The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

On this episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, I welcome Lauren to chat about her toddler son who acts out more when she’s home from work. We discuss: Why tantrums are more triggering after a long day Why children may act this way after seeing you after a long period away How to navigate these moments  Check out all the PedsDocTalk Courses for more guidance, tips, and support during parenthood....

The Finding Joy Series on this podcast is where I talk about finding peace amidst chaos, reframing tough life choices, and navigating difficult times we go through as parents (especially as mothers). On this episode, I talk about my feelings: nerves, excitement, and worry being pregnant with our IVF baby after having a traumatic delivery in 2019. I discuss: The common mix-bag of emotions felt duri...

On this Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona Episode, I welcome Shradha on to discuss that very common feeling of mommy guilt—especially when you want to spend it on yourself and you didn’t spend much time with your child.  We discuss: Why this guilt is so common How to reframe when you are feeling these guilty feelings Prioritizing Quality over quantity with your child and how to do this  Check out my w...

A lot of people think they have allergy to medications when they don’t. In this episode, I welcome Allergist and Immunologist Farah Khan to chat about drug allergies and share some misconceptions. We discuss: What a true drug allergy looks like Why not all rashes while on antibiotics are a drug allergy Are true drug allergies hereditary? What to do if you truly feel your child has a drug allergy C...

Anytime you have told yourself you’re not good enough, you’re not capable of, or you have to be better at something that comes from somewhere in your childhood. On today’s episode, I welcome Mary Beth Fox, a licensed professional counselor and owner of The Inner Child Therapist to discuss the not good enough stuff carried from childhood. We discuss: What “not good enough stuff is” Why and how thes...

On one of my most favorite episodes to date, I welcome Bryana Kappadakunnel who is a licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of Conscious Mommy to talk about what it means to be a conscious parent and why it’s beneficial to the entire family. We discuss: What Conscious Parenting is  How our children are our greatest teachers Why fear of change hinders our ability to be a more conscious pa...

We’ve all been there. Our kids are loud. Whether it is laughter, yelling, screaming of joy, or tantrums. Their volumes seem to be set very high. It’s very natural, but I discuss with Christina-a mom from the PDT community-on how to navigater this. We discuss: Why loudness is so triggering How to approach it from a mindset shift as a parent 3 Strategies to reduce the volume in your home  Check out...

Welcome back to the show and another season of The PedsDocTalk Podcast. On this episode of The PedsDocTalk Podcast, I am talking about Gratitude. On the Finding Joy series, I talk about mindset shifts that are important in life and in parenting every month. On this episode, I discuss:  What gratitude is and why it’s good for our mental health How it benefits parenting How to apply it  Misconceptio...

You’ve heard it over and over, but maybe needed a reminder: Life is too short to fill our mental space with things that don’t serve us. In this episode, I discuss 5 things we need to let go of. Things that do not serve our peace and rob us of our joy. This episode is in honor of Ana “Ani” Estevez who tragically lost her life to gun-violence at 23. She was a beacon of joy and compassion and this ep...

I love discussing frustration because it is a normal human emotion just like sadness, fear, joy, or happiness. As parents, our role is to teach children what these feelings mean and help them cope. Enter frustration tolerance. Tune in as I discuss managing our child’s frustration when they can’t figure out a task like a new toy and how we can use those opportunities for learning. We discuss:  What...

Our parenting is affected by so much more than how we approach our child during their big feelings. It also requires some introspection on how we approach our big feelings in disagreements with our partners or loved ones. On this episode, I welcome Lesley Adams who is a licensed marriage and family therapist, to talk about why healthy conflict resolutions are important and healthy for children to...

Verbalizing with our children when they have big feelings is important, but what is the actual purpose and what should we expect it to achieve? I welcome Amy, a mom from the PDT community, to chat about verbalizing. We discuss: Managing expectations of verbalizing with our children The importance of nonverbal communication during tantrums How we can show we’re okay with our child’s feelings beside...

When we become parents, we often get bogged down with all the information and noise that we forget that parenting is a long-game job and sustainability is important. I welcome Grace Bastidas who is the editor in chief of Parents and a mom of two to discuss how to set yourself up for the long game after having a baby. We discuss: What the long game of parenting is Why taking care of yourself is the...

Milestone Anxiety is a real thing and often not talked about. I welcome a mom in the PDT community to chat about her 15 month old son who is not walking. We discuss: Why Milestone anxiety can happen How to approach milestone anxiety to find more peace and progress How to encourage walking Check out all the PedsDocTalk Courses for more guidance, tips, and support during parenthood. The Complete Roa...

Are children too young to teach financial health? I welcome Carissa and Nikki of Benjamin Talks a platform that is on a mission to make all families financially fit  We discuss: The right age to start discussing the concepts of financial fitness Misconceptions parents have about teaching financial fitness How to foster saving and gratitude when discussing finance  Tips to teaching kids about finan...

On this episode, I welcome a mom from The PedsDocTalk community to chat about her 32 month old son and hitting and throwing behaviors. We discuss not only what to do in these situations, but also ways to build emotional resilience and emotional regulation during calm moments. We discuss: Why avoiding a big rise is important, but why it’s so hard What not to do when trying to discipline hitting and...

Diet culture is still prominent in 2022 and I welcome Diana Rice, a registered Dietician and owner of Tiny Seed Family Nutrition to discuss how we should approach conversations about weight and health for our kids. We discuss: Why “eat less and move more” is problematic advice Why dieting is never the answer  How we can approach conversations about health with a health mindset versus a weight-goal...

No two humans are completely alike. Even amongst twins, we know that people have various temperaments and traits that make them who they are. On this episode, I welcome a mom from the PDT community to discuss how to approach parenting with two unique children. We discuss: The guilt of feeling your time can’t be devoted to all children equally Understanding the unique needs of your child Mindset ti...

On this highly requested Finding Joy episode, I tackle health anxiety. Having had a child with stroke and seizure and dealing with repetitive viral illnesses over the last year, I offer some support and reframe when approaching worries around our child’s health. I discuss: Why health anxiety is common and difficult What about our child getting sick makes us worried, frustrated, or gives us guilt a...

On this episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, I speak with Rychelle about her 3-year-old son who has big feelings and with that can sometimes come some physical tantrums.  In this episode we discuss: Respecting differences in temperament of children Mistakes we make during physical tantrums Why pivoting to other discipline interventions is important  I end each episode with three parenting pri...

All human relationships we carry can open up triggers from our past. Parenting is one of those moments where we may realize the good and the not so good we have carrier from our childhood. On this episode, I talk with Patrick Teahan who is a licensed clinical social worker and father about HOW and WHY parenting can open up triggers from childhood. We discuss: The subtle and not so subtle ways pare...

Your amazing sleeper becomes a toddler and suddenly needs you all the time at bedtime or during the night. Is something wrong? How do we get them back to independent sleep? I speak with Amna, a mom from the PDT community about her 26 months old daughter and separation anxiety she’s having at bedtime.  We discuss: Why daytime connection and boundaries matter for bedtime How to approach their disapp...

In our lives we will at some point have to receive vaccines, a medical procedure, or do something that is out of our comfort zone. For some children, getting a vaccine or medical procedure can be tough. I invited Katie Taylor who is a certified child life specialist, CEO of Child Life on Call, And the host of The Child Life on Call Podcast to discuss how we can approach vaccines and medical proced...

Screens have a place in our lives, but it is important to set boundaries with them and be consistent with those boundaries. But what happens when your child is having tantrum after tantrum with wanting to watch the screen? I invited a mom from The PDT community to chat about screen-time related tantrums. We discuss: How to give some power and autonomy during boundary setting Why children and paren...

On the Finding Joy Series, I I discuss the real-life ups and downs we experience as mothers, parents, and in life, how to be more mindful, and how to change our mindset to cause change. People-pleasing is a common learned behavior and it can have negative impacts. Tune in as I discuss: Characteristics of a people-pleaser How it negatively impacts motherhood How you can be kind, but not be a people...