Reflective Parenting Podcast by Curious Neuron

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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:
Supporting a child's emotional development through play with Tina Payne Bryson
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
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:
The Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey
Podcast episode with Jessica Lahey
Science Article: Childhood self-regulation as a mechanism through which early overcontrolling parenting is associated with adjustment in preadolescence
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
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
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, 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
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 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
Does my child still feel loved when I'm disciplining them  (or when I'm angry)?
Do I hold myself accountable for my own behavior in moments of discipline?
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
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/