The Parent Pod

Rachel Russell from Quite Frankly Coaching
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Welcome to The Parent Pod - a safe haven for parents seeking to raise strong, happy kids and build thriving families. Each week, we dive into the heart of parenting with insights from experts in neuroscience, psychology, and education. Our goal is to empower you with practical tools, compassionate understanding, and evidence-based strategies to nurture connection, foster belonging, and create a loving environment where your family can flourish. From tackling challenges to celebrating milestones, we’re here with expert insights and support to help your family thrive.

  1. 3D AGO

    Season 3: Ep 7 -Why Your Child’s Behaviour Makes Sense: A Nervous System Lens with Cameron Allen

    Content note: This episode includes a brief mention of suicide. Please listen with care. What if your child’s behaviour isn’t something to fix — but something to understand? In this episode, I’m joined by Cameron Allen, neuroscience technologist, founder of Neuro Progeny and co-founder of Sensorium Neuro Wellness. Cameron has spent nearly two decades studying how the brain and nervous system shape behaviour, including 11 years working directly with children and adolescents in therapeutic settings. One insight changed everything for him: all behaviour is adaptive. We talk about what that actually means for parents and carers, and why behaviour is best understood as communication from the nervous system rather than defiance, manipulation or poor parenting. In this conversation, we explore: Why behaviour makes sense when you understand the nervous system What kids’ stress responses are really asking for Why willpower and “trying harder” don’t build resilience How stress lives in the body, not just the mind Practical ways to help the nervous system handle stress differently Cameron shares how simple, real-world practices — alongside tools like heart rate variability biofeedback and virtual reality — can support regulation and resilience without adding more to already full lives. If you’ve ever felt confused, triggered or stuck around your child’s behaviour, this episode offers a grounded, science-based lens that brings clarity, compassion and a clear way forward. To learn more about Cameron’s work, programs and neuroscience-based tools, you can find him at:https://www.immersive.neuroprogeny.com/ You can also follow Cameron on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/neuro_cameron/ If this episode helped, share it with another parent who needs a calmer, clearer lens on behaviour. Stay rad

    53 min

  2. FEB 3

    Season 3: Ep 6 - When Your Kids Trigger You: Why It Happens and What Helps

    Do you ever feel triggered by your kids and then feel ashamed about how you reacted? You’re not alone. In this episode, parenting educator and author Rachel Russell explores why parenting can feel so triggering, what’s actually happening in your nervous system, and how exhaustion, old patterns and constant demands play a role. You’ll learn how to recognise triggers without shame, understand why small moments create big reactions, and walk away with practical tools you can use today to regulate yourself and repair after tough moments. This episode is for parents who want to stop yelling, feel calmer, and build stronger, safer relationships with their kids. To purchase Raising R.A.D. Kids or to leave a review, please head over to: https://books.by/rachel-russell https://bit.ly/RaisingRADKids https://inhousebookstore.com.au/collections/new-releases/products/raising-rad-kids

    24 min

  3. JAN 27

    Season 3: Ep 5 - RAD and Ready for School

    In this episode, we explore what emotional readiness for school really looks like and why it’s built over time, not rushed or forced. We talk about co-regulation, interdependence, waiting and turn-taking, boundaries, and separation, with practical, long-term ways parents can support their children’s nervous systems before and after school begins. This is a gentle, realistic conversation for anyone supporting a child to feel safe enough to step into school, and to keep growing once they’re there. To purchase a copy of Raising R.A.D. Kids, head to: https://books.by/rachel-russell Stay rad

    23 min

  4. JAN 20

    Season 3: Ep 4 - What Every Teacher Wants Every Parent to Know About Starting School

    Starting school is a significant milestone! There is so muchto learn! And it brings big emotions for both kids and parents.  In this episode, Rachel talks about (from a teacher's perspective) the real challenges of beginning school and what children truly need to feel able and confident during those first few weeks. This episode is for parents who want to help their child feelprepared and confident without the pressure to get everything right. You will finish the episode with a calm and realistic perspective on how to support children as they transition into school life. Stay rad

    18 min

  5. JAN 13

    Season 3: Ep 3 - The Magic of Oxytocin - What every parent needs to know

    Oxytocin is the kingpin of brain chemistry and hormones. It helps dial down stress, reduces feelings of anxiety and overwhelm, and creates the internal conditions for calm, safety, and regulation. When oxytocin is flowing, it becomes the gateway to deeper connection, love, and a sense of belonging. In this episode, Rachel explores what oxytocin actually is, why it matters so much for emotional regulation and connection, how parents can intentionally cultivate it at home, and how we can empower children to activate their own oxytocin — even when connection with others isn’t immediately available. If you’d like to go deeper into the neuroscience of regulation, autonomy, and daring, Raising R.A.D. Kids is available here: https://amzn.asia/d/52r3PxJ Stay rad.

    32 min

  6. JAN 5

    Season 3: Ep 2 - Why Regulation Became the Heart of My Book

    Today, my book is officially out in the world, and this episode is about how it came to be. After nearly fifteen years of working with children and families, and many more months of writing, revising, and editing, this book grew out of what I kept seeing in classrooms over time. More big feelings, more anxiety, more children struggling to cope, and a growing focus on behaviour without enough attention on what was happening underneath. In this episode, I share why regulation became the heart of the book, why behaviour is never the whole story, and how understanding the nervous system changes the way we support children. We explore co-regulation, emotional literacy, parental triggers, and what children really need to feel safe enough to learn and grow. If you’ve ever felt confused or discouraged by behaviour that doesn’t seem to improve, this conversation offers a calmer, more connected way forward. For a copy of my book, please head over to: www.quitefrankly.com.au Stay rad

    18 min

  7. 12/28/2025

    Season 3: Ep 1 - Why Kids Fall Apart After Christmas

    If your kids seem to be falling apart after Christmas, with more meltdowns, more tears, and bigger reactions, you are not imagining it, and you are not doing anything wrong. In this episode, I talk about why kids often struggle once the Christmas build-up is over. Using a nervous system lens, I explain what is really going on underneath post-Christmas meltdowns, why behaviour can worsen when things slow down, and why emotional release is a sign of safety, not failure. This episode is for parents who expected things to feel easier after Christmas and are instead feeling confused, tired, or questioning themselves. We look at what kids’ nervous systems have been holding, why it all comes out now, and how connection and co-regulation help children settle again. If the days after Christmas feel harder than you expected, this one is for you. Stay rad

    16 min

  8. 08/13/2025

    Season 2: Ep 12 - Blending Parenting and Education - With Leila Kubesch

    In this heartfelt episode, I chat with Leila Kubesch, an award-winning educator, researcher, and founder of Parents 2 Partners, about what it truly takes to blend families with care, compassion, and connection. Leila shares stories from her decades of experience supporting parents across cultures, and offers powerful insights into how we can raise emotionally secure kids—no matter what our family structure looks like. We talk about:💛 How to blend families while honoring each child’s emotional reality🏡 Why a sense of belonging must come before behavior correction🧠 Replacing shame-based habits with connection-based strategies🛠️ Practical tools from classrooms and real homes that truly work Whether you're navigating a new family dynamic or simply seeking to parent with more intention, this episode is filled with wisdom, warmth, and aha moments. https://www.parents2partners.org/

    46 min
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About

Welcome to The Parent Pod - a safe haven for parents seeking to raise strong, happy kids and build thriving families. Each week, we dive into the heart of parenting with insights from experts in neuroscience, psychology, and education. Our goal is to empower you with practical tools, compassionate understanding, and evidence-based strategies to nurture connection, foster belonging, and create a loving environment where your family can flourish. From tackling challenges to celebrating milestones, we’re here with expert insights and support to help your family thrive.

Information

  • Creator
    Rachel Russell from Quite Frankly Coaching
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rachel Russell from Quite Frankly Coaching
  • Show Website
    The Parent Pod