Reflective Parenting by Curious Neuron
Parents don’t snap for one reason — they snap because stress builds faster than awareness.
The Reflective Parenting Podcast, hosted by neuroscientist and mom of three Dr. Cindy Hovington, helps parents understand what’s happening inside them before they snap and why recognizing it sooner is the key to change.
Through personal reflections and conversations with clinicians and experts, the podcast explores why parenting feels so intense, why insight often disappears under stress, and what it means to become a reflective parent.
A reflective parent isn’t perfect or calm all the time. They notice sooner, recover faster, and slowly build more trust in how they show up — even on hard days.
This podcast is your invitation to pause, reflect, and feel less alone.
New episodes weekly.
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www.facebook.com/groups/reflectiveparentingpodcast/
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https://tremendous-hustler-7333.kit.com/84371dc0b2
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Reflective Parenting by Curious Neuron
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- How to support boys who feel anxious or withdrawn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/
Do you find yourself reacting in ways you wish you could change when your child is upset? Learn how to stay calm, manage your emotions, and respond in a way that actually helps your child.
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
Or purchase our course, join the next 8 week group cohort in April 2026 below: