Evolutionary Parenting Podcast

We are almost two years into a global pandemic and many families have struggled to find a new normal. Some people seem to have found a new normal that exceeds life pre-pandemic, but many face ongoing difficulties. Parents are in a unique position because they are not only facing this pandemic from a personal perspective, but also as those trying to navigate their children's social and emotional well-being. How people are faring is a topic of great interest for researchers and joining me today to talk about how these changes are affecting parents is the head of the Lancet's Covid Mental Health and Well-Being Task Force, Dr. Lara Aknin. As a researcher who primarily studies what makes us happy, she's in a unique position to help us better understand what's going on and how we can all feel better. Dr. Lara Aknin: https://www.sfu.ca/psychology/about/people/profiles/laknin.html Lancet's Covid-19 Commission: https://covid19commission.org/ Relevant Articles: https://psyarxiv.com/zw93g/ https://psyarxiv.com/vdw2e/ https://www.nber.org/papers/w29092 https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)31927-9/fulltext

Stress is a hot topic today with many people worrying about the degree of stress they face daily. We know stress in our adult lives is a problem, but I often hear people speak about stress as if it's only an adult problem. Sadly children can face many stressors - some of them quite large - early in life and this can have profound and nuanced impacts on their development, especially how they respond to stress in the future. Joining me today is Dr. Brie Reid, a researcher focusing on the effects of exposure to early life stressors - and the removal of these stressors - and that impacts the development of our stress and other physiological outcomes, including new findings that might bring hope to many. Dr. Brie Reid: https://www.briemreid.com/about Dr. Reid on Twitter: https://twitter.com/briemreid?lang=en Articles of Interest: https://www.pnas.org/content/116/48/23984.short https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/development-and-psychopathology/article/abs/challenges-in-researching-the-immune-pathways-between-early-life-adversity-and-psychopathology/1E51BFF08BB16A4786661B4214DA7C86 https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-devpsych-121318-085013

One of the more terrifying events for any parent is seeing their child born and rushed off to the NICU. Though we might talk about how it's so much better compared to losing our children - and there's no doubt that's the case - the typical experience for families in the NICU isn't one that we would wish on anyone. Some of the best NICUs in terms of medical care are those least equipped to deal with the psychological and bonding needs of new families. Parents can be left with little time with their baby, no room for them to stay, and advice that counters their instincts to care for the newest member of their family. Sharing a blend of her own experience in this regard, the science around neurological and general development for preterm or low birth weight babies, and an understanding of the needs of families today, Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum joins me to help families who have either already experienced this event and need help processing, are in the midst of this experience, or don't know if it's something they may face. Her compassion and knowledge are unsurpassed in this and I believe this is something that is invaluable for all families to hear. Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum: https://www.nurtureneuro.com/about How to Support a NICU baby at home (download): https://evolutionaryparenting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Nurture-for-the-NICU-.pdf Hand to Hold: https://handtohold.org/nicu-family-support/ NICU resources from Mt Sinai Hospital (Canada): https://www.mountsinai.on.ca/care/nicu/support-and-resources/resources-for-parents-with-pre-term-babies

Too often we look at parenting practices and our judgment of them in absolute terms. I know I myself have been guilty of this. Sometimes it's warranted, but sometimes the judgments and the repercussions become a way that we disenfranchise and marginalize already marginalized groups in our society. When we think about the experiences of families facing involvement from government systems - many of which are founded on principles that are racist in nature - we can start to understand how the systems mean to support children may end up doing the opposite. This week I am joined by Dr. Paul Adjei, a scholar focusing on social justice, racism, critical race theory, and more, as we discuss the parenting experiences of marginalized families in Canada - and by extension other Western nations - today. This is a conversation that may be uncomfortable for some and I can say it certainly led me to think about things I had held as absolute truths in ways I hadn't before. If nothing else, it should challenge us to think harder about how we think of parenting. Dr. Paul Adjei: https://www.mun.ca/socialwork/about/people/faculty/pbanaheneadjei.php Relevant Articles: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0190740918303761 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15548732.2017.1401575

In this inaugural episode, Pinky McKay and I chat about an interesting question: Does breastfeeding on demand at night lead to the expectation of immediate sexual gratification in adulthood? This was a question given to me by a reader who was told this would be the case by a close friend. Sadly, too many people still link breastfeeding or nursing with sex and think that allowing a child to feed on demand leads to entitlement. Nothing could be further from the truth and Pinky and I discuss these misconceptions. If you want to read up some more on topics related to this, you can read the following pieces by Pinky or myself: Does your breastfed baby really need night feeds? http://www.pinkymckay.com/breastfeeding-does-your-baby-really-need-night-feeds/ Does co-sleeping mean a better sex life? http://www.pinkymckay.com/co-sleeping-does-it-mean-a-better-sex-life/ What is the link between breastfeeding on demand and self-regulation? http://evolutionaryparenting.com/the-role-of-breastfeeding-in-self-regulation/ Can things like nursing at night, co-sleeping, and so on harm our children? http://evolutionaryparenting.com/what-children-dont-need/