the best parent podcast episodes
A hand-picked, playable selection of the best podcast episodes for this topic — each with the reason it earned its spot. Press play on any pick, or build your own playlist free.
Why these picks
8 episodes curated for "the best parent podcast episodes"
Refine this list free — sign up to save it and build your own.
The curated episodes
8 episodes — each chosen for a reason you can read below.
Why this pick: This episode from Raising Parents with Emily Oster directly tackles over-parenting, a core concern for modern parents seeking balance. It examines the decline in free play since the 1950s, hypervigilance's impact on kids' mental health and independence, and actionable ways to shift trajectories, drawing on experts like Jonathan Haidt and Lenore Skenazy. Its high production quality, recent 2024 release, and evidence-based approach make it exceptionally relevant for parents wanting practical strategies over guilt.
Why this pick: Addressing smartphones' impact on childhood with stats like 91% of 14-year-olds owning phones, this episode debates if devices steal development, mental health, and social skills. Featuring Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation, it suggests parental actions over school regulations. The 2024 production offers urgent, research-backed insights for parents concerned about screen time's transformation of kids' lives.
Why this pick: Emily Oster's podcast explores discipline evolution from spanking to gentle parenting, addressing if we've become too permissive. It questions consequences of softness versus hardness, featuring experts like Abigail Shrier and Dr. Becky Kennedy for balanced views. Released in 2024, this well-researched episode provides parents concrete tools amid shifting norms, making it highly valuable for those navigating modern discipline dilemmas.
Why this pick: Focusing on overdiagnosis of ADHD, anxiety, and depression in kids, this 2024 episode questions if normal behaviors are pathologized and overmedicated. It analyzes rises in boys on stimulants and girls on SSRIs, with long-term effects discussed via experts like Abigail Shrier. High-quality analysis from Emily Oster's series equips parents to differentiate real needs from trends, promoting thoughtful mental health approaches.
Why this pick: This episode confronts childhood obesity's surge (300% since 1970s) and AAP guidelines on weight-loss drugs for kids, helping parents navigate food choices without stigma. It critiques societal shifts in discussing health risks and offers perspectives from Pamela Druckerman on French parenting. As a 2024 production with expert resources, it delivers practical, non-judgmental guidance on feeding kids healthily.
Why this pick: This recent episode investigates why boys are falling behind in education and workforce participation, with girls now dominating college degrees. It covers economic and societal stakes using Richard Reeves' Of Boys and Men, offering parents strategies for raising resilient boys. Emily Oster's evidence-based format provides balanced, forward-looking advice on gender disparities in child development.
Why this pick: Dr. Becky's episode explores how some couples report improved intimacy post-kids, countering exhaustion narratives with vulnerability and mental load discussions. It offers practical tips for same-team approaches to sex after parenthood, featuring an OB/GYN expert. This high-quality, hopeful conversation from Good Inside provides unique relational value for parents balancing family and partnership.
Why this pick: This Raising Good Humans episode reveals how parents' own flourishing directly boosts kids' brain development via neuroplasticity and four pillars (awareness, connection, insight, purpose). It addresses screen time and emotions by emphasizing self-work, with Dr. Richard Davidson's research. Recent and practical, it gives parents actionable 5-minute daily habits to model security and reduce overparenting anxiety.