Cooperation grows from connection.
Children listen best to the people they feel closest to. So instead of looking for better ways to make your child do things, Connected Cooperation helps you build the connection that makes them want to.
Playfulness. Tuning in. Small, practical tools you can use in the ninety seconds you actually have.
What we believe
Fill your child’s cup.
Your child’s cup holds their need to feel connected, loved, seen, safe and secure with you. Life empties it — hunger, tiredness, upsets, time apart. You’re the reservoir that fills it back up, with affection, attention, play, and unlimited refills of encouragement. A full cup is where cooperation comes from.
Meet them in their world.
Connection happens on their terms: on the floor, at the table, inside whatever they’re obsessed with this week. Play the way they find fun. Get curious about what they’re discovering, and what they’re struggling with. That curiosity is the whole method.
Hard moments are openings.
The meltdown, the refusal, the flat “no” — these are the moments your child most needs you, and the best chances you get to build connection rather than spend it. Strong feelings aren’t a problem to shut down; they’re normal, and they pass faster when someone’s alongside.
What that looks like in practice:
These are some of the parenting tools we teach:
Our mission
Parents who enjoy their children. Parents who have a deep, connected relationship with their kids. That’s what we’re for.
My husband Matt and I realised there were people out there who had this figured out far better than we did. So we made it our mission to find the best parenting experts in the world, ask them for their best advice, and pass on everything we learn to other parents.
Meet Sue
Hi, I’m Sue.
I’m a mom of two, and cooperation didn’t come naturally in our house. Mornings were a battle, and I knew I was missing something — some tool, some mindset — that stood between me and really connecting with my children.
So I went looking. I cajoled, coaxed and begged the world’s leading parenting experts to answer one question: “What is your best strategy or technique for getting kids to listen?” Their advice changed our family, and became the free book below.
Since then I’ve trained in the approach that helped us most. I’m a Playful Parenting Leader, certified by Dr. Lawrence Cohen, and a JAI-certified parenting coach — and I write to parents every day about what’s actually working to build stronger, happier familes.
What becomes possible
Speaking your child’s “language” through playfulness, so they want to cooperate.
Building connection and trust in advance...so it’s there when you need it most.
Using your words as “medicine” to help your child calm down.
Staying calmer yourself, by detaching from the outcome.
Knowing that getting their attention comes first...and how to get it.
Having tools for the concerning moments that don’t involve yelling or threatening.
Start with the free book
How To Get Your Kids To Listen
26 expert interviews, each a short, usable idea you can try today to get better cooperation from your kids using connection based techniques...no yelling, threats, or nagging needed. It’s free, and it’s in your inbox in about a minute.
