

Reflective Parenting by Curious Neuron
Cindy Hovington, Ph.D.
Parenting shouldn’t be defined by stress, guilt, and self-doubt. Yet for 94% of parents, that’s what our days feel like. As a neuroscientist and mom of three, I know firsthand how easy it is to end the day overwhelmed, wishing you’d been calmer, more present, or more patient with your child. That’s why I created The Reflective Parenting Podcast—a place where we pause, reflect, and discover a new way forward.Join me every Monday as we explore science-backed skills that replace guilt with confidence and stress with calm so that you, and your child, can thrive. Some weeks, I’ll share my own reflections as a parent who’s still learning, just like you. Other weeks, I’ll bring in experts from psychology, neuroscience, and beyond to dive into the research and uncover practical ways we can make parenting feel lighter, less overwhelming, and more connected.Parents don’t need more advice or another education-heavy podcast. What they truly need is a space to pause, reflect, and grow. Reflective parenting isn’t about being perfect—it’s about noticing what drives our reactions and choosing to show up with intention. This podcast is about building resilience, trust, and connection, and joining a movement to reimagine what parenting can feel like—for us, and for our kids.Subscribe today not to miss next week's episode! Join the private group on Facebook:www.facebook.com/groups/reflectiveparentingpodcast/Record your story or question:https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcastJoin the Reflective Parenting Program today!Start our science-backed course, join our weekly calls or get 1:1 support with Cindy below:https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/Follow us on Instagram @curious_neuron or Facebook @curiousneuron
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 29, 2020 • 1h 6min
Benefits of play for child development
Send us a textIn today’s episode, we talk about play! There are so many opportunities for play with items around our home and Emma from @play_at_home_mummy has an Instagram account that beautifully illustrates this. We chat about setting up a playroom, different types of play, what to do when siblings argue, sensory bins, risky play, development, and more!Support the showRecord your question, or share a parenting insight in a 1 min audio we will share on the podcast https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast Become a Reflective Parent using our evidence-based program: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/ Grab a Free Resource: FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions Email: info@curiousneuron.com 📸 Instagram | 🧠 Reflective Parenting Facebook Group 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube

Apr 16, 2020 • 1h 1min
What new parents should know about baby development and the brain
Send us a textIn today’s episode, I chat with Jenny and Carrie about their advice to new parents. We talk about the importance of a stimulating environment, which doesn’t mean having a lot around your baby, but rather being present, getting down on the floor with them during tummy time, and having zero screen time. We might not realize the importance of tummy time, skin-to-skin and the environment. We talk about why these are so important. Did you know that babies should not skip crawling? We discuss the brain in terms of developing and eliminating connections.Support the showRecord your question, or share a parenting insight in a 1 min audio we will share on the podcast https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast Become a Reflective Parent using our evidence-based program: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/ Grab a Free Resource: FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions Email: info@curiousneuron.com 📸 Instagram | 🧠 Reflective Parenting Facebook Group 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube

Apr 1, 2020 • 55min
Understanding childhood anxiety before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic
Send us a textIn this episode, we discuss childhood anxiety. How do we differentiate between worry and symptoms of anxiety in a child? Symptoms of childhood anxiety can often manifest as challenging behavior or tantrums in young children. Dr. Yee explains the importance of providing children with a safe space to talk and express their emotions. Given that most of us are experiencing some level of stress giving the current COVID-19 pandemic, she also discusses stress in adults and children during a crisis.Support the showRecord your question, or share a parenting insight in a 1 min audio we will share on the podcast https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast Become a Reflective Parent using our evidence-based program: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/ Grab a Free Resource: FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions Email: info@curiousneuron.com 📸 Instagram | 🧠 Reflective Parenting Facebook Group 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube

Mar 15, 2020 • 56min
Effective Use of Positive Reinforcement
Send us a textWhen we hear the term “positive reinforcement” we might get an image of giving a child candy or chocolate to get them to do what we want them to. However, in this episode, Courtney, a behavior analyst, explains that there is a lot more to it.She explains that praise and positive reinforcement are not the same. She describes how we need to assess our child’s behavior and determine why this behavior is happening. This will help us provide our children with an alternative and help them modify their behavior.When and how can a parent use positive reinforcement? All these questions and more are answered in this episode!For links and resources visit our Curious Neuron.Follow us on Instagram @cuious_neuron to vote for topics and send in your questions for the people I interview.Support the showRecord your question, or share a parenting insight in a 1 min audio we will share on the podcast https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast Become a Reflective Parent using our evidence-based program: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/ Grab a Free Resource: FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions Email: info@curiousneuron.com 📸 Instagram | 🧠 Reflective Parenting Facebook Group 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube

Feb 27, 2020 • 53min
Dealing with our emotions when we feel triggered by our children
Send us a textAs parents, we can feel triggered by our baby crying for long periods of time, by our toddler acting out or by our 5-year-old ignoring us. We can’t control if and when a trigger will happen, but we can control how we react to triggers. My conversation with Bryana, Director of South Bay Mommy and me, is all about how we regulate ourselves. We discuss what you can do to learn more about “why” you are responding a certain way to triggers, how certain ways of responding to a trigger can impact a child’s behavior, how you can bring yourself back down to a state of calm when you are triggered and how our past/upbringing can play into the way in which we respond to triggers.For links to the resources mentioned in this episode, visit our website:https://www.curiousneuron.com/podcast/2020/2/27/episode-7-dealing-with-our-emotions-when-we-feel-triggered-by-our-childrenFollow us on Instagram!https://www.instagram.com/curious_neuron/Support the showRecord your question, or share a parenting insight in a 1 min audio we will share on the podcast https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast Become a Reflective Parent using our evidence-based program: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/ Grab a Free Resource: FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions Email: info@curiousneuron.com 📸 Instagram | 🧠 Reflective Parenting Facebook Group 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube

Feb 13, 2020 • 44min
ADHD and Students: Understanding the symptoms in and out of the classroom
Send us a textIn episode 5, we focused on understanding when it might be the right time to have your child evaluated for ADHD. In this episode, we focus on "after the diagnosis". How can a child better manage their symptoms in the classroom, at home during homework and with friends? Also, we discuss various treatments and hoe ADHD symptoms can be similar to learning disorders and anxiety. Support the showRecord your question, or share a parenting insight in a 1 min audio we will share on the podcast https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast Become a Reflective Parent using our evidence-based program: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/ Grab a Free Resource: FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions Email: info@curiousneuron.com 📸 Instagram | 🧠 Reflective Parenting Facebook Group 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube

Jan 28, 2020 • 36min
ADHD and Students: When to get evaluated
Send us a textPart 1: Please note that this episode on ADHD has 2 parts. In today's episode, I discuss ADHD with my guest, Dr. Audrey Benoit. Is your child showing signs of ADHD or do they simply struggle with inattention? What are some signs that you should get evaluated? Can children with ADHD be misdiagnosed? What are some aids provided in the classroom? Lastly, we discuss medications for ADHD, how they work and when it might be the right time for a child to start taking medication. For more info visit www.curiousneuron.com and follow us on Instagram!Support the showRecord your question, or share a parenting insight in a 1 min audio we will share on the podcast https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast Become a Reflective Parent using our evidence-based program: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/ Grab a Free Resource: FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions Email: info@curiousneuron.com 📸 Instagram | 🧠 Reflective Parenting Facebook Group 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube

Jan 13, 2020 • 26min
Helping children learn to play independently
Send us a textIf your child struggles with playing on their own, this episode will guide you on how to teach them this skill. Thank you to Jacinth, a parenting coach from Singapore and the founder of https://ourlittleplaynest.com/ and @ourlittleplaynest on Instagram for chatting with me!Support the showRecord your question, or share a parenting insight in a 1 min audio we will share on the podcast https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast Become a Reflective Parent using our evidence-based program: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/ Grab a Free Resource: FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions Email: info@curiousneuron.com 📸 Instagram | 🧠 Reflective Parenting Facebook Group 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube

Dec 18, 2019 • 19min
Bilingualism and babies
Send us a textCan learning more than 1 language cause delays in a baby's first words? Will raising a bilingual child help them when they start school? What are some myths around bilingualism? In today’s episode, we will chat with a speech-language pathologist to learn more about bilingualism in babies.Support the showRecord your question, or share a parenting insight in a 1 min audio we will share on the podcast https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast Become a Reflective Parent using our evidence-based program: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/ Grab a Free Resource: FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions Email: info@curiousneuron.com 📸 Instagram | 🧠 Reflective Parenting Facebook Group 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube

Nov 22, 2019 • 19min
Minimizing emotional outbursts
Send us a textAccording to science, what are some strategies we can implement when it comes to helping our children learn to control their emotions (emotion regulation) and minimize their emotional outbursts/tantrums? Follow us on Instagram to see next week's post about a calming corner or visit our website (podcast page) to get full details. Support the showRecord your question, or share a parenting insight in a 1 min audio we will share on the podcast https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast Become a Reflective Parent using our evidence-based program: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/ Grab a Free Resource: FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions Email: info@curiousneuron.com 📸 Instagram | 🧠 Reflective Parenting Facebook Group 🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube