Episode 59 - Why Behaviour Makes More Sense When You Understand the Nervous System, with Emily Hughes
About this episode
This episode explores how understanding the nervous system can reshape our perception of children's behavior.
What if your child's behaviour isn't about disobedience, defiance, or "pushing boundaries" — but about what's happening in their nervous system? In this episode, I'm joined by Emily Hughes, parenting coach and founder of Finding Flow Parenting, to explore what parents can do to become a nervous-system-aware family. Emily invites us to move beyond seeing children's behaviour as wilful or intentional, and instead to understand it through the lens of the nervous system. When we do this, she explains, we gain a far more accurate and compassionate picture of what is really going on for our children — and for ourselves. We talk about why behaviour such as running away, aggression, or hitting often reflects a child's nervous system moving into fight or flight, rather than "naughtiness" or defiance. Emily shares how reframing behaviour in this way can reduce shame, soften our parental reactions, and help us stay more grounded in moments that would otherwise escalate. You can find out more about Emily and her work at https://findingflowparenting.coach/
More episodes of Just One Thing for Parents with Dr Bettina Hohnen
- Episode 68 - How Do I Know If My Child Needs Help? with Laura Dimler
- Episode 67 - The Impact of Divorce and Infidelity on Children with Juliet Rosenfeld
- Episode 66 - How To Talk To Teenagers About Their Brains with Dr Sarah McKay
- Episode 65 - Breaking the OCD Cycle: How Parents Can Help with Dr Stuart Brownings
- Episode 64 - A Long-Form Special: Living in the Age of Diagnosis with Dr Anna Hutchinson and Dr Libby Nugent
- Episode 63 - Surviving (and Thriving in) Neurodiverse Parenting with Professor Amanda Kirby
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