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
Episodes
263 episodes
Reflections on Conflict: What If Conflict Is Actually Healthy?
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. ...
Reflections on Daring to Lead as a Parent
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 th...
Reflections on resilience, freedom & identity from the book In Order to Live
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 under...
Reflections on loving more deeply and being present
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 pr...
Reflections on the Hidden Risks Inside Kids' Group Chats
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 m...
3 reflections about how we take care of ourselves as parents
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 ex...
Reflections on Radicalization: Could It Happen to My Child?
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 p...
3 reflections on how you experience unpleasant emotions
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.&nb...
3 reflections on what my grandma taught me about parenting
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 l...
3 reflections on self-love (and how this will nourish your happiness)
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...
Why self-care isn't working for you
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...
You, Your Husband, and His Mother: Untangling a Tricky Family Dynamic with Dr. Tracy Dalgleish
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...
Your Triggers Aren’t a Parenting Failure — They’re a Signal
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 reaction...
The reason you snap at your kids (and what you can try instead)
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 faili...
Why parenting advice won't help you stop snapping at your kids
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...
What all dads need to hear about emotions and their son's future mental health
Today on the Reflective Parenting Podcast, I’m sitting down with Dr. Brendan Kwiatkowski-Hartman to talk about something many parents quietly wonder about:Why do boys sometimes pull away emotionally and how can we support them without...
Are you having unhealthy conflict? Here's what science says.
This episode will change how you see conflict.We’re talking about the proven communication patterns that destroy connection and how to replace them with healthier ones.You’ll learn:the Four Horsemen (with real examples...
Understanding your nervous system in conflict with the authors of Beyond Difficult
If you’ve ever wondered why you become a different version of yourself during conflict… this episode is going to change the way you see those moments forever.I’m sitting down with psychologists and authors Rachel Samson and Dr....
Relational Savoring: The Neuroscience of Calm and Connection
Ever wonder why some moments with your child feel effortless and deeply connected — while others leave you drained, reactive, or misunderstood? In this episode, we break down the science behind why.Dr. Jessie Stern and psycholog...
What Many Parents Get Wrong About Toddler Behavior
In today’s episode, Devon Kuntzman and I dive deep into what’s really happening inside your toddler’s brain when they lose it — and how you can respond without spiralling yourself.We unpack why your child’s meltdowns aren’t your...
The missing skill that helps parents and kids stay calm: Interoception
Last week, we uncovered how your child’s behaviour is really their nervous system communicating.Today, we’re going deeper, inside the body, to explore the science of interoception, the hidden sense that helps us feel and ...
Why understanding your nervous system helps you with your emotions
You’ve heard the advice: “Teach your child to name their emotions.”But what if the real secret to helping your child (and yourself) regulate emotions starts deeper inside the body?In this episode, I sit down with pedia...
How do we build resilience in our kids without being harsh or overprotective
Do you ever hear your child say things like, “I’m such a bad kid” or “I’ll never be good at this” and your heart sinks because you don’t know what to say?You’re not alone. And this episode is about to change the way you...
The Science of How Discipline and Punishment Impact a Child’s Brain Differently
Parents, this one is big.Today we’re breaking down punishment vs discipline, what science says, how it impacts your child’s brain, and why so many of us feel stuck in the cycle of punishing even when we don’t want to.If y...
How to connect with a child that shuts you down (without losing your cool)
This episode will change how you see your child’s moods and how you respond to them.If you’ve ever tiptoed around your child in the morning, worried the “wrong” cereal bowl or shirt will set off a meltdown, this conversation is ...