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In this podcast episode, I delve into invalidation and its significant impact on romantic relationships. I highlight common invalidating statements such as "Why are you upset?", "You're overreacting," or "Calm down," explaining that these make a partner feel their emotions are wrong, unjustified, or excessive. This can lead to increased frustration, shame, and a sense of being alone in their struggle, mirroring the hurt children feel when invalidated.

I emphasize the importance of using validating alternatives, such as "I see that you're feeling upset. Can you tell me what's making you feel this way?" or "It sounds like you're feeling anxious right now. That must be really uncomfortable. How can I support you?". These phrases aim to make the partner feel seen and heard, fostering connection and reducing conflict.

I then introduce a study on marital conflict behaviors, categorizing them into three styles:

•Destructive: Includes actions like yelling, insults, criticism, or bringing up past issues.

•Constructive: Involves calm discussion, active listening, saying nice things, or trying to make a spouse laugh.

•Withdrawal: Entails disengaging, such as becoming quiet or leaving the situation.

The study found that, as expected, husbands and wives who reported using more destructive behaviors had a higher rate of divorce. A particularly fascinating and counter-intuitive finding was that greater constructive behaviors among wives predicted greater divorce rates. Learn more in this episode!

Listen to my conversation with author of Validation, Dr. Caroline Fleck:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/reflective-parenting-by-curious-neuron/id1440533170?i=1000715100953

Read the full study:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3777640/pdf/nihms494814.pdf

More ways to build emotion regulation skills with Curious Neuron!

Record your message to ask a question, share an insight or give us some feedback! https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast

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A science-based course that helps you learn how to cope with emotions, stress, your child's behaviour and your partner! Plus, a weekly coaching call to help you build awareness and practice new tools.

https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Join our FREE Monthly Parental Well-Being Webinar Series:

https://tremendous-hustler-7333.kit.com/989145490b

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• FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions
• FREE Kids Activity: Help! My Emotions Are Confusing

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Do you ever wonder why your child’s big emotions feel so overwhelming—or why small conflicts with your partner can spiral? In this episode, I sit down with psychologist Dr. Caroline Fleck to unpack the skill of validation—what it is, why it matters, and how it can radically change the way you connect with yourself, your kids, and everyone you love.

We explore what invalidation really sounds like (it’s often subtle) and why even well-meaning parents can accidentally shut down their child’s emotions. Dr. Fleck shares simple, powerful scripts for validating feelings without condoning hurtful behaviors, and we discuss research showing how invalidation increases the risk of mental health struggles and gets passed across generations.

Whether you’re parenting a toddler or a teen—or just want more connected relationships—this episode will give you tools to break cycles of invalidation and build deeper trust through emotional clarity.

Don’t miss this conversation—because learning to “validate the valid” might be the most important parenting skill you ever master.

Sources:

Science Sources:

Parental Validation and Invalidation Predict Adolescent Self- Harm

More ways to build emotion regulation skills with Curious Neuron!

Record your message to ask a question, share an insight or give us some feedback! https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast

Start your 7 day FREE trial of the Reflective Parent Club

A science-based course that helps you learn how to cope with emotions, stress, your child's behaviour and your partner! Plus, a weekly coaching call to help you build awareness and practice new tools.

https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Join our FREE Monthly Parental Well-Being Webinar Series:

https://tremendous-hustler-7333.kit.com/989145490b

Grab a Free Resource:

• FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions
• FREE Kids Activity: Help! My Emotions Are Confusing

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with Amy Chiu

In today’s fast-paced world, it can be tough to slow down and truly let kids be kids. We often get caught up in schedules, expectations, and the pressure to “make learning happen.” But what if the most powerful learning happens when we pause, play, and simply show up with presence?

In this episode, Dr. Cindy Hovington speaks with early childhood expert Amy Chiu about the magic of free play and the importance of slowing down. Amy explains how play isn’t just fun—it’s a key tool for building curiosity, emotional regulation, and problem-solving. She shares why giving kids space to lead their play fosters deeper learning than worksheets ever could.

Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or educator, you'll find science-backed insights and simple, practical ways to support your child—by doing less.

🔑 What You’ll Hear:

• Why slowing down and free play matter for real learning
• How presence and pause transform connection
• The power of observing rather than directing kids’ play
• Simple ways to bring downtime and emotional check-ins into daily life

Related Podcast Episode:

Over-parenting (helicopter parenting)

Mentioned in This Episode:
📖 The Work of Play→ Amy Chiu’s website and resource hub for parents and educators reimagining early childhood learning.

Follow Amy on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-chiu-msed-a09a1a27b/

Scientific Article: Learning Through Play at School – A Framework for Policy and Practice

More ways to build emotion regulation skills with Curious Neuron!

Record your message to ask a question, share an insight or give us some feedback! https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast

Start your 7 day FREE trial of the Reflective Parent Club

A science-based course that helps you learn how to cope with emotions, stress, your child's behaviour and your partner! Plus, a weekly coaching call to help you build awareness and practice new tools.

https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Join our FREE Monthly Parental Well-Being Webinar Series:

https://tremendous-hustler-7333.kit.com/989145490b

Grab a Free Resource:

• FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions
• FREE Kids Activity: Help! My Emotions Are Confusing

Email: info@curiousneuron.com

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In today's solo episode, I share a little more of my personal story with the hopes of helping you feel validated, less alone or even empowered.

Father's Day (or even Mother's Day) can be difficult when you have a parent that is alive yet you have no idea where they are because they left your family decades ago.

They knew you existed and they chose to leave you.

I share a little more about my childhood and about how that impacted me later when I became a parent.

Do you have a story you want to share (anonymously) with me about your own dad or your journey as a dad? Click the link below!

https://curiousneuron.typeform.com/to/kd6zw438

Here is the study I referred to in the episode in case you want more details.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/1342C24F368FB2953C342AFF875E04A6/S0954579423000354a.pdf/div-class-title-father-contribution-to-human-resilience-div.pdf

If you are a dad ready to learn how to cope and regulate your emotions, try out the Reflective Parent Club, free for 7 days before committing. See link below.

More ways to build emotion regulation skills with Curious Neuron!

Record your message to ask a question, share an insight or give us some feedback! https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast

Start your 7 day FREE trial of the Reflective Parent Club

A science-based course that helps you learn how to cope with emotions, stress, your child's behaviour and your partner! Plus, a weekly coaching call to help you build awareness and practice new tools.

https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Join our FREE Monthly Parental Well-Being Webinar Series:

https://tremendous-hustler-7333.kit.com/989145490b

Grab a Free Resource:

• FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions
• FREE Kids Activity: Help! My Emotions Are Confusing

Email: info@curiousneuron.com

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with Daisy Dowling

Balancing work and parenting feels impossible sometimes, doesn’t it? Between deadlines, meetings, and the constant demands at home, many working parents feel overwhelmed, guilty, and stretched too thin.

In this episode, Dr. Cindy Hovington talks with Daisy Dowling, author of Work Parent, about redefining what work-life balance really means — and why aiming for a perfect “straight line” isn’t the goal. Instead, Daisy shares practical “hacks” to help working parents manage stress, set realistic expectations, and take meaningful moments for rest and self-care.

They dive into how to build your personal and professional “brand,” why keeping an “already done” list can lower overwhelm, and how small choices today can lead to a happier future — both at work and at home.

This episode is full of relatable insights and actionable strategies to help working parents feel less frazzled and more grounded.

🔑 What You’ll Hear:

• Why work-life balance isn’t a fixed state — it’s more like riding waves
• How to define your professional and parenting “brands” to empower your identity
• The Zeigarnik Effect & the power of an “already done” list to combat overwhelm and guilt
• Why rest and recovery are essential — even in small daily moments
• Tips to reframe self-doubt and reduce anxiety about work performance
  
  

Mentioned in This Episode:
📖 Work Parent by Daisy Dowling

→ A go-to guide for working parents struggling with the dual challenges of careers & kids.

Scientific Source:

Read our blog post:

https://curiousneuron.com/2025/06/08/parental-burnout-is-real-what-every-working-parent-needs-to-know/

More ways to build emotion regulation skills with Curious Neuron!

Record your message to ask a question, share an insight or give us some feedback! https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast

Start your 7 day FREE trial of the Reflective Parent Club

A science-based course that helps you learn how to cope with emotions, stress, your child's behaviour and your partner! Plus, a weekly coaching call to help you build awareness and practice new tools.

https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Join our FREE Monthly Parental Well-Being Webinar Series:

https://tremendous-hustler-7333.kit.com/989145490b

Grab a Free Resource:

• FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions
• FREE Kids Activity: Help! My Emotions Are Confusing

Email: info@curiousneuron.com

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Hi dear friends,

From the number of you that downloaded our last grounding meditation, it seems like you enjoyed it!

I decided to created another one for you, this time it is to help you on a day when you feel like you are failing.

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/reflective-parenting-by-curious-neuron/id1440533170?i=1000709341181

If there is a specific moment you struggle with, tell me in the form below and I will create an audio for this moment.

https://curiousneuron.typeform.com/to/UoUF6piC

I hope you enjoy it!

More ways to build emotion regulation skills with Curious Neuron!

Record your message to ask a question, share an insight or give us some feedback! https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast

Start your 7 day FREE trial of the Reflective Parent Club

A science-based course that helps you learn how to cope with emotions, stress, your child's behaviour and your partner! Plus, a weekly coaching call to help you build awareness and practice new tools.

https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Join our FREE Monthly Parental Well-Being Webinar Series:

https://tremendous-hustler-7333.kit.com/989145490b

Grab a Free Resource:

• FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions
• FREE Kids Activity: Help! My Emotions Are Confusing

Email: info@curiousneuron.com

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with Erica Diamond

Those early days of parenthood can feel like survival mode—your routines are gone, your identity feels blurry, and the overwhelm is constant. Between sleepless nights, mental overload, and trying to “do it all,” it’s easy to lose yourself.

In this episode, Dr. Cindy Hovington is joined by Erica Diamond—certified life & career coach and creator of the List Your Goals Journal—to explore how small, but meaningful shifts in your day-to-day life can help you feel less reactive, more grounded, more present, and more connected to yourself and your child as a parent.

They talk about the mindset traps many new parents fall into, why setting boundaries matters more than ever, and how simple, everyday tools can help you create a more balanced and connected environment—for you and your child.

This isn’t about a total life overhaul—it’s about small, daily, actionable steps that lead to significant shifts overtime.

🔑 What You’ll Hear:

• Erica’s 4-step approach to transformation for new parents
• Common mindset traps in early parenthood—and how to shift them
• Tips to start reclaiming your time (even when it feels like you have none)
• Small daily practices (10 - 15 minutes) that help you feel more grounded and support your mental health.
• The emotional weight of saying “yes” too often—and how to say “no” and set boundaries.
• Why social connection isn’t a “nicety”—it’s a necessity
• The importance of prioritizing self-compassion in early parenting

📚 Mentioned in This Episode:

📖 The List Your Goals Journal

→ 100 list-making prompts specifically crafted to help you reach your goals.

💬 Enjoying the podcast?

📲 Know a parent who could benefit from this episode? SHARE it with them!

As a thank-you, email us the word “SHARED” within 7 days of this episode, and we’ll send you a free tool loved by our exclusive Reflective Parent Club members.

More ways to build emotion regulation skills with Curious Neuron!

Record your message to ask a question, share an insight or give us some feedback! https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast

Start your 7 day FREE trial of the Reflective Parent Club

A science-based course that helps you learn how to cope with emotions, stress, your child's behaviour and your partner! Plus, a weekly coaching call to help you build awareness and practice new tools.

https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Join our FREE Monthly Parental Well-Being Webinar Series:

https://tremendous-hustler-7333.kit.com/989145490b

Grab a Free Resource:

• FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions
• FREE Kids Activity: Help! My Emotions Are Confusing

Email: info@curiousneuron.com

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We often focus on limiting and banning our kids’ screen time—but what if the most effective digital parenting conversations require a completely different approach, one that starts with curiousity, not control?

In this episode, Dr. Cindy Hovington is joined by bestselling author Jessica Joelle Alexander to explore how we can reframe and shift from control to curiosity & learning in the digital world—together with our children.

Jessica, author of the global best-seller The Danish Way of Parenting and her latest book, The Danish Way Every Day shares what she’s learned from living in Denmark—one of the happiest countries in the world—and how its unique approach to parenting (including its unique culture of togetherness and hygge) reframes everything from screen time to emotional connection.

Drawing from her books and her Raising Digital Citizens Conversation Cards, she reveals the powerful conversations we aren’t having—but should be—to support digital well-being for you and your children and deeper family connection.

🔑 What You’ll Hear:
• What Jessica learned from Danish parenting —and what that means for screen time for your kids
• How curiousity & reframing can help nurture better convesations & stronger connections for your family - even in the digital world
• How the right conversations can reveal your own blindspots around the digital world.
• How a "balancing versus banning" approach works
• Learning about digital safety, consent, critical thinking and more - as a team
• How you might be modeling your child’s digital habits without realizing it

📚 Mentioned in This Episode:

• Raising Digital Citizens Kit/Cards
• Book: The Danish Way of Parenting
• Book: The Danish Way Every Day
  
  
  

More ways to build emotion regulation skills with Curious Neuron!

Record your message to ask a question, share an insight or give us some feedback! https://www.speakpipe.com/ReflectiveParentingPodcast

Start your 7 day FREE trial of the Reflective Parent Club

A science-based course that helps you learn how to cope with emotions, stress, your child's behaviour and your partner! Plus, a weekly coaching call to help you build awareness and practice new tools.

https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Join our FREE Monthly Parental Well-Being Webinar Series:

https://tremendous-hustler-7333.kit.com/989145490b

Grab a Free Resource:

• FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions
• FREE Kids Activity: Help! My Emotions Are Confusing

Email: info@curiousneuron.com

📸 Instagram | 🧠 Reflective Parenting F...