Special Guest Emily Oster: How to Cut Through Parent Guilt and Get Down to What Actually Matters
Jan 17, 2024
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Emily Oster, a Professor of Economics and parenting expert, advises on navigating parenting guilt and making informed decisions based on data. Topics include setting children up for success, screen time limits, effective discipline, and the impact of summer birthdays on kindergarten readiness.
Parents should rely on data and research-backed information rather than popular opinions or judgment when making parenting decisions.
There is no concrete evidence to support the idea that specific programs or educational content significantly impact children's development through screen time, emphasizing the importance of creating a balanced environment instead.
Parents should acknowledge and discuss difficult emotions with their children, take care of themselves, seek support, and be honest about their struggles and emotions.
Deep dives
The Importance of Fact-Based Parenting
Emily Auster, a data-driven researcher and expert on parenting and child development, emphasizes the need for parents to cut through fear and judgment by focusing on data and research-backed information. She highlights the anxiety-inducing messages and confusion surrounding various parenting topics, urging parents to rely on evidence rather than popular opinions or judgmental attitudes.
The Impact of Screen Time on Children
Emily discusses the misconception surrounding screen time and its effects on children. She emphasizes that there is no concrete evidence suggesting that specific programs or educational content have a significant impact on children's development. Instead, she encourages parents to focus on creating a balanced environment, where screen time is viewed as a break and an opportunity for relaxation, rather than a threat to parenting.
Navigating Parental Guilt and Parenting Through Grief
Emily provides insight into how parents can handle guilt and parenting during times of grief. She stresses the importance of acknowledging and discussing difficult emotions with children, as it helps them understand and cope with challenging situations. Emily emphasizes the need for parents to take care of themselves, seek support, and be honest with their children about their struggles and emotions.
Screen time and parenting guilt
The podcast explores the topic of screen time and the guilt parents may feel about it. The speaker discusses how even though parents may understand the logic behind limiting screen time, they still experience guilt when their children have excessive screen time. The speaker emphasizes the importance of taking a holistic approach to parenting, considering factors such as overall health, emotional regulation, and the well-being of the parents themselves.
Redshirting and kinder readiness
The podcast episode delves into the concept of redshirting, which involves holding children back a year before entering kindergarten. The speaker shares that research suggests younger children in the classroom may be more likely to receive a behavioral diagnosis like ADHD. The speaker expresses the need for a thoughtful and personalized approach to kinder readiness, emphasizing that it is not solely based on academic readiness, but also socio-emotional development. The speaker suggests the possibility of having an additional year of pre-K to provide more options for children who may benefit from additional time before starting formal schooling.
Today on the pod we welcome THE go to parenting expert in the research space: Emily Oster!!!! She’s a best-selling author, Brown Professor of Economics, data-driven pregnancy and parenting expert and is here to ease all of our minds about this whole parenting thing. On this episode, we chat with Emily on how to cut through the fear that comes with parenting, and help YOU make informed decisions based on *actual* data (rather than obsessing over what our mother in law or neighbor or that one viral instagram post that totally freaked you out).
Tune in as Emily shares:
The 3 things you need to provide for your kid to set them up for success
Is Cocomelon *really* rotting your child’s brain?
How much screen time is too much screen time?
Her GAME CHANGING tip when it comes to discipline
The secret to making every parenting decision A MILLION TIMES EASIER (no, seriously)
What the research says about “redshirting” kids with summer birthdays in terms of kindergarten readiness
