
Dr. David Bjorklund: Saving our kids' mental health through play and independence
03/28/23 • 43 min
Dr. Amy chats with Dr. David Bjorklund, professor of developmental psychology and senior author of a groundbreaking study in the Journal of Pediatrics that links the mental health crisis in young children today to a decades-long trend in diminishing independence during childhood. While many elements of an independent and roaming childhood of our ancestors might not be possible today, this conversation focuses on actionable tips that could help parents prioritize the important elements that are crucial to a strong and health mental foundation for kids.
In this episode you will hear:
- How could the mental health crisis be linked to the trends of decreasing independence for children
- What is true "play," why it's important for kids, and how to protect it
- Do we truly live in a more dangerous society today? How do we still protect our children's safety while prioritizing autonomy?
- Psychological importance of being a contributing member of a community
- How to be intentional about unstructured time
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Amy is a board certified pediatrician, a mom, and an ally of the modern parent.
For bite sized monthly health tips, parenting ideas, mama hacks and more, please visit https://askdoctoramy.com and subscribe to Dr. Amy's newsletter. Feel free to submit questions for future episodes!
Follow Dr. Amy on Instagram @askdoctoramy and stay connected to the community of growth-minded parents.
Dr. Amy chats with Dr. David Bjorklund, professor of developmental psychology and senior author of a groundbreaking study in the Journal of Pediatrics that links the mental health crisis in young children today to a decades-long trend in diminishing independence during childhood. While many elements of an independent and roaming childhood of our ancestors might not be possible today, this conversation focuses on actionable tips that could help parents prioritize the important elements that are crucial to a strong and health mental foundation for kids.
In this episode you will hear:
- How could the mental health crisis be linked to the trends of decreasing independence for children
- What is true "play," why it's important for kids, and how to protect it
- Do we truly live in a more dangerous society today? How do we still protect our children's safety while prioritizing autonomy?
- Psychological importance of being a contributing member of a community
- How to be intentional about unstructured time
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Amy is a board certified pediatrician, a mom, and an ally of the modern parent.
For bite sized monthly health tips, parenting ideas, mama hacks and more, please visit https://askdoctoramy.com and subscribe to Dr. Amy's newsletter. Feel free to submit questions for future episodes!
Follow Dr. Amy on Instagram @askdoctoramy and stay connected to the community of growth-minded parents.
Previous Episode

Why does my child have a cough that won't go away?
Answering a question submitted by a listener, Dr. Amy breaks down the common causes for a chronic cough in childhood.
In this episode you will hear:
- The most common causes of chronic cough
- What happens after RSV?
- Signs that a cough might be more than a viral illness
- Diagnosis and treatment
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Amy is a board certified pediatrician, a mom, and an ally of the modern parent.
For health tips, parenting ideas, mama hacks and more, please visit www.askdoctoramy.com and subscribe to Dr. Amy's newsletter. Feel free to submit questions for future episodes!
Follow Dr. Amy on Instagram @askdoctoramy and stay connected to the community of growth-minded parents.
Next Episode

3 things to know about treating a child's fever
Dr. Amy discusses 3 things for parents to keep in mind when treating a child's fever, including the most common reason kids end up in the emergency room unnecessarily!
KidDose - the app that lets you always know your child's correct medication dose.
iPhone download: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kiddose/id6446280175
Android Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kiddoseapp
In this episode you will hear:
- Is there a temperature at which you should always worry about the fever?
- Why do we treat fever?
- How do we know when we need to treat a fever?
- How to accurately dose medication for fever
*Please note any information from this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only, and is not to be taken as medical advice. Podcast information and KidDose guidelines should NEVER replace your physician's advice. Please check with your physician before giving ANY medications to a child.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Amy is a board certified pediatrician, a mom, and an ally of the modern parent.
For health tips, parenting ideas, mama hacks and more, please visit www.askdoctoramy.com and subscribe to Dr. Amy's newsletter. Feel free to submit questions for future episodes!
Follow Dr. Amy on Instagram @askdoctoramy and stay connected to the community of growth-minded parents.
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