Parenting Through Play: The Missing Link Between Discipline and Connection w Dr. Kim Van Dusen | E191
About this episode
Andryanna discusses the importance of play in parenting with Dr. Kim Van Dusen, exploring how it can improve behavior and strengthen connections.
In this episode, Andryanna sits down with Dr. Kim Van Dusen, licensed marriage and family therapist, registered play therapist, professor, and author of the upcoming book Parenting Through Play: Creative Strategies for Building Better Behavior, Deeper Connection, and Positive Communication. For parents who feel stuck in cycles of correcting, negotiating, and repeating themselves, Dr. Kim explains why play is one of the most powerful tools for improving behaviour, strengthening connection, and regulating a child’s nervous system. Together, they explore how playful interactions can reduce conflict, reinforce boundaries, and help parents move from constant correction to deeper connection. In this episode: • Why traditional discipline often leads to power struggles; • What’s happening psychologically during behaviour conflicts; • How play regulates the nervous system and reduces stress; • Turning challenging behaviour into playful interventions; • Simple 5-minute play resets for overwhelmed parents; • How play strengthens boundaries instead of weakening them; • What playful parenting builds in children long-term. This episode builds on the idea explored in episode 186, behaviour is…
More episodes of The Juggle is Real
- Health Trends Decoded: What’s Real, What’s Neutral & What’s Just Hype with Dr. Danielle Watson | E198
- Tired of Being Tired: 4 Women's Health Check-Ins that Actually Matter this Spring | E196
- Roommate Syndrome: The Invisible Disconnect in Modern Relationships (and How to Shift It) with Monica Tanner | E195
- Japanese Walking: The Simple Spring Fitness Shift That Actually Works | E194
- Why You Overthink and Second-Guess (and How to Trust Yourself Again) with Alanna Banks | E193
- The Spring Reset You Actually Need: Clean Up Your Mental Load & Feel Lighter | E192
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Juggle is Real podcast page.