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

You’ve probably heard routines are very important for toddlers, but do you know why? I welcome Jessica, a Pediatric Occupational Therapist and founder of @rootedinroutine to discuss why routines are useful and misconceptions surrounding routines.  We discuss: Why routines are helpful for toddlers Why they are helpful for YOU Some non-negotiables when it comes to routines Misconceptions about routi...

On this episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, I talk to Megan about her four-year-old and his picky eating. I like to call it “selective or preferential eating because picky eating gets a bad connotation. So, let’s reframe how we approach this together. We discuss:  Why our biases with meals/food matter  The power of allowing some control for our children Why pressure backfires  Check out all...

In today’s episode I am talking to Lynda Cormier-Hanser, a business owner, speaker/trainer, author, non profit founder, wife and proud mother of 2. Of her many accomplishments, she is most proud of achieving work/life balance, and the quality of her relationships with her two adult daughters, husband, ex-husband, extended family and connection to her community. We will talk about: How to find purp...

In this episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, I am talking to Kayla who is struggling to find the energy and balance between working and motherhood. We will discuss: Compassion fatigue  How to create more mental space in our busy days How to reframe our approach to our daily activities Check out my weekly videos on child health & development by ⁠⁠subscribing to PedsDocTalk on YouTube⁠⁠. Get tr...

In this episode of FINDING JOY I am talking to my husband about marriage and parenting, covering: How we connect in marriage amidst busy schedules and parenting The importance of emotional check-ins The biggest mindset shifts we made through marriage  How we make our differences work for us Check out my weekly videos on child health & development by ⁠⁠subscribing to PedsDocTalk on YouTube⁠⁠. Get t...

In this episode I am talking to Leah, the mom of 18 month old Isla. Leah is struggling to find a way to stop Isla from scratching, hitting, and kicking. In this episode we will be talking about different approaches to make an 18 month old understand not to hurt. Check out all the PedsDocTalk Courses for more guidance, tips, and support during parenthood. The Toddler Courses will help you through t...

In this episode I am talking to Dr. Carrie Jackson, a licensed child psychologist and coach. She has first hand experience of a life with ADHD and coaches parents how to rebuild their relationship with their kids with ADHD. We will cover: What is ADHD How to recognise ADHD Age of diagnosis Is ADHD hereditary You can find Dr. Carrie Jackson on Instagram @the.parent.therapist or via her website: ipa...

In this episode I am talking about what to do when the bad news don't seem to end and you are getting tired and frustrated and don’t know how to be optimistic anymore. I also talk about the phrase “everything happens for a reason” and how this phrase is misused.  Check out my weekly videos on child health & development by ⁠⁠subscribing to PedsDocTalk on YouTube⁠⁠. Get trusted pediatric advice, rel...

On today's episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, I’m answering Hannah’s questions. She is the mom of two boys and her younger 1.5 year old son shows jealous and even aggressive behavior when she gives any attention to his older brother. I will be covering: How to normalize temperament and foster change when a toddler shows aggression How to deal with and help a toddler with jealousy  Check out...

In this episode I am talking to Dr. Jenicka, a Neuropsychologist & Clinical Scientist who made it her mission to help moms with evidence-based mental health and toddler tips. Today we are discussing: Different reward systems Why do reward systems have such a bad reputation The benefits of using reward systems How can a reward system work for something like potty training Find Dr. Jenicka on Instag...

In today’s episode I’m talking to Susie Allison, the woman behind Busy Toddler. As a former teacher and mom of 3 kids, she is an advocate for early childhood education and made it her mission to bring hands-on learning and play back to childhood, support others in their parenting journey, and help everyone make it to nap time. We discussed the following: Why it’s okay not to love playtime Why you...

On this episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, a mom calls in because her 22 months old daughter has started to wake up at night screaming and she is unsure if this is separation anxiety, a nightmare, or a sleep terror. I’ll explain the difference between a common sleep regression, nightmares and night terrors, what causes them to happen to toddlers, and how to support them. Check out all the P...

In this episode I am talking to Jenna Helwig, the food director at ‘Real Simple’ magazine, the mom of a 1 one year old and author of 3 fantastic cookbooks. Besides others she wrote the number one bestseller ‘Baby Led Feeding’ and that is the main reason I’m so excited to talk to her about: What is baby-led weaning? The biggest mistakes while baby led weaning How to make the process more simple and...

This may be my favorite Finding Joy episode for you: 5 ways (values) we can bring ourselves more joy and peace as a mom. This episode tackles our emotions and values, the way we view ourselves, and the way we view struggle to give ourselves more grace and peace through our parenting journey.  Check out my weekly videos on child health & development by ⁠⁠subscribing to PedsDocTalk on YouTube⁠⁠. Get...

On this episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, a mother of a 2 year old calls in about how to make brushing a toddler's teeth happen without a fight I normalize this common phase in kids and explain ways to approach this with Five Tips to Making Brushing Teeth Fun and not a Fight. Check out all the PedsDocTalk Courses for more guidance, tips, and support during parenthood. Check out my weekly v...

On this episode I welcome Dr. Jessica Steier, a public-health expert, and Dr. Andrea Love, an immunology expert. They are the hosts of Unbiased Science, a podcast devoted to objective, critical appraisal of available evidence on health-related topics relevant to listeners’ daily lives. We discuss the following:  What could have been done differently in this pandemic The difference between misinfor...

On this episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, a mother of a 1 year old calls in to ask bout the impact her postpartum depression can have on the development of her child.  I discuss why maternal (and parental mental) health matters and what we see for the developmental impact for kids. A few resources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2724169/ https://www.rikidscount.org/Portals/0/...

In December 2019, we gave birth to our beautiful son. It was under the most difficult of circumstances where both he and I were in the ICU. Over the last 1.5 years, we thought our story would be different but we realized we had secondary infertility from the delivery and complications.  In this episode of The Finding Joy Series, I share our story: How we found out we had secondary infertility, the...

On this episode of Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, a mother of a 2.5 year old calls in to ask if it's normal that her son doesn't want anybody looking at his genitalia during bath time/diaper changes. I discuss how to balance body autonomy with the need for parental monitoring/intervention. I also discuss why body autonomy is important AND why we should be teaching children from a young age about n...

I'm sharing a parenting principle of mine that has been a game-changer in creating independence, fostering autonomy, building confidence, and also reaffirming to our children that we are there for them when they need us. It's called the Independence/Intervention Principle and it will change the way you approach multiple parenting situations from infancy and beyond! Tune in as I explain this princi...

On today's episode I welcome back Katherine Sellery, a 3x TEDx speaker, who has taught thousands of parents the Conscious Parenting Revolution to help them raise resilient, considerate, centered and empowered kids who know their inner voice and honor it. Check out my previous episodes with Katherine:  Episode 45: How to be a more conscious parent and why it’s important  Episode 93: Why it’s okay t...

On this episode I welcome Dr. Rupa Wong—Pediatric Ophthalmologist, practice owner, mom to three kids, podcaster and YouTuber. We discuss the following and so much more!  The correlation between screen time and visual diagnosis Nearsightedness  Ages (in relationship to eye development) where screen time should be minimized Genetic components  How parents can balance screen time and eye health  Find...

We've all been there. Those days or weeks where you feel like nothing is going right. You're wondering if everybody has it this hard. In this episode of the Finding Joy series, I discuss some tips on getting yourself out of that negative spiral and those moments/days when negative thoughts and energy seem to consume you.  If you are struggling with anything that is robbing your joy or causing you...

On this episode I welcome @speechsisters (speech language pathology), @themovementmama (physical therapy) and @mammamia_ot (occupational therapy) for a frank discussion around the new CDC guidelines. We discuss the following:  Introductions of specialties: speech language pathology, occupational therapy and physical therapy Concerns and discussions regarding the new CDC milestone guidelines  The "...

On this episode with Monday Mornings with Dr. Mona, I answer a question about power-struggles with grandparents. Grandparents can have a positive influence on your child's life and vice-versa, but it's also important that you think of your desires and wants as a parent and communicate these with people who take care of your child. Listen in as I discuss some things to consider as you navigate a gr...