The Pandemic Parenting Podcast

In our final episode of the Pandemic Parenting Podcast, Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and Dr. Lindsay Malloy revisit some of the best advice, stories, and research findings our guest experts have shared over the past two years. While these “best moments” are from conversations centered around the pandemic experience, these insights will be ones we carry with us as we enter new challenges in parenting our children through every stage of their lives.

After more than two years of fulfilling our mission to reach parents where they're at with immediately accessible and relevant science-based resources, it's time for Pandemic Parenting to close our virtual doors. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and Dr. Lindsay Malloy reflect on the crisis-responsive, mission-driven work the organization set out to accomplish, where you can continue to find pandemic parenting resources, and what listeners can expect in the months and years ahead.

What is positive psychology? How can it help us? And, more specifically, how can we hold both the negative and positive experiences of the pandemic together in the stories we tell ourselves. Dr. Lindsay Malloy joins Dr. Amanda Zelechoski to discuss specific positive psychology coping strategies and the ways they each have experienced growth in themselves and their families since 2020.Additional ResourcesStress-Related Growth in Adolescents Returning to School After COVID-19 School Closure Waters, et. al (Frontiers in Psychology) Parenting Teens Through a Pandemic (Pandemic Parenting Podcast) Speaking of Psychology: Positive psychology in a pandemic, with Martin Seligman, PhD (American Psychological Association) What is Post-Traumatic Growth? Dr. Sharon Dekel (Pandemic Parenting Podcast) How to Get Your Child to Open Up Dr. Angela Evans (Pandemic Parenting Podcast)

The teen years involve a lot of physical, social, and cognitive change for our kids. As parents, we might expect challenges as our children grow into their independence, but for parents of teens during the pandemic, these challenges were often exacerbated by so much uncertainty. In this episode, Dr. Amanda Zelechoski takes a look at some of the latest research findings on teenagers during the pandemic, and talks with Dr. Crystal Burwell, a licensed psychotherapist, and several parents of teens. Together, they discuss: How has parenting teens changed in the last few years? How have parent and teen relationships been impacted by the pandemic? And how can we support our teenagers' mental health and recognize the toll the pandemic years have had on our kids? Additional Resources12 Things Parents Can Do to Help Prevent Suicide (American Academy of Pediatrics)Five skills parents can learn so they can help their children cope by Katherine Reynolds Lewis (The Washington Post)How do I keep my children safe online? Advice from the front lines, including teens themselves by Jennifer Jolly (USA Today)The Unique Challenge of Raising Teenagers Right Now by Molly Jong-Fast (The Atlantic)Eating Disorder Warning Signs & Symptoms (National Eating Disorders Association)Identity & Eating Disorders (National Eating Disorder Association)U.S. Suicide Prevention Resources:1-800-273-TALK (273-8255) - The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - U.S. Suicide Prevention Resources - U.S. (Youth.gov)Canada Suicide Prevention Resources:1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) - Suicide Crisis Phone Line - CanadaBritish Colombia Mental Health Support Line: 310-6789 (24 hours)Suicide Prevention Resources - Canada (Mental Health Commission of Canada)Dr. Burwell's websiteMeet Our Guest ExpertDr. Crystal Burwell is a licensed professional counselor, writer, educator, and public speaker. She's a native of Raleigh NC, where she received her doctorate in counselor education. Her research focuses on disordered eating and marginalized communities. Dr. Burwell's clinical specialties include eating disorders, mood & anxiety disorders, ADHD, and trauma. Her mission is to provide culturally competent mental health treatment that is inclusive, accessible, and clinically exceptional. Her mission is to help others find their voice and live their best life.

Welcome back to our Generation COVID series where we're exploring the impact of the pandemic on pregnant and postpartum parents. In this episode, we're focusing on childbirth and parent mental health. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski interviews Dr. Sharon Dekel and three parents. Together they discuss the pandemic impact on child birthing experiences, the increase in traumatic child births, and the overall mental health challenges new parents have faced in these uncertain times.Additional ResourcesPreeclampsia Foundation7 Symptoms Every Pregnant Woman Should Know (Preeclampsia Foundation)1-833-9-HELP4MOMS – National Maternal Mental Health HotlineLínea Nacional de Asistencia de Salud Mental Materna Para Mamás Primerizas y EmbarazadasFor some women giving birth in the pandemic, the trauma led to personal growth by Juli Fraga (The Washington Post)Meet Our GuestsDr. Sharon Dekel is Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Psychiatry Department at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Postpartum Traumatic Stress Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is known internationally for her research on childbirth-related posttraumatic stress. Her work, which has been continually supported by the National Institute of Health (NIH), brings together clinical and developmental psychology, psychophysiology, neuroscience, and machine learning to develop novel screening and interventions for at-risk individuals. Her current project examines the maternal brain and the neural profile that underlies childbirth-related PTSD. She also serves as the principal investigator of the Mothers Wellness study that assesses traumatic childbirth in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.Dr. Dekel is a two time recipient of the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation's Young Investigator Award; of Harvard's Mind Brain Behavior Awards; and of Mass General's Executive Committee On Research Awards. She was awarded the MGH's Claflin Distinguished Scholar Award for Women in Science and the Postpartum Support International Susan A. Hickman Memorial Research Award for excellence in scientific work on postpartum mental health. Dr. Dekel earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University. She then completed her clinical internship training at Columbia Medical Center and continued to a research postdoctoral fellowship in a lead trauma lab in Israel. Her prior work on the human capacity to thrive in the wake of trauma is considered pioneering in the field. Dr. Dekel also has a private practice in which she treats peripartum individuals.Many thanks to parents Jillian, Stacey, and Dan for sharing their pandemic childbirth and mental health stories in this episode.

For those who were pregnant or trying to conceive during the pandemic, all expectations of what their life as new parents would look like shifted. Fertility treatments were paused, doctors appointments were rescheduled, and hospitals were changing protocols on who could and couldn't be in the maternity ward during labor and delivery. So much was unknown.This is the first part of a two-part series about pregnant and postpartum parents. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski talks with Dr. Ezra Aydin about the impact of the pandemic on parents, pregnancies, and infant development. We'll also hear from four parents about their journeys through fertility treatments, pregnancies, and caring for a Generation COVID newborn.

Last month, we heard from researchers about the uneven effects of the pandemic on families. In this episode, we hear directly from parents about some of their unique challenges. We also talk with scientists who identified related trends in their research and share some ideas about what families can do.Dr. Amanda Zelechoski talks with Dr. Heather Prime and Dr. Nicole Racine about their research findings, including the mental health impact of the pandemic on mothers specifically, some barriers single parents and co-parents face, and what all of this means for the family unit as a whole. Included in this episode about pandemic motherhood:- how the pandemic affected mother's mental health- how the parents navigated the pandemic lockdowns as couples, co-parents, and single parents- stories from listeners about their challenges and silver linings during the pandemicAdditional Resources- SHEcovery - A Roadmap to Address COVID-19's Impact on Women and Girls (Chicago Foundation for Women)- COVID-19 stress toll is a family affair: 4 ways to support mothers' mental health by Nicole Racine, Erin Hetherington, Sheri Madigan, and Suzanne Tough (The Conversation)- 4 Tips for Improving Family Wellness (The Globe and Mail)- Child and youth mental health problems have doubled during COVID-19 by Nicole Racine, Brae Anne McArthur, and Sheri Madigan (The Conversation)- Infographic: COVID-19 and Stress in Families (Prime Lab)- Infographic: Love Together, Parent Together: Supporting Couples During COVID-19 (Prime Lab)Meet Our GuestsHeather Prime, Ph.D., C. Psych. joined the Department of Psychology at York University as an assistant professor in 2020. She is a child psychologist and researcher with a specialization in mental health from a family systems perspective. She is passionate about the interconnections between the well-being of family members and relationships. She studies how families can themselves serve as an island of strength and resilience for children during challenging times. She uses this approach in designing evidence-based interventions for children and families that aim to strengthen family relationships, and in her work with families in the community in her role as a clinical psychologist.Nicole Racine, Ph.D., R. Psych. is a clinical psychologist and Independent Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada. She received her PhD in Clinical-Developmental Psychology at York University, including a residency in Clinical and Pediatric Child Psychology at the Alberta Children's Hospital. In collaboration with community and interdisciplinary partners, her research program examines the impact of childhood adversity on child mental health and wellbeing, how this adversity is transmitted across generations, and what prevention and intervention strategies can promote resilience despite these experiences. Dr. Racine is the recipient of several prestigious awards including the Governor General's Gold Medal Award for her doctoral studies (2017) as well as the Canadian Psychological Association President's New Researcher Award (2021). She is also the recipient of two knowledge engagement awards for her collaborative community-based projects.

When pandemic lockdowns began, researchers around the world were asking a lot of questions and collecting lots – and lots – of data. What was the impact of the pandemic on mental health, both short-term and long-term? Which communities experienced the most negative effects of the pandemic? How can we better support these communities, and the entirety of our society, when disaster strikes next?In this episode, Dr. Amanda Zelechoski spoke with two researchers about their recent studies that start to answer many of these questions. You'll hear from Dr. Lara Aknin, a psychologist and head of The Lancet's COVID-19 Mental Health Task Force, and Dr. Simona Skripkauskaite, who works with the University of Oxford's Co-SPACE study (COVID-19: Supporting Parents, Adolescents, and Children During Pandemics).Additional Resources about the Uneven Effects of the PandemicThe Pandemic Did Not Affect Mental Health the Way You Think by Lara Aknin, Jamil Zaki, and Elizabeth Dunn (The Atlantic)The Lancet COVID-19 Commission on Mental Health and WellbeingDr. Aknin's Helping and Happiness Lab - Simon Fraser UniversityCo-Space Study: Supporting Parents, Adolescents and Children during EpidemicsMeet Our GuestsDr. Lara Aknin is a Distinguished Associate Professor of Psychology at Simon Fraser University, former Fellow with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and editor of the World Happiness Report. She holds a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of British Columbia. Dr. Aknin's research focuses on the antecedents and consequences of happiness and prosocial behavior. Most of her work examines how generous behavior makes people feel.Her research has been published in various academic journals, including Science, Nature Human Behaviour, the Lancet Public Health, as well as the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and has been covered in international media outlets such as the CBC, CNN, the Atlantic, Maclean's Magazine, Forbes, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.Dr. Simona Skripkauskaite is a PostDoctoral Researcher at University of Oxford and works for Oxford's Co-SPACE study (COVID-19: Supporting Parents, Adolescents and Children During Pandemics) and the OxWell Student Survey. Dr. Skripkauskaite also leads a project on ‘Learning from the trajectories of mental health challenges for children, young people and parents over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic', which will compare how families have been affected by the pandemic in the UK and Japan. Overall, Dr. Skripkauskaite's research to date has aimed to identify developmental processes underlying successful functioning, but has ranged across child and adolescent mental health, emotion regulation, and parent-child relationships, as well as neurodiversity, visual attention, and perception.

We're back! This season, we're diving into the newly published research about the impacts of COVID-19 on children, parents, and families. Along the way, we'll talk with the researchers who conducted these studies and identify key insights we can incorporate into our lives right now.But before we review the research, we want to set the stage. How do we, as parents, understand the science behind articles, videos, and social media posts where we find this information?Join Dr. Amanda Zelechoski as she discusses the scientific process, understanding research jargon, and how to vet news sources with Dr. Eric Youngstrom, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at UNC-Chapel Hill and Co-Founder of Helping Give Away Psychological Science (HGAPS), and Melinda Wenner Moyer, a science journalist, author, and faculty member at NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.Included in this episode about science literacy:What does “good science” look like?Why does it take so long for scientific findings to be published?What does it mean when something is said to be “research-based” or “science-based”?What tools can parents use to identify and access science reporting that they trust?Additional Resources for Understanding ResearchExplaining How Research Works + Infographic available in English and Spanish (National Institutes of Health - NIH)Why Do Researchers Do Different Kinds of Clinical Studies + Infographic available in English and Spanish (National Institutes of Health - NIH)Resources from Our GuestsHow to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes: Science-based Strategies for Better Parenting—From Tots to Teens by Melinda Wenner Moyer“Schoolkids Are Falling Victim to Disinformation and Conspiracy Fantasies” by Melinda Wenner Moyer (Scientific American)Helping Give Away Psychological Science (HGAPS)Free Assessment Center - (HGAPS)Helping Give Away Psychological Science - WikiversityLearn More About Our Guests:Eric Youngstrom , PhDMelinda Wenner Moyer

As a parent, supporting your child day-in and day-out is a lot of work -- especially if your child has experienced or is experiencing stress and trauma. In this excerpt from the Roadmap to Resilience audio series, guest experts Dr. Archana Basu, Dr. David Corwin, Dr. Michael Salter, and Karen Zilberstein speak to the big and small ways parents and caregivers can help foster resilience in children. Learn more at www.roadmaptoresilience.org.

How can we best support children experiencing stress and trauma? A new audio series from Pandemic Parenting and the University of Connecticut School of Medicine Center for the Treatment of Developmental Trauma Disorders explores this question. Psychologists Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and Dr. Julian Ford talk with 16 child trauma experts to understand what is trauma, how different kinds of trauma impact children, and what we as parents, professionals, community members, and caregivers can do to help foster resilience. Learn more at www.roadmaptoresilience.org.Subscribe On:SpotifyApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsStitcherAmazon Music

While we get ready for season two, take a listen to this bonus episode where Dr. Lindsay Malloy and Dr. Amanda Zelechoski discuss postpartum depression and anxiety and reflect on their own experiences recognizing and coping with PPD/PPA.Additional Resources- Pregnancy & Postpartum During a Pandemic: 4 Things to Know About Depression & Anxiety by Dr. Lindsay Malloy (Zulily)- Pregnancy During COVID-19: 3 Ways to Stay Connected with Your Village by Dr. Amanda Zelechoski (Zulily)- Self-Care for Parents in 2020 – A Complete COVID 19 Parenting Guide by Dr. Lindsay Malloy (Zulily)- Postpartum Depression and Anxiety Resources (American Psychological Association)- Perinatal Depression: More than the Baby Blues (Zero to Three)

When living with a disability, life can look different. And, when living in a culture and society that doesn't offer the support or accommodations you may need, we know these differences can become challenges. Whether you live with mental illness, physical disability, chronic illness, or other disabilities, this episode is for you.This episode is the second in a two-part series examining the intersection between parenting and disability. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and our producer Carmen Vincent talk with Rich, a dad reflecting on his experience with depression, and Jason, a father who uses a wheelchair after a spinal cord injury. You'll also hear from Dr. Lindsay Malloy who shares her experience parenting with a chronic illness.Included in this episode on parenting with a disability:- How parents have talked about their disabilities with their children- Navigating the learning curve of becoming disabled while a parent- The importance of finding community with other parents with disabilities- The role of hope in living with a disability or chronic illnessMeet Our GuestsRich Vincent is a UCC pastor in Wisconsin and the father of three adult children, one of whom happens to be our Digital Media Manager, Carmen Vincent. Rich opens up about his experience with depression as a parent and community leader, he reveals what (or who) pushed him to finally seek help, and he talks about his active decision to choose hope every day.Jason Smoot is a psychology student and the father of a 15-year-old son. He also happens to have a spinal cord injury from an accident eleven years ago which led him to be a wheelchair user. At the time of his injury, Jason was just beginning to navigate fatherhood. He shares these sentiments: With great support and love from my family and friends, I have been able to grow stronger from this accident. A disability does not define who you are. We are all blessed in our own individual ways. I'll end with a quote that my uncle put on my wall in the hospital and is in my room still to this day. Even on the most difficult days, I try to remember this. "When faced with the consequence of a past choice, see the gift of a lesson rather than a curse of a fall."

Parenting comes with joys and challenges. And for parents of children with disabilities, those joys and challenges look…. well, different. Whether your child is neurodivergent, has a chronic medical condition, or lives with another form of disability, you know that the journey with your child has additional twists and turns than that of other parents or caregivers. Many of those discrepancies became even more apparent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This episode is the first in a two-part series examining the intersection between parenting and disability. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and our producer Carmen Vincent talk with Jennifer, a mother of an 8-year old and a 4-year-old who, in her words, happens to have nonverbal autism; and Nisha, a mother of twin 7-year-olds and a 3-year-old who is battling a complex congenital heart disease.Included in this episode with parents of children with disabilities:- Deciding when to advocate and educate others as a parent with a child with a disability- Self-care tips for parents with a child with a disability- Coping with uncertainty during tests, diagnoses, and treatments- The challenges working parents face in caring for their child with a disabilityChildren's Books About DisabilityRainbows & Storms written by Dr. Jennifer Jackson and Nisha Jaime, illustrated by Anna SheckelDisability and Autism (Social Justice Books)60 Books about Disabilities and Differences for Kids (Mrs. D's Corner)Children's Books About Disability (American Psychological Association)Children's Book List - Instagram Highlight (Disability Reframed)Resources for Parents of Children with DisabilitiesAdvice for Caregivers of Children With Disabilities In the Era of COVID-19 (American Psychological Association)10 Resources for Families of Children with Special Needs by Nicole Fabian-Weber (Care.com)New to Disability? (Center for Parent Information & Resources)50 Great Websites for Parents of Children with Special Needs (Children's Educational Services)Services for Children with Disabilities (Childcare.gov)Support for Families of Children with DisabilitiesSpecial Education Resource Guide (National PTA)A Crash Course in Disability Education for Kids - Instagram Post (Disability Reframed and Big Little Feelings)Meet Our GuestsJennifer Neumeister is a mother of an 8-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son who happens to have nonverbal autism. In her daily life, she empowers her children to be their best selves in their own contexts, opens others' minds by sharing her experiences as a parent with an autistic child, and finds joy in watching her children experience life unfold in front of them. Nisha Gutierrez-Jaime is a mother to twin 7-year-old boys who were born premature at 27 weeks, and a 3-year-old daughter who is battling a complex congenital heart disease. She is also a veteran Los Angeles-based journalist and, most recently, published her first children's book, Rainbows & Storms, in April 2021. Like many in the Covid-era, Nisha is striving hard to find balance between parenting, advocacy, career, and enjoying all the little moments in between.

Two out of every three children have a fear of needles. For many of these children, the fear may actually get worse as they get older. One out of 10 adults has a fear of needles so significant that it impacts their willingness to engage with medical care—a reality that can contribute to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.At a time when vaccines are on the minds of so many parents, clinical psychologist and child pain management expert, Dr. Christine Chambers, joins Dr. Lindsay Malloy to discuss how we can help manage needle pain and fear our children may experience. (Pro Tip: Many of these strategies work for adults, too!) Dr. Christine Chambers is a clinical psychologist, Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Children's Pain, and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience & Pediatrics at Dalhousie University. She is also the Scientific Director of a national knowledge mobilization network, Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP), whose mission is to improve children's pain management by mobilizing evidence-based solutions through coordination and collaboration.Included in this episode about vaccines, shots, and needles:- How can we best prepare our children for receiving vaccines?- What should I do if I or my child is afraid of needles?- What strategies can we use to reduce the pain from shots?- How do parents' emotions and anxieties about needles impact their children?Dr. Christine Chambers is a clinical psychologist, Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in Children's Pain and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience & Pediatrics at Dalhousie University. She is also the Scientific Director of a national knowledge mobilization network, Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP), whose mission is to improve children's pain management by mobilizing evidence-based solutions through coordination and collaboration. Her research, based in the Centre for Pediatric Pain Research at the IWK Health Centre, is aimed at improving the management of children's pain. She has published over 185 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and was identified by the Women's Executive Network as one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women. Her award-winning #ItDoesntHaveToHurt initiative for parents generated over 150 million views worldwide, trended on social media, and was featured in national and international media. She is a leader and innovator in patient engagement, partnerships, and the mobilization of health research.

“Should my kids go back to school?” was the pressing question we addressed during our very first Pandemic Parenting webinar. And unfortunately, many of us are back again asking ourselves the same or similar questions a year later. In-person, at home, or hybrid schooling? Masks or no masks? What is safe or necessary right now?In this episode, Dr. Lindsay Malloy and Dr. Amanda Zelechoski revisit and update their August 2020 conversation about why making decisions during the pandemic has been so hard. Although the answers will be different for every family and we can't tell you what the right decision is for you, there are several concepts, resources, and research studies in psychology that can help us navigate these tough, ongoing decisions.Included in this episode about decision-making:- What is making it especially hard for parents to make decisions during the current pandemic?- What are decision fatigue and mental load? - Are there any tangible tips or strategies that parents can use to try to combat decision fatigue and the cognitive load, and make these big decisions feel more approachable?For more resources check out: https://www.pandemic-parent.org/resources/school-decision-making-during-covid-19

“Let's go outside” took on new importance for families during the pandemic. Supervised school recess and organized sports were canceled in many places leaving parents fully in charge of the children's physical activity. Backyards, driveways, and parks became safer gathering places than meeting indoors, making “going outside” a social benefit in addition to a physical one.In this episode, Dr. Lindsay Malloy talks with Dr. Genevieve Dunton, a psychologist who studies physical activity and nutrition, and Dr. Mariela Alfonzo, an urban design and behavior researcher, to understand how the time we spend in green spaces impacts our mental, physical, and social wellbeing. Listen in to hear how the pandemic has affected children's outdoor time, what inequities exist in who has access to outdoor spaces, how parents can advocate for community green spaces, and advice on how parents can incorporate more outdoor time into their family's day-to-day activities.Included in this episode about being outdoors:- How has the pandemic impacted children's outdoor time?- What are aspects of our physical environment that make families more or less likely to spend time outside?- What does the research say about the mental health benefits to children of being outdoors?- What can parents do to encourage more equitable outdoor spaces in their community?- How can parents encourage more outdoor times for their families?Meet Our Guest Experts:Genevieve Dunton, Ph.D., MPH is a Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences and Psychology at the University of Southern California. She earned a doctorate in Health Psychology from the University of California, Irvine, and a Master of Public Health from the University of Southern California. Dr. Dunton received post-doctoral training in physical activity, nutrition, and cancer prevention from the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Dunton´s research examines health behaviors related to chronic disease risk in children and adults, with a focus on physical activity and nutrition. She is the Director of the USC REACH (Real-Time Eating Activity and Children's Health) Lab, whose goals are to develop, test, and apply real-time data capture methodologies and applications, using smartphones and wearable sensors, to better understand the effects of psychological, social, and environmental factors on eating and physical activity. She is the PI on numerous studies funded by the National Institutes of Health and the American Cancer Society, author of over 170 peer-reviewed publications, and past Chair of the American Public Health Association Physical Activity Section. Dr. Dunton is also past Chair of the National Physical Activity Plan Public Health Sector Committee and a past member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on the Implementation of Physical Activity Surveillance Strategies.Bridging the worlds of academia, practice, and entrepreneurship, Dr. Mariela Alfonzo is an internationally renowned thought-leader and speaker, with 20+ years of experience on the nexus between urban design, behavior, and the quadruple-bottom line. For over two decades, her work has focused on quantifying how the micro-scale aspects of the built environment affect our behaviors, perceptions, and decisions, and in turn, how these impact health, broadly defined to include physical, social, environmental, and fiscal health, to more effectively advocate for better, more spatially equitable urban design. Dr. Alfonzo is the Founder and CEO of State of Place, an AI-driven urban design software startup that helps city-makers make more effective, cost-efficient, and transparent design, planning, and development decisions, which maximize social, health, environmental, and economic value, build community trust, and drive consensus. State of Place helps city-makers harness the power of their street-level urban design data, predictive analytics, and scenario modeling and forecasting tools to create more livable, equitable, sustainable, and economically thriving places. Additionally, in 2014, Dr. Alfonzo was named one of Urban Land Institute's 40 under 40 best young land-use professionals around the globe; is a New Cities Foundation Placemaking Fellow; is a Fulbright Scholar; and a Research Professor at NYU Tandon's School of Engineering. She holds a Ph.D. in urban planning from UC Irvine, as well as a Masters in Urban Planning, and a BA from the University of Miami in psychology and architecture.

The pandemic lockdown brought unique challenges for LGBTQ+ parents and youth. Many LGBTQ+ youth who primarily found support and community outside of the home faced increased isolation. For many parents in same-sex relationships, virtual work and school meant navigating increased visibility into their home lives.Dr. David Langer and Dr. Marissa Peifer join us to share their expertise as psychologists working with LGBTQ+ youth and their own experiences as LGBTQ+ parents during the pandemic. From how to talk with your child about gender and sexuality to advice for advocating for yourself as an LGBTQ+ parent, our guest experts remind us of the power of community, support, and curiosity.

Returning to the workplace after more than a year of working from home poses challenges—and opportunities—for parents and their employers. It's a bit of an understatement to say the pandemic blurred the lines between work and caregiving responsibilities. How can parents redraw these lines now that employers are inviting and, in some cases, requiring them to return to the workplace? Dr. Malissa Clark, Associate Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the University of Georgia, and Christine Robinson, Resource Management Leader for Baker Tilly, join us to discuss how parents can advocate for the work flexibility they need and how employers can proactively support working parents.Included in this episode about returning to the workplace:- How to navigate changes in family routine as you and/or your partner return to the workplace- How to advocate for yourself as you return to work- How do we get back to any sense of work/life balance? How do we manage our workaholism or over-productivity we might have slid into while working from home?- Going forward, how can remote employees continue to differentiate themselves when other colleagues are physically in the office?- How can employers support their employees who are working parents?Thank you to our sponsor, Baker Tilly!Baker Tilly US, LLP (Baker Tilly) is a leading advisory CPA firm that enhances and protects its clients' value. The firm's 4,600 advisory, tax and assurance professionals serve as Value Architects™ who gather the right resources at the right time to solve problems and embrace opportunities.While Baker Tilly delivers a wide array of services to clients and offers many resources to team members, its leaders readily collaborate with other organizations when needed. A recent example includes working with Outschool and Care.com to provide Baker Tilly parents with tools and flexibility to help them with childcare conflicts during the pandemic.Leaders across the firm demonstrate flexibility and acceptance in their behavior, and Baker Tilly encourages and supports team member forums where colleagues can connect, share insights and offer support. One of the most popular forums is its “Parents for Parents” team member network.

Our guest expert, Dr. Erlanger Turner, speaks to some of the emerging research about fathers in the pandemic and answers questions from several of our listeners who identify as fathers from diverse communities. Dr. Turner is a licensed psychologist and an assistant professor of psychology at Pepperdine University. His research focuses on mental health among racial and ethnic communities, access to behavioral health services, cultural competency, and the impact of race-based stress.Included in this episode about fatherhood:- How has the pandemic changed the lives of fathers?- Mothers – and fathers – report mental, physical health declines - American Psychological Association- How has the pandemic changed how children view their fathers/parents?- What are some of the added barriers for fathers from diverse communities this past year especially?- From Jason: “I am concerned with burdening my young child with the weight of racism, but I also feel compelled to provide him with the understanding and the tools to deal with prejudice and to make sure he comes home every day. Do you have any tips/suggestions?”- RESilience - American Psychological Association- From Jesse: “How do we keep from feeling like we failed our kids through this pandemic?”- From a father of a bi-racial son: “How do I avoid projecting my anxiety on my son about the racism he may experience?”About Our Guest: Erlanger A. Turner, Ph.D.Dr. Earl Turner is a licensed psychologist and an assistant professor of psychology at Pepperdine University in the Graduate School of Education and Psychology. His research expertise primarily focuses on mental health among racial and ethnic communities, access to behavioral health services, cultural competency, and the impact of race-based stress. He has published his research in peer-reviewed journals and serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Black Psychology, Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, and The Counseling Psychologist. Dr. Turner is a nationally recognized mental health expert and has been quoted by top media sources including The New York Times, Washington Post, Ebony, Oprah Magazine, NPR, NBC News, and more. He is the author of Mental Health among African Americans: Innovations in Research and Practice and is the Immediate Past-President of the Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice (Division 37 of the American Psychological Association) where he was the 1st Black male to be elected to serve as president. More recently, he founded Therapy for Black Kids, a not-for-profit organization created to help Black parents raise healthy kids in the 21st century.

What makes a “good dad?” How has the pandemic impacted fatherhood? And what pandemic-driven changes should we strive to keep moving forward?In this episode, our hosts, Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and Dr. Lindsay Malloy, are joined by Dr. Michael Lamb, emeritus professor at the University of Cambridge, renowned developmental psychologist, and one of the world's leading experts in fatherhood. They discuss the trust and reliability children need from their parents, what we can learn from other cultures about fatherhood, and why your child needs you to keep being your authentic self.In this episode about fatherhood and attachment:- What does “attachment” refer to in child psychology?- What do we now know about fathers in regards to attachment?- What makes a “good” dad? Are there universal qualities or characteristics?- What about LGBTQ+ families where perhaps neither partner identifies as male or both partners identify as male?- How has the pandemic changed the lives of fathers? Will any of these changes be long lasting?- What sorts of policy changes would help families specifically in terms of fathers and fatherhood coming out of the pandemic?About Our Guest ExpertMichael E Lamb is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Cambridge. He has long focused on the importance of child-parent relationships in diverse family and childcare contexts and on factors that enhance or diminish children's capacities as witnesses, especially of abuse. That work has helped shape the law and practice in relation to post-divorce relationships between children and parents; fostering, adoption, and parenting by LGBTQ+ adults; developmentally appropriate forensic interview techniques; and cross-examination of young victims and witnesses. His research has earned multiple awards, including from the American Psychological Association, Association for Psychological Science, and the Society for Research in Child Development, as well as honorary degrees from the Universities of Goteborg, East Anglia, Abertay, and Montreal. He currently edits the APA journal Psychology, Public Policy, and Law.

When parenting a teenager with mental illness, you're not only supporting your child through the heightened emotions and social pressures of adolescents. You're also faced with the challenge of helping your teenager identify the resources and support they need to manage their mental health.Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Witvoet has spent much of her life struggling with mental illness and now as a writer and mental health advocate, she is committed to sharing her coping skills and story with other young adults. In this bonus episode, she shares three reminders to parents of teenagers who may be facing similar mental health challenges. Plus she performs an original spoken word poem.

So many of us have seen increased fear and anxiety in our children during this pandemic, and we're worried about how our own fear and anxiety might impact our kids.Clinical psychologists and experts in child and adolescent anxiety, Dr. Jill Ehrenreich-May and Dr. Donna Pincus, join us to discuss how we can help our children through fear and anxiety as relates to the pandemic and beyond. They share advice on identifying the signs of anxiety in children and when to seek professional help in treating anxiety in children.In this episode about fear and anxiety in children:- What does anxiety look like in kids, and how does it look different at different ages?- What are some signs that your child has reached concerning levels of fear or anxiety?- In many places, especially in the U.S., things are beginning to open up again. How do we go about talking to our kids about this in ways that will minimize their fear or anxiety?- What do we know about the potential long-term impact of the pandemic on children's development and mental health?- How as a parent, can I know when my child needs additional help?

Parenting, mental health, and how to handle “jalapeño moments.”Dr. Christina Grange returns to discuss the unique challenges parents are facing in the pandemic that impact their mental health. As a researcher and a clinician, Dr. Grange shares preliminary insights from her studies of mental health in non-traditional families, as well as advice on identifying and requesting the support you need from your village or a mental health professional.In this episode about parental mental health:- What is unique about the situation that parents are in during the pandemic and why is it important to focus on their mental health?- What are the factors that are protective and maybe help buffer parents against the stress of this pandemic and what are the factors that may make it worse?- How do we know when we need to find additional help with a mental health professional?About Our Guest: Christina M. Grange, Ph.D.Dr. Christina M. Grange is a clinical psychologist and owner of The Fern Center for Life (Atlanta, Georgia). She is also an associate professor of Psychology at Clayton State University. Her clinical training focused on the well-being and optimal development of young people in the context of their families. Recent research and clinical work have evolved to focus on how to best support African American unmarried parents working to successfully co-parent their child or children. A recent writing related to that work is featured by the National Institute for Diversity. Dr. Grange received her undergraduate and master's degrees from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), prior to receiving her PhD from Virginia Commonwealth University. She completed pre-doctoral training at the University of Illinois – Chicago and post-doctoral training at the University of Georgia's Center for Family Research. These experiences combine to provide a unique perspective for how to use research and adapt related resources to better serve diverse family structures and promote the psychological wellness of communities.

Content Warning: suicide, suicidal ideation. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - USA: 800-273-TALK (8255); The Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 1 833-456-4566We're returning to a live webinar we hosted on January 28, 2021 with guest experts Dr. Elizabeth Cauffman, Dr. Christopher Drapeau, and Laura Sanders Morris. The webinar was moderated by Charlotte Witvoet, a high school student from Indiana. With May being Mental Health Awareness month in the United States, it felt like a good time to revisit this conversation. We appreciated hearing these experts distinguish between normal teen mood changes and more concerning signs of depression, including when it's time to get help for your teen. Plus our teen moderator gave us a reality check about what teens actually think about the strategies discussed.In this episode about teen mental health:- How can parents know when their teen might have crossed a line from being depressed to potentially being suicidal? What should parents do if their child expresses suicidal ideation?- What signs of depression or suicide should we be looking for in our teens? How do we know when to take their comments about suicide seriously?- How do you engage with a teen daily when they're avoiding you or spending all their time in their room?- What do I do if my teen says they're not hungry and won't sit down with us for family meals?- How do parents know when it's pandemic boredom that their teen is experiencing versus something more serious like depression? What are some key signs that parents - or teachers - should be looking out for?Additional resources can be found at https://www.pandemic-parent.org/resources/supporting-teen-mental-health-covid-19#resources

How we talk with children about past events matters. Whether the event was negative, emotional, or even mundane, how we approach these conversations influences the way children process and remember the event. Dr. Angela Evans and Dr. Zoe Klemfuss joined Dr. Lindsay Malloy to dig into the “why” and the “how.” Why is it important to talk with kids about the past? And how do we have these conversations? Together they share research and tips to help you have more engaging and productive conversations with the children in your life.In this episode about “Talking with Kids”:- Why is it important to talk to children about past events, including difficult events? What benefits are there to doing so?- Should parents be worried that bringing up difficult events with children could traumatize them?- “Boston Bomb Attack Triggered PTSD in Local Kids, Study Finds” interview with Dr. Jonathan Comer (NBC News)- The preliminary findings from studies of parents talking with kids about COVID-19.- Is there a right way to bring up a negative or traumatic event in conversation with kids?- How can we encourage children and teens to talk about their emotions?- How much is too much? To what extent should we share our own emotions with our child(ren)?About Our Guests:Angela D. Evans, Ph.D. is a developmental psychologist with a focus on social and cognitive development across the lifespan. Dr. Evans' program of research focuses on how to obtain the most honest, accurate, and detailed reports from children about their experiences and is the Co-Founder of the Canadian Child Interviewing Research Team. Dr. Evans has experience conducting forensic interviews with children in cases of suspected maltreatment and provides training to professionals on how to interview child witnesses.J. Zoe Klemfuss, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Science at the University of California, Irvine with appointments in the Center for Psychology and Law and in the Department of Language Science. She is a developmental psychologist with expertise in questioning children in legal contexts, parent-child conversations about children's experiences, as well as children's narratives and memory for past events more broadly. Much of her work has focused on best practices for talking to children about emotional and stressful experiences.

How do I help my children feel more secure when I don't have the answers? In this second part of a two-part series on trauma-informed parenting, Dr. Amanda Zelechoski speaks with Dr. Julian Ford about why the pandemic has been so hard for parents, especially parents who are essential workers or work in healthcare, and what it means to be a trauma-informed parent.Julian D. Ford, Ph.D., A.B.P.P. is a board certified clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychiatry and Law at the University of Connecticut where he directs two Treatment and Services Adaptation Centers in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network: the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice and the Center for the Treatment of Developmental Trauma Disorders. Dr. Ford is past President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. He has published more than 250 articles and book chapters and is the author or editor of 10 books, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, 2nd Edition; Treating Complex Trauma: A Sequenced, Relationship-Based Approach, 2nd Edition; Treating Complex Traumatic Stress Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Scientific Foundations and Therapeutic Models; and Critical Moments: Transforming Crises into Turning Points in Psychotherapy. Dr. Ford is the Principal Investigator for the national Developmental Trauma Disorder Field trial research study, and developed and has conducted randomized clinical trial and effectiveness studies with the Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET©) model for youths and adults with developmental trauma histories and complex PTSD.

What is trauma? How do I know if my child is traumatized by the pandemic? Dr. Amanda Zelechoski sits down with Dr. Jen Serico to discuss the concept of trauma, what it looks like when a child is traumatized, how that is different from general stress, and when your child might need additional support.Jennifer M. Serico, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist specializing in child and adolescent trauma. Dr. Serico conducts independent research and provides evidence-based treatment, trauma-informed evaluations, and supervision at the Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Her research interests include evaluating the effectiveness of evidence-based practices in community settings to reduce trauma symptoms and identifying and addressing mediating factors such chronic stress and parent mental health.Learn more about topics and resources mentioned in this episode:Kennedy Krieger Institute - Center for Child and Family Traumatic StressThe Importance of Play for Kids During COVID-19 by Amanda Zelechoski (Zulily)Parent-Child Interaction TherapyDo You Suffer From 'Revenge Bedtime Procrastination'? Here's How To Tell. by Stephanie Barnes (HuffPost)Self-Care for Parents – A Complete COVID 19 Parenting Guide by Dr. Lindsay Malloy (Zulily)

Co-founders of Pandemic Parenting, Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and Dr. Lindsay Malloy, share some of the best research and advice they've held onto during the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss how their mindsets have changed to embrace “good enough” parenting and how we can acknowledge the loss of the past year and the growth that comes hand-in-hand with it.Learn more about topics and resources mentioned in this episode:Building Resilience: Webinar Recording & Resources with Dr. Bruce Perry (Pandemic Parenting)What do our children need right now? with Dr. Bruce Perry (Pandemic Parenting)Oprah and Dr. Bruce Perry at SXSW EduThe Positives & Negatives of Screen Time During a Pandemic with Dr. Jonathan S. Comer, Dr. Sheri Madigan, and Dr. Brae Ann McArthurHow the Pandemic is Impacting Working Moms with Dr. Amy Knopf and Dr. Jessica Calarco (Pandemic Parenting)What parents are saying about us: Jesus from California (Pandemic Parenting)Supporting Teen Mental Health During COVID-19 with Dr. Elizabeth Cauffman, Dr. Christopher Drapeau, and Laura Sanders Morris (Pandemic Parenting)“A Manifesto Against Parenting” by Alison Gopnik (The Wall Street Journal)The Pandemic Parenting Dance: Why Parents Are So Exhausted by Dr. Amanda Zelechoski (Zulily)To School or Not to School: Making Decisions in the Time of COVID-19 with Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and Dr. Lindsay Malloy (Pandemic Parenting)Decision Fatigue: Neurosequential Network Stress and Trauma Series by Dr. Bruce Perry5 Brain-Informed Tips for Pandemic Decision Making by Dr. Jennifer A. King (Medium)Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue? by John Tierney (The New York Times)Untamed by Glennon DoyleReimagining the Holidays: Making Memories During a Pandemic with Dr. Robyn Fivush (Pandemic Parenting)Visit www.pandemic-parent.org to learn more about Pandemic Parenting.

Co-founders of Pandemic Parenting, Dr. Lindsay Malloy and Dr. Amanda Zelechoski, are two psychologists, scholars, and moms who share science-based resources and insights to help all who care for children navigate this pandemic, together.After hosting a series of live webinars since Summer 2020, Lindsay and Amanda are excited to launch The Pandemic Parenting Podcast. In the spirit of our previous webinars, you can expect the same level of engaging conversations with experts in the field of psychology, child development, mental health, and trauma speaking to the pressing parenting questions we all have—but now with the added convenience of listening while you're on the go.Follow "The Pandemic Parenting Podcast" wherever you listen to podcasts.