Why understanding your nervous system helps you with your emotions

More from Reflective Parenting Podcast by Curious Neuron

1. 

   S8 · E33 · 27 Oct 2025 · 29 min

   Relational Savoring: The Neuroscience of Calm and Connection

   Send us Fan Mail 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 psychologist Rachel Samson join Cindy to explore relational savoring — a simple yet powerful way to strengthen your bond by intentionally remembering moments of warmth, safety, and love. You’ll learn how this practice calms your nervous system, reduces stress,...

2. 

   S8 · E32 · 20 Oct 2025 · 51 min

   What Many Parents Get Wrong About Toddler Behavior

   Send us Fan Mail 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 fault, what they’re trying to tell you through their behavior, and the simple mindset shift that will change how you see tantrums forever. If you’ve ever thought, “Why is my child doing this to me?” or “I said no… why can’t they just listen?” t...

3. 

   S8 · E31 · 13 Oct 2025 · 39 min

   The missing skill that helps parents and kids stay calm: Interoception

   Send us Fan Mail 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 understand our emotions. My guest, Laura Petix, is back to break down how learning to tune into your body’s internal signals can transform the way you regulate emotions, set boundaries, and parent with calm. We’ll explore what the research says including new...

4. 

   S9 · E19 · 6 Oct 2026 · 56 min

   How understanding our nervous systems changes the way we parent | Laura Petix

   Send us Fan Mail 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 matterWhy gentle parenting still matters even when it doesn't stop the meltdownThe eight sensory systems,...

5. 

   S9 · E18 · 29 Sep 2026 · 32 min

   How do we teach kids to think critically in a world full of misinformation?

   Send us Fan Mail 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 lear...

6. 

   S9 · E17 · 22 Sep 2026 · 32 min

   Am I Disciplining or Threatening My Child? What Science Says About Verbal Abuse

   Send us Fan Mail 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 tra...

7. 

   S9 · E16 · 15 Sep 2026 · 54 min

   The Difference Between Discipline and Punishment | Georgianna Karamitos

   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...

8. 

   S9 · E15 · 8 Sep 2026 · 22 min

   What if conflict were actually an invitation for intimacy?

   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 ...

9. 

   S9 · E14 · 1 Sep 2026 · 30 min

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

   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...

10. 

    S9 · E13 · 25 Aug 2026 · 25 min

    Reflecting on how mental heath care is failing us all

    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 ...

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