Reflective Parenting Podcast by Curious Neuron

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Have you tried everything to make bedtime easier, yet it still ends in frustration? Or do you find yourself snapping at your child and wondering why the same patterns keep repeating?

In this episode, I explore ideas from Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff and how we can apply them to parenting. Instead of searching for one perfect solution, I share how collecting simple “field notes” can help us understand the many factors influencing our child's behaviour, including our own stress, energy, and connection at home.

In this episode, I explore:

• Why parenting struggles rarely have one quick fix.
• How our stress and emotional capacity influence our reactions.
• How to collect field notes to recognize patterns.
• How tiny experiments can help us try small changes without expecting perfection.

A reflection to try: Choose one recurring parenting struggle and observe what happens before, during, and after it. What patterns do you notice? What is one small thing you could experiment with?

Support the show

• Join the Reflective Parent Book Club for only $9.99 for the year: https://reflectiveparentclub.circle.so/checkout/reflective-parenting-book-club

1. Watch my Tedx Talk on YouTube called The Over-Educated, Emotionally Underprepared Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDYJFY_9K9E&t=19s

• Grab my course for $99, The Emotionally Aware Parent: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

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Hi Reflective Parents,

In today's episode, we chat about The Tripartite Model of Parental Socialization! Yes, that's nerd talk for "How do kids learn to regulate/cope with emotions?"

This is important for all of us to learn because has a significant impact on our children's behaviour, our stress, their success in school and in building friendships and even their future well-being. 

Learn how to create the best home environment that lowers your stress, teaches your child how to cope with emotions and supports healthier behaviour from all members of your family! 

Don't miss my 8-week program starting October 27th! We meet every Tuesday at 12pm ET or 8pm ET (join with your partner at no extra cost!)

https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Past episodes you might enjoy:

1. Supporting a child's emotional development through play with Tina Payne Bryson
2. Understanding a child's emotional development with Amanda Sheffield Moris

Blog post on curiousneuron.com

Support the show

• Join the Reflective Parent Book Club for only $9.99 for the year: https://reflectiveparentclub.circle.so/checkout/reflective-parenting-book-club

1. Watch my Tedx Talk on YouTube called The Over-Educated, Emotionally Underprepared Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDYJFY_9K9E&t=19s

• Grab my course for $99, The Emotionally Aware Parent: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

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As parents, we often step in to help our children because we love them and want to make life easier for them. However, when we constantly solve their problems, prevent frustration, or take over tasks they could learn to manage, we may unintentionally limit their opportunities to develop emotional regulation, resilience, problem-solving skills, and confidence.

In this episode, I explore the research on over-parenting, Jessica Lahey's book The Gift of Failure,  and reflect on why allowing children to experience uncomfortable emotions, make mistakes, and face appropriate consequences is an important part of their development. 

Three reflections to consider:

• Is this truly a problem my child cannot handle, or a problem they are learning how to handle? 
• What is happening inside me that makes me want to step in right now? 
• What is the smallest amount of support I can offer my child that still lets them do the next part? 

The goal isn't to let our children fail at everything. It's to create opportunities for them to struggle, learn, recover, and discover that they are capable of handling life's challenges.

**Join our book below to discuss this week's topics in school-aged children and get some tips!

Sources:

1. The Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey
2. Podcast episode with Jessica Lahey
3. Science Article: Childhood self-regulation as a mechanism through which early overcontrolling parenting is associated with adjustment in preadolescence
4. Curious Neuron blogpost: Doing too much for our kids is having a negative impact on their development
   
   

Support the show

• Join the Reflective Parent Book Club for only $9.99 for the year: https://reflectiveparentclub.circle.so/checkout/reflective-parenting-book-club

1. Watch my Tedx Talk on YouTube called The Over-Educated, Emotionally Underprepared Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDYJFY_9K9E&t=19s

• Grab my course for $99, The Emotionally Aware Parent: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

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I'm joined by occupational therapist and author Laura Petix to celebrate the launch of her new book, The Sensory Code. Laura shares the moment she took her own daughter to the ER because of daily meltdowns, and how that experience shaped her work with parents.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The difference between a tantrum and a meltdown, and why length and recovery time matter
• Why gentle parenting still matters even when it doesn't stop the meltdown
• The eight sensory systems, including interoception, and why hunger or worry can trigger a "zero to 100" reaction
• Laura's "zoom in, zoom out" tool for finding the patterns behind a behavior
• How to talk to your child about an ADHD diagnosis without making it feel like something is wrong
• Why a diagnosis explains behavior but doesn't excuse it
• How to help siblings feel seen, and my wish list for schools
• Why we need accommodations too, as parents

Resources:

• Get The Sensory Code: [Canada link] | [US link]
• Join our book club, where we'll be discussing Laura's book all week: [link]

Support the show

• Join the Reflective Parent Book Club for only $9.99 for the year: https://reflectiveparentclub.circle.so/checkout/reflective-parenting-book-club

1. Watch my Tedx Talk on YouTube called The Over-Educated, Emotionally Underprepared Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDYJFY_9K9E&t=19s

• Grab my course for $99, The Emotionally Aware Parent: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Send us Fan Mail

As parents, many of us want our children to do well in school, but what if one of the most important skills they need is not memorizing information, but learning how to question it?

In this episode, you and I reflect on what it means to raise critical thinkers in a world filled with headlines, social media experts, AI-generated information, and endless opinions. Together, we explore how curiosity, thoughtful questions, and open conversations at home can help our children learn not just what to think, but how to think.

Drawing from Julie Bogart’s book Raising Critical Thinkers (the book I will discuss inside the book club this week) and the research of Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, in today's podcast episode, we will reflect on:

• Why curiosity may be one of the most important skills we can protect in our children
• How emotions, beliefs, and experiences shape the way we understand information
• Simple questions parents can ask to help children think more deeply
• How family conversations and respectful debates strengthen reasoning skills
• Why education is not only about learning facts, but about helping children become thoughtful, reflective human beings
• How we can model curiosity and critical thinking in our own everyday lives

You do not need to know all the answers to help your child become a critical thinker. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is pause, get curious together, and ask: Who says this? How do we know? What else could be true?

I hope this episode gives you a moment to reflect, learn, and continue growing alongside your child.

Listen to my conversation with Julie here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/reflective-parenting-podcast-by-curious-neuron/id1440533170?i=1000561516016

Support the show

• Join the Reflective Parent Book Club for only $9.99 for the year: https://reflectiveparentclub.circle.so/checkout/reflective-parenting-book-club

1. Watch my Tedx Talk on YouTube called The Over-Educated, Emotionally Underprepared Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDYJFY_9K9E&t=19s

• Grab my course for $99, The Emotionally Aware Parent: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Send us Fan Mail

I'm back with part two of the conversation sparked by my episode with Georgiana but this time digging into one of the most misunderstood words in parenting: discipline.

Pulling from Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson's No-Drama Discipline, I challenge how most of us were taught to think about the word — punishment, stopping a behavior that's annoying us — versus what actually works: discipline as teaching.

I share a moment from my son's soccer practice that stopped me in my tracks: a dad switching to Italian mid-practice to threaten his seven-year-old with "wait until we get home." It's the kind of moment most of us have been in, on one side or the other and I use it to ask a harder question: is that discipline, or something else?

I also walk through a study most parents haven't heard of, showing that verbal abuse — yelling, threats, name-calling, belittling — can impact a child's development as significantly as physical discipline. Lastly, I introduce a simple framework — the aggressive tiger, the passive mouse, and the assertive owl — to help you recognize your own voice in the heat of the moment.

This episode isn't about guilt. It's an invitation to notice, reflect, and start showing your kids what accountability looks like... starting with yourself.

The 3 Reflections I Share

1. Does my child still feel loved when I'm disciplining them  (or when I'm angry)?
2. Do I hold myself accountable for my own behavior in moments of discipline?
3. What could my child have said or done differently? — the accountability question, turned outward, once everyone's calm.

Support the show

• Join the Reflective Parent Book Club for only $9.99 for the year: https://reflectiveparentclub.circle.so/checkout/reflective-parenting-book-club

1. Watch my Tedx Talk on YouTube called The Over-Educated, Emotionally Underprepared Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDYJFY_9K9E&t=19s

• Grab my course for $99, The Emotionally Aware Parent: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

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In this episode, I sit down with Georgianna Karamitos — a lawyer, educator, trauma-informed conflict resolution practitioner, and children's book author — to unpack the real difference between discipline and punishment. We dig into why repeating yourself doesn't work until a child feels heard, how power struggles hijack parent-child relationships, why "relational safety" is the missing piece in most conflict, and what the neuroscience actually says about spanking and harsh discipline. If you are a parent stuck in the loop of "I've said this ten times and nothing changes" then this episode is for you!

Resources:

Book: No Drama Discipline by Dan Siegal 

Study: Spanking and Child Outcomes: Old Controversies and New Meta-Analyses

Guest Links: 

https://margueritebooks.ca/

Support the show

• Join the Reflective Parent Book Club for only $9.99 for the year: https://reflectiveparentclub.circle.so/checkout/reflective-parenting-book-club

1. Watch my Tedx Talk on YouTube called The Over-Educated, Emotionally Underprepared Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDYJFY_9K9E&t=19s

• Grab my course for $99, The Emotionally Aware Parent: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Send us Fan Mail

Hi Reflective Parents, Ever feel stuck arguing about the same thing over and over with your partner? In this episode, I break down a key concept from the Gottmans' book Fight Right: that perpetual conflict often hides a deeper "dream" underneath it, and naming that dream can turn conflict into a chance for real intimacy. 

I also reflect on what this means for parenting from bedtime battles to unrealistic expectations and how getting curious with your child, the same way you would with a partner, can change everything.

Come reflect with me!

Learn more from the Gottman Institute: 

https://www.gottman.com/

Support the show

• Join the Reflective Parent Book Club for only $9.99 for the year: https://reflectiveparentclub.circle.so/checkout/reflective-parenting-book-club

1. Watch my Tedx Talk on YouTube called The Over-Educated, Emotionally Underprepared Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDYJFY_9K9E&t=19s

• Grab my course for $99, The Emotionally Aware Parent: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Send us Fan Mail

Hi Reflective Parents! As we jump into a new school year, I wanted to take some time to pause with you and reflect on how we can make this year feel a little less stressful and a lot more connected. This episode was inspired by a question from a mom that emailed me and I'm bringing in some unexpected inspiration — including a quote from a romance novel (Yours Truly) that  changed the way I think about how we relate to our kids.

I'm sharing three things I believe can make a real difference this year:

• Watch the expectations we place on our kids. It's okay to want your child to grow and push themselves but there's a difference between healthy goals and making them feel like they're constantly disappointing you. We'll talk about how to hold both.
• Slow down. Between homework, activities, and weekend plans, it's easy to feel like we're always reacting instead of connecting. I'll share small, doable ways to carve out real time with your family this year.
• Bring curiosity and learning into your home. Learning doesn't stop at the school doors. I'll walk you through how we use a "curiosity box" at home to keep that spark alive no matter how you school your kids.

If you're feeling the back-to-school hustle already, I hope this episode gives you a moment to breathe, reflect, and reconnect with what really matters this year. Happy reflections, my friends! See you inside our new book club!

Interested in joining our 8-week cohort? Apply below! Classes start October 12th.

https://form.typeform.com/to/F9qIbzPT?typeform-source=curiousneuron.com

Support the show

• Join the Reflective Parent Book Club for only $9.99 for the year: https://reflectiveparentclub.circle.so/checkout/reflective-parenting-book-club

1. Watch my Tedx Talk on YouTube called The Over-Educated, Emotionally Underprepared Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDYJFY_9K9E&t=19s

• Grab my course for $99, The Emotionally Aware Parent: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Send us Fan Mail

Hi Reflective Parents, 

In today's episode, I share my honest thoughts about mental health care and honestly, they are not that positive. 

It's been feeling a little heavy these days with the Lindsay Clancy trial, a father that reached out who is struggle with depression and my own mental health from not having been in our home since January. 

I share my thought and as always, I share what I am doing to work through this hard season. 

Come reflect with me and if you want more of this, don't forget to join our Reflective Parenting Book Club below to join the conversation and reflections with other parents. 

Support the show

• Join the Reflective Parent Book Club for only $9.99 for the year: https://reflectiveparentclub.circle.so/checkout/reflective-parenting-book-club

1. Watch my Tedx Talk on YouTube called The Over-Educated, Emotionally Underprepared Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDYJFY_9K9E&t=19s

• Grab my course for $99, The Emotionally Aware Parent: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/