Send us a text As new parents, we have tons of questions! My brother-in-law is expecting his new child and I asked him what his questions were. This podcast episode is dedicated to him and is for all parents expecting or with a child under 2 months old. When do you start tummy time? How often should you do skin-to-skin? What did my own labors look like for all 3 of my kids and what are the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression/anxiety in both moms and dads? Listen to this quick 30 min epis...
Oct 31, 2022•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Content warning: death, death of family members and pets, suicide In today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. Elena Lister and Dr. Michael Schwartzman authors of Giving Hope: Conversations with Children About Illness, Death and Loss. During this conversation, we approach many questions from the Curious Neuron community about death, and how to talk to your children about death. Dr. Lister & Schwartzman give us many tools & scripts we can use as parents. This episode was so ins...
Oct 24, 2022•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. Simón Guendelman. We discuss what emotional regulation actually is, how self compassion can change your brain and parenting, and how scientists are studying this. This episode is a bit research heavy - so take out your Curious Neuron notebooks! Simón shares with us some common myths about mindfulness and explains how even if you don’t have time to meditate for 1 hour a day, mindfulness can help equip you with the tools to get through a real...
Oct 17, 2022•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today's solo episode, we discuss discipline and parenting styles and compare this to prison in Cyprus. This prison changed from a punitive system to a person-centred approach which brought the re-offending rate from over 50% down to 15%. I don't want to discuss whether or not this should be the method used in prisons, I am comparing this to our discussion about parenting and discipline. I discuss the research around discipline, time outs, and parenting styles and give...
Oct 10, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today's solo episode, I share what I saw on my family vacation at Walt Disney World. One child got spanked, one got kicked and one had water tossed onto their face. We need to rethink what discipline is as a society and more importantly, we need to re-learn emotion regulation skills. It is ok to have a moment when you lose control and yell, but physical aggression, verbal abuse, and emotional abuse should never be an option against a child or any human. I think parents nee...
Oct 03, 2022•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode, we are joined by Jess and Nicole, early childhood educators who focus on the mindset around math. It is a very common problem that children and families struggle with both learning and teaching math. Join us to understand the most important skills you can prepare your child with before sending them to pre-K or kindergarten – hint, it’s not memorizing their numbers. Jess and Nicole share the importance of uninterrupted play in early life and how it can actually ...
Sep 26, 2022•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode we are joined by Dr. Sarah Bren, clinical psychologist and mom of 2. She gives us a whole new perspective on discipline, attachment and setting boundaries. Dr. Bren shows us the importance of disciplining a child – tune in to better understand what her definition of discipline really is – in order to build a secure attachment. She discusses how YOUR self-regulation can influence the way you parent and how secure your child feels. We also touch on tantrums and ho...
Sep 19, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode, we are joined by Dr. Mona Delahooke, Ph.D. child psychologist to discuss reframing how you understand your child’s behavior – with curiosity and compassion. Learn why Dr. Delahooke believes self-compassion and co-regulation is the proper response to a child’s tantrum. We discuss the loneliness of being a mother and how we can be mindful of the feelings, but not judgemental of them. Tune in to learn about interoception, prediction error, and challenge zones and ...
Sep 12, 2022•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Transitioning into daycare can be stressful for both the parents and the child. In today's episode (the final episode of season 3!), I discuss the research around daycare transitions also known as the adaptation phase. I discuss how to help a child build a connection with their new caregiver and what I believe should be the procedure in all daycares. If your daycare can't allow you to join your child at the daycare, I offer alternatives to help minimize the stress for yo...
Aug 29, 2022•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Anna Skates is taking over the Curious Neuron podcast! Anna shares her wisdom with us and teaches us 3 important tips that will help make transitions easier for our kids. Transitions are hard! When your child protests transitions, it can make it difficult for parents to see the reason behind it, the why. Zooming out, as we have mentioned before, doesn't seem to work during transitions but Anna explains how you can make it work and connect with your child during these challeng...
Aug 22, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends NO screen time younger than 18 months and very little screen time (<1hr/day) from 18-24 months unless it’s video-chatting with family members. Have you ever wondered why? The Curious Neuron team decided to dig deep into the research and see if certain claims about screen time in toddlers were true. You might be surprised by the results and what the research student concluded about screen time in toddlers. Listen to this short 20 min...
Aug 15, 2022•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Today's episode is a solo episode with Cindy Hovington, Ph.D. founder of Curious Neuron. With the new school year approaching, you might be wondering if your child is ready to either start school for the first time or to return. I walk you through 5 important skills you work on with your child (through play or conversation). These 5 skills have been suggested by research to be important for a child's academic success. Listen to this short episode and take your notepad ou...
Aug 08, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Trigger warning: pregnancy loss In today’s episode we meet with parents Bret Shuford and Stephen Hanna, Broadway husbands, who started a family by choosing surrogacy. We start with learning a bit about the couple and how they decided to use surrogacy over other methods of conceiving. We talk about building a connection with the surrogate and the newborn. We also chat about the parenting roles in same sex couples, as well as the barriers faced when living in a difficult social clim...
Aug 01, 2022•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode, we chat with Susie Allison, M. Ed., a former teacher and creator of Busy Toddler (1.8 million followers!). We discuss boredom, what it is, why it’s important for our children’s development and how to respond to a bored child. We discuss how to introduce boredom to a child that is currently constantly engaged in a realistic way. Susie explains what child-led play is, and how parents can actually get things done while their children play ALONE. You heard it here ...
Jul 25, 2022•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode Dr. Rani Banik is here to discuss everything about the visual system and the brain. First, we focus on the development of the visual system, then speak about our children’s screen time and how to best initiate their visual development. We touch upon the types of light, whether blue light blockers are necessary and the dangers and/or benefits of sun gazing. Listen in to hear how to choose the right pair of sunglasses to protect your child’s eyes. Dr. Banik explai...
Jul 18, 2022•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, registered psychologist, joins us to discuss aggressive behavior in children and how to mediate it. We discuss how to be curious about your child’s behavior – zooming out can be informative about why your child is being aggressive. Dr. Lapointe answers important questions like: How do parents play a part in their child’s aggressive behavior? Should you feel guilty when your child acts out? How can aggressive play be beneficial to your child...
Jul 11, 2022•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today's episode, I unpack a viral post on social media stating that Cocomelon is addictive. I know I am covering screen time for a second week in a row but when I posted about screen time on Instagram and used Cocomelon as an example of a TV that fit the criteria for quality TV shows, my DMs blew up! I address screen time for children under the age of 2 and answer these questions: -How much is too much screen time? -How screen time is excessive screen time? -What are the s...
Jul 04, 2022•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode, we chat with Cheryl Gotthelf, educator by trade and TV child development consultant. Cheryl shares her years of experience in terms of deciding whether a show is developmentally appropriate for a child. We discuss the criteria television channels evaluate to decide what age category to place a show. Take out your Curious Neuron notebooks because Cheryl gives us a list of questions to ask before deciding on a show to present to the children. We take some time to...
Jun 27, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text 3 tips or conversations I wish someone would have told me when I was expecting my first child. In today's episode, our host, Dr. Cindy Hovington, discusses some tips she wishes she would have received when she was expecting her first child. We often get advice as new parents. How should we hold our baby? How should we feed them? Where should they sleep? However, in today's episode, we move past this type of advice and dig deeper into what all new parents should think of....
Jun 20, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Trigger warning: physical and sexual abuse In today’s episode, we speak with two dads and men's mental health advocates Emmanuel Flores and therapist Travis Goodman, LMFT. We cover so many important topics, I think this is one of my favorite episodes. We talk about how men are often told to push their emotions under the carpet and be strong, while also being told they need to open up more. We highlight the importance of communication between couples, about your past, present,...
Jun 13, 2022•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode we chat with two experts about burnout. Dr. Jaclyn Margolis, PhD explains how to manage and prevent burnout in the workplace. Meanwhile Shelley Kemmerer, PA-C, sheds light on parental burnout and how to maintain wellbeing at home when demand is higher than your resources. We learn about the main symptoms of this syndrome and how to recognize when your stress has turned into burnout. Shelley helps us understand how family planning is burnout prevention while Jacl...
Jun 06, 2022•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text I think that being a parent is similar to being a CEO of a company. You need to be a great leader, you need to understand the members of your team and communicate goals and strategies you want them to execute. Listen to today's episode to get 3 tips that will change how you feel and think as a parent. Take out your Curious Neuron notebooks! Thank you to our supporter the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute at The Neuro. The Neuro is the first health sciences institution in the w...
May 30, 2022•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text Trigger warning: early life stress, child abuse, spousal abuse. In today’s episode, we speak to Dr. Erin Dunn, social and psychiatric epidemiologist at Harvard University. We discuss the difference between stress, early life adversity, and childhood trauma. We learn about the long-term effects of adversity and what parents can do to mediate or buffer them. Dr. Dunn answers questions from the audience using scientific research as evidence. My favorite part of the episode is talking...
May 23, 2022•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode, we are joined by Julie Bogart, author of Raising Critical Thinkers and The Brave Learner. We all know the story of the three little pigs, but have you heard it from the wolf’s perspective? Every story has two sides, Julie explains how we can use simple storytelling and poems to introduce the concept of critical thinking to our young children. She urges parents to stop with the “parental propaganda” and allow children to collect their own data and draw conclusio...
May 16, 2022•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode, we are joined by Megan Champion M. Ed. Teacher, and mother of 3. She shares with us her journey being a mother to a neurodivergent child and we learn the difference between tantrums and meltdowns and define what sensory sensitivities are. Megan sheds light on how she would like mothers of neurodivergent and neurotypical children to support each other and explains what she looks for in parenting advice platforms online. She gives us an insight into how to beat “...
May 09, 2022•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today's solo episode with Cindy, she helps you view your child's behavior in a way that will help you be more compassionate. It is easy to see whining, tantrums, hitting, yelling, and talking back as disruptive or bad behaviors, but when you add the word "because" after you describe their behavior....it sheds light on something very important. Listen to this episode to find out more. Thank you to our supporter the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute at The Neur...
May 02, 2022•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode, we chat with Alyson Schafer, one of Canada’s leading parenting experts. Have you ever heard of Adlerian or democratic parenting? If not, this episode will teach you all about Alfred Adler’s parenting strategies founded on mutual respect. Alyson discusses how important it is to regulate your own emotions and learn to be uncomfortable so you can better parent your child. We touch on the importance of “me time” whether it be alone or with your children, and how th...
Apr 25, 2022•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text What does "eat well" during pregnancy really mean? What is the difference between micro and macronutrients, and how to make sure my body is getting everything it needs to make sure my baby is developing well? What are the best foods, and what to avoid, according to recent research? Can I trust the conventional prenatal guidelines when it comes to nutrition? I am getting enough protein in my prenatal diet? What is choline, and why is important for fetus development? What ...
Apr 18, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode, I am solo and I discuss an article I found that explains how to teach children about gratitude. Reminding our children to say thank you when they receive a gift isn’t as impactful as we might think! We also need to keep in mind a child's development, we can’t expect a 3-year-old to say thank you every time! Take out your note pads because at the end of this episode I give you tips you can apply today! I also share a story from my home. If you have a child ...
Apr 11, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Send us a text In today’s episode, we speak with Anna Skates, a child and family advocate, parent coach, and founder of Otterly. In a world where our kids are rarely considered, we need to take a step back and see them as human beings experiencing life. Why is my kid reacting this way? How is my kid experiencing this moment? Anna gives us some important mantras that can be repeated daily to improve how we react and understand heated moments. She explains why we need to be curious about how our c...
Apr 04, 2022•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
