Ep 100: How to raise resilient children, work on yourself and better understand the brain
Host: Dr. Cindy Hovington, Ph.D.
Co-host: Claudia Belliveau
Guest: Dr. Bruce D Perry
Dr. Perry is the Principal of the Neurosequential Network and a Professor (Adjunct) in the Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago and the School of Allied Health, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria Australia.
Over the last thirty years, Dr. Perry has been an active teacher, clinician and researcher in children’s mental health and the neurosciences holding a variety of academic positions. His work on the impact of abuse, neglect and trauma on the developing brain has impacted clinical practice, programs and policy across the world. Dr. Perry is the author, with Maia Szalavitz, of The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog, a bestselling book based on his work with maltreated children and Born For Love: Why Empathy is Essential and Endangered. Dr. Perry's most recent book, What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, was released in 2021.
Summary:
In today’s episode (100th!!!) we are joined by co-host Claudia Belliveau and guest Dr. Bruce D Perry.
Here’s what we talked about this episode:
7:00 - How the brain is organized i.e. a layered cake
13:23 - How to deal with after school - the sequence of engagement
16:14 - How humans communicate: repair and rupture
18:03 - How do we stop the cycle
19:30 - How can we change the health system and classroom based on how the brain works
22:40 - What parents need to know about being a parent: how useful are parent handbooks
25:08 - Humans were not meant to live in the world the way it is, and neither were parents
29:08 - How are single parents supposed to be successful? The caregiving challenge tool
35:15 - If the research is so clear, why is the system still broken?
45:37 - Why did Cindy and Claudia get into this line of work?
48:40 - Are child psychiatrists really doing the best job they can do?
52:37 - What can a parent do if they experienced childhood adversity themselves? Are they a lost cause?
1:00:13 - Is my child’s development at risk if home life is heated?
1:02:54 - How can we help our children build resilience?
1:07:38 - What is Dr. Perry’s #1 tip for parents?
1:11:54 - Summary of the episode and the most important takeaway points
“Curious Neuron is an example of positive change in the right direction”
“Be an advocate for yourself and your child. If you need a break, find a way to take it, don’t let anyone lead you to believe that it’s selfish.”
Resources:
Check out this campaign run by Nike called Why So Sad?
Why So Sad? is an ongoing exploration into the nature of mental health initiated by John Rattray. After losing his sister to suicide and dealing with depression himself, Rattray developed the project starting in 2017.
Try my Wondergrade app for free to teach your child healthy emotional coping skills:
https://wondergrade.onelink.me/4kBE/curiousneuronJoin Claudia on Instagram