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

We’ve all been there or will be there: When you don’t want your child to do something, say “no” and your child keeps doing it. On this episode, I speak with Susmitha about her 22-month-old son who keeps doing activities after she says no. We discuss: How to approach boundaries by allowing more opportunities for “yes” What happens in the toddler brain when we say “No!” How to approach boundaries to...

There is a lot of buzz around “secure attachment” that commonly gets misconstrued in the parenting space and on social media. I speak with Jamie, a registered child psychologist and mom to discuss how we can create connection and attachment without losing ourselves  We discuss: Misconceptions about secure attachment How to foster secure attachment in our everyday lives What emotional responsivenes...

I love speaking with expecting moms about to start their motherhood journey. On this episode, I speak with Deepika who is 37 weeks pregnant about filtering out all the noise, opinions, and information out there to find your own voice as a mom.  We discuss: Why motherhood and parenting can seem so overwhelming How to take all the information you have and apply it  Why looking at the big picture and...

I invited Jen Novakovich, a cosmetic chemist, science communicator, and founder of The EcoWell to discuss the truth and safety of essential oils.  We discuss:  Concern with marketing around essential oils  Risk for using essential oils What to consider if you do use essential oils Check out my weekly videos on child health & development by ⁠⁠subscribing to PedsDocTalk on YouTube⁠⁠. Get trusted ped...

On this episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona I talk with a mom about how to embrace her shy child. We discuss: The genetics of personality traits How to normalize and embrace shyness in children What society gets wrong about shy individuals How to redirect other’s comments about your shy child How to open up your shy child to new situations Check out all the PedsDocTalk Courses for more guidan...

We give disagreements a bad rep, but they actually can be VERY healthy when done correctly. Arguing is often associated with disagreements with yelling and high emotions, but disagreements can provide growth for all those involved. I invited Lynda Cormier-Hanser, a speaker, author, non-profit founder, wife, and mother to discuss: Why disagreements are healthy What families can learn from disagreem...

Motherhood can oftentimes feel isolating. It can feel more isolating if you don’t have a community (or that village everyone talks about in parenting) to lean on. I welcome Natasha, who is a mother of a 1-year-old and lives in Germany. She lacks that physical support system (friends and relatives) and we discuss: Why not having this support system is so hard How to reframe when we find ourselves c...

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. I discuss: The difference between happiness and joy How joy can be self-created and not based on external circumstances Managing expectations AND still celebrating wins  Why we need to stop using the phrase,”I'll b...

I welcome Hillary, a mom from the PedsDocTalk community to chat about why toddlers are the way they are especially those two-year-olds and three-year olds. We discuss: What’s happening developmentally in the toddler brain  Why is it important for a parent to understand toddler development in parenting Strategies to use this development for parenting wins  Check out all the PedsDocTalk Courses for...

It isn’t hard to raise an emotionally aware child, yet so many find barriers to doing so. I welcome Dr. Sarah Aboudara who is a school psychologist and licensed clinical psychologist to talk about raising an emotional aware child. We discuss: What it means to raise an emotionally aware child Why parents struggle with this  Steps to creating emotional awareness for our infants and beyond Check out...

Do you ever feel like you’re constantly complaining as a mom? Do you ever get caught in that cycle of negativity? I talk with Vera about undoing that cycle of negativity and why we may find ourselves complaining so much as mothers. We discuss: Why motherhood may turn us into complainers Strategies to create more space and boundaries in our lives  How to effectively reframe negative situations How...

Do babies really need sleep-training or sleep-teaching or will they eventually learn on their own. I invited Dr. Sarah Mitchell the creator of The Helping Babies Sleep Method to discuss: Infant sleep and physiology When a should parent consider help in sleep-teaching Why sleep is beneficial Quick simple 6 question sleep quiz with personalized responses: helpingbabiessleep.com/sleep-quiz Website: h...

On this episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, I'm talking with Anna about overcoming her fear of advancing solids for her 11.5 due to her fears of choking. This is a common fear and we go over how to mindfully overcome this with tips, tricks, and know-how. We discuss:  How to overcome fears of advancing food and choking How to prepare food with safety and time In mind How to handle distracted...

Have you felt overstimulated as a parent? I think we’ve all been there. I welcome Dr. Cassidy who is a licensed marriage and family therapist to talk about overstimulation in parenthood (and especially motherhood).  We discuss:  What overstimulation looks like in parenthood  The important first step in managing overstimulation  Coping mechanisms for overstimulation  What not to do when overstimula...

On this episode of The Finding Joy series, I bring back my husband to discuss a very important aspect of parenting. The importance of re-parenting ourselves as we parent our son. We discuss the cycles we are trying to break with our son as we simultaneously work on ourselves. We discuss the generational trauma of: Body image insecurities  Comparison  Anger and yelling  No space for emotions  And p...

I welcome Lauren Smith, a former educator and current nationally certified school psychologist to talk about how and why our American school system needs to change. From testing to the lack of resources to mental health — there’s so much to unpack.  We discuss: Limitations to American school system education How the school system is failing our children Why school systems are overwhelmed  How the...

I welcome a mom who struggles with resentment towards societal gender roles and expectations of being a mom.  We discuss:  How to handle unreasonable societal expectations for mothers How to communicate with loved ones or partner for needs How to combat resentment in motherhood You might also be interested in: E73: Is Mom Brain real? And how can we relax into our new self? Check out my weekly vide...

So many mothers feel they have to do everything “perfect” as a mom. Where does this come from? Society? Our childhood? Our work-culture? In this episode, I welcome Michelle Kenney who is a former teacher and high school counselor, mother, and a recovering perfectionist and control freak to talk all about how motherhood perfectionism is ruining motherhood and how to combat it. We discuss: Why we ge...

ISR is gaining popularity in the U.S. As a Pediatrician in Florida, I know many families who have signed up for ISR classes for their children. We also started it but had to cancel due to the commute and weather delays.  But, there are a lot of misconceptions about ISR. I invited Erika Wilson, ISR instructor and owner of @seastarisr to discuss all things ISR and why it should be a swimming educati...

On this episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, I am talking with Christine about finding balance in our identities as mothers and why it’s so important We discuss:  Why balancing our identities is so hard as mothers  Why our other identities besides being a mother matter  How to reframe guilt when creating this balance Check out my weekly videos on child health & development by ⁠⁠subscribing to...

Social media is a blessing, but it can also rob you of your joy as a parent if you’re not aware of its negative impacts.  On this episode, I discuss why I feel social media can be harmful to parental (especially maternal mental health) and how to create balance to reclaim our joy as we consume or share on social media. Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode: https://www.sciencedirect.com/scie...

On this episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, I am talking with Kaylee about how she feels disrespected when her 3-year old doesn’t listen.  We discuss: How to not take our child’s behavior personally  How to give a three-year old control when trying to set boundaries The importance of boundary setting and how to approach them Check out all the PedsDocTalk Courses for more guidance, tips, and...

Let’s call a spade a spade here. Your Pediatrician is burnt out. Low insurance reimbursement, low salaries compared to other medical specialties, long hours, and the stress and worry of the job have led a lot of Pediatricians to cut their hours or leave the workforce. I speak with Dr. Elliston, a former colleague of mine and founder of @ellistonpediatrics. He left traditional pediatric medicine to...

On this episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, I talk to Jeanna about her 21-month old son who used to be a great sleeper and suddenly is going through a sleep regression. We discuss: Why toddlers have sleep regressions The biggest pitfall parents make when approaching regressions Proper boundary setting with sleep to reach your goals Check out all the PedsDocTalk Courses for more guidance, tip...

I welcome Penny Merenge, a Nurse Practitioner, a passionate advocate for early childhood education and digital wellness, and founder of @screens_n_kids to discuss how to balance screen-time to protect the mental and physical health of our children.  We discuss: The SPOIL method and how it relates to child development Why we don’t love the term “screen-time rules” Some things to consider when choos...