Your Child is Normal: with Dr Jessica Hochman

Send us Fan Mail ADHD affects nearly 1 in 9 children in the United States, and many parents wonder whether medication is their only option. In this episode, I sit down with Dana Kay, founder of the ADHD Thrive Institute, to discuss practical lifestyle strategies that may help support children with ADHD symptoms. Dana also shares her personal journey raising a son with ADHD and how that experience...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, therapist and play therapy expert Dr. Kim Van Dusen explains why play may be one of the most powerful parenting tools we have: play strengthens parent-child relationships, reduces power struggles, supports emotional regulation, encourages independence, and helps children learn important life skills. She shares practical ways to incorporate play into everyday routi...

Send us Fan Mail Divorce is one of the most significant transitions a family can experience—but how does it affect children, and what can parents do to minimize the emotional impact? In this episode, Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, and bestselling author Erica Komisar to discuss the developmental and emotional effects of divorce on children. They explore why cert...

Send us Fan Mail Many parents worry about reading: Is my child reading early enough? What if my child doesn't like books? In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica sits down with a very special guest—her mother-in-law, a speech-language pathologist and reading specialist with decades of experience helping children develop language, literacy, and learning skills. Together they discu...

Send us Fan Mail Skincare has become a major part of teen and tween culture. From Sephora shopping trips to elaborate nighttime routines, many kids are using more skincare products than ever before. But what do young people actually need for healthy skin? In this episode, Dr. Jessica Hochman talks with dermatologist Dr. Angela Casey about the rise of skincare among children and teens and how paren...

Send us Fan Mail Food allergies can feel incredibly overwhelming for parents — especially during infancy when introducing new foods for the first time. What does a true allergic reaction actually look like? And what should families know about new treatment options for food allergies? In this episode, Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with allergist Dr. Akansha Ganju of Latitude Food Allergy Care to di...

Send us Fan Mail In this replay of episodes 31 and 32 of Your Child Is Normal , anxiety expert and psychotherapist Lynn Lyons shares practical, reassuring advice for parents raising anxious kids. The conversation covers: how anxiety shows up in children why reassurance can sometimes worsen anxiety how avoidance strengthens fear ways parents unintentionally accommodate anxiety practical strategies...

Send us Fan Mail What helps children become resilient? How do we raise kids with genuine confidence and self-esteem—while also helping them navigate disappointment, frustration, and uncomfortable emotions? In this episode of Your Child Is Normal , I am replaying one of my favorite past conversations—originally released as Episode 51—with Dr. Joan Rosenberg, bestselling author, psychologist, TEDx s...

Send us Fan Mail Parents hear it all the time: kids need routine. But what does that actually mean—and how do you make it work in real life without becoming overly rigid? In this episode, we are joined by pediatric occupational therapist Jessica Irwin, founder of Rooted in Routine, to talk about how simple, flexible routines can make a big difference for kids—and parents. We discuss:  Why routines...

Send us Fan Mail When it comes to babies and movement, parents often ask:  Is my child developing normally? Should I be worried? And when is it time to get help? In this episode of Your Child Is Normal , Dr. Jessica Hochman is joined by Daniella Brown, a pediatric physical therapist and founder of Proactive Pediatric Physical Therapy. They cover:  What pediatric physical therapy actually looks lik...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Your Child Is Normal , Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with pumping expert Tamari to break down everything parents need to know about pumping—from when to start, how often to pump, and how to make it actually work in real life. They talk honestly about the challenges of breastfeeding and pumping, the pressure many moms feel, and why it doesn’t have to be as stress...

Send us Fan Mail Sleep is one of the most common—and stressful—concerns for parents, especially in the first year of life. In this episode of Your Child Is Normal , Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with therapist, sleep expert, and mom of four Chrissy (The Peaceful Sleeper) to talk about how to approach sleep in a way that actually works for real families.  Chrissy shares a practical, intuitive frame...

Send us Fan Mail Why do parents feel so relieved when their child gets a diagnosis? And when can that same label do more harm than good? In this episode of Your Child Is Normal , Dr. Jessica Hochman speaks with  pediatrician Dr. William Wilkoff, who has spent decades caring for children in Maine and writing for both parents and physicians.  Dr. Wilkoff introduces a powerful idea he calls the “Rump...

Send us Fan Mail In part two of my conversation with Dr. Michael Milobsky, we talk about boys — and why so much normal boy behavior is increasingly being labeled as a problem. We discuss redshirting, kindergarten expectations, ADHD concerns, school environments that may not fit many boys well, and how to tell the difference between a child who is truly struggling and one who is simply developing n...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dr. Jessica Hochman speaks with Jordan Koveleski Gorman , pediatric speech pathologist, feeding specialist, and founder of Eat Play Say , a platform that helps millions of parents support their children’s development through practical, realistic strategies. Jordan shares why feeding has become such a stressful topic for parents — and how we can shift away from com...

Send us Fan Mail Why do so many parents feel overwhelmed right now? In this conversation, I talk with pediatrician Dr. Michael Milobsky about why modern parenting feels so anxiety-provoking — from social media and information overload to the pressure to optimize every part of childhood. We discuss what kids actually need from us, why temperament matters more than parenting hacks, and how parents c...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Your Child Is Normal , Dr. Jessica Hochman talks with Dr. Stan Block, a pediatrician who spent more than four decades caring for children and is the author of Pediatrics Around the Block . Drawing on years of experience in clinical practice and pediatric research, Dr. Block shares practical wisdom about the questions parents ask every day. They discuss why vacci...

Send us Fan Mail In this two-part conversation, pediatrician Dr. Jessica Hochman talks with psychologist and play researcher Dr. Peter Gray about what kids actually need to grow into healthy, capable, well-adjusted adults. In this episode, we talk about: • Why play is not just fun — it’s biologically necessary  • What children lose when play disappears  • How over-structuring childhood may be back...

Send us Fan Mail In this two-part conversation, pediatrician Dr. Jessica Hochman talks with psychologist and play researcher Dr. Peter Gray about what kids actually need to grow into healthy, capable, well-adjusted adults — and why modern childhood is drifting in the opposite direction. In Part 1 we talk about why modern school has become such a major source of stress for kids — and what parents c...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Your Child Is Normal , I’m joined by pediatric physical therapist Allison Mell, founder of Tots on Target. We talk about baby motor development in a way that’s both reassuring and practical — including what milestones typically look like, what matters more than the exact age, and how parents can support development at home without overthinking it (or overbuying...

Send us Fan Mail Navigating Childhood Tics and Tourette Syndrome: Expert Insights with Dr. Greenberg In this  episode, we sit down with Dr. Greenberg, director of the pediatric psychiatry OCD and Tic disorders program in Boston, to discuss the complexities of childhood tics and Tourette Syndrome. Dr. Greenberg shares her extensive expertise and personal experiences to help parents understand what...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dr. Amy Gelfand, a child neurologist specializing in pediatric headaches, discusses the complexities and treatment of migraines in children. Gelfand explains the genetic nature of migraines and their commonality among kids, noting triggers like menstrual cycles and changes in sleep patterns. She elaborates on distinguishing features of migraines and provides insig...

Send us Fan Mail In a podcast discussion, Aniko Hill, shares her insights into limiting technology use for children.  Aniko co-founded DopaMind, a nonprofit aimed at educating kids and parents about the effects of modern technology on mental well-being. Through schools and parent resources, DopaMind provides accessible, nonjudgmental education on making better tech choices.  It's really incre...

Send us Fan Mail This week on Your Child Is Normal , Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with chef and food educator Aliza Sokolow , author of the children’s book This Is What I Eat , to make healthy eating feel simpler, more joyful, and actually realistic for busy families. Aliza shares the behind-the-scenes story of how she went from architecture to food media, to working with Jamie Oliver’s Food Revo...

Send us Fan Mail This is Part 2 of Dr. Jessica Hochman’s conversation with Mike McLeod , founder of Grow Now ADHD — and it’s packed with practical strategies. We talk about why internet-connected screens can be especially dysregulating for kids with ADHD, how to recognize when screen use is crossing into addiction, and what “authoritative parenting” looks like when you’re setting limits that kids...