What all dads need to hear about emotions and their son's future mental health

Send us Fan Mail Today on the Reflective Parenting Podcast, I’m sitting down with Dr. Brendan Kwiatkowski-Hartman to talk about something many parents quietly wonder about: Why do boys sometimes pull away emotionally and how can we support them without pushing too hard? Brendan is a researcher who has spent years studying boys, masculinity, and emotional expression. What he learned in his PhD work is both reassuring and eye-opening: boys do feel deeply, even when it looks like they’ve shut down. And the reasons they hold back are often more complex and tender than we realize. This is a grounded, thoughtful conversation, especially meaningful for dads who want to connect more with their sons but aren’t always sure where to start. In this episode, we cover: The two stages when boys start hiding emotions Why boys say “I’m fine” even when they’re struggling How to become an emotional safe space for your son What makes it hard for dads to be vulnerable Gentle ways to start emotional conversations with boys The RULER model for building emotional intelligence How to support boys who feel anxious or withdrawn Why parents’ own emotional work matters Practical scripts and small daily moments that build trust Read our blog post about this topic: Learn more from Brendan below: @ re.masculine Support the show Do you find yourself reacting in ways you wish you could change when your child is upset? Learn how to stay calm, manage your emotions, and respond in a way that actually helps your child. Get your FREE emotional awareness training for parents and kids below (comes with a poster, workbook and video): Or purchase our course, join the next 8 week group cohort in April 2026 below:

You can listen to What all dads need to hear about emotions and their son's future mental health online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

What all dads need to hear about emotions and their son's future mental health is an episode from Curious Neuron by Cindy Hovington, Ph.D..

This episode is 49:29 long.

This episode was published on Nov 17, 2025.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Curious Neuron when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.