Interview by Sofia Campos

Jazmin Galdino is a psychologist, specialist in Childhood Sleep Neuroscience and Perinatal Mental Health, educator, and founder of Dulce Dormir Dulce Crianza. A mother of three, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to the challenges families face today.

Trained as a psychologist in Argentina, with further academic work in infant sleep and perinatal mental health in Spain, Jazmín works at the intersection of science and daily parenting. Through her practice, she offers infant sleep consulting, positive parenting workshops, and therapeutic support for children, adolescents, and adults.

In this insightful conversation with Simple People, she guides us through the core principles of positive parenting: why children need structure without fear, how emotional regulation is learned through adults, and how connection, repair, and co-regulation form the foundations of healthy development.

SIMPLE PEOPLE: What does respectful and positive parenting mean? And how does it benefit the whole family?

JAZMIN GALDINO: There is a distinction between respectful parenting and positive parenting (…). On one hand, respectful parenting refers to the respect that parents have toward their children. The approach that involves positive discipline—positive parenting— is broader.

It focuses on a bidirectional relationship: a respect that parents have toward their children and that children develop toward their parents. Positive discipline encourages cooperation, self-discipline, commitment, and the ability to take responsibility when facing challenges.

Positive discipline doesn’t just support children—it strengthens the entire family. It’s not a one-way approach, but a bidirectional practice rooted in mutual empathy. Parents teach through example: “I offer you this space so you can express your emotions and how you feel,” and at the same time they teach children this empathy and this mutual relationship that goes beyond respect—it’s much broader.

SP: What are the main differences between positive discipline and more conservative or traditional approaches?

JG: The traditional approach is more like: “Go take a bath because I said so, because that’s how it is, and that’s it”—there’s absolutely no option for anything else. It carries features tied to fear, to lack of freedom, and to punishment. There’s no possibility of choice within limits.

Positive discipline, on the other hand, offers the possibility of connecting with the other person—of having communication and openness—where children can build social and emotional skills. What happens on the child’s side also matters. It’s not “you’re going to take a bath because I said so” (…). And this doesn’t mean parents don’t have authority; they do, but within certain limits. And it’s helpful to start thinking about this authority as something we need to earn.

We need to earn that obedience and that love from our children—within a framework of common sense, not just “because”.

SP: In  this implementation of positive parenting that you describe, what are the challenges parents face today when trying not to fall back into a more traditional approach?

JG: I think adults need to look inward, to reflect, to revisit what we’ve learned—what we once believed was right but now, with our children, no longer works. I think that’s one of the biggest challenges: staying flexible with current demands.

That’s one challenge linked to the past. And there’s another one looking toward the future, which has to do with technology. Positive discipline is rooted in being present, in the here and now, staying connected to emotions and to what’s happening in that moment. And the opposite happens with technology—it interrupts the here and now and leaves children, in a way, out of the game.

SP: Why is the bond between parents and children in the early years so important? Why does it matter so much for the rest of that person’s life?

JG: This has a lot to do with what is now called “attachment,” which is being talked about everywhere among parents and in all contexts. Attachment is a primary human need—a survival need. When a baby is born, they need closeness and protection from another person who gives them a sense of safety.

In terms of bonding—what happens when a child is born? The child is defenseless. So it’s not the same if a parent pays attention to their child or doesn’t. And here’s where bonding and attachment are formed: offering a safe zone for the child. It’s not the same if a parent doesn’t respond to this closeness versus a parent who connects with every look, every smile, through touch—not with words, but skin-to-skin.

That offers a secure bond that’s there, to respond to the needs of this newborn who comes into the world defenseless. But then, through this bond, the child becomes able to explore the world, knowing that whenever something goes wrong in life, they can return to their secure base.

And this bond that forms at birth becomes the foundation for emotional relationships in adulthood, because people often seek out similar patterns to the ones they experienced in childhood. That’s why it’s so important.

SP: How is this parenting approach related to self-esteem?

JG: When we respond to a baby’s cries and don’t leave them to cry alone, when we respond to their looks and their smiles, when we open communication—which is also a foundation of positive discipline—what we’re doing is validating that other person, that little being. And in that way, we’re supporting their self-esteem, giving importance to all their emotions and feelings.

Now, this doesn’t mean that because we validate emotions, we validate behaviors. No. We validate the emotions, and then we consider whether the behavior is appropriate or not. And that’s why this distinction is so important.

SP: What concrete tools can parents use to start practicing this type of parenting in their daily life?

JG: There are many things that can be applied, but the first one is earning your children’s trust. Now, how do we earn it? How do we motivate them? I think the main motivation is that children feel heard and validated. That’s step one. When something happens, try to listen to them, validate what’s going on with them.

Step two is empathizing with them—with what they’re experiencing and feeling. Putting yourself in their place, even if you don’t agree with how they acted.

Then, if those first two steps happen sincerely and kindly, the parent can share their own feelings, emotions, and perceptions about the situation happening in that moment. Because if there was openness from the parent, children probably learned that openness and will also be open to the conversation.

And in the next step, they can work together on solving the problem or figuring out how to act in the future when a similar situation happens. I think that’s a good way to start practicing this type of parenting.

SP: I know you’re a mom. How did motherhood transform your view on parenting and the well-being of children?

JG: I think it’s about questioning yourself. You think you know it all until you become a parent, and then you realize every day brings a different challenge. It’s this—being flexible, questioning yourself every day, and realizing that what worked yesterday may not be right today, and you need to adjust the course again.

It’s openness, reflection, and also understanding that sometimes you take one step forward and two steps back, and that’s okay too.

SP: Is there a message you’d like to share with parents on this path of more respectful and conscious parenting?

JG: For parents choosing this path: don’t be afraid of frustration, or sadness. The journey of positive parenting is not linear. It’s a process of moving forward, stepping back, and trying again. What’s important is to stay open, allow yourself to go through it—because growth often comes through mistakes. And embrace every small step you take.