Skip to content

When “Good Parenting” Backfires

April 28, 2026 · 32 min

Show notes

What if the real challenge in parenting is not about doing more, but about understanding how we show up?

In this conversation, Kate Mason speaks with family therapist Dr Jenny Brown about the quiet pressure many parents carry to get everything right and the self-doubt that often follows.

With decades of experience and a foundation in Bowen family systems theory, Jenny explores how a parent’s emotional responses, anxiety, and level of involvement shape a child’s development in powerful ways.

Rather than focusing only on changing children’s behaviour, she encourages parents to build awareness, steadiness, and confidence in themselves, creating an environment where children can develop resilience and independence.


Listen For

3:20 What inspired Dr Jenny Brown to shift from law into social science and family therapy?
4:50 Why is understanding humans in their social context so important for parenting?
5:16 What do parents often realise later about what they wish they had known earlier?
5:42 Is it ever too late to improve your parenting approach and relationships?
6:13 Why did Dr Jenny Brown write The Parenting Paradox and who is it for?

Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click

Contact Dr Jenny Brown:

Email | Website | Dr Jenny's Book "The Parenting Paradox" | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Contact Kate:

Email | Website | Kate’s Book on Amazon | LinkedIn | Facebook | X

All episodes of Parenting and Personalities

Settings

Display

Language

Decides which stations you see first on the home page.

History

Recently played stations and episodes and your latest searches are only stored in this browser.

Notifications

A short notice when a podcast you follow has a new episode. Turn off single podcasts with the bell on their page.

Account

Save favorites – in the app and on the website.

Keyboard shortcuts

/
Open search
Space
Play or pause
← →
In the player: back 15 s, forward 30 s (episodes) · in a row: next tile
↑ ↓
In a row: target within the tile
Home / End
In a row: first or last tile
Esc
Close window or menu
?
This overview
Now playing

Go to station page

Play next

    Add episodes with “Play next” – they play after the current episode.