Meet Dr. Ana Anzar

Hi, I’m Dr. Ana Aznar. 

I am a developmental psychologist with years of experience working with parents, children, and schools. I am the founder of REC Parenting, an adjunct professor at the John Cabot University in Rome, and a mum of four teenagers.

Ana's Academic Qualifications

My love for parenting and developmental psychology started when I was barely out of school. I decided to do my undergraduate degree in psychology because I wanted to work with families and children. I loved university so much, that I decided to continue studying. I did an Advanced Certificate in Child Focused Practice, a Master’s in child psychology, a PhD in developmental psychology, an and a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. As you can tell I love studying! 

My main area of research is children’s emotional development. I focused on this topic because I firmly believe that emotional competence is the most important skill to have in life. By understanding how children develop their emotional competence, we can support them to do well in life. I have also done a lot of research on parenting, bullying, homeschooling, discipline, and physical touch between parents and children.  

During my Master’s, I started teaching undergraduates and I simply loved it! I really enjoy everything about academia (well, everything except marking). I love the students, I love being able to discuss issues around parenting and child development with like-minded academics and students, I love spending hours reading about it, and I love visiting schools and families to interview them for different research projects.

Ana's Publications

My work has been published in prestigious peer reviewed journals and it has been funded by different organisms such as the British Academy. I have presented at scientific conferences in different countries and have been featured in the popular press. 

Indeed, I regularly comment about parenting stories for Newsweek. I have also commented on parenting stories for The Telegraph, Hello!, Good to Know, The Huffington Post, The Stylist, inews, The Conversation, HR Director, Workplace Insight, People Management, HR magazine, LBC News, and the BBC. 

Ana and Founding REC Parenting

During my time in academia, rarely a week went by, without someone contacting me asking for advice about issues they had with their children. I kept on thinking that they should be a place that parents could go to, no matter their issue, knowing that they would get evidence-based parenting resources and the best qualified practitioners. And that in a nutshell, is REC Parenting. After two years of careful planning, REC Parenting was born in 2023.

The truth is that parenting these days is tough. The way we are parenting is more intensive, lonely, and demanding than ever before. This means that many parents are struggling but with the parenting space being so noisy, it is difficult to know who to trust when looking for advice. My mission at REC Parenting is to make your parenting journey easier and more enjoyable, by providing you the tools to make confident parenting decisions. 

My work at REC Parenting and my work in academia complement each other perfectly. My work in academia forces me to stay on top of the latest scientific research. I then apply this knowledge to my work with parents and families at REC Parenting. This is important because the fields of parenting and developmental psychology are not simple. They are complex, nuanced, and constantly updated with new research. So, it is not only important to have the relevant qualifications and expertise, but to keep studying and researching to stay on top of any advances. 

My expertise also allows me to tell you what parenting advice and information is important and what you should ignore. This is really important because news channels, always looking for catchy and scary headlines, very often misreport the latest scientific research. Similarly, social media is full of so called "parenting experts" and influencers giving advice which very often is at best wrong, and at worst, is outright dangerous. At REC Parenting, you can rest assured that we translate the scientific research into information that you can use. And we do so, without scaring you, without looking for a "clickbait", and without an agenda. 

Ana and Parenting

My work also takes me to companies and schools to provide seminars on many different topics related to parenting and child development. This means that I am very aware of the worries and concerns that parents and caregivers have these days. Based on these, we create resources so that you don’t need to waste time looking here and there for the information you need. 

I firmly believe that it is very important to have intellectual humility and realize that the fields of parenting and developmental psychology are so complex that it is difficult for me (or indeed for anyone else, whatever they say!) to know about each single topic in great depth. This is why at REC Parenting I have joined forces with the top academics and practitioners in their fields to make sure that we have you covered whatever your needs are. No matter whether you want to know more about breastfeeding, bullying, or anorexia, we have a masterclass and a podcast for you. And if we do not have it yet, we will create it for you. There is no need for you to look any further. 

However, parenting is so complex that very often blanket information is not enough, and we need one-to-one advice. This is why at REC Parenting, we have a team of psychologists and counsellors ready to give you one-to-one support. No matter whether you want a one-off session to discuss a specific issue you are having with your child, whether you need mental health support, or whether you need long term support, we will connect you with the member of our team that will best suit your needs. And the best thing is that we guarantee that everyone in our team has the required qualifications and expertise, they are all fully insured, and they are accredited by a regulatory body. Even more, you can rest assured that you can trust us because we are an organizational member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. 

Ana and Family

I should also add that I am the very proud mother of four boys. They are now teenagers and young adults, and they make immensely happy. I share my boys with my fantastic husband, Alejandro. He is a very knowledgeable entrepreneur. REC Parenting would not have happened without him. People ask me if my knowledge and expertise help me when raising my kids. The truth is that it has helped me to be more confident in my parenting decisions. It has helped me to know what matters for my children’s development and what I should ignore. It has helped me to take care of myself because I know that it is key for my children’s own wellbeing. Having said that, I had my children when I was very young and I raised them in London without having my family around. I have made (and still) make so many mistakes. There are things that I love about being a mother and things that I deeply dislike. I have had moments of intense loneliness and moments of deep happiness. It has not always been easy. 

Ana's Goal

My mission is to support you in your parenting journey to make your parenting easier, so that at the end of the day you have a strong and loving relationship with your child. Because that is what matters. So, feel free to ask any of your burning parenting questions—big or small—to ensure that your parenting journey leads to a strong, loving relationship with your child!

Ask Dr. Ana Anything

Use the Ask Dr. Ana - Free Parenting Advice form to select a topic and write in with your question—I'll get back to you with my expert advice!

To work with me: Subscribe to REC Parenting, book a private session, subscribe to the REC Parenting newsletter, or schedule a talk.

Publications by Dr. Ana Anzar

Dr. Ana Anzar is a prominent figure in her field of child developmental psychology, renowned for her extensive research and contributions. Her publications reflect a commitment to advancing knowledge and understanding in her area of expertise. Below is a selection of her notable works, showcasing her innovative approaches and insights.

Academic Papers

• Moghadam, S., Gray, D., Husted, M., & Aznar, A. (in press). A person-based sleep intervention aimed at adolescents (SleepWise): A randomized controlled feasibility study. JMIR Formative Research. 
• Aznar, A. & Battams, F. (2023). Emotion regulation in emerging adults: Do parenting and parents’ own emotion regulation matter? Journal of Adult Development, 30 (2), 193-204, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-022-09427-2
• Aznar, A., Tenenbaum, H. R., & Russell, P. S. (2023). Is moral disgust socially learned?. Emotion, 23(1), 289.
• Aznar, A., Sowden, P., Bayless, S., Ross, K., Warhurst, A., & Pachi, D. (2021). Home-schooling during COVID-19 lockdown: Effects of coping style, home space, and everyday creativity on stress and home-schooling outcomes. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 10, (4), 294-312. 
• Aznar, A., & Tenenbaum, H.R. (2019). Gender comparisons in mother-child emotion talk: A meta-analysis. Sex Roles, 1-8.
• Tenenbaum, H.R., Leman, P., Aznar, A., Duthie, R., & Killen, M. (2018). Children’s reasoning about exclusion in novel groups. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 175, 1-16. 
• Fidalgo, A.M., Tenenbaum, H.R., & Aznar, A. (2018). Are there gender differences in emotion comprehension? Analysis of the Test of Emotion Comprehension. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27, 1065-1074. 
• Tenenbaum, H.R., Leman, P., & Aznar, A.  (2017). Children’s reasoning about peer and school segregation in a diverse society. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 27, 358-365. 
• Aznar, A., & Tenenbaum, H.R. (2016). Parent-child positive touch: Gender, age, and task differences. Journal of Nonverbal Behaviour, 40, 317-333. doi.org/10.1007/s10919-016-0236-x
• Tenenbaum, H.R., Lindell, A.K., & Aznar, A. (2015). Left cheek bias for emotion perception, but not expression, is established in children aged 3-7 years. Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain, and Cognition, 1-14.
• Aznar, A., & Tenenbaum, H.R. (2015). Gender and age differences in parent-child emotion talk. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 33, 148-155.
• Van Herwegen, J., Aznar, A., & Tenenbaum, H.R. (2014). The use of emotions in narratives in Williams syndrome. Journal of Communication Disorders, 50, 1-7.
• Aznar, A., & Tenenbaum, H.R. (2013). Spanish parent-child emotion talk and their children’s understanding of emotion. Front. Psychol. 4:670. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00670.  

Book Chapters

• Aznar, A., & Tenenbaum, H.R. (in press). Gender differences in children’s emotion expression. Language and Emotion. 
• Tenenbaum, H.R., & Aznar, A. (2018). Diferencias de genero en la expresion emocional en la infancia. Desarrollo emocional en los primeros anyos de vida. Debates actuales y retos futuros. M. Gimenez-Dasi & L. Quintanilla. Madrid: Ediciones Piramide.
• Aznar, A., Tenenbaum, H.R., & Ruck, M. (2017). Bullying of religious minorities and asylum seekers. School, Bullying, and Mental Health: Risk, Intervention, and Prevention. H. Cowie & C. Myers (Eds.). London: Routledge. 
• Tenenbaum, H.R., Leman, P., Aznar, A., & To, C. (2016). Why study children’s conversations. Practical Research with Children (Research Methods in Developmental Psychology: A Handbook Series). J. van Herwegen & J. Prior (Eds.). London: Routledge
• Tenenbaum, H.R., Aznar, A., & Leman, P. (2014). Gender differences in language development. In P.J. Brooks & V. Kempe, (Eds.), Encyclopaedia of Language Development. Sage. 

Press Articles

• Aznar, A. (2024). The Maverick Paradox; Send children to university. https://themaverickparadox.com/send-children-to-university/.
• Aznar, A. (2024). The Maverick Paradox: How to find your tribe. https://themaverickparadox.com/how-to-find-your-tribe/.
• Aznar, A. (2024). The Maverick Paradox: Why working parents are leaving. https://themaverickparadox.com/why-working-parents-are-leaving/.
• Aznar, A. (2024). The HR Director: Employers need to consider better support for working dads. https://www.thehrdirector.com/business-news/parents/employers-need-consider-better-support-working-dads/.
• Aznar, A. (2023). Workplace Wellbeing Professional: Strategies for work-place integration in modern workplaces. https://workplacewellbeing.pro/analysis/ana-aznar-strategies-for-work-life-integration-in-modern-workplaces/.
• Aznar, A. (2022). The Conversation: Smacking children: what the research says. https://theconversation.com/smacking-children-what-the-research-says-182733.
• Aznar, A. (2021). New Scientist: Why psychologists can’t decide if moral disgust is even a thing. https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25133564-300-why-psychologists-cant-decide-if-moral-disgust-is-even-a-thing/.
• Bayless, S., & Aznar, A. (2020, May 21). How are parents coping with homeschooling during lockdown? Psychreg on Educational Psychology. https://www.psychreg.org/homeschooling-during-lockdown/.
• Aznar, A. (2020). The Conversation: Six phrases to help your child’s emotional development. https://theconversation.com/six-phrases-to-help-your-childs-emotional-development-130821.
• Aznar, A. (2020). The Conversation: Over-parenting teaches children to be entitled- let them fail and learn to be resilient instead. https://theconversation.com/over-parenting-teaches-children-to-be-entitled-let-them-fail-and-learn-to-be-resilient-instead-130632.
• Aznar, A. (2019). The Conversation: Myths about only children debunked. https://theconversation.com/myths-about-only-children-debunked-126127.
• Aznar, A., Rienties, B., & Hillaire, G. (2016). The Conversation: How Children use their emotions to learn. https://theconversation.com/how-children-use-their-emotions-to-learn-57938.