The psychology of autonomy and growth: Building stress tolerance, confidence, and motivation with Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson
Description
Joining me this week are Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson, co-authors of the bestselling book The Self-Driven Child and leading experts on the neuroscience of stress, motivation, and autonomy.
Together we explore:
- Why a child's sense of control is one of the strongest predictors of resilience, mental health, and stress tolerance.
- How play, rest, and unstructured time uniquely support healthy brain development.
- The hidden ways over-scheduling, overstimulation, and constant "fixing" can unintentionally increase anxiety.
- What it really means to be a "non-anxious presence" — and how your calm helps regulate your child's nervous system.
- How to give kids space to struggle, experiment, and try hard things without overwhelming them or abandoning them.
- Practical, research-backed strategies for helping kids feel both safe and capable in a world that often feels anything but.
Whether you're raising a toddler or a teen, this conversation offers a grounded, science-backed reframe for understanding stress, resilience, and autonomy — and meaningful tools you can start using today to strengthen connection and help your child thrive.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MY GUESTS:
🔗 https://theselfdrivenchild.com/
🎧 The Self-Driven Child Podcast
📚 The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives
📚 The Seven Principles for Raising a Self-Driven Child: A Workbook
📚 What Do You Say?: How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home
FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM:
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:
🔗 Learned Helplessness at Fifty: Insights from Neuroscience
🔗 Rest Is Not Idleness: Implications of the Brain's Default Mode for Human Development and Education
🔗 A Social-Cognitive Approach to Motivation and Personality
📚 The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
CHECK OUT ADDITIONAL PODCAST EPISODES YOU MAY LIKE:
🎧 Listen to my podcast about how RIE can evolve into lifelong respectful parenting with Janet Lansbury
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