TPP 220: Meghan Leahy on Why We Should Stop Listening to Experts
episode
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
51 min
2 speakers
8 chapters
transcribed 1 day ago
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
What is the core message about embracing imperfection and vulnerability in parenting?
I want parents to embrace struggling, not knowing, not having answers. And instead of turning the spotlight onto how to change my child or I need another list or I need another expert to look inside and say, what is my struggle about? What's hurting me here? Right. Is there anything I can do about it or not?
Welcome to Tilt Parenting, a podcast featuring interviews and conversations aimed at inspiring, informing, and supporting parents raising differently wired kids. I'm Debbie Reber, and today I'm talking with Megan Leahy, a certified parent coach, parenting columnist for the Washington Post, and former school counselor and teacher. As mother to three children herself, Megan considers herself to be a heart-centered parent coach in a data-driven world and writes about this idea in her new book, Parenting Outside the Lines. Forget the rules, tap into your wisdom and connect with your child. I was excited to talk with Megan about her book and her relatable in-the-trenches approach to parenting, trusting your gut, valuing connection, and knowing when to question the norms.
And if you've been paying attention to this podcast, you know that this is what we're all about at Tilt Parenting. Today, we'll get into Megan's thoughts on parenting theories, shunning the endless shoulds of modern parenting and embracing imperfection and vulnerability. And now here is my conversation with Megan. Hello, Megan, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to talk about your brand spanking new book, actually. And the book comes out today, like not the day we're recording this, but the day that you all are listening to this. So congratulations on that. Thank you. Yeah, we're going to get all into it. But I always ask my guests to introduce themselves. And I'd love if you could tell us a little bit about the work that you do and your personal why for the work that you do.
And maybe a little bit about your personal life, you know, your family makeup.
Okay, my name is Megan Leahy. And I am a parenting coach. I live in Washington, DC, but my clients live everywhere all over the world. I've been writing for the Washington Post since 2013 or 2014. I do a weekly parenting column for them. And I have a brand new book out, which is crazy. And I have three girls, 16 and a half, 13 and 10, two dogs, one husband. And I grew up in Delaware, which is an important part of my life because Northern Delaware is a very interesting place and has definitely made me who I am today. I started as a teacher for gifted boys in an all boys school. And I was not a great teacher, but I loved being with the kids. So I thought I'd be a school counselor. So I went back to school and got my degree in counseling, my master's, and realized that it's a lot of red tape.
And while I was trying to figure all this out, I was having my own kids, and I realized that it's a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. So I started going to parenting classes myself, started teaching the parenting classes, and then... Went out on my own after my third was born. Three weeks into having my third baby, I started a business. So it's been, yeah, over 10 years. And it's great. I'm a super type 8 Enneagram. So I'm a business owner married to a business owner. And that's how we roll. Yeah. My personal why is... I don't, you know, it's funny. I never really think about that because it's like the only thing I'm good at. And I just see it as trying to kick the can down the road in just supporting people and just kind of having this very brief time on this earth that I have leaving some amount of good, right?
While providing for my family. So, yeah, I like to make people laugh and I like to just bring a lot of humanity to this parenting work. And that's that's my why. Ask me again in a couple of months. It might be different.
Yeah.
I love that answer. And yeah, humanity, it's such a great word. And I really, that's really the tone that I felt come through the book that we're going to be talking about today. It really felt comforting. And it did make me laugh out loud.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the core message about embracing imperfection and vulnerability in parenting?
0:00–6:38
2
How does Meghan Leahy describe her journey from teacher to parent coach and author?
6:38–13:16
3
What inspired the creation of *Parenting Outside the Lines* and what does the book aim to achieve?
13:16–19:09
4
Why does Meghan argue that parenting should move away from strict rules and expert‑driven advice?
19:09–24:41
5
How can parents handle sibling dynamics and avoid the fairness trap?
24:41–30:27
6
What practical steps does Meghan suggest for pausing reactions and using family meetings?
30:27–37:17
7
Why is apologizing to children considered a powerful yet vulnerable parenting tool?
37:17–44:56
8
What final takeaways does Meghan share about trusting intuition and letting go of “expert” pressure?
44:56–51:53
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
TPP 266a: A Conversation with Poet and Advocate LeDerick Horne
TPP 522: A Whole Child Approach to ADHD with Phil Boucher, M.D.
TPP 091a: A Conversation With Steve Silberman About His Book “Neurotribes”
TPP 521: A Conversation with Dr. Peter Gray About Restoring Childhood
TPP 253a: Advocate and Author Jonathan Mooney on Why Normal Sucks
TPP 520: Dr. Özgür Bolat on Why Rewards Backfire and the Real Science of Motivating Kids