I’m a therapist and parents need to follow my dog and cat rules for healthy kids – they sound wild but really work

A FAMILY therapist has shared her best parenting tip, but where she learned it might surprise you.

Dr Eli Harwood told her followers on Instagram that her best piece of advice didn't come from her 15 years of experience, but from her dog.

Eli revealed that for best results, the clever tip needs to be put into place early, but stopped by the time kids turn into teenagers.

"Here's one that I practice every single day and my kids do it back to me and each other," she captioned the clip, "I can feel this protective wall of delight surrounding us all."

The parenting tip is to, like a dog, be excited and upbeat whenever your kids first walk into the room.

"You know that thing [dogs] do when you come home? Actually, they do it when you walk into the room," she asked viewers.

She showed what she meant, bouncing up and down like an excited dog and saying 'I love you' repeatedly.

"Do that with your kids when they are young. When they enter the room you light up," she said.

According to the therapist, when your kids see you 'light up' they'll feel the same way.

She explained: "This makes your children feel delightful."

"When we feel delightful, we feel worthy and we feel confident and we don't get stuck on as many of the parts of ourselves that are imperfect because we know we belong."

However, it's best to start this trick early to get the best results, the parenting pro revealed.

"When they become teenagers they turn into cats," she joked.

Parents loved the mum-of-three's simple trick and agreed it only works when kids are young.

One commented: "This is how I was raised and I'm so thankful for it.

"It created a feeling of unconditional love and even after my mum's passing I feel confident because she made me feel so capable."

A second said: "My children are grown now, I will do it anyway. I wish I had have heard this when they were little, boy I love my kids."

"Your content always goes straight to my heart and you say it in such and understandable way," another parent wrote.