Emily Oster, a renowned economist and author, discusses debunking parenting myths and making data-driven decisions. Topics include pregnancy advice, parenting challenges in the digital age, and the complexities of research funding. The conversation explores navigating the overwhelming world of parenting with evidence-based insights.
Consulting an economist like Emily Oster can provide valuable insights into parenting decisions by focusing on analyzing data, understanding causation, and improving decision-making.
Debunking common myths, Emily Oster clarifies the relationship between age and fertility, especially after 35, highlighting the importance of understanding data collection methods and challenging assumptions to make informed decisions regarding age-related fertility.
Deep dives
Benefits of Using Economics in Parenting Decisions
Consulting an economist like Emily Oster can provide valuable insights into parenting decisions by focusing on analyzing data, understanding causation, and improving decision-making. Oster's expertise lies in delving deep into data quality, dissecting correlations from causations, and aiding in data-driven decision-making for parents before engaging with healthcare professionals.
Myths and Realities of Age and Fertility
Debunking common myths, Emily Oster clarifies the relationship between age and fertility, especially after 35. Contrary to beliefs about a fertility cliff, biological processes exhibit a gradual decline rather than a sudden drop at a specific age. Oster highlights the importance of understanding data collection methods and challenging assumptions to make informed decisions regarding age-related fertility.
Challenging Conventional Pregnancy Advice
Emily Oster challenges traditional pregnancy recommendations by scrutinizing practices like bed rest that lack substantial evidence. She emphasizes the significance of distinguishing between absence of evidence and evidence of absence in parenting choices. By questioning standard directives, Oster encourages a critical evaluation of common practices and advocates for evidence-based decision-making.
Parenting Strategies for Optimizing Child Development
In her book 'The Family Firm,' Oster emphasizes the importance of prioritizing sleep and effective decision-making in parenting older children. She underscores the need for deliberate family structures to navigate diverse challenges and stresses the significance of creating a tailored approach to parenting. Oster advocates for a balanced view on parenting choices, highlighting the value of informed decisions aligned with individual family preferences.
Emily Oster is a professor of economics at Brown University, but she is probably best known as the author of the bestsellers 'Expecting Better' and 'Cribsheet', which crunch the research about the often gut-driven practice of parenting. Today on the show we talk about research, process and the many myths about raising children. Oster hosts the ParentData podcast and publishes the weekly ParentData newsletter.
Soumaya Keynes writes a column each week for the Financial Times. You can find it here.