#395: How to Navigate Power Struggles with Toddlers with Devon Kuntzman

Toddler behavior can feel confusing and overwhelming, but once you understand the root causes behind big emotions, everything begins to make sense. In this heart-opening conversation, parenting expert Devon Kuntzman shares practical tools from her new book, Transforming Toddlerhood, to help you decode behavior, strengthen connection and respond with confidence instead of frustration. She explains why toddlers resist, how to model emotional regulation, what to do during meltdowns, why punishment backfires and how to create real cooperation without bribes or threats. We also dive into picky eating, medical routines like nasal sprays, parent nervous system regulation and how to parent as a team even when partners have different approaches. You will walk away feeling empowered, supported and ready to handle toddlerhood with more ease and compassion.

Topics Covered In This Episode:

• Understanding toddler brain development

• Picky eating and mealtime struggles

• Emotional regulation tools for parents

• Reducing power struggles with toddlers

• Positive discipline and behavior skills

Show Notes:

• Buy Transforming Toddlerhood

• Follow @transformingtoddlerhood on Instagram

• Get Dr. Elana's favorite kids nasal spray here

• Click here to learn more about Dr. Elana Roumell's Doctor Mom Membership, a membership designed for moms who want to be their child's number one health advocate!

• Click here to learn more about Steph Greunke, RD's online nutrition program and community, Postpartum Reset, an intimate private community and online roadmap for any mama (or mama-to-be) who feels stuck, alone, and depleted and wants to learn how to thrive in motherhood.

• Listen to today's episode on our website

Devon Kuntzman is a powerhouse in modern parenting and is on a mission to dispel the myth that toddlerhood is a "terrible" stage.

Known as the original toddler parenting coach on Instagram and trusted by over 1 million parents and caregivers worldwide, she is dedicated to changing the narrative around toddlerhood.

Through Transforming Toddlerhood, she's built a vibrant and close-knit community of parents and offers a lifeline of science-based, easy-to-implement tools, from courses to workshops and an annual conference, to navigate tantrums, power struggles, and emotional development with confidence and joy.

Devon is an ICF-Certified coach with a degree in psychology and child development. She has Gentle Sleep Coaching credentials under her belt and is a graduate of the Wonder Weeks Academy Infant Mental Health and Development program.

Her debut book, Transforming Toddlerhood (Harper Horizon, Oct. 21, 2025), is the comprehensive parenting manual for every toddler challenge, meant for caregivers with children aged 1-5. Filled with bite-sized, actionable advice, toddler tips, behavior red flags, and real-world scripts, the book blends developmental science with real life to empower parents to navigate the ups and downs of toddlerhood with more calm and connection.

Devon's diverse experience ranges from coaching parents to being a former high-profile nanny, and to even managing an orphanage in Rwanda.

Devon has been featured across various media, including Great Day Washington,Good Housekeeping,Today's Parent,The Everymom, Healthline, and more!

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INTRODUCE YOURSELF to Steph and Dr. Elana on Instagram. They can't wait to meet you!

@stephgreunke

@drelanaroumell

Please remember that the views and ideas presented on this podcast are for informational purposes only. All information presented on this podcast is for informational purposes and not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a healthcare provider. Consult with your healthcare provider before starting any diet, supplement regimen, or to determine the appropriateness of the information shared on this podcast, or if you have any questions regarding your treatment plan.