Parenting Understood

Ep. 169 - Self-Care Beyond A Trip To The Spa

May 13, 2026

Michelle and Erin recorded a podcast episode discussing emotional exhaustion and burnout in parenting, focusing on the importance of mom friendships and community support. They explored how meaningful connections with other parents can provide validation, reduce stress, and benefit both parents and...

Ep. 168 - Building Better Behavior Through Play with Dr. Kim

Apr 22, 2026

We welcome back Dr. Kim Van Dusen to Parenting Understood. Dr. Kim discusses her newly released parenting book centered on creative, play-based strategies for building better behavior and deeper connection with children, primarily targeting parents, caregivers, coaches, and teachers of kids between the ages of 3...

Ep. 20 [Revisited] - Making Parental Decisions through Data with Professor Emily Oster

Apr 9, 2026

We are thrilled to be re-airing our episode with Emily Oster on making parenting decisions through data. Emily is a Professor of Economics at Brown University and the author of Expecting Better, Cribsheet, and The Family Firm. She holds a PhD in Economics from Harvard. Prior to being at Brown she was on the faculty at...

Ep. 37 [Revisited] - Utilizing Journalism for Parenting with Melinda Wenner Moyer

Mar 25, 2026

In today’s episode, we are excited to be joined by Melinda Wenner Moyer. Melinda Wenner Moyer is a contributing editor at Scientific American magazine and a regular contributor to The New York Times, Washington Post, and other national magazines and newspapers. She is a faculty member in the Science, Health...

Ep. 167 - The Lifelong Anchor: Navigating the Messy Reality of Attachment

Mar 12, 2026

In this episode, after a brief hiatus, we reunite to dive deep into a topic that resonates both professionally and personally: attachment. While often discussed as a phenomenon of early infancy, we explore how attachment serves as a lifelong regulatory system. We discuss the "messy" reality of applying developmental...