Thinking On and Off

Loading player...
Lauren Edmunds explores what it really means for a child’s brain to be “switched on” rather than passive.
She shares a powerful story of a 10-year-old boy on the autism spectrum who has begun to drive his own communication journey from the inside out.
Through this, Lauren reflects on agency, motivation, and how parents and teachers can create the conditions for children to find their own reasons to learn, grow, and engage with the world.
8 Dec 2025 English South Africa Education · Self-Improvement

Other recent episodes

Making Learning Easy

Learning is about more than taking in new information. Children need time to process what they’ve learnt and practise recalling it. In this episode, Lauren Edmunds explores why children with learning difficulties may struggle to remember information and how screen time and distractions at home can affect their concentration. She…
20 Oct 12 min

Helping Children Manage Big Emotions

When a child loses control of their emotions, it’s easy to see it as bad behaviour. But as Lauren Edmunds explains, there’s a difference between a child acting out and a child who is simply overwhelmed. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) offers a useful way to understand emotional dysregulation and what…
12 Oct 14 min

Are We Accidentally Teaching Our Children They Can't?

We all want the best for our children, but what happens when our good intentions accidentally hold them back? In this episode, Lauren Edmunds explores the concept of “learned helplessness” and how stepping in too quickly to fix a bed, tie a shoe, or finish a task can inadvertently send…
28 Sep 6 min

Rethinking Screen Time: Connection Over Addiction

When parents struggle to get their children off devices, the usual advice is to set strict screen-time limits or use rewards. But when screens become something a child earns, they can end up becoming even more important, with the device taking over a bigger part of their day. Screens are…
14 Sep 22 min

Rules vs. Growth

When a child repeatedly breaks a rule, it is easy to respond by tightening discipline and demanding compliance. But forcing children to fall in line rarely addresses the real issue. More often than not, it simply masks what is causing the behaviour in the first place. In this episode, Lauren…
31 Aug 6 min