Data-Driven Parenting: Finding Balance in Information Overload

The PedsDocTalk Podcast

Dr. Mona Amin

Medicine, Health & Fitness, Kids & Family, Parenting

5 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 2 April 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What does it really mean to parent with data—and how do you do it without losing your mind? Let’s unpack the power and pitfalls of data-driven parenting in a world full of misinformation and clickbait. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by studies, headlines, or trying to “do it right,” this episode will bring clarity, nuance, and a whole lot of reassurance. Today, I’m joined by Emily Oster, an economist and NYT best-selling author, to discuss: How data can guide parenting decisions—without demanding perfection or causing overwhelm. Ways to navigate conflicting research, misinformation, and fear-based headlines in today’s media landscape. Practical tips for building data literacy, knowing when to seek evidence, and trusting your instincts as a parent. To connect with Emily Oster follow her on Instagram @profemilyoster and check out all her resources at parentdata.org 00:00 – Introduction to Emily Oster 02:49 – How Emily Got Started in Parenting Data 04:16 – The Promise and Limits of Data-Driven Parenting 07:02 – Sleep, Solids, and the Complexity of Parenting Choices 08:08 – Honesty About Data Limitations 09:02 – When the Data Doesn’t Exist 10:09 – Media Panic & Screen Time Headlines 11:27 – Building Data Literacy as a Parent 13:32 – The Rise of Pseudoscience & Misinformation 14:55 – How to Tell If a Study Is Legitimate 16:28 – Parasite Cleanses & Misused Studies 19:03 – Competing With Clickbait 22:27 – Vaccine Conversations & Honest Health Communication 24:25 – The Hope for a Nuanced Future 27:01 – How to Stay Informed Without Overwhelm 29:00 – Parenting as a Process of Figuring It Out 30:08 – What Really Feels Overwhelming 33:08 – Trusting Lived Experience Over Data Alone 34:12 – The Search for Certainty vs. Embracing the Mess 35:48 – You’re Not Going to Mess Up Your Kid 37:59 – Closing & Where to Find Emily We’d like to know who is listening! Please fill out our Listener Survey to help us improve the show and learn about you! Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and subscribe to PedsDocTalk. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships page of the website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I think sometimes when people ask the question, what does the data say?
0:03.5	Yeah.
0:04.5	What they're actually asking is like what's right?
0:07.5	Yes.
0:08.5	Like and and your sort of answer back of like, well, that's not, there isn't a right.
0:15.5	Like there isn't, I mean, there could be a right for you.
0:17.5	There's a, but like there isn't, I think people are sometimes sort of looking at this data
0:21.7	question with the expectation that it will deliver some certainty and that that's what I want
0:26.1	is to sort of know I did it, right?
0:27.9	And it's hard to be like, well, we have a little, you know, here are some kind of things
0:31.8	we could say from evidence about the world.
0:34.2	But ultimately, the choice is something you have to kind of think about what works for you, which is daunting because how can you be sure if that's right? You can't be sure
0:41.4	if that's right. Yeah. Part of the magic. Welcome to the Pedsdoc Talk podcast. I'm Dr. Mona,
0:48.1	your trusted pediatrician, confidant, and mom friend. And today's episode is one every parent who's
0:54.0	ever gone down. An internet
0:55.7	rabbit hole needs to hear. If you've ever been caught in a spiral of conflicting parenting
1:00.8	advice, scary headlines, or new studies that leave you wondering if you're doing everything wrong,
1:06.5	this episode is for you. I'm joined by Emily Oster, economist, best-selling author of
1:11.8	Expecting Better, Cribsheet, the family firm, and The Unexpected, and creator of the Parent Data.
1:17.7	She's all about cutting through the noise and helping parents make confident decisions
1:22.3	using data and not drama. We're diving into how to spot misinformation, what to do with conflicting research,
1:29.1	and how to actually trust yourself in a world full of noise. Whether it's your first time
	...

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