I welcome Lauren Smith, a former educator and current nationally certified school psychologist to talk about how and why our American school system needs to change. From testing to the lack of resources to mental health — there’s so much to unpack.
We discuss:
Limitations to American school system education
How the school system is failing our chi ... Show More
Feb 4
Parenting Like It’s 1996 in a 2026 World
In this solo episode, I reflect on how parenting has changed since the 90s, and not always for the better. This episode is not about going backward or rejecting progress. It is about blending what we know now about emotions and development with what used to work well, giving kids ... Show More
20m 56s
Feb 2
The Follow-Up: Baby Won't Stop Crying
In this Follow-Up episode, Dr. Mona revisits one of the most stressful early parenting experiences, an inconsolable newborn. She breaks down what colic actually means, why the label is often misunderstood, and how to tell the difference between normal newborn fussiness and signs ... Show More
13m 15s
Sep 2023
“I Didn’t Know What the Word Burnout Meant”: One Teacher’s Mental Health Journey
The public school system in the U.S. lost at least 300,000 public school teachers and administrators between February 2020 and May 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Post-pandemic, some of that strain has abated, but many of the underlying causes for quitting, bur ... Show More
35m 2s
Jul 2023
Kids are missing too much school. How do we get them back?
Before the pandemic, about 8 million U.S. students were considered chronically absent during the school year. Now, that number has doubled. Students who are chronically absent often have lower test scores, fall behind, or even drop out at higher rates than others. Which students ... Show More
25m 48s