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Reflective Parenting Podcast by Curious Neuron — Kids & Family
Reflective Parenting Podcast by Curious Neuron

You don’t snap at your kids because you’re a bad parent. You snap because your stress builds faster than your awareness, and no one ever taught you how to handle that.

I’m Dr. Cindy Hovington, a mom of three with a doctorate in neuroscience and founder of Curious Neuron. I created The Reflective Parenting Podcast for parents who care deeply, know a lot, and still find themselves overwhelmed in the real moments.

This is not a podcast where I tell you how to be a perfect parent. I’m in it with you.

Each week, I invite you into my own reflections:

what I’m learning from scientific articles and books,

what I’m noticing in my nervous system and emotions,

and what real parents and experts teach me in conversation.

Together, we get curious about why we snap, shut down, or over-function in conflict, and what’s actually happening in our brain and body when we do. We talk about stress, shame, repair, boundaries, playfulness, and the quiet moments no one sees—so you can start to recognize your patterns and gently shift them.

By listening, you’ll learn to:

notice your stress and body signals earlier,

understand the lenses and stories that intensify hard moments,

regulate your nervous system when parenting feels like “too much”,

and handle conflict with more calm, clarity, and repair.

But more than that, you’ll have a companion in the work.

I’ll share where I struggle, what I’m practicing, and how I’m trying to grow, so you don’t feel like the only parent who finds this hard.

If you’re ready to move away from “perfect” parenting and toward reflective parenting—where every tough moment becomes data, not failure—pull up a chair.

Let’s learn, feel, and grow together.

Find out which book I will be covering next month:

https://curiousneuron.com/podcast/

Join the private group on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/groups/reflectiveparentingpodcast/

Start training your emotional awareness for FREE:

https://tremendous-hustler-7333.kit.com/84371dc0b2

Purchase my course The Emotionally Aware Parent.

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

Follow us on Instagram @drcindyhovington or Facebook @curiousneuronparenting

Copyright: © 2024 Curious Neuron | Science of Parental Well-Being

Latest Episodes:

You Are the Parent: How to raising capable kids without overparenting with Dr. Siggie Nov 03, 2026

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Many of us have absorbed the message that emotions matter, then ended up stuck in the moment, rescuing, fixing, and working hard to keep our kids happy. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Siggie, author of the new book You Are the Parent, about the missing piece: recognizing and validating a child’s feelings without letting those feelings run the household.

We talk about why overparenting leaves parents exhausted and kids more anxious, and why looking inward at your own triggers matters so much. We also get into how a child’s temperament (feisty, flexible, or fearful) changes the way you need to show up, and how to turn disagreements with your co-parent into conversations. Along the way, we tackle rudeness, morning power struggles, and why “your power is in your restraint.”

In this episode:

Validation, not accommodation: all emotions are okay, but not all behaviors are, and kids build resilience when we let them struggle safely with us beside them as their coach.
Know your child: the “easy” child may just be agreeable by nature, the feisty child isn’t flawed, and comparing or questioning a child’s shyness or fear can backfire.
Rudeness and power struggles: correct the trigger underneath the behavior, skip the long “because” speeches, and stay on task with a brief, calm “I hear you, now let’s go.”
Pause and try again: slowing down helps us respond instead of react, and “let’s try that again” works for parents and kids alike.

About our guest

Dr. Siggie is a parenting expert with over 1.6 million followers on Instagram and the author of You Are the Parent. She offers courses for parents of younger and older children, plus courses on siblings and anxiety, and a library of downloadable tips and tools.

Links

You Are the Parent by Dr. Siggie US link: here
Dr. Siggie’s website: here
Dr. Siggie’s Instagram: here
Join the Reflective Parenting Podcast Book Club to learn about her book all month: here

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/

You've tried everything but bedtime is still hard: Try Tiny Experiments! Oct 27, 2026

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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

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/

How children learn to regulate emotions (and behaviours) Oct 20, 2026

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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:

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/

Am I doing too much for my child (and is it impacting their confidence)? Oct 13, 2026

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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:

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/

How understanding our nervous systems changes the way we parent | Laura Petix Oct 06, 2026

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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/

How do we teach kids to think critically in a world full of misinformation? Sep 29, 2026

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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/

Am I Disciplining or Threatening My Child? What Science Says About Verbal Abuse Sep 22, 2026

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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/

The Difference Between Discipline and Punishment | Georgianna Karamitos Sep 15, 2026

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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

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/

What if conflict were actually an invitation for intimacy? Sep 08, 2026

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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

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/

Reflecting About the New School Year: Expectations, Slowing Down & Sparking Curiosity Sep 01, 2026

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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

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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