The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

In this episode, Dr. Mona and special education lawyer Amanda Selogie dive into the critical role of early intervention in childhood development. They break down the realities families face today, including navigating insurance, dealing with staff shortages, and facing lengthy evaluation waitlists. They emphasize how accessing developmental support early lays the foundation for inclusive education. This ensures children of all abilities have an equal opportunity to thrive alongside their peers when entering the school system.

We discuss:

Defining Early Intervention: Amanda Selogie explains how services support babies and preschoolers with developmental delays or specific diagnoses before they enter the school system.

Cost and Coverage: The guests discuss how initial developmental evaluations are typically free through state agencies, while ongoing therapy services can sometimes carry out-of-pocket costs or insurance copays.

Systemic Roadblocks: The conversation addresses how pandemic-related burnout has caused severe provider shortages and extensive waitlists, particularly affecting families in rural areas.

Kindergarten Readiness: Dr. Mona and Amanda highlight how early support prevents children from falling behind behaviorally and being prematurely excluded from general education classrooms.

Inclusive Education: The episode concludes by showcasing how fully integrated classrooms foster empathy and lifelong acceptance among all children.

Want more? Listen to the full, original episode.

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Shop Dr. Mona’s favorite products: https://shopmy.us/shop/pedsdoctalk (paid link)

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

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

Have you ever uttered the phrase, "Don't worry, kids are resilient"? It’s a line meant to comfort us as adults, but what if it’s actually giving us permission to skip over our kids' real struggles?

In this episode, I sit down with children's therapist and author Stacy Schaffer to dismantle the massive misconceptions around childhood coping and resilience. Stacy shares her own powerful story of navigating a traumatic childhood under the guise of being the "perfect, shiny" kid , and explains why our well-behaved children might actually be suffering in silence.

In this episode we cover:

What "kids are resilient" really means, and why we overuse it

The difference between true resilience and just shutting down

Why the well behaved, easy kid might actually be a red flag worth paying attention to

What perfectionism can be a sign of, and why it is not the goal

The one thing research shows can change a kid's whole trajectory

How to actually support your kid without fixing or minimizing what they feel

Stacy's own story of being labeled resilient, and what she wishes had been different

Connect with Stacy Schaffer on Instagram @hoperestored, visit her site https://stacyschaffer.com/ and buy her new book: https://go.shopmy.us/p-69552166 (paid link)

Check out her new course: Staying Connected to Your Kids in a Digital World. www.stacyschaffer.com/workshop

00:00:00 - The Danger of the "Kids Are Resilient" Myth

00:02:16 - Meet Child Therapist Stacy Schaffer

00:04:24 - Why Adults Overuse the Word "Resiliency"

00:06:53 - Rescue Parenting vs. Building Real Resilience

00:08:39 - True Resilience: You Don't Have to Do It Alone

00:12:12 - Stacy's Personal Story: "Shiny" Coping vs. Safe Containers

00:14:38 - Destigmatizing Therapy & Embracing Imperfect Parenting

00:18:14 - Red Flags: Is Your "Good Kid" Coping in Isolation?

00:23:38 - The Power of Being Seen: Stop Fixing, Start Listening

00:29:26 - Restoring Hope for the Next Generation

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Shop Dr. Mona’s favorite products: https://shopmy.us/shop/pedsdoctalk (paid link)

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

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

So many moms feel they must always be gentle, patient, and nurturing. When intense irritability, sudden anger, or rage bubbles up during pregnancy or the postpartum period, it’s easy to suffer in silence out of fear of judgment. Dr. Mona and Dr. Ashurina pull back the curtain on why parental rage happens, how to recognize the clinical signs of a flooded nervous system, and why getting help early—before reaching a crisis point—is the best thing you can do for yourself and your family.

Here are the key takeaways from this episode:

Perinatal Rage is Wrapped in Shame: Many mothers suffer in silence because societal expectations dictate that moms should always be gentle, patient, and nurturing, making it incredibly difficult to admit to feeling intense anger or rage.

It Can Start During Pregnancy: Mood shifts and anxiety during the perinatal period are often incorrectly dismissed as "just hormones," but symptoms of depression, anxiety, and rage can actively begin during pregnancy.

Depression Doesn't Always Look Like Sadness: Perinatal and postpartum depression can manifest as extreme irritability, hostility, snapping, and yelling over minor incidents rather than just tearfulness or isolation.

Driven by Overstimulation and Unmet Needs: Rage is rarely a standalone issue; it is typically a combination of extreme sleep deprivation, sensory burnout, and unmet basic needs like adequate nutrition, rest, or feeling seen and validated.

Don't Wait for a Crisis to Get Help: You do not need to be in an absolute crisis to benefit from mental health support; seeking out a therapist early makes navigating care much easier and helps you recover before reaching a breaking point.

Want more? Listen to the full, original episode.

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Shop Dr. Mona’s favorite products: https://shopmy.us/shop/pedsdoctalk (paid link)

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

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

Have you read all the parenting books, followed the expert social media accounts, and known exactly what you want to say to your child—only to find yourself frustrated and yelling in the heat of the moment? You are not alone.

In this episode, I welcome back licensed therapist, author, and crowd-favorite social media follower, Dr. Cassidy Freitas. Together, we take the shame out of "mom rage" and explore the painful gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it when it matters most. Dr. Cassidy dives into the core concepts of her new book, Mom Needs a Moment, explaining how our childhood "rulebooks," sensory overload, and a lack of societal "margins" trigger our nervous systems into survival mode. Tune in to learn how to catch your triggers, build a buffer between stimulus and reaction, and use the ultimate parenting superpower: the power of repair.

In this episode, we cover:


The deep shame mothers face when they know the right parenting techniques but still find themselves yelling in moments of frustration.


How Dr. Cassidy pulled together a decade of clinical themes and personal experiences as a mother of three to write her new book, Mom Needs a Moment.


How childhood survival "rulebooks" and an overstimulated nervous system cause parents to default to reactive habits like fight, flight, or freeze.


The desperate need for modern parents to consciously protect empty "margins" of space on their calendars to regulate their bodies outside of stressful moments.


A powerful look at how breaking generational cycles allows parents to build a lasting emotional legacy for future generations.

Connect with Dr. Cassidy Freitas on Instagram @drcassidy, visit her site https://www.drcassidymft.com/ and buy her new book: https://go.shopmy.us/p-69435027 (paid link)

Check out our earlier episode on EMDR: https://pedsdoctalk.com/podcast/trauma-therapy-why-you-may-need-emdr/ 

00:00 - Introduction & The Parenting Gap

01:54 - EMDR Therapy & Processing Motherhood

03:49 - A Psychic Medium's Prediction & Toxic Perfectionism

06:33 - Impact vs. Notoriety

08:55 - How the Book Got Its Title

11:31 - The Overstimulated Digital Parenting Era

13:40 - Why Do We Snap? (The Survival Rulebook)

19:57 - Dr. Mona’s Instagram Troll Trigger

22:59 - Why Insight Alone Isn't Enough to Change Behavior

24:42 - What Are Margins? (Before, During, & After)

32:50 - The Chocolate Popsicle Story

37:46 - The Power of a Child Expecting Repair

42:20 - ADHD, Hyperfocus, and Managing Interruptions

43:53 - Breaking Generational Cycles Without Blame

49:27 - Reclaiming Your Intuition

52:24 - Building Legacy & Finding Joy

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

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

I'll be honest with you - this episode hit differently for me as a mom. My son is six and learning Spanish in school, and my parents speak our native language with him, but listening back to this conversation with Alicia made me wish we had been more intentional from the start. No guilt though... just real talk about what the research actually says.

Alicia Gandhi is a bilingual speech language pathologist and clinical assistant professor at NYU, and she is the person you want in your corner when it comes to separating fact from fiction on raising kids with multiple languages. There are so many myths floating around out there, from pediatricians, from teachers, from well-meaning family members, and we break them all down.

In this episode we cover:

The real cognitive benefits of raising bilingual and multilingual kids (hint: it goes way beyond language)

Why code switching and mixing languages is not confusion - it is actually a sign your child is doing exactly what they should be

The milestone myth: bilingual kids are not on a different developmental timeline

Why you should speak your strongest language at home, even if it is not English

The harmful practice of "forced monolingualism" and who it hurts most

Whether kids with language delays or disabilities can still be raised multilingual (spoiler: yes)

What happens when kids enter a new language environment like daycare or school

Want more? Listen to the full, original episode.

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Shop Dr. Mona's favorite products: ⁠https://shopmy.us/shop/pedsdoctalk⁠ (paid link)

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

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