Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek & Dr. Roberta Golinkoff on Why Kids Learn Best Through Play
The Mom Room
Renee Reina & Podcast Nation
4.8 • 602 Ratings
🗓️ 27 January 2026
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ep574. Renee is joined by developmental psychologists Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Dr. Roberta Golinkoff to unpack why modern parenting has become so overwhelming — and why kids don’t need flashcards, apps, or pressure to thrive. Drawing from decades of research and their new book Einstein Never Used Flashcards, they challenge the myth that “earlier is better,” explain why play and human connection matter more than gadgets, and share practical, low-stress ways to support learning through everyday moments. It’s a refreshing, research-backed reminder that joyful, child-led parenting isn’t just easier — it’s better for kids and parents alike.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This podcast is brought to you by Podcast Nation. |
| 0:13.5 | Okay, Dr. Kathy, Dr. Roberta, welcome to the mom room. |
| 0:18.5 | Hey. |
| 0:18.8 | It is a pleasure to be here. |
| 0:21.5 | Thank you. My first, first of all, I love the mom room. It is a pleasure to be here. Thank you. |
| 0:25.9 | First of all, I love the title of your new book. |
| 0:26.8 | It's perfect. |
| 0:32.4 | And I was at the gym earlier and I was like, oh yeah, I have a recording at 2 p.m. |
| 0:34.7 | And everyone's like, oh, who are you talking to? |
| 0:42.4 | And I was like, these two doctors, the name of the book is Einstein didn't use splash cards. I was like so excited to tell people the title. |
| 0:48.0 | Thank you. Keep doing it. Keep doing it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Showed it from the rooftops. Yeah, right, right. What was the research finding or like the moment where you realized a book like this needed to exist. |
| 0:57.7 | We felt bad for parents. |
| 1:00.1 | I mean, if you've been around parents today, oh my gosh. |
| 1:05.1 | I mean, it's like all these places are telling parents to try to micromanage at a CEO level that's insanity. |
| 1:15.1 | And we owe it to parents as scientists to help people find joy in parenting. |
| 1:21.6 | It's a lot of work. |
| 1:23.1 | But, guys, it's a lot of joy. |
| 1:25.1 | Do you see that in your practice, like parents struggling with that? |
| 1:29.6 | Yes. |
| 1:30.5 | But you know, we are not clinical psychologists. |
| 1:34.6 | We are professors. |
| 1:35.8 | I'm at the University of Delaware and Kathy's at Temple. |
... |
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