Hey everyone, welcome back to the show. It's Dr. Mona and welcome to this series called The Follow Up,

where we revisit a listener favorite in less time, then it takes your kid to finish their math homework and ask,

do I really need to know this in real life? Recently, I shared a post on my social media channels that

got a lot of love and attention. I said, can we replace the perfect attendance award with a kind kid award already?

Because coming to school sick or skipping a mental health day doesn't deserve applause.

But including others, sharing lunch with someone who's hungry, and standing up to bullying, absolutely does.

And it was a shared post from somebody else.

Now, some people reminded me, Fairpoint, that attendance is tied to school funding for many public schools. But what I can't

shake is this bigger question. What are we teaching kids when we reward showing up over slowing down

when they need it? When we praise compliance, competition, and metrics over creativity,

connection, and rest. If you saw my post today on my social media channel, I talked about

how the American school system is shaping kids to fit into corporate America and what we

lose in the process, creativity, freedom, and appreciation for different kinds of thinking. In this episode,

I sat down with Lauren Smith, a former educator and now a nationally certified school psychologist

to unpack how the American school system is fueling anxiety and burnout in our kids and what real

change could look like. We talk about testing overload, the pressure to perform, and why even

five-year-olds are being measured like many adults. It's a conversation that'll make you rethink

what success in school should mean. And if this episode resonates, make sure you download it,

tag at the Pete Stock Talk podcast and at Pete's Doc Talk and share your thoughts because this is a conversation

every parent needs to be a part of.

One concern I've always had and I don't know if you agree or again, you can disagree with me

completely if you want, is the testing system in American school system.

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