🎙️ Why do children behave the way they do?

What if the behaviour we often see as "challenging" is actually a child communicating an unmet need?

In this episode of RECAP The Podcast, I'm joined by Johanna Simmons - play therapist, educator, author, and neuroscience-informed parenting expert - to explore how understanding children's nervous systems can completely change the way we respond to behaviour.

Drawing on decades of experience in play therapy, attachment, and neuroscience, Johanna explains why safety, connection, and co-regulation are at the heart of healthy child development, and why behaviour should always be viewed as communication rather than something to simply manage or stop.

💡 In this episode, we discuss:

✨ Why children's behaviour is communication - not manipulation

✨ What co-regulation really means (and why children borrow our nervous system)

✨ The importance of emotional safety before learning can happen

✨ How play helps children process emotions and experiences

✨ Understanding the difference between dysregulation and "defiance"

✨ How neuroscience can help parents respond differently to challenging behaviour

✨ Why repair after difficult moments matters more than being a "perfect" parent

✨ Practical ways parents can build stronger, calmer relationships with their children

❤️ Why this matters

Parenting can feel overwhelming, especially during moments of dysregulation, meltdowns, or challenging behaviour. But when we begin to understand what's happening beneath the behaviour, everything starts to change.

This conversation offers a compassionate, evidence-informed approach that reminds us children don't need perfect parents - they need adults who are willing to stay curious, repair relationships, and create emotional safety.

Whether you're a parent, educator, therapist, or simply interested in child development, this episode is packed with practical insights you'll want to come back to.

🎧 Listen now on:

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

YouTube

All major podcast platforms

👉 Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

🔗 Connect & Follow

Follow RECAP for evidence-informed, accessible content for families and professionals.

Instagram: @recap.ltd

Website: https://www.recapinfo.co.uk

Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/recapinfo/newsletter

Follow Johanna Simmons:

Website: https://neuroinformed.ca/

Book: The Neuro-Informed Parent

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Parenting-21st-Century-Neuro-Informed-Parent-ebook/dp/B0GJKF75YL/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1B79XWJG9WR2X&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.X8FIsLADOc4BGDvvChempipruFRvSVE4aeVjwoCzT4XGneYurZvK5ChbopcpQgl7JyB9LDWvo1vuGigh2gHAjyNN9cWdy4YaP1M4FKkAvAMSxkedGhBc_y_RLnJYhSIjg3q6dVAHsVY7cYmsUVCkTHLQpoxxtyGbeoFXkKvVNEBeuLT3-y-ZYYWRd_mZZ9T9242oA4l4C4Lqecfyt_TgJf8kdAhU91yTC65Wazu-LO0.6dpB4-hQVxJ3OkXN6wp8ELIsiVgzX-0p7xmm53MA9ow&dib_tag=se&keywords=parenting+in+the+21st+century&qid=1777485754&sprefix=parenting+in+the+21st+century%2Caps%2C257&sr=8-3

https://olympiapublishers.com/book/parenting-in-the-21st-century-the-neuro-informed-parent

💬 Join the conversation

What's one thing that has changed the way you respond to your child's behaviour?

👇 Share your thoughts in the comments - we'd love to hear from you.

🔍 Keywords

child behaviour, behaviour is communication, co regulation, dysregulation, nervous system regulation, play therapy, parenting podcast UK, child development, neuroscience parenting, emotional regulation, attachment, parenting advice, neurodivergent children, challenging behaviour, child psychology, play based learning, parenting support, RECAP The Podcast

🔖 Hashtags

#childdevelopment #parentingpodcast #coregulation #behaviouriscommunication #playtherapy #neuroscience #attachment #emotionalregulation #parentingtips #childbehaviour #recapthepodcast

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