Reflective Parenting Podcast by Curious Neuron

Reflective Parenting Podcast by Curious Neuron

Cindy Hovington, Ph.D.
Maa Kanada
Kieli EN
Jaksot 266
Viimeisin 15.09.2026

Dr. Cindy Hovington, a neuroscientist and mother of three, hosts this weekly podcast about reflective parenting. Each episode blends scientific insights with personal reflections on stress, emotions, and family conflict. She talks with experts and parents about topics like nervous system regulation, shame, repair, boundaries, and playfulness. The goal is to help listeners notice their own patterns and learn gentler, more conscious responses to everyday parenting challenges.

Jaksot

  • What's the Difference Between Discipline and Punishment? 15.09.2026 54min
    Send us Fan Mail 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 di...
  • What if conflict were actually an invitation for intimacy? 08.09.2026 22min
    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 ...
  • Reflecting About the New School Year: Expectations, Slowing Down & Sparking Curiosity 01.09.2026 30min
    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...
  • Reflecting on how mental heath care is failing us all 25.08.2026 25min
    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 ...
  • Reflections on what we need to teach our kids about conflict (which also applies to adults) 18.08.2026 17min
    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I reflect on what it really means to teach children how to handle conflict. Drawing from my own experience coaching my seven- and nine-year-old sons through months of sibling conflict, I share practical ways to help children slow down, communicate their needs, listen to one another, and take responsibility for their part. Here are the 3 reflections you can discuss with your kids after they had conflict: What could I have said or done differently to de-escalat...
  • Reflections on Conflict: What If Conflict Is Actually Healthy? 11.08.2026 30min
    Send us Fan Mail What if conflict isn't something we need to avoid—but something we need to learn how to do? In this episode, I reflect on Brené Brown's idea of “rumbling” from Dare to Lead and what it can teach us about conflict at home. Instead of trying to win an argument, what if the goal was to unravel—to get curious, understand each other's perspectives, own our part, and work through the messy middle together? I share personal reflections on how my own experiences shaped the way I used...
  • Reflections on Daring to Lead as a Parent 04.08.2026 25min
    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I reflect on Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead and what it means to bring the principles of daring leadership into parenting. I explore how courage, vulnerability, self-awareness, and connection show up in our homes and in the way we lead our children. In this episode we reflect on: What it means to be a leader for our children and how parenting and leadership work overlap.The heart of daring leadership: courage, vulnerability, and “rumbling” with difficult conversa...
  • Reflections on resilience, freedom & identity from the book In Order to Live 28.07.2026 23min
    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I reflect on In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park and the deep questions it raised for me about freedom, identity, resilience, and what it means to think for ourselves. The book prompted powerful reflections on how we understand our own stories, how we support our children’s sense of self, and how freedom can feel both expansive and exhausting. I also connect the book’s themes to parenting, especially around giving children room to explore who they are, make mista...
  • Reflections on loving more deeply and being present 21.07.2026 18min
    Send us Fan Mail This week, I'm sharing six simple mantras from the book How to Love that made me stop, reflect, and think differently about the way I show up as a parent, partner, and person. Together, we'll explore what it really means to be present, to recognize when someone we love is struggling, to ask for help when we're suffering, to notice the happy moments that are easy to overlook, and to remember that in conflict, two people can both be partly right. These aren't parenting tips or ...
  • Reflections on the Hidden Risks Inside Kids' Group Chats 14.07.2026 31min
    Send us Fan Mail What does Toy Story 5 have to do with raising emotionally healthy kids? Trigger warning: masturbation is mentioned in this episode. Much more than I expected. After watching the movie with my children, I found myself reflecting on something far bigger than screen time: the conversations we're not having about friendship, group chats, and cyberbullying. In this episode, I share the true story of a Grade 6 classroom that left me speechless, explore what resear...
  • 3 reflections about how we take care of ourselves as parents 07.07.2026 23min
    Send us Fan Mail Why do so many parents feel like they don't have time to take care of themselves? The answer isn't as simple as being busy. This week, we're reflecting on a passage from the book How to Love by Thich Nhat Hanh and exploring why our own needs slowly disappear after becoming parents. I'll also share a simple reflection exercise that helped me reconnect with the things that brought me joy before having children—and why gratitude may be more powerful than we think. In this episod...
  • Reflections on Radicalization: Could It Happen to My Child? 30.06.2026 38min
    Send us Fan Mail When we hear the word radicalization, we often think, "That could never happen to my family." But what if radicalization begins with something much more human—a need to belong, to feel understood, or to make sense of emotional pain? In this episode, I sit down with men's coach and former counterterrorism professional James Stamatelos to explore why some young people become vulnerable to extremist ideas, how social media can amplify that vulnerability, and what parents can do ...
  • 3 reflections on how you experience unpleasant emotions 23.06.2026 23min
    Send us Fan Mail How do you allow yourself to feel, experience and move past unpleasant emotions? In this episode, I share how unpleasant emotions like worry, sadness, or even boredom can lead to some behaviours we might want to be more aware of. If you notice that you often get stuck in unpleasant emotions or that your anger or frustration leads to harder moments with loved ones, then this episode is for you. Here are today's 3 reflections: Can I let myself feel an ...
  • 3 reflections on what my grandma taught me about parenting 16.06.2026 26min
    Send us Fan Mail This was a hard episode for me to record but I needed to honour my grandmother who passed away yesterday. Today's reflections are: Does my child feel loved and respected by me?Does my child feel like they belong?Do I help my child build their confidence by letting them fail or giving them opportunities to prove to themselves that they can do it I hope you enjoy this episode and that it helps you reflect on how you are showing up for your child in every day ac...
  • 3 reflections on self-love (and how this will nourish your happiness) 09.06.2026 22min
    Send us Fan Mail This week, we are reflecting on our self-love. This week's reflections are: How do I nourish my happiness?Do I see my body and mind as my home?How do you feed your mind and body?As parents I think we need to remember to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what truly nourishes us. This reminds us that we matter and that we do love ourselves. These reflections are inspired by the book How to Love. I hope this week's episode can help you be more intentional with what you consume ...
  • Why self-care isn't working for you 02.06.2026 25min
    Send us Fan Mail I'm Back! After five months away from the microphone, I'm finally back. If you've been wondering where I've been, thank you for checking in. Your emails, messages, and support meant more to me than you know. I explain what happened in this episode and share how this time away also gave me space to reflect. In also share what I've been learning about capacity the idea that our ability to cope, connect, parent, and respond changes throughout the day based on what's happe...
  • You, Your Husband, and His Mother: Untangling a Tricky Family Dynamic with Dr. Tracy Dalgleish 16.12.2025 50min
    Send us Fan Mail Family dynamics can feel especially intense around the holidays and one of the most challenging patterns many parents face is the triangle between you, your partner, and your mother-in-law. In today’s episode, Dr. Tracy Dalgleish returns to the podcast to help us make sense of this dynamic with compassion, clarity, and evidence-based tools. In this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Tracy Dalgleish, psychologist and author of You, Your Husband & His Mother, to unpack why t...
  • Your Triggers Aren’t a Parenting Failure — They’re a Signal 08.12.2025 27min
    Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever ended a night thinking, “Why did I snap again?” — this episode is for you. Today, we’re diving into what’s really happening in your brain and body when your child pushes your buttons. Because those intense reactions? They aren’t proof that you’re a bad parent. They’re signals from a nervous system in overdrive — and once you can recognize those signals, you can change the way you respond. We’ll talk about: Why your child’s emotions can feel like a threat to you...
  • The reason you snap at your kids (and what you can try instead) 01.12.2025 22min
    Send us Fan Mail Hi Reflective Parents! This week, we are talking about something I keep hearing from parents which is snapping at our kids even when we are working on ourselves by learning about parenting or even going to therapy. You are not failing your child. You are still learning many skills that lead to you becoming more aware of your own state before you snap. In this episode, I walk you through 3 steps that might help you catch yourself the next time you snap (notice I didn't s...
  • Why parenting advice won't help you stop snapping at your kids 25.11.2025 24min
    Send us Fan Mail If you keep snapping, shutting down, or feeling guilty, even though you “know” what to do... this episode will finally make it make sense. After speaking with more than 200 parents, I’ve noticed the same pattern: We are drowning in parenting advice, but no one is teaching parents the one skill that actually changes everything, how your nervous system works. In this episode, I talk about: Why you still lose patience even after therapy, courses, and all the scriptsWhat’s really...

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