Parenting Understood

As we head into the holiday season, we are re-airing our interview with Eve Rodsky, a mom of 3, an attorney, an activist, and NY Times Best Seller Author of "Fair Play" and "Find Your Unicorn Space." In this episode, we discuss what "Unicorn Space" is, and what we can do to help discover this space. We also discuss the mental load of motherhood, an especially pertinent topic during these times.   ...

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 brief episode, Michelle and I discuss techniques to support young children in their listening. This is our last episode of the year as we take a month break. During our break, we will be re-airing episodes on selective eating, the emotional lives of children and developing emotional self-awareness. Wishing you and your families a joyous holiday season and New Year!

In this episode, we discuss with Chloe Massey, Cooper Education Team Parenting Expert and Doctoral Candidate- parenting, teaching, and learning challenges. We dig into some of the behavioral, social, and academic challenges that might surface around this time of year among school aged children. Chloe brings her knowledge and experience as a former classroom teacher, as well as a parent navigating...

In this episode we speak with Dr. Aliza Pressman about her new book, The Five Principles of Parenting: Your Essential Guide to Raising Good Humans. Aliza outlines what those five science backed principles are, and what they look like in parenting. We further discuss how these principles apply across a broad range of children's ages, and the various roles that temperament and family values play in...

As we head into the holiday season, we are re-airing our interview with Eve Rodsky, a mom of 3, an attorney, an activist, and NY Times Best Seller Author of "Fair Play" and "Find Your Unicorn Space." In this episode, we discuss what "Unicorn Space" is, and what we can do to help discover this space. We also discuss the mental load of motherhood, an especially pertinent topic during these times.   ...

In this episode, we have a slightly different format, as we bring my class to the podcast. Michelle guest lectures on anxiety in childhood. She outlines what childhood anxiety is, how it manifests, and ways to support children experiencing anxiety. Michelle weaves in examples from her practice to illustrate concepts. We discuss anxiety in the home and school contexts.  To learn more about Michelle...

In this episode, we are thrilled to be joined by members of the Fisher Price development team. We discuss the research and development that goes into the making of a toy. As we learn, it takes a lot to get a toy to completion! We also talk about the many ways to engage children with toys, and how we can build emotional connections to toys. To learn more about Fisher Price and their play lab visit:...

In this episode, we follow up from episode 106 where we discussed a situation in which recess was taken away from a kindergarten class in response to the behavior of a few children. We speak about the importance of caregiver-school communication to ensure appropriate supports for our children in school. We also discuss what may be potential barriers to effective home-school partnerships.    The Ar...

  In this episode, we speak with Duygu Balan about intergenerational trauma, and ways to break the cycle. Duygu discusses how the therapeutic relationship can support one in rewriting one's narrative in a healthy manner. We also speak about how to develop a healthier relationship with oneself, and the importance of self-curiosity. We finish our conversation with a discussion of how parenting has i...

In this episode, we discuss with Dr Heather Woodley, the roles of play and toys in teaching children about diversity, equity and inclusion. Heather outlines how toys and children's programming can act as both windows and mirrors for children - windows into others' experiences and reflections of their own. We discuss the importance of providing children with materials that are both windows and mirr...

In this episode, we discuss a situation in which kindergarten children were denied recess time as a consequence of a few children. We talk about what taking away recess time can mean for young children, as well as the implications of relying on children's reports of incidents that occur at school. We also discuss the potential implications of imposing a "punishment" on an entire class based on the...

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...

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 this episode, we speak with Mariel Benjamin, LCSW, about how parenting is currently based in a feeling of fear - fear of messing up one's children, fear of being judged by others, and fear of failing in helping children reach their full potential. As we speak about, this fear can be detrimental for many reasons. When in a state of fear, we make decisions based on limited information and lots of...

In this compelling episode, we sit down with the co-authors and partners, Alex Ritter and Alex Kenworthy, to delve into their groundbreaking book, "Your Baby Girl Likes Girls." This invaluable resource offers crucial insights and advice for parents and their queer daughters navigating the often challenging journey of coming out. We emphasize the vital need for an open, accepting environment for ch...

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...

In this episode, we conclude our series on school readiness with a conversation with Claire Marie about school lockdown drills. Claire is a school safety and emergency management expert who works with schools to develop and implement safety plans. She emphasizes the importance of trauma-informed practices when teaching students about safety procedures, such as lockdown drills. Claire talks about t...

As a new academic year commences, we have decided to rebroadcast a well-received episode centered on pediatric anxiety. Within this episode, our guest is Dr. Rebecca Etkin from the Anxiety & Mood Disorders Program at the Yale Child Study Center. Her expertise lies in both researching and treating anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Throughout this installment, we delve into topics such...

We are thrilled to be re-releasing our episode with Dr. Clancy Blair as part of our four week back to school series before our reflection on the past 100 plus episodes in two weeks. Dr. Blair is a developmental psychologist and Professor at New York University, who studies self-regulation in young children. His primary interest concerns the development of cognitive abilities, referred to as execut...

In this episode, we are thrilled to be joined by Dr. Ashleigh Collins, Dean of Academic Programs at Relay Graduate School Education. Dr. Collins discusses how to form a positive relationship with your child's teacher where you act as partners in scaffolding your child. Research shows that a strong predictor of children's academic and social well-being, especially in earlier childhood, is related t...

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...

Welcome to the 100th episode of Parenting Understood! We are beyond excited and incredibly grateful for our amazing community of listeners who have supported us throughout this journey.  For this special milestone, we had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Robyn Koslwitz, educational director of the Targeted Parenting Institute, about parenting post-trauma. This episode holds dear as we have recen...

In this episode, we are thrilled to speak with Michael Perry, entrepreneur, devoted father of two young boys, and creator of a family organizational app called Maple. Michael speaks to us about his journey of building Maple, an app designed to help parents manage their busy lives more effectively. Michael opens up about the challenges of balancing entrepreneurship and parenthood and how fatherhood...