The information contained in this podcast and on the Pandemic Parenting website are intended for educational purposes only. Nothing discussed in this podcast or provided on the website are intended to be a substitute for professional psychological advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please note that no doctor-patient relationship is formed between the hosts or guests of this podcast and listeners. If you need the qualified advice of a mental health or medical provider, please seek one in your area.
Best of Pandemic Parenting: Looking Back & Moving Forward
In our final episode of the Pandemic Parenting Podcast, Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and Dr. Lindsay Malloy revisit some of the best advice, stories, and research findings our guest experts have shared over the past two years.
While these “best moments” are from conversations centered around the pandemic experience, these insights will be ones we carry with us as we enter new challenges in parenting our children through every stage of their lives.
Announcement - What’s Next for Pandemic Parenting
After more than two years of fulfilling our mission to reach parents where they’re at with immediately accessible and relevant science-based resources, it’s time for Pandemic Parenting to close our virtual doors. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and Dr. Lindsay Malloy reflect on the crisis-responsive, mission-driven work the organization set out to accomplish, where you can continue to find pandemic parenting resources, and what listeners can expect in the months and years ahead
Positive Psychology: Recognizing Growth from Difficult Experiences
What is positive psychology? How can it help us? And, more specifically, how can we hold both the negative and positive experiences of the pandemic together in the stories we tell ourselves. Dr. Lindsay Malloy joins Dr. Amanda Zelechoski to discuss specific positive psychology coping strategies and the ways they each have experienced growth in themselves and their families since 2020.
Parenting Teens Through a Pandemic
In this episode, Dr. Amanda Zelechoski takes a look at some of the latest research findings on teenagers during the pandemic, and talks with Dr. Crystal Burwell, a licensed psychotherapist, and several parents of teens. Together, they discuss: How has parenting teens changed in the last few years? How have parent and teen relationships been impacted by the pandemic? And how can we support our teenagers’ mental health and recognize the toll the pandemic years have had on our kids?
Generation COVID Pt.2: Childbirth and Parent Mental Health
In this episode, we’re focusing on childbirth and parent mental health. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski interviews Dr. Sharon Dekel and three parents. Together they discuss the pandemic impact on child birthing experiences, the increase in traumatic child births, and the overall mental health challenges new parents have faced in these uncertain times.
Generation COVID Pt.1: Pregnancy, Fertility Treatments, and Infant Development
This is the first part of a two-part series about pregnant and postpartum parents. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski talks with Dr. Ezra Aydin about the impact of the pandemic on parents, pregnancies, and infant development. We’ll also hear from four parents about their journeys through fertility treatments, pregnancies, and caring for a Generation COVID newborn.
Struggles and Strengths: Honoring Pandemic Motherhood
Dr. Amanda Zelechoski talks with Dr. Heather Prime and Dr. Nicole Racine about their research findings, including the mental health impact of the pandemic on mothers specifically, some barriers single parents and co-parents face, and what all this means for the family unit as a whole.
How Families Experienced Uneven Effects of the Pandemic
When pandemic lockdowns began, researchers around the world were asking a lot of questions and collecting lots – and lots – of data. What was the impact of the pandemic on mental health, both short-term and long-term? Which communities experienced the most negative effects of the pandemic? How can we better support these communities, and the entirety of our society, when disaster strikes next?
A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Research
We’re back! This season, we’re diving into the newly published research about the impacts of COVID-19 on children, parents, and families. Along the way, we’ll talk with the researchers who conducted these studies and identify key insights we can incorporate into our lives right now.
But before we review the research, we want to set the stage. How do we, as parents, understand the science behind articles, videos, and social media posts where we find this information?
Roadmap to Resilience: How Parents Can Foster Resilience
As a parent, supporting your child day-in and day-out is a lot of work—especially if your child has experienced or is experiencing stress and trauma. In this excerpt from the Roadmap to Resilience audio series, guest experts Dr. Archana Basu, Dr. David Corwin, Dr. Michael Salter, and Karen Zilberstein speak to the big and small ways parents and caregivers can help foster resilience in children. Learn more at www.roadmaptoresilience.org.
Introducing Roadmap to Resilience
How can we best support children experiencing stress and trauma? A new audio series from Pandemic Parenting and the University of Connecticut School of Medicine Center for the Treatment of Developmental Trauma Disorders explores this question. Psychologists Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and Dr. Julian Ford talk with 16 child trauma experts to understand what is trauma, how different kinds of trauma impact children, and what we as parents, professionals, community members, and caregivers can do to help foster resilience. Learn more at www.roadmaptoresilience.org.
Dealing with Postpartum Depression & Anxiety (Bonus)
While we get ready for season two, take a listen to this bonus episode where Dr. Lindsay Malloy and Dr. Amanda Zelechoski discuss postpartum depression and anxiety and reflect on their own experiences recognizing and coping with PPD/PPA.
Parenting Perspectives: Parenting with a Disability
This episode is the second in a two-part series examining the intersection between parenting and disability. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and our producer Carmen Vincent talk with Rich, a dad reflecting on his experience with depression and Jason, a father who uses a wheelchair after a spinal cord injury. You’ll also hear from Dr. Lindsay Malloy who shares her experience parenting with a chronic illness.
Parenting Perspectives: Raising Children with Disabilities
This episode is the first in a two-part series examining the intersection between parenting and disability. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and our producer Carmen Vincent talk with Jennifer, a mother of an 8-year old and a 4-year-old who, in her words, happens to have nonverbal autism; and Nisha, a mother of twin 7-year-olds and a 3-year-old who is battling a complex congenital heart disease.
Helping Your Child with Vaccine Fear & Anxiety with Dr. Christine Chambers
At a time when vaccines are on the minds of so many parents, clinical psychologist and child pain management expert, Dr. Christine Chambers, joins Dr. Lindsay Malloy to discuss how we can help manage needle pain and fear our children may experience. (Pro Tip: Many of these strategies work for adults, too!)
Continuing to Make Decisions in the Time of COVID-19
Dr. Lindsay Malloy and Dr. Amanda Zelechoski revisit and update their August 2020 conversation about why making decisions during the pandemic has been so hard. Although the answers will be different for every family and we can’t tell you what the right decision is for you, there are several concepts, resources, and research studies in psychology that can help us navigate these tough, ongoing decisions.
Green Time and Spaces: Why Being Outdoors Matters for Your Family
In this episode, Dr. Lindsay Malloy talks with Dr. Genevieve Dunton, a psychologist who studies physical activity and nutrition, and Dr. Mariela Alfonzo, an urban design and behavior researcher, to understand how the time we spend in green spaces impacts our mental, physical, and social wellbeing.
Supporting LGBTQ+ Parents & Youth
Dr. David Langer and Dr. Marissa Peifer join us to share their expertise as psychologists working with LGBTQ+ youth and their own experiences as LGBTQ+ parents during the pandemic. From how to talk with your child about gender and sexuality to advice for advocating for yourself as an LGBTQ+ parent, our guest experts remind us of the power of community, support, and curiosity.
How Parents & Employers Can Navigate the Post-Pandemic Workplace
Dr. Malissa Clark, Associate Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the University of Georgia, and Christine Robinson, Resource Management Leader for Baker Tilly, join us to discuss how parents can advocate for the work flexibility they need and how employers can proactively support working parents.
Fathers from Diverse Communities: Q & A with Dr. Earl Turner
Our guest expert, Dr. Erlanger Turner, speaks to some of the emerging research about fathers in the pandemic and answers questions from several of our listeners who identify as fathers from diverse communities.
Dr. Turner is a licensed psychologist and an assistant professor of psychology at Pepperdine University. His research focuses on mental health among racial and ethnic communities, access to behavioral health services, cultural competency, and the impact of race-based stress.