Dr. Caroline Buzanko

Dr. Caroline Buzanko Empowering professionals and parents to raise strong, emotionally healthy kids—by ditching outdated strategies and building real confidence.

Psychologist | Resilience Rebel | Yoda of Anxiety

Not all emotions are created equal—and that matters for kids’ emotional growth.⁠⁠ In this episode of , Dr. Caroline exp...
01/10/2026

Not all emotions are created equal—and that matters for kids’ emotional growth.⁠
⁠
In this episode of , Dr. Caroline explains the difference between affect, emotions, feelings, and moods—and why each plays a role in helping children move from overwhelmed to informed.⁠
⁠
Understanding emotions helps children:⁠
✅ Make better decisions⁠
✅ Build resilience⁠
✅ Navigate challenges with confidence⁠
⁠
Watch the full video to give your child the tools to understand and use their emotions wisely: https://youtu.be/smVq6VQ1fQM⁠
⁠

When a child says, “I’m bored,” it can trigger an immediate urge to fix it.But boredom isn’t a failure of parenting, tea...
01/09/2026

When a child says, “I’m bored,” it can trigger an immediate urge to fix it.

But boredom isn’t a failure of parenting, teaching, or engagement—it’s a biological signal.

In my latest episode of Overpowering Emotions, I explain why boredom plays a critical role in:
• emotional regulation
• executive functioning
• creativity and problem-solving
• nervous system reset

When we rush to eliminate boredom (often with screens), we interrupt the very skills kids need to build resilience.

🎥 Watch: Why Boredom Is Actually Good for Kids

What happens if we stop fixing boredom—and start listening to it?

Emotions aren’t problems to solve. They’re messages to decode.When kids have big reactions, we often focus on stopping t...
01/08/2026

Emotions aren’t problems to solve.
They’re messages to decode.

When kids have big reactions, we often focus on stopping the behaviour—without understanding what the nervous system is communicating underneath it.

In this episode of Overpowering Emotions, I break down:
• the difference between emotions and feelings
• how the brain and body work together during intense moments
• why “defiance” is often a stress response—not a choice
• how emotional literacy builds real self-regulation
When children learn why they feel what they feel, they gain language, insight, and agency—not just compliance.

🎥 Watch: Decoding Emotions: Helping Kids Understand What They Feel—and Why

Kids don’t react impulsively “just because.”There’s always a pattern behind the behaviour.In Part 1 of this new episode,...
01/06/2026

Kids don’t react impulsively “just because.”

There’s always a pattern behind the behaviour.

In Part 1 of this new episode, Dr. Caroline breaks down what drives urgency, acting without thinking, giving up too soon, and why some kids struggle so much more than others.

If strategies haven’t been working, this is the missing piece.
Start here before trying any impulse-control tools.

Impulse control isn’t taught during calm moments — it’s built inside the emotionally charged ones.Part 2 breaks down the...
01/06/2026

Impulse control isn’t taught during calm moments — it’s built inside the emotionally charged ones.

Part 2 breaks down the practical, repeatable tools that help kids pause, create space, and choose differently when it actually matters — not after the moment has passed.

This is the work behind:
• slowing reactions
• strengthening inhibition
• building real self-control over time

If you want clear, doable steps that help kids respond instead of react, start here.


01/05/2026

Many kids struggle with impulse control, and adults are often left wondering why strategies don’t stick. This episode breaks down the foundations of impulsive behavior and why so many kids react without thinking — especially when emotions are high.

Dr. Caroline explains the building blocks kids need long before self-control can happen: emotional safety, a developing prefrontal cortex, attention regulation, and the four types of impulsivity that influence behavior. You’ll learn how urgency, acting too fast, difficulty sticking with tasks, and sensation seeking show up in everyday life.

This episode helps parents, educators, and mental health professionals finally understand the why behind big reactions — and sets the groundwork for change.

If the holidays feel harder for your family than for others, nothing is wrong with you—or your child.Many children exper...
12/31/2025

If the holidays feel harder for your family than for others, nothing is wrong with you—or your child.

Many children experience the holidays as overstimulating, unpredictable, and exhausting. Anxiety, meltdowns, withdrawal, or emotional outbursts aren’t failures—they’re signals.

Here’s the truth we don’t say enough:
Your child isn’t trying to ruin the holidays. Their nervous system is trying to stay safe.

You don’t need to lower expectations and you don’t need to force joy. What helps most is protecting routines, planning for sensory needs, and choosing connection over perfection.

We created a free, evidence-based Holiday Guide to support families through exactly this.

If you want a calmer, more connected season—without guilt or pressure—this guide is for you.

Download it here:
https://korulearninginstitute.kit.com/2025holidayguide

Ever notice how a “small” decision — like getting a new dog — can quietly test everything from routines to patience to y...
12/31/2025

Ever notice how a “small” decision — like getting a new dog — can quietly test everything from routines to patience to your relationship?

In this holiday replay of Parents of the Year, Andrew and Caroline discuss trying to help kids set goals without turning it into a battle.

This episode dives into why goal setting works best when kids are involved in the process — and how parents can guide goals so they feel realistic, relevant, and worth sticking with.

While we start with goals important to kids, they focus on school goals too. If goal setting has ever felt exhausting, frustrating, or short-lived, this conversation offers a much calmer way forward.

🎧 Parents of the Year — Holiday Replay Special
Now streaming.

Before we rush into “new year, new goals,” pause.Kids don’t need bigger goals. They need goals that feel possible—plus a...
12/30/2025

Before we rush into “new year, new goals,” pause.

Kids don’t need bigger goals. They need goals that feel possible—plus a way to notice how much they’ve already grown.

This replay episode covers:
• How to help kids reflect without turning it into a lecture
• How to celebrate small wins (especially for kids who think they “did nothing”)
• How to set resilience goals that support emotional regulation
• Simple prompts that lead to better conversations
• How to keep goals manageable so motivation doesn’t crash by week two

If you want your child to feel more confident and capable in the year ahead, this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen to the Overpowering Emotions holiday replay: Resilience Goals for Kids: Celebrate Growth, Set Intentions

12/30/2025

As we close out the year, this holiday replay of Overpowering Emotions focuses on helping kids reflect on how far they’ve come and set resilience intentions for the year ahead without pressure, perfectionism, or overwhelm.

Dr. Caroline talks about why small victories matter, how to help kids notice their own growth, and how to set one or two realistic intentions that actually stick. You’ll hear how to make these conversations feel collaborative instead of corrective, how to invite kids into the process as leaders of their own growth, and how adults can act as supportive consultants rather than fixers.

This episode is for parents, educators, and professionals who want goal-setting to build kids' confidence, emotional regulation, and follow-through.

The holidays are supposed to be joyful—but for many families, they’re also overwhelming.Crowds. Noise. Disrupted routine...
12/24/2025

The holidays are supposed to be joyful—but for many families, they’re also overwhelming.

Crowds. Noise. Disrupted routines. Big emotions.

Especially if your child experiences anxiety, ADHD, autism, or sensory sensitivities.

That’s why we created Thriving Through the Holidays: A Family Guide to Connection, Calm, and Joy.

This free guide offers:
✔ Practical, evidence-based strategies
✔ Support for emotional regulation and sensory needs
✔ Tools to reduce stress without lowering connection
✔ Permission to let go of “perfect” and focus on what actually works

If you want a holiday season that feels calmer, more connected, and more humane—this guide is for you.

💛 Download here:
https://korulearninginstitute.kit.com/2025holidayguide

Your kid looks you dead in the eyes and says:⁠⁠“…So is Santa real?”⁠⁠ Cue the parent brain: Do I lie? Do I ruin Christma...
12/24/2025

Your kid looks you dead in the eyes and says:⁠
⁠
“…So is Santa real?”⁠
⁠
Cue the parent brain: Do I lie? Do I ruin Christmas? Do I panic? ⁠
⁠
In this Parents of the Year holiday episode, Andrew and Caroline talk about:⁠
- what to say when kids start questioning Santa⁠
- why the “big reveal” doesn’t need to be dramatic⁠
- how to shift the story toward generosity and kindness⁠
- how to bring kids “into the fold” so they feel proud, not fooled⁠
- the one thing that actually creates mistrust (hint: it’s the adult vibe)⁠
⁠
If this conversation is coming soon at your house, you’ll want this one in your back pocket.⁠
⁠
🎧Listen now: Parents of the Year — Santa, Truth, and Keeping the Holiday Spirit⁠
⁠

Address

30 Springborough Boulevard SW
Calgary, AB
T3H5M6

Telephone

+15872059291

Website

https://parentsoftheyear.buzzsprout.com/, https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/overpowe

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