your strong-willed or highly sensitive child meltdown with anything unexpected, refuse to get dressed, or lash out when you say “no”? Despite what it seems, they’re not trying to give you a hard time. They’re just HAVING a hard time. Many highly sensitive children struggle with their behavior in ways that looks like defiance and resistance, but it’s actually fear, anxiety and emotional overwhelm. By understanding this, we can find better solutions that help our kids to cooperate and have better behavior.