Reflective Parenting Podcast
What if one book could help you see yourself more clearly as a parent?
As parents, we're constantly learning. We listen to podcasts, read books, and consume endless advice online, but real growth happens when we pause long enough to reflect on what we're learning and what it means for our own lives.
Welcome to The Reflective Parenting Podcast, a parenting book club led by neuroscientist, international speaker, mom of three, and founder of Curious Neuron, Dr. Cindy Hovington.
Each month, we'll explore a new book together and reflect on the ideas that can help us better understand ourselves, our emotions, our relationships, and our parenting. Every week, I'll share reflections, insights from neuroscience, and practical takeaways to help you become more self-aware, manage stress more effectively, navigate conflict with greater confidence, and show up as the parent you want to be.
This isn't a book summary podcast. It's an invitation to slow down as parents, think more deeply, and grow alongside your children.
Because becoming a better parent isn't about consuming more information; it's about reflecting on it with me by your side.
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
Reflective Parenting Podcast
What all dads need to hear about emotions and their son's future mental health
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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 pushing too hard?
Brendan is a researcher who has spent years studying boys, masculinity, and emotional expression. What he learned in his PhD work is both reassuring and eye-opening: boys do feel deeply, even when it looks like they’ve shut down. And the reasons they hold back are often more complex and tender than we realize.
This is a grounded, thoughtful conversation, especially meaningful for dads who want to connect more with their sons but aren’t always sure where to start.
In this episode, we cover:
- The two stages when boys start hiding emotions
- Why boys say “I’m fine” even when they’re struggling
- How to become an emotional safe space for your son
- What makes it hard for dads to be vulnerable
- Gentle ways to start emotional conversations with boys
- The RULER model for building emotional intelligence
- How to support boys who feel anxious or withdrawn
- Why parents’ own emotional work matters
- Practical scripts and small daily moments that build trust
Read our blog post about this topic:
https://curiousneuron.com/2025/11/15/boys-emotional-needs-study/
Learn more from Brendan below:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36176325/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9513388/
Start your journey to becoming emotionally aware:
Step 1: Join our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/reflectiveparentingpodcast
or visit our website to know which books I will be covering during the next months:
https://curiousneuron.com/podcast/
Step 2: Get your FREE emotional awareness training for parents and kids below (comes with a poster, workbook and video):
https://tremendous-hustler-7333.kit.com/84371dc0b2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4iEbFRZ5QQ&t=12s
Step 3: Join our course for $99, The Emotionally Aware Parent or join the next 8 week group cohort (starting in September 2026)
https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/
Or email me info@curiousneuron.com to book emotional training sessions for your organization.