1KHO 581: The Surprising Ways We Snip Off Potential Growth | Dr. Bruce Perry, What Happened to You?

What if the very ways we structure childhood are quietly cutting off our kids’ potential? In this powerful conversation, renowned psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Perry joins Ginny to unpack why real learning requires movement, play, and space to reflect—not endless worksheets, long lectures, and overscheduled days. He explains how the brain wires itself through short bursts of novelty followed by rest, why REM sleep cements learning, and how overscheduling, lack of recess, and early mornings are some of the most inefficient ways we could possibly teach kids. Dr. Perry also reveals why challenges from stress or adversity are rarely irreversible, and how resilience is built through rhythm, repetition, and safe relationships.

Together they explore the everyday practices that either foster growth—or unintentionally snip it off before it begins. You’ll learn why play is the real work of childhood, why empathy is forged in mixed-age groups, and how freedom outdoors provides the risk-taking and mastery kids need to thrive. This episode will challenge parents, educators, and caregivers to rethink what matters most for development and offers practical ways to restore the rhythms kids need.

Explore Dr. Perry’s work at the ChildTrauma Academy: childtrauma.org, and his books The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog (link), What Happened to You? (link), and Born for Love (link).

If this conversation helps your parenting or teaches you something new, please share it with a friend and leave a quick review. Together we can help more families protect, not snip off, the potential in their children. ❤️

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