Reflective Parenting Podcast by Curious Neuron

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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/
Doors open to join the next 8-week training (Starts Oct 12th) here 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/
Doors open to join the next 8-week training (Starts Oct 12th) here 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
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/
Doors open to join the next 8-week training (Starts Oct 12th) here https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

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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/
Doors open to join the next 8-week training (Starts Oct 12th) here 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
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/
Doors open to join the next 8-week training (Starts Oct 12th) here https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/