Evolutionary Parenting Podcast

When we think about raising our children, we often all have ideas of what is best and what we want to do. Not always are we able to achieve those goals – for better or worse. But the early years, especially 0 to 3, are crucial in our children’s neurological development and knowing what can benefit them and how we can overcome adversity in that time is something all parents should know. Returning to the show this week is Dr. Green Kirshenbaum, a neuroscientist, doula, and educator who is here to discuss her new book – The Nurture Revolution – and help families understand what’s going on in that crucial developmental period (and beyond) and how families can utilize the benefit of nurture to help facilitate this development. Not just for new parents, this episode is one for anyone who is raising a child of any age and wants to know how we can best serve those little people we call our kids. Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum: https://www.nurture-neuroscience.com/ Her book, The Nurture Revolution: https://amzn.to/3CFLsC3

Normalizing breastfeeding is an ongoing battle in some Western cultures. Even when someone starts out breastfeeding, many report not being able to meet their goals or face various obstacles in trying to nurse their children. One part of the equation is how breastfeeding is represented in these cultures. Is it accessible through various media? How is it perceived? Joining me today to help answer this question - and discuss the implications of it - is Dr. BJ Woodstein, author of the book The Portrayal of Breastfeeding in Literature. Hopefully by understanding the power of how breastfeeding is portrayed, we can move towards creating a culture where breastfeeding families feel supported and seen. Dr. BJ Woodstein: https://research-portal.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/bj-epstein The Portrayal of Breastfeeding in Literature*: https://amzn.to/3kaUVYQ We’re Here!: A Practical Guide to Becoming an LGBTQ+ Parent*: https://amzn.to/3YVhWhm *Amazon affiliate link

Our understanding and acceptance of Autism has evolved over the years towards a greater awareness of what we call neurodiversity - broadly, the idea that each brain is unique and what used to be considered "disorders" are not at all, but rather reflections of these uniquenesses with their own strengths and weaknesses. At the same time, we have also learned how valuable early intervention is for longer-term outcomes. But how can this be? If we aren't "fixing" anything, why the need for this intervention? Joining me is Dr. Lauren Franz, the Associate Director of Duke University's Center for Autism and Brain Development, for what I hope you will find to be an enlightening and important conversation. Dr. Franz: https://globalhealth.duke.edu/people/franz-lauren Focus article: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2794074 Programs and articles discussed in the interview: On Naturalistic Developmental Behavioural Interventions: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4513196/pdf/10803_2015_Article_2407.pdf On Early Start Denver Model: https://autismcenter.duke.edu/news/online-caregiver-coaching-modules-based-early-start-denver-model Lancet Commission report: https://www.thelancet.com/commissions/autism Open Access Book "Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement": https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-13-8437-0 Meta-Analysis of interventions: https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fbul0000215

As we know, sleep is one of the most talked-about topics for new parents. None of them are getting enough, and everyone is worried about it. In Western cultures, parents are often made to feel that the only way to get sleep is to leave their baby to cry to learn to sleep alone, something called 'crying it out'. This can be modified slightly where parents leave their child for intervals of time, often called 'controlled crying' or 'controlled comforting'. Importantly, the age at which we recommend this to families has gotten younger and younger over the years, and even who we recommend it to has changed. Whereas it was once recommended for families with severe problems, it's now recommended as a preemptive move parents should take to avoid problems. But what does the research say about these changes? Do they support the use of this type of sleep training? Joining me to discuss this is Macall Gordon, a researcher specializing in infant mental health who has reviewed the research in depth and is here to share these findings. Whether you're surprised or not, the findings are ones that should be more widely discussed for they have major implications for all families. Thank you so much for listening, that's it for this week. I hope if you're one of those families who has felt pressure to sleep train but it isn't for you or you don't even feel there's a problem, you can feel better about saying no. And if you are struggling, I would add that there are other methods you can use that do not require you to leave your baby to cry and I would strongly recommend starting there, especially as we discussed here - often there are underlying issues that should be examined. Until next time, stay safe and happy parenting. Macall Gordon, M.A.: https://www.antioch.edu/faculty/macall-gordon/ Relevant papers to the discussion: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721822000778 https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrcl/13/2/65.abstract If you are struggling with your child's sleep and want to find out if something may be underlying the problem, you can try the Brief Infant and Toddler Sleep Screen, something I devised to help families determine what - if anything - is affecting their child's sleep: https://evolutionaryparenting.com/test/bitss/

Bedtime. It's one of the biggest struggles parents face. Everyone is tired, we just want our kids to calm and go to sleep. But how does our bedtime affect their sleep? Often we hear that we need our kids to be independent at bedtime, do things on their own, that that will lead to a good sleep. The problem is that there hasn't really been any research on how these actions affect bedtime... until now. This week I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Lauren Philbrook who is with me to talk about her new research looking at the question of how parental presence and contact as well as calming activities at night influence children's stress levels and quality of sleep. If you've bought into the idea that parents need to separate themselves at bedtime, you might want to hear what Dr. Philbrook has to say. Dr. Lauren Philbrook: https://www.colgate.edu/about/directory/lphilbrook Research Articles of Interest https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22322: https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001027 https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsz078 https://doi.org/0.1002/dev.21442

Raising good humans is hard. We all worry about if we're doing best and we don't always know how to do it. This is especially true when we start touching on topics we may not have experience with, like racism. Many of us may think that we can just try to raise kids who aren't racist and that will be enough. But it's not. We need to actively work to change the ingrained racism in our society and our children can lead the way if we help them get there. This is where help is needed and I was thrilled to be able to speak to educator and author Britt Hawthorne about her new book, "Raising Anti-Racist Children". She's the help we need to change the world one child at a time. Britt Hawthorne: https://britthawthorne.com/ Speak Up from the Southern Poverty Law Center: https://www.splcenter.org/20150125/speak-responding-everyday-bigotry

External validity. It's a topic that many of us don't really talk about. It's the idea that certain research findings only apply to certain groups. In sleep training, most people assume the research is applicable to all families, but is this the case? This is the question that Dr. Levita D'Souza and I examine this week as we talk about the research that provides us information on who takes part and who doesn't, and what this means for our understanding of the research in broader terms. Dr. Levita D'Souza: https://www.centreforperinatalpsychology.com.au/psychologists/levita-dsouza/ Relevant Research: https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/43/4/zsz268/5611128?login=false https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/130/4/643/30241/Five-Year-Follow-up-of-Harms-and-Benefits-of

When it comes to parenting, there are thousands of books with myriad bits of advice for soon-to-be-parents and those who are already parents and facing some kind of struggle. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming when we think of all the bits of advice out there. One would think we don't need more, right? But what if you are a parent who just can't see yourself in any of these books or pieces of advice? What if you just aren't represented? This has been the reality for many LGBTQ+ parents and hopeful parents when they browse the books that are incredibly heteronormative. And as we all know, when you aren't represented, it's hard to know where to turn or to feel like you're even supposed to be a parent. Joining me this week is Dr. BJ Epstein Woodstein to discuss her new book "We're Here: A Practical Guide to Becoming a LGBTQ+ Parent" where she not only offers advice for those who have not be previously represented, but also advice for the rest of us on how we can support everyone in their parenting journey. Dr. Epstein Woodstein: https://www.bjwoodstein.com/ We're Here, the book: https://stores.praeclaruspress.com/were-here-a-practical-guide-to-becoming-an-lgbtq-parent-by-b-j-woodstein/ The Newman Goldfarb protocol: https://www.asklenore.info/breastfeeding/induced_lactation/protocols4print.shtml A list of some LGBTQ+-relevant parenting books (some better than others): https://mombian.com/product-tag/parenting-guide/

Welcome back after our break and I hope you enjoyed the last few weeks and maybe even used that time to check out some of our older episodes that always stay relevant for families! This week, we're back and talking about the transition to parenthood. In the transition to parenthood, many of us realize that who we are is going to fundamentally change. We don't know how, we don't know how we're going to cope with it, but we expect a change. What we don't often think about is the effect on our relationship if we happen to be entering parenthood as a team. How we relate to our partner can shift fundamentally and often the first few years post-parenthood is a tumultuous time for couples and results in a higher than usual rate of separation. Why does this happen? What can couples do to help prevent this and stay together? Joining me this week is Nora Wright, couples therapist and founder of The Family Hive where she teaches Gottman's Bringing Baby Home program to help parents adapt to the transition to parenthood without wanting to kill each other. If you feel that your relationship has suffered or you're anticipating a new arrival and worried about how that will change the dynamic of your relationship, don't fret - things can always change. About Nora and The Family Hive (in person and virtual courses): https://www.familyhivewc.com/ Emotionally Focused Therapy certified couples therapists can be found through ICEEFT: https://iceeft.com/ A complete listing for the Bringing Baby Home workshop internationally: https://www.gottman.com/parents/new-parents-workshop/

For ages, policy makers have been pushing earlier education for children. In many previous studies, these have been found to be very helpful for families that are disadvantaged, but yet the research on them has been short-lived since states of taken on the role of overseeing these programs. Of course, if a program can help a family or child, it should be available, but what if it doesn't? Joining me today is Dr. Kelley Durkin whose career focuses on children's education and how we can help children's learning. Working in the State of Tennessee, she is able to assess their state-wide pre-K program to see how these children fare in the long-term, and most recently published the findings of her most recent analysis. With a focus on what is happening, but also what might be done in the future, her insights are much-needed for all who care about the education of children. Dr. Kelley Durkin: https://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/bio/kelley-durkin Articles of Interest: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-18712-001 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885200618300279 https://my.vanderbilt.edu/tnprekevaluation/files/2021/09/SREE-TVPK-presentation-2021.pdf

Orchid or dandelion? Highly sensitive or relatively robust? These are some of the ways that we have conceptualized the concept of how sensitive a child is to the environment in which they are raised. Through a combination of nature and nurture, some of our kids are just that much more sensitive. But are they sensitive their whole lives? What genetics make this happen? What environments are good or bad? None of it is quite as simple as it may sound which is why I'm so excited to have one of the pioneers in this field joining me to talk about his decades of work on this sensitivity to the environment, or differential susceptibility as he has called it. Dr. Jay Belsky is one of the first to have identified this differential susceptibility and has helped lead all of us - parents, educators, and researchers alike - towards a better understanding of how nuanced this issue is. And why so much more is still left to be done. Dr. Jay Belsky: https://humandevelopment.ucdavis.edu/people/jay-belsky Articles of Interest: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/development-and-psychopathology/article/beyond-orchids-and-dandelions-susceptibility-to-environmental-influences-is-not-bimodal/4ADAF88C7F63FF2C2CDE99880943C3B7 https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-29903-001 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10964-022-01574-9 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/development-and-psychopathology/article/differential-susceptibility-20-are-the-same-children-affected-by-different-experiences-and-exposures/277792E67173ED12678A0180A5FD6892 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/development-and-psychopathology/article/abs/distinguishing-differential-susceptibility-diathesisstress-and-vantage-sensitivity-beyond-the-single-gene-and-environment-model/C2CFEBE39AFEA4C2FC29BA3F37895A41 'The Origins of You: How Childhood Shapes Later Life': https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674983458

I'll be honest that I don't know of a single pregnancy that didn't involve some level of stress. I think the entire act of carrying a baby and everything that goes along with it is stressful in its own right. But sometimes there are stressors that are even greater. Sometimes it's chronic stress from work or life events, or sometimes it's greater stress from natural disasters or even war. Many of us have heard about how bad prenatal stress is for babies, but how much is too much? What are these effects and how are we able to quantify what is happening for babies in the womb? Joining me this week is Dr. Jerold Meyer who has revolutionized the way in which we assess and think about prenatal stress and the effects on our children. He brings the nuance that is needed to this discussion and can help us see where we may need to be looking in the future. Dr. Jerold Meyer: https://www.umass.edu/cns/directory/jerrold-s-meyer Relevant Articles: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/dev.22021 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453011001727 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453017315469 https://academic.oup.com/endo/article/153/9/4120/2423884?login=true https://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1115&context=rudd_conf

Postpartum depression is associated with a host of negative outcomes for mothers and babies alike, yet we still have very little understanding of the etiology behind it and what may exacerbate or mitigate it. Research on postpartum depression is difficult, however, because we can't randomly assign people and try to weed out the various components that may affect mental health outcomes. It's a difficult task. But what if a standard way of looking at parenting and outcomes using animal models might be able to inadvertently inform on postpartum depression? Joining me this week is Dr. Annakarina Mundorf who has postulated that a common paradigm - maternal separation - may be able to help us better understand postpartum depression and provide insights into how we can help families. By looking at behavioural, neurological, and hormonal changes associated with maternal separation, Dr. Mundorf highlights what this can say about what mothers and babies need at this critical time. Dr. Annakarina Mundorf: https://www.medicalschool-hamburg.de/hochschule/unser-team/team-fakultaet-medizin-universitaet/wissenschaftliche-mitarbeiter/annakarina-mundorf/ Paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/dev.22219 Other papers of interest: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-80087-6 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-14792-1_9 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022395618300037

One of the more difficult topics for many families these days has to do with media use. We are a tech-heavy society and that extends downwards to our kids. It's not uncommon to go out and see parents handing over screens to their kids to get through a dinner, a car ride, a boring appointment, and so on. At home kids spend hours in front of screens for school, to be social, to play games, and more. When parents try to understand the effects of this screen time, they are often met with tons of different information. Some makes it out that we are damaging our children for life. Others say it's just the way of the future. So which is it? Joining me this week is Dr. Meghan Owenz, researcher and founder of Screen-Free Parenting. She sifts through the research so you can get a better idea of the nuances in the findings, but also helps highlight ways families can move away from the dependence so many of us - myself included - have on our technology. As is so often the case, the reality is far more interesting that what we have been fed in the mainstream. Dr. Meghan Owenz: https://berks.psu.edu/person/owenz-meghan Screen-Free Parenting: https://www.screenfreeparenting.com/ Spoiled Right: https://stores.praeclaruspress.com/spoiled-right-delaying-screens-and-giving-children-what-they-really-need-by-meghan-owenz-1/

When you think about your child's sleep, what are the words that often come to mind? I know in Western cultures, we often hear "independence", "self-soothing", "needy", "manipulative" and so on. The way in which we speak about something has a profound impact on how we conceptualize and approach it. In the realm of sleep, the language of independence and manipulation has led to the flourishing of sleep training and perceived sleep problems for many families. But what if we had culturally-approved and accepted language that focused on supporting our children during sleep? What difference could that make? The word Uspavani embraces just that. Unlike in our Western world, in the Czech Republic, they do have language that focuses on embracing the support our kids need. Joining me today is Mrs. Lenka Tinkova, a Czech sleep expert and graduate student who is exploring the very issue of how language and concepts like Uspavani support families in helping their children. If you've ever felt alone in your sleep journey or like you're doing something wrong by helping your child, it may be time to learn about and embrace Uspavani in your family. Mrs. Lenka Tinkova: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/lenka-m-tinkova/ Prosim Spinkej (Czech sleep site): https://ProsimSpinkej.cz Mrs. Tinkova's books: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/18740980.Lenka_Medvecov_Tinkov_ Article on Language and Sleep: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352721821002254

In the realm of parenting - especially attachment parenting - the focus has been on mothers. In fact, if you go to any attachment parenting group - online or not - you are far more likely to come across a group of moms talking about their beliefs, experiences, struggles, and so forth. But it's not just mothers who experience and parent with an attachment-related set of beliefs. Fathers and partners also experience attachment parenting and can have a profound impact on their child's development and their own relationship with their child, but we know incredibly little about this. Today I am thrilled to have Dr. Levita D'Souza join me to discuss her research looking at the experiences of fathers who are attachment parents themselves. How do they experience it? What are their struggles in an unsupportive society? What led them to this way of parenting? These are the kinds of questions she is exploring in this new and much-needed research. For all the dads out there and those who are hoping their partners might get on board, this research is for you. Dr. Levita D'Souza: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/levita-dsouza Interesting Personal Story from an Attachment Father: https://attachmentparenting.co.uk/manifesto-its-different-for-dads/

As we kick off Season 2 of the podcast, we're going to dive into the research on an area that often brings fear to new parents - rightfully - that of SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Most people will be aware of best sleep practices promoted by professionals - put your baby to sleep on their back, no extra items in the sleeping area, and no matter what you do, never sleep with your baby. But how well do these recommendations stand up to the actual research? What do we really know versus what we're being told? Joining me (again) is one of my favourite people and one who is out there changing the way we think about our advice for SIDS through research and advocacy - Dr. Helen Ball. Through her work at Durham University's Parent-Infant Sleep Centre, she has been helping professionals and families better understand the risks around SIDS and how we can best support families with evidence-based information. If you think you know the evidence behind sleep recommendations, you may need to think again. Dr. Helen Ball: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/h-l-ball/ Parent-Infant Sleep Centre: https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/durham-infancy-sleep-centre/ BASIS: https://www.basisonline.org.uk/ SIDS and Infant Sleep Webinars for Professionals (or Parents): https://www.basisonline.org.uk/hcp-infant-sleep-webinars/ **March 28 is a virtual (or in-person) conference through the Parent-Infant Sleep Centre. Speakers include Dr. James McKenna and Kristin Tully!!! Get more information and register (I have!) here: https://www.dur.ac.uk/conference.booking/details/?id=1736

I would first like to welcome you to the final episode of this season. I am thankful to all of you who listen and give me hope that there are still those people out there who respect and love science as much as I do and who find the work of researchers who rarely get to be in the spotlight as fascinating as I do. This final episode – also the last in the fathering series, but I promise there will be more focus on fathers going forward – tackles the issues of co-parenting, the role of biological paternity, dads as “babysitters”, and more through research on a very unique population - Mountain Gorillas. I am joined by Dr. Stacy Rosenbaum, whose name you may remember if you listened to my interview with Dr. Lee Gettler, as she discusses her work and how we can think about this work as we tackle the human questions and issues surrounding fathering and parenting in general. Plus, there’s a whole story on sharks too! Thank you all again for listening and enjoy your final episode of the season. Dr. Stacy Rosenbaum: https://lsa.umich.edu/anthro/people/faculty/biological-faculty/rosenbas.html Shark Story: https://people.com/celebrity/video-great-white-shark-rescue-cape-cod/ Relevant articles: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090513821000465 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-33380-4 https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev-anthro-102218-011216 https://scholar.google.com/scholar?cluster=4497059527531484752&hl=en&oi=scholarr

When we look at research, especially in the realm of development, we tend to focus on things like resilience, struggles families face, and so on. This is particularly true when we look at the research on parenting in families of colour - the focus starts with what's wrong and how we can fix it. It was under this guise that I approached Dr. Erika Bocknek as she had done research on resilience in Black Fathers that was - I thought - interesting. What we talked about ended up being quite different with a much larger focus on the inherent racism that exists in the research questions and assumptions themselves, especially when we look at Black Fathers. I hope that you will all find this as eye-opening and important a conversation as I did because we need to recognize these problems before we can start to fix them. Dr. Erika Bocknek: https://wayne.edu/people/an5012 Research: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/imhj.21950 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/dev.22168 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-51027-5_7 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/dev.21836

This week we continue our conversation with Dr. Lee Gettler, discussing his research which has advanced our knowledge on fathering across cultures and from different lenses. Here is for all the fathers out there. Dr. Lee Gettler: https://anthropology.nd.edu/people/faculty/lee-gettler/ Relevant Research (just skimming the surface): https://www.pnas.org/content/108/39/16194.short https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/dev.22121 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-70958-3 https://pure.mpg.de/pubman/faces/ViewItemOverviewPage.jsp?itemId=item_3281046 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ajhb.23342