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

Do you consider yourself an optimist? Although some people may be more optimistic than others, you can learn to foster an optimistic mindset – a key tool for parents to build resiliency and navigate the unexpected. I welcome Dr. Sue Varma, a psychiatrist, cognitive behavioral therapist, and author of the new book, Practical Optimism: The Art, Science and Practice of Exceptional Wellbeing. We discu...

May is Food Allergy Awareness Month, and part of that is recognizing that even if you or a family member may not have a food allergy, someone you know may have food allergies. I welcome Ina Chung, a food allergy mom, educator, and author of A Kids Book about Food Allergies, who is passionate about food allergy inclusivity.  She joins me to discuss:  Why food allergy inclusivity is important  Top 3...

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I am continuing this series on ways to take care of our mental health so we can better care for ourselves and our children. It’s common to experience some postpartum blues and adjustment as you navigate having a new baby. But when is it something more? On this episode, I welcome Chelsea & Caitlin, founders of Mama Psychologists. They are best friends, aut...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in honor of my advocacy for more open conversation surrounding Mental health, I will be featuring episodes on ways to take care of our mental health so we can better care for ourselves and our children. Therapy is highly beneficial, and various modalities are used. EMDR (Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) is an evidence-based approach that has...

Do you know the cultural differences that can exist being immigrant parents and the mental health issues that are unique? Whether you come from an immigrant household or not, this episode is a must to really dive into the cultural stereotypes that exist surrounding mental health and, subsequently, how we show up for our children. I welcome Sahaj Kaur Kohli who is the founder of Brown Girl Therapy...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and just as much as we need to focus on maternal mental health, we also need to recognize that dads and non-birthing partners also can struggle postpartum as well. 7% and 9% of new fathers develop postpartum depression. I invited my husband back on the show to chat about postpartum mental health and mental health concerns in general in men.  We discuss   Why m...

India is home to over 1.4 BILLION people and over 470 million children. There are more children in India than our entire population in the U.S. so I needed to have a pediatrician to chat with from India! I reached out to Dr. Imran Patel, a Pediatrician in India, and one the most followed and loved Pediatricians in the world with over 4.6 million followers on Instagram and 1.5 million followers on...

Have you felt yourself drift from your friends pre-motherhood? Or have you found making new and meaningful friendships hard after becoming a mom? I welcome Danielle Bayard Jackson, a relational health educator who has made a career out of studying what the research has to say about creating quality platonic relationships. She also has a new book coming out called, Fighting for Our Friendships: The...

The “Default parent” seems like modern parenting terminology, but it’s a real role. It can sometimes be associated with feelings of resentment and overwhelm if it’s not communicated. I welcome Erica Djossa, the CEO and founder of Momwell and the author of Releasing the Mother Load: How to Carry Less and Enjoy Motherhood More (paid link). We discuss:  What the default parent is, and how someone kno...

Do you ever feel you’re overdoing or overthinking parenting? Dr. Aliza Pressman, developmental psychologist, co-founder of the Mount Sinai Parenting Center, host of the podcast Raising Good Humans, and author of the newly released New York Times bestseller The 5 Principles of Parenting, joins me to reflect on parenting and discuss her new book. We discuss:  How parents overdo it and how to keep it...

Struggling with boundary setting?  Wanting to foster secure attachment with your child?  Want a relationship with your child as they get older? Issues in school, with peers, etc., and trying to find out why? You’re going to want to listen to this episode. I dive deep into three things children need in relationships with their grown up. Whether it's a parent, teacher, or other caregiver; our childr...

This is a completely impromptu episode I had to release because it shares my love for all children (and, of course, my kiddos) with all of you! My son, Ryaan, is four years old and loves playing with my podcast mic. So, the other day after preschool, I had him join me for a conversation. We talk about normal four-year-old things!   Car washes Favorite foods and vegetables  What makes us feel bette...

The goal of parenting should be to foster the growth and development of the child in front of us, and part of this is guiding them through experiences and things that may make them more anxious. I welcome Dr. Melissa Giglio, a child clinical psychologist, author, and director of a private practice in Hong Kong. We discuss: How we can nurture bravery and confidence in our children Strategies to “pu...

We live in a digital age, and at some point, our children will have access to phones, but it is our responsibility as parents to balance the benefits and risks of phone use. I welcome Bill Brady, who is the CEO and Co-founder of Troomi Wireless, a mobile phone platform designed to improve kids’ mental health through a safe and balanced relationship with technology. We discuss: The benefits and ris...

Sleep apnea and ADHD can greatly impact sleep, but are often not discussed when discussing a sleep quality evaluation. On this episode, I welcome back Dr. Shelby Harris, a licensed clinical psychologist who is board-certified and specializes in behavioral sleep medicine. We discuss:  How sleep apnea and ADHD affect your child’s sleep and behavior  When to be concerned about your child’s sleep  Is...

“Finding Joy” episodes on this podcast tackle more than just parenting topics, but real-life mindfulness topics to be the best version of ourselves so we can better show up for ourselves and the people in our life. In this episode, I discuss connection.  What exactly is connection? Why is connection with self so important? How to incorporate meaningful connections in our busy lives. How to know if...

Jennifer Gates Nassar is the eldest daughter of Bill and Melinda French Gates. She has grown up with privilege but is paving her own path as a medical student and soon-to-be doctor and mother. For this Finding Joy episode, I welcome her on to discuss: How her parents instilled work ethic and grit in her despite growing up with privilege The single most important thing her parents did in raising he...

Solid Starts was founded in 2020 to revolutionize the way we feed our babies and toddlers. Their FREE first food database provides nutrition information and preparation information for the foods we eat and how we can make it accessible and safe for babies to eat from the time they start solids. I welcome the founder of Solid Starts, Jenny Best, to talk about Solid Starts and feeding babies and tod...

Childhood trauma has unfortunately become a buzzword across social media where sometimes things are labeled as “trauma” that may not exactly be. Or maybe a parent is inadvertently doing something that can lead to trauma. On this episode I welcome Kobe Campbell, a licensed trauma therapist and author, to discuss :  What is the definition of childhood trauma  How not all crying is trauma How to ask...

Sweet and treats are part of our lives. Even if we may not eat a lot of them in our home; our children will be exposed to these foods in school and at parties and it’s important we don’t put sweets and treats on a pedestal. I invite Jennifer Anderson, a registered dietitian and founder of Kids Eat in Color.  We discuss: How we put food on pedestals  What it means to have a healthy relationship wit...

It’s 2024: And the goal of this year for my community and listeners is learning to “let it go” for the things that are not serving us or blocking our joy.  I discuss:  Why controlling tendencies can occur especially in motherhood Why motherhood is the ultimate struggle for those of us who grew up loving control  How control looks like in motherhood Ten steps to learn to let go of control Check out...

In this final episode of 2023, I welcome my husband, Gaurav, to chat about how we as a generation are making parenting harder on ourselves. He has joined me for two episodes already about Marriage and Parenting and Re-Parenting ourselves as we parent our children and on this episode we discuss: How we can tap back into our intuition as parents How we have created a skewed view of success as parent...

Traveling with kids can feel overwhelming, but it does provide many benefits to kids and your family. I welcome Preethi Harbuck who is a mom of six, avid traveler, and creator of @localpassportfamily a blog and social media platform to support families as they travel to discuss:  How travel changes our kid’s world for the better  What they learn by travel (both locally and internationally) The one...

Time-Outs get a bad rap on social media, however when done correctly they can be effective for some children. On this episode, I welcome Dr Jenicka Engler, developmental neuropsychologist, clinical scientist, and mom to discuss: Why Time-outs get a bad rap When time-outs can be effective When NOT to use time-outs  How parents misuse time outs  Find Dr. Jenicka on Instagram @drjenicka Check out my...

Keeping your home clutter free and “tidy” doesn’t have to be a scary task and you can utilize your children in developmentally appropriate ways to do it. I welcome Tyler Moore known as @tidydad on Instagram, who is a teacher, father of three, and writer who helps families find a rhythm, system, and routine to complement the current state of life that they’re in.  We discuss:  How to incorporate ou...