121: How To Raise Kids Who Aren't Jerks with Melinda Wenner Moyer

In this episode, Melinda Wenner Moyer joins me to talk about her book, and a range of topics around bullying, raising kids that aren’t selfish, and how to help our kids develop self esteem.

We talk about:

• [4:40] How Melinda and I met, and an introduction to her book

• [7:40] The most surprising thing she learned while researching for her book

• [12:45] Bullying and the parents of kids who bully

• [13:50] Increasing our kids’ theory of mind skills

• [17:30] Raising kids that aren’t selfish

• [19:50] Leaning into conversations with your kids that you don't want to have

• [22:10] The message we send when we don’t talk about race and gender

• [33:00] Can your child develop narcissism by bolstering their self-esteem too much?

• [36:20] How kids are affected by pressure applied by parents

• [40:35] Why parents care more about hitting milestones than their child’s happiness

• [44:00] Advice she would give to her younger parent self

Melinda Wenner Moyer is a science journalist based in Cold Spring, New York. She's a regular contributor to The New York Times, a contributing editor at Scientific American magazine, and a faculty member in the Science, Health & Environmental Reporting program at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Her first book, How To Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes, was published in July 2021 and won a gold medal in the 2022 Living Now Book Awards.

Melinda was the recipient of the 2022 Excellence in Science Journalism award from The Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the 2019 Bricker Award for Science Writing in Medicine, and her work was featured in the 2020 Best American Science and Nature Writing anthology. 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Free ‘How to Stop Yelling’ Course: www.sarahrosensweet.com/yelling 

• Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/peacefulparenting 

• Newsletter: www.sarahrosensweet.com/newsletter

Connect with Melinda

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindawennermoyer/ 

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/melindawmoyer 

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melindawennermoyer 

• www.melindawmoyer.substack.com 

• www.melindawennermoyer.com   

Connect with Sarah Rosensweet  

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahrosensweet/ 

• Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/peacefulparentingfreegroup

• Website: https://www.sarahrosensweet.com 

• Book a short consult or coaching session call: https://book-with-sarah-rosensweet.as.me/schedule.php