Just One Thing for Parents with Dr Bettina Hohnen
Jul 24, 2026 · 20 min · 10 segments
What's just one thing parents can do to help their child switch off before bed? This week I'm joined by Mark Westmoquette, an astrophysicist turned Zen meditation and yoga teacher, whose work brings…
Mark WestmoquetteGuest
Bettina HohnenHost
And I suppose what you're saying is instead of kind of focusing on now you've got to sleep or if you don't go to sleep, you're not going to get to school or something that's a bit more rational brain.
think there's something there about the fear we have around darkness and the nighttime.
And maybe it's a kind of cultural thread that parents have, people have, adults have it, and that gets passed down.
And, you know, as you say, there's something about separation and about, you know, the kid has to sort of go it alone when they're going to sleep.
And we live in a kind of culture where we can just turn the light on and the darkness disappears.
You know, how to notice the fear and be okay with and that's certainly from the parent's point of view as much as it's from the child if the parent is willing to be there with a sense of uncertainty or discomfort then it the child just follows along right it just picks up on that attitude or absorbs the the the view towards it so i think there's something really important there about how the parent is with with their child at that point
And I suppose what you're saying is instead of kind of focusing on now you've got to sleep or if you don't go to sleep, you're not going to get to school or something that's a bit more rational brain.
think there's something there about the fear we have around darkness and the nighttime.
And maybe it's a kind of cultural thread that parents have, people have, adults have it, and that gets passed down.
And, you know, as you say, there's something about separation and about, you know, the kid has to sort of go it alone when they're going to sleep.
And we live in a kind of culture where we can just turn the light on and the darkness disappears.
You know, how to notice the fear and be okay with and that's certainly from the parent's point of view as much as it's from the child if the parent is willing to be there with a sense of uncertainty or discomfort then it the child just follows along right it just picks up on that attitude or absorbs the the the view towards it so i think there's something really important there about how the parent is with with their child at that point
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