Educated Parent: Evidence-Based Parenting Tips to Solve Everyday Parenting Problems

We hear people say things like, “He’s so OCD” or “I’m so OCD” all the time. But what does OCD actually look like in a child? And how can you tell when your child simply likes things a certain way versus when their behavior might be driven by something more serious?
In this episode of Educated Parent, I’m joined by psychologist Dr. Chad Brandt, who specializes in treating severe OCD in children and adolescents. Dr. Brandt is trained in the Bergen four-day treatment for OCD and has been providing full-day intensive treatment since 2020. We talk about how ordinary routines and repetitive behavior can differ from OCD, the warning signs parents should pay attention to, and why understanding parenting and child development can help us avoid both over-pathologizing normal behavior and overlooking a child who needs support. It’s exactly the kind of nuanced conversation I want more parenting podcasts to have.
In this episode, we cover:
What OCD in children actually looks like and how obsessions, compulsions, fear, and interference with daily life fit together
How to distinguish normal childhood preferences and repetitive behavior from rituals that are driven by anxiety or fear
Why Dr. Chad Brandt looks at how much time OCD consumes when considering the severity of a child's symptoms
How letting children experience manageable discomfort instead of immediately fixing it connects parenting and child development with building confidence and resilience

If you're sorting through repetitive behavior and wondering whether it's simply part of your child's personality or could be OCD in children, this conversation with Dr. Chad Brandt can help you know what to watch for and when to seek an expert evaluation. Among parenting podcasts, I hope Educated Parent can give you the evidence-based information you need to feel more confident navigating parenting and child development when your child is struggling.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
International OCD Foundation Website

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CONNECT WITH DR. CHAD BRANDT:
Website

Have you ever felt completely touched out by the end of the day, but guilty for wanting your child to just stop touching you? I want you to know that needing physical space doesn't make you a bad parent, and setting limits around your body isn't harmful to your child.
In this episode of Educated Parent, I'm talking about why parenting boundaries around physical touch are not only okay, but important for our kids to learn. I'll explain why I don't believe children need unlimited access to our bodies in order to regulate, how setting limits teaches bodily autonomy and consent, and why respectful parenting means that your comfort and safety matter, too. I'm also sharing practical parenting tips you can use when your child climbs on you, pulls your hair, jumps on you, or keeps touching you after you've had enough.
In this episode, I cover:
Why being touched out is a valid reason to set limits around how and when your child touches you
How parenting boundaries teach your child about bodily autonomy, consent, personal space, and respecting other people's bodies
How respectful parenting includes modeling that everyone, including parents, gets to decide how their body is touched
My practical parenting tips for clearly explaining a boundary, offering your child an alternative, following through when they ignore the limit, and praising them when they respect it
How setting limits when you're touched out can help your child learn other ways to regulate instead of always relying on another person's body
Why practicing parenting boundaries at home can help kids understand personal space and physical safety with friends, teachers, and other people

You don't have to sacrifice your own physical comfort to be a loving parent. These parenting tips are about using respectful parenting to teach your child that their body matters, other people's bodies matter, and everyone deserves to have their boundaries respected. So if you're feeling touched out, remember that setting clear parenting boundaries can be good for you, good for your child, and good for your relationship.

LET'S CONNECT:
Thriving Child Center
PCIT Experts
Calm and Connected Program
Instagram
Love having expert tips you can actually use? Join our newsletter and get a beautifully designed PDF of each episode’s top 3 takeaways—delivered straight to your inbox every week.
Are you a provider? Subscribe here for professional insights and parenting resources!
Have a parenting question or a topic you'd love to hear on the podcast? Submit your question here!

Getting your child to eat vegetables can turn dinner into a nightly power struggle. You serve the broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower; your child refuses, and suddenly you're negotiating over every bite. If you've ever wondered how to get kids to eat vegetables without making everyone miserable, registered dietitian Jennifer Anderson of Kids Eat in Color has a surprisingly simple approach.
In this episode of Educated Parent, I talk with Jennifer about taking the pressure, guilt, and morality out of feeding kids. We discuss why picky eaters often become even more resistant when they sense pressure, what healthy eating for kids can look like without forcing bites, and practical parenting tips that can make dinner feel more relaxed and connected.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why learning how to get kids to eat vegetables starts with letting go of the idea that your success as a parent depends on what your child eats
Why telling picky eaters they "have to try it" can actually make them more resistant to unfamiliar foods
Why modeling the behavior you want is one of the simplest parenting tips you can try at dinner tonight
Why laughter, jokes, and connection at the dinner table can support a less stressful approach to healthy eating for kids

You don't need another complicated dinner strategy or a new way to convince your child to take "just one bite." Jennifer's approach to how to get kids to eat vegetables is about changing the environment instead of controlling the outcome. These parenting tips can help you take the pressure off picky eaters while building a more positive approach to healthy eating for kids - one toothpick, laugh, and low-pressure meal at a time.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Feed Them Well by Jennifer Anderson

LET'S CONNECT:
Thriving Child Center
PCIT Experts
Calm and Connected Program
Instagram
Love having expert tips you can actually use? Join our newsletter and get a beautifully designed PDF of each episode’s top 3 takeaways—delivered straight to your inbox every week.
Are you a provider? Subscribe here for professional insights and parenting resources!
Have a parenting question or a topic you'd love to hear on the podcast? Submit your question here!

CONNECT WITH JENNIFER ANDERSON:
Website
Instagram
TikTok

Parenting has always been demanding, but what happens when you suddenly feel more anxious, irritable, overwhelmed, or forgetful than you used to? For many moms, these changes can feel like a personal failure when they may actually be perimenopause symptoms. And because we don't talk nearly enough about hormone changes in women, it can be difficult to recognize what's really going on.
In this episode, I talk with reproductive psychiatrist Elisabeth Netherton about perimenopause, parenting, and women's mental health. We explore why anxiety, sleep problems, mood changes, and brain fog in women can affect everything from keeping track of your child's schedule to responding calmly when your kid pushes your buttons.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why perimenopause symptoms can show up years before you might expect them
How hormone changes in women can influence mood, anxiety, sleep, attention, and the way you respond to your kids
Why brain fog in women can make managing school schedules, activities, work, and family responsibilities suddenly feel much harder
How struggles with women's mental health during perimenopause can be mistaken for simply "not handling things well"

If you've been wondering why parenting suddenly feels harder, this conversation may help you see your experience differently. Understanding perimenopause symptoms, recognizing brain fog in women, and talking more openly about women's mental health and hormone changes in women can help replace guilt and shame with information, self-compassion, and a clearer path toward getting the support you need.
LET'S CONNECT:
Thriving Child Center
PCIT Experts
Calm and Connected Program
Instagram
Love having expert tips you can actually use? Join our newsletter and get a beautifully designed PDF of each episode’s top 3 takeaways—delivered straight to your inbox every week.
Are you a provider? Subscribe here for professional insights and parenting resources!
Have a parenting question or a topic you'd love to hear on the podcast? Submit your question here!

CONNECT WITH ELISABETH NETHERTON:
Website
LinkedIn

Bringing a new baby home can be joyful, exhausting, isolating, and completely overwhelming.
Suddenly you're responsible for this tiny person while trying to figure out when you're supposed to sleep, shower, eat, or have a moment to yourself. And all that pressure to do everything "right" can create some serious mom guilt. In this episode, pediatric nurse practitioner and lactation counselor Elyse Traverse joins me to share practical advice for new moms that might sound counterintuitive but can make those early months a whole lot easier.
We talk about why taking care of yourself doesn't mean neglecting your baby, how finding the right postpartum support can make new motherhood less isolating, and why you don't need to entertain your baby every second they're awake. From creating simple baby "stations" around your home to leaving a perfectly happy baby alone, these strategies can give overwhelmed parents permission to meet their own needs without feeling like they're doing something wrong.
In this episode, we cover:
Practical advice for new moms who aren't sure how to meet their own needs with a baby at home
Why mom guilt makes parents feel like they should constantly entertain or stimulate their baby
How finding a community of parents in the same stage of life can provide valuable postpartum support
How overwhelmed parents can take care of themselves while still giving their babies what they need
More advice for new moms about doing everyday activities while your baby is awake instead of waiting for naps
How letting go of mom guilt can benefit both you and your baby
Why community and postpartum support can make such a difference during an isolating season

You don't need to spend every waking moment entertaining your baby to be a good parent. For overwhelmed parents, giving yourself permission to shower, get something done, or simply enjoy a few quiet minutes while your baby is happy can be good for everyone. Letting go of some mom guilt and building the right postpartum support around you can help you feel more like yourself while caring for your new baby.
LET'S CONNECT:
Thriving Child Center
PCIT Experts
Calm and Connected Program
Instagram
Love having expert tips you can actually use? Join our newsletter and get a beautifully designed PDF of each episode’s top 3 takeaways—delivered straight to your inbox every week.
Are you a provider? Subscribe here for professional insights and parenting resources!
Have a parenting question or a topic you'd love to hear on the podcast? Submit your question here!
CONNECT WITH ELYSE TRAVERSE:
Email - elissetravers@gmail.com
Mom’s Group Meeting - South Boston Community Health Center - Every Wednesday at 1pm in the Community Room on the 3rd floor