Even under the best of circumstances, the decision to end a marriage is often painful and always complicated - and even more so when kids are involved. Today on ParentData, writer and social worker Miranda Featherstone delves into the endless choices that accompany divorce, including making the initial decision, what it means to share your kids, what (and how much) to tell them, and other ways of thinking about the emotional and logistical aftershocks of making the right choice for yourself. Ple...
Oct 19, 2023•41 min
You probably remember peanut butter being everywhere when you were a kid: commercials, birthday parties, packed in your school lunchbox. Now peanuts are notable for their absence. What accounts for such a dramatic change in such a short amount of time? When did something so commonplace become so high-risk? Dr. Gideon Lack led the study that aimed to understand what happened. Today on ParentData, he explains the precipitous rise in peanut allergies over the last twenty years, our own unfortunate ...
Oct 05, 2023•47 min
Kids today face an unprecedented pressure to succeed, and it's pushing their mental health, and their families, to a breaking point. Today on ParentData, journalist Jennifer Breheny Wallace explains her research in her bestselling book, " Never Enough ," how we got here, how these problems exist across both class and culture, and how we can combat this pressure by simply allowing our kids to matter as much as we already know they do. Subscribe to ParentData.org for ad-free podcast episodes, hund...
Sep 21, 2023•40 min
Becoming a parent is transformative. It is also terrifying. From conception and pregnancy onwards, you’re handed a new set of rules to follow with little explanation of the reasons or risks. For each decision, you want to do the “right” thing — but how, with conflicting advice from all directions? For the past decade, Emily Oster has been a guide through the biggest decisions and most challenging moments of pregnancy and parenthood by translating the latest scientific research. ParentData brings...
Sep 14, 2023•2 min
I’m thrilled to share the audio from an event we held earlier this month to mark the 10-year anniversary of my first book, Expecting Better . It was hosted by Dr. Sara Readon (also known as The Vagina Whisperer) and we were joined by Amy Schumer, who helped put the book on the map. We also announced my new book, The Unexpected , which is coming out next spring! ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read...
Jul 31, 2023•50 min
I spoke with Dr. Anupam Jena, known as Bapu, who hosts the podcast Freakonomics, MD , about his new book, Random Acts of Medicine , written jointly with Dr. Christopher Worsham. The book is out this week, and after you listen here, I highly recommend you pick it up. ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast. Want more on data, preg...
Jul 13, 2023•37 min•Ep. 77
Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman is a PhD student at Harvard in economics and public policy. Last year, she edited The Black Agenda: Bold Solutions for a Broken System , which features Black scholars and experts across economics, education, health, climate, criminal justice, and technology. This week, the book is out in paperback. In honor of this, she and I connected to chat about two of the chapters — on education for Black girls and representation in children’s books. ParentData relaunched in Septemb...
Jun 12, 2023•35 min•Ep. 76
When I do my weekly Q&A on Instagram (@profemilyoster), I get a lot of questions about running. Rather than interrupt the parenting content, we thought we’d collect those separately and put them in podcast form. And then I convinced Laura Green to ask the questions. If you do not follow Laura on Instagram, she puts out very funny running comedy; it is seriously the best. So: if you like running and parenting and discussions of the pelvic floor, please give this one a listen. ParentData relau...
May 25, 2023•39 min•Ep. 75
I heard about Virginia Sole-Smith’s new book, Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture , a few months ago and was so excited I immediately insisted on reading it and interviewing her. I’m a big fan of Virginia’s — she is a journalist, an author, a podcaster, the writer of the excellent Substack newsletter Burnt Toast , and a mom. Her new book is about kids and weight and food, and I think it is an absolute must-read for all parents, especially for that moment when your child asks, “Does th...
Apr 24, 2023•29 min•Ep. 74
I speak with Megan Nix about her book Remedies for Sorrow , in which she recounts her journey with her daughter, Anna, who was born with congenital CMV. I would highly recommend the book, which is a combination of informative and deeply affecting. ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast. Want more on data, pregnancy, and parentin...
Apr 17, 2023•27 min•Ep. 73
I’m finishing out Black Maternal Health Week with an interview with Erica Chidi — writer, entrepreneur, doula, and more. We talk about issues around Black maternal health, maternal health in general, and possible solutions. ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast. Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the Pare...
Apr 14, 2023•31 min•Ep. 72
I’m excited to be joined today by Kelly Fradin, who wrote a new book called Advanced Parenting: Advice for Helping Kids Through Diagnoses, Differences, and Mental Health Challenges . I think this book is a must-read for any parent struggling with a complicated parenting problem. And as Kelly describes in this conversation, it’s also a book for every parent, since all of us face the challenges of advocating for our kids at one point or another. Her book is full of tools and resources that will he...
Apr 05, 2023•23 min•Ep. 71
A bonus episode where Emily answers your personal questions about her journey with pregnancy and parenting — thanks for sending in so many great questions on Instagram at @profemilyoster! ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast. Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the ParentData newsletter for free at parent...
Mar 22, 2023•23 min
Today’s episode is an audio recording from one of my recent appearances in Montclair, New Jersey. It was an amazing night. I was so lucky to be joined by Hillary, who asked me some really thoughtful, smart questions about my book The Family Firm and my work on parenting. If you don’t know her, Hillary is the creator of the podcasts The Longest Shortest Time and Here Lies Me and author of the book Weird Parenting Wins . ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the ear...
Mar 15, 2023•44 min
I am thrilled to feature an interview with Majka Burhardt, a professional ice climber (seriously) and the author of a new book called More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood , which is a really raw, gripping book about the first years of parenthood. It’s a book that I had a hard time putting down, even when it pulled me back into the uncertainties and fears of the beginning of parenting. ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the p...
Mar 06, 2023•27 min•Ep. 70
A bonus episode where Emily answers your personal questions about her career and more — thanks for sending in so many great questions on Instagram at @profemilyoster! ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast. Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the ParentData newsletter for free at parentdata.org....
Jan 25, 2023•21 min•Ep. 69
I am thrilled to feature an interview with two professional women runners, Lauren Fleshman and Molly Huddle. Lauren has a new book out tomorrow called Good for a Girl , which is the impetus for our interview, and we’ll also talk about Molly’s book How She Did It from last spring. We talk about running, but I promise this is really a conversation about postpartum and post-puberty and finding a way to excel in male-dominated spaces and tons of other stuff. It’s a good listen even if you do not lov...
Jan 09, 2023•34 min•Ep. 67
A bonus episode where Emily answers your personal questions about her marriage and more — thanks for sending in so many great questions on Instagram at @profemilyoster! ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast. Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the ParentData newsletter for free at parentdata.org....
Dec 20, 2022•18 min
I am absolutely delighted to feature an interview with two amazing authors. Jessica Grose is the author of the just-released book “Screaming on the Inside : The Unsustainability of American Motherhood ,” and Yael Schonbrun is a clinical psychologist and an assistant professor at Brown (my colleague!) and the author of the new book “ Work, Parent, Thrive .” ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read tran...
Dec 08, 2022•30 min•Ep. 62
I talked to writer Marnie Hanel on her new, incredibly beautiful book about packing lunch boxes for your kids. When this book was first brought to my attention, I scoffed. I am nothing if not a hater of high-pressure lunch packing for children. However: I was convinced to consider the book by the fact that one of my children’s lunch boxes came back pretty much uneaten most days. ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our arch...
Oct 24, 2022•29 min•Ep. 50
I did this interview on Instagram Live with Dr. Liza Aguiar. Liza is a pediatric urologist and when we asked you to submit questions for her, you sent us hundreds. In this conversation, we were able to dive deep into some of your questions about circumcisions, daytime potty training, nighttime potty training and bedwetting, and her real thoughts about Miralax. ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read ...
Sep 28, 2022•26 min
I'm releasing a talk that I gave at this year’s SXSW EDU conference. It is my hope that everything I write gives you more confidence talking about data and bringing it into your decision-making. This talk focuses on what we can (and cannot) learn from data and how to use it in our everyday lives. If you've ever wondered what it's like as one of my students at Brown University, here's a peek into that. ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of th...
Sep 21, 2022•45 min
An interview with social worker and writer Miranda Featherstone on eggs, sperm, and sex ed. How can you discuss sex and where babies come from with your kids in a way that works for you and works for them? ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast. Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the ParentData newsletter ...
Sep 12, 2022•29 min•Ep. 38
We’re heading into back-to-school week in my neck of the woods, and in honor of that, we have an interview with education expert Michael Horn about his new book, From Reopen to Reinvent: (Re)Creating School for Every Child. ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of our episodes at parentdata.org/podcast. Want more on data, pregnancy, and parenting? Subscribe to the Pare...
Aug 29, 2022•26 min•Ep. 34
After the horrifying events in Uvalde, many people wrote to ask about guns, about their child’s safety, about what they could do. I didn’t think I had the expertise to talk about this, but I thought immediately of Megan Ranney. She’s a practicing emergency physician, Academic Dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University, and a longtime researcher on sticky social problems, including violence, mental health, and technology. She’s also a friend, and I was very grateful she agreed to com...
Jul 11, 2022•26 min•Ep. 21
I interviewed Dr. Sara Reardon, The Vagina Whisperer, who talks on Instagram and online about all the pelvic floor issues that we just do not talk about enough. And I’ve got her here to discuss what’s normal and what’s not, and how important it is for everyone to be aware of their pelvic health (and get help when they need it). ParentData relaunched in September 2023. Please enjoy this episode of the earlier version of the podcast from our archives. You can read transcripts and listen to all of ...
Apr 12, 2022•22 min
