Simply Jewish Parenting
Practical Jewish parenting tips for raising resilient, grateful, value-driven children in today’s world.
Welcome to Simply Jewish Parenting — practical guidance for raising confident, resilient, values-driven Jewish kids. Hosted by Adina Soclof, Parent Educator, Speech Pathologist, and founder of ParentingSimply.com, this channel helps parents build calm homes, strong character, gratitude, emotional intelligence, and Jewish connection.
Expect short, research-based episodes on real parenting challenges: tantrums, entitlement, sibling conflict, screen time, teens pulling away, and holiday overwhelm. Learn how Jewish wisdom, rituals, Shabbat, blessings, Modeh Ani, and traditions can make parenting easier, not harder.
Adina has taught thousands of parents and professionals and is the author of Parenting Simply: Preparing Kids for Life. Join a community that understands your struggles and equips you with language, tools, and compassion.
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Simply Jewish Parenting
Shavuot Parenting: Teaching Honor Without Power Struggles
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If your child’s tone is getting sharper and you feel like you’re negotiating every basic request, this conversation offers a calm reset. We take Shavuot as a launching point, focusing on kibbud av va’em (honoring parents) and what it means for real life Jewish parenting when you want respectful kids without turning your home into a battleground.
We dig into a core idea that often gets missed: teaching respect is not about feeding our ego. Kids actually do better when we’re willing to be in charge not harsh, not controlling, but steady, clear, and comfortable being the parent. When we over-explain, bargain, or ask instead of tell because we’re afraid of seeming “mean,” we accidentally train kids to treat us like their assistants. Respectful homes come from parents acting like parents, holding authority with warmth, and keeping boundaries without drama.
You’ll also get a simple, practical tool to try this week: choose one sentence you’ll use every time your child speaks disrespectfully, like “I want to hear you, let’s be respectful,” or “Can we start over?” Said calmly and consistently, it changes the tone of the home over time. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more parents can find the podcast.
Welcome And Shavuot Theme
SPEAKER_00Hi everyone, welcome to Simply Jewish Parenting. I'm your host, Adina Saklov. Today we're talking about Shvuas and we're talking about the Sarat Had Debrot that we read on Shvuas.
What Respect Should Look Like
SPEAKER_00And because this is a parenting podcast, we're obviously talking about the mitzvah of Kabeda Tabhab Etimecha. So we want respectful kids. We want kids who speak respectfully. We want them to keep the mitz mitzvah of kaberatab etz i mecha. We want children who don't roll their eyes, mutter under their breath, or act like basic requests are outrageous impositions. We want children who understand that parents deserve respect. But I think there's something important that often gets missed.
What Honoring Parents Teaches Us
SPEAKER_00The mitzvah of honoring parents is written for children, but it has a lot to teach parents too. Respect is not really for us. It's not for our ego. Teaching our kids to respect us is so important for our children. Children actually do better when parents are willing to be in charge. Not harsh, not overpowering, not controlling every detail, just steady, clear, and comfortable with the fact that they are the parent and they are the authority figure. Respect grows in an atmosphere where parents are not afraid to take their role seriously. And I think a lot of people struggle with this.
Boundaries Create Warmth And Security
SPEAKER_00We explain too much, we negotiate too much, we ask instead of tell. We worry that having standards will make us seem mean. And then we're sort of shocked when our kids start speaking to us like we are their slightly incompetent assistants. Okay, so respectful homes do not come from parents demanding honor all day long. They come from parents acting like parents. That means maintaining your authority. That means saying things like, you might be upset, but you may not speak to me that way. I'm happy to listen when you speak respectfully. Or this is really not up for debate. Not angry, not dramatic, just clear. It could be said in a very gentle tone. Shavuus is the time we think about accepting the Torah, and one of the messages of the Torah is that structure is not the enemy of warmth. Boundaries are not the enemy of closeness. In fact, children often feel more secure, and I always say this, when parents stop trying so hard to be endlessly flexible and start being a little more solid. And this is one of the greatest gifts you can give your kids.
One Calm Line For Disrespect
SPEAKER_00Alright, so let's have one practical takeaway for this week. I know everybody's busy getting ready for Shuis, but you want to pick one sentence you're going to use when your child speaks to you disrespectfully. Something simple like, I want to hear what you have to say, let's be respectful, or can we start over? Then say it calmly every single time. Because honoring parents does not begin with children magically changing. It begins with parents believing that respect should be part of the tone of the home. And that it is a very appropriate thing to think about as we get ready for schmoas. Alright.
Email, Reviews, And Share
SPEAKER_00If this episode spoke to you, I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at A Sakloff, that's A S O C L O F at ParentingSimply.com with your questions, your parenting struggles, or even topics you'd love for me to cover on a future episode. And if this podcast is helpful to you, please take a minute to leave a review. Reviews help more parents find the podcast, and they really do make a difference. You could also share this episode with a friend who might need to hear it today. Thank you so much for listening to Simply Jewish Parenting. I'm so glad that you are here.
