Parenting Understood

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Agnes K. Simone , a board-certified psychiatrist and founder of Olea Women's Health in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. Dr. Simone specializes in integrative, hormone-informed psychiatric care for women navigating perimenopause, menopause, and midlife — a space she says is deeply underserved. After training at UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Institute and the West L...

In this episode, we speak with the founder of the Seleni Institute, Nitzia Logothetis, a New York City nonprofit devoted to maternal and family mental health, about the invisible emotional toll of infertility and the gaps in women's mental health care. Founded in 2011, Seleni grew from the conviction that supporting children begins with supporting parents, and from Nitzia's own experience discover...

In this episode, Dr. Marc Brackett, author of Permission to Feel, discusses the importance of emotional self-awareness, and explains that emotional self-awareness is the ability to identify and label our emotions. This skill is essential for understanding our own emotional states and making informed decisions. He explains that it can lead to improved mental health, stronger relationships, and bett...

Michelle and Erin recorded a podcast episode discussing emotional exhaustion and burnout in parenting, focusing on the importance of mom friendships and community support. They explored how meaningful connections with other parents can provide validation, reduce stress, and benefit both parents and children, particularly during adolescence when multiple attachment figures become important. The con...

We welcome back Dr. Kim Van Dusen to Parenting Understood. Dr. Kim discusses her newly released parenting book centered on creative, play-based strategies for building better behavior and deeper connection with children, primarily targeting parents, caregivers, coaches, and teachers of kids between the ages of 3 and 10. The book weaves together three evidence-based frameworks — including solution-...

We are thrilled to be re-airing our episode with Emily Oster on making parenting decisions through data. Emily is a Professor of Economics at Brown University and the author of Expecting Better, Cribsheet, and The Family Firm. She holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard. Prior to being at Brown she was on the faculty at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Emily's books analyze the da...

In today's episode, we are excited to be joined by Melinda Wenner Moyer. Melinda Wenner Moyer is a contributing editor at Scientific American magazine and a regular contributor to The New York Times, Washington Post, and other national magazines and newspapers. She is a faculty member in the Science, Health & Environmental Reporting program at NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Her first...

In this episode, after a brief hiatus, we reunite to dive deep into a topic that resonates both professionally and personally: attachment. While often discussed as a phenomenon of early infancy, we explore how attachment serves as a lifelong regulatory system. We discuss the "messy" reality of applying developmental theories to real-world parenting, the challenge of maintaining a "secure base" whi...

In this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Niobe Way about her new book, Rebels with a Cause, which expands on her earlier work about boys and friendships. Niobe explores "boy culture," a term she uses to describe the privileging of stereotypically masculine qualities over feminine ones. As she discusses, this creates a crisis of connection for everyone, not just boys and men. Niobe...

We are thrilled to be joined in our first episode of the New Year by Jessica Grose. Jessica is an opinion writer at  The New York Times  who writes a popular newsletter on parenting. Jessica was the founding editor of Lenny, the email newsletter and website. She also writes about women's health, culture, politics and grizzly bears. She was named one of LinkedIn's Next Wave top professionals 35 and...

In this episode of Parenting Understood, we speak with Jessica Hill, founder of The Parent Collective, to discuss the vital yet often neglected postpartum period. Jessica highlights the isolation many new parents face and emphasizes the importance of building a support network before the baby arrives, rather than waiting for the chaotic fourth trimester. We explore practical strategies for prepara...

In this episode of Parenting Understood, we speak with Sean Whitcomb from Sony Interactive Entertainment about supporting children in safe and balanced online play. Sean discusses PlayStation's "safe and inclusive by design" philosophy, emphasizing connection over control through tools like the PlayStation Family App. We explore how gaming may foster real friendships, teach digital responsibility,...

In this episode of Parenting Understood, we speak with Jodi, founder of Flrrish, about her journey as a NICU mom after her daughter was born at 28 weeks. Jodi shares the shock, fear, and identity shifts that followed her daughter's early arrival, as well as the loneliness many NICU parents experience. She explains how these challenges inspired her to support other preemie families through coaching...

In this episode of Parenting Understood, we are joined by Dr. Debbie Raphael, a child and adult psychiatrist, to discuss how her personal experiences as a parent intertwine with her professional insights. Dr. Raphael shares how becoming a mother during her child psychiatry fellowship deepened her understanding of validation, attunement, and mentalization—skills that foster healthy emotional develo...

In this episode, we speak with early childhood educator, Lucy Chen, about the challenges of separation anxiety during the start of school. We explore how separation begins as early as infancy with object permanence and continues to evolve as children enter preschool and beyond. Lucy emphasizes that separation is not "one and done" but an ongoing process tied to trust, attachment, and new environme...

In this episode, we sit down with Naaz Nichols of Care.com to discuss the growing pressures on working parents, especially those in the "sandwich generation" caring for both children and aging parents. Nichols highlights alarming trends, including a sharp decline in mothers' workforce participation driven by return-to-office mandates, high childcare costs, and limited flexibility. She underscores...

In this last episode of our back to school series, we speak about starting a new school from the perspectives of parent and child. We draw on our own personal experiences, as well as research in this conversation. We pay special attention to the role of social capital in the transition to a new school year. We also speak on best practices for speaking with our children about how their day went and...

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Damour about the emotional lives of teenagers. We pay especial attention to the pressures that both genders feel yet how those may be manifested differently across genders, at times. Dr. Damour unpacks parent-child relationships, especially the mother-daughter relationship, and the role of identification in that relationship as girls mature. We also discuss how r...

In this episode, we welcome author Lauren Tetenbaum to discuss her new book, "Millennial Menopause: Preparing for Perimenopause, Menopause, and Life's Next Period." Lauren, a perinatal mental health specialist, shares her motivation for writing the book: a shocking realization of how little she, and many women, knew about this significant life stage. We delve into common misunderstandings surround...

In this episode, Dr. Andrew Koepp discusses his research on children's self-regulation and behavioral changes throughout the day and week. He explains how children's self-control, particularly in terms of restlessness and inhibition, tends to wear out across the school day and week. Andrew suggests that understanding these natural ebbs and flows can help parents and teachers plan activities, empha...

In this episode, we discuss the significant impact of the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision on individuals' mental health, particularly concerning perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Shana DeVlieger, a developmental psychologist, elaborates on how this landmark ruling, which overturned Roe v. Wade, has not only reshaped abortion laws but has also created a per...

In this episode we speak with author Sarah Gallucci about her book, "Laid: A Memoir of Love, Intimacy, and Marriage." Sarah opens up about her personal motherhood journey, revealing the stark contrast between societal expectations and her own struggles with anxiety, anger, and the overwhelming mental load of raising two young children. She discusses hitting rock bottom, seeking therapy, and the co...

In this episode of Parenting Understood we are joined by Joan Nguyen, founder of Bumo, to discuss the evolving landscape of childcare. Joan highlights how the pandemic exposed critical childcare gaps, transitioning it from a personal issue to an economic one. She explains how Bumo addresses these challenges by offering an online platform for instantly bookable childcare, including unique options l...

In this episode, we are thrilled to be joined by Dr. Lauren Girouard-Hallam, an expert in children's development and technology, to discuss the impact of AI on children aged three to twelve. Lauren discusses her current research focusing on how children trust technology over human sources. Her studies reveal an "inverse U" pattern: young children are skeptical, trust peaks around seven to ten year...

In this episode of "Parenty Understood," we welcome Dr. Jessica Zucker, a Los Angeles-based psychologist specializing in women's reproductive and maternal mental health. We discuss Dr. Zucker's forthcoming book, "Normalize It: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame that Shape Women's Lives," which aims to challenge societal taboos surrounding women's health issues from menstruation to menopause....