The panicked emails and DMs I got about gas stoves last week were perhaps best summarized by a message on Sunday. I had indicated I’d cover this this week, and the person simply asked, Can you tell us the bottom line RIGHT NOW, because I’m planning to buy a new stove today?

Gas Stoves and Asthma

Parenting is full of decisions — starting the moment you learn you’re pregnant (sometimes before) and continuing indefinitely. For the past decade, Emily Oster has been a guide through the challenges of pregnancy and parenthood using data. She translates the latest scientific research into answers to the questions people have in their day-to-day lives. ParentData brings Emily together with other experts in areas of pregnancy and parenting to talk about some of the most complicated of these issues, from labor induction to food allergies to parenting through a divorce. Each conversation brings us closer to Emily’s mission: to create the most informed generation of parents by providing high-quality data that they can trust, whenever they need it.

Kids & Family

Parenting

Reading Rainbow. Reading is FUNdamental! Hooked on Phonics. We grew up steeped in a culture that encouraged reading. And in the past couple of years many U.S. states have embraced legislation about how kids are taught to read in school. The phrase that you may have heard is “science of reading,” as in “let’s make sure schools are using reading curricula based on science.” But what does that actually mean? And how would you, as a parent, know if your school was doing it? Today on ParentData, we're joined by journalist Emily Hanford, the host of the excellent podcast, Sold a Story. The topic of its first season was how reading is taught in American schools, and, for a lot of parents, it opened their eyes to the fact that there isn’t just one way to teach reading and that many schools weren’t doing it right. We talk about what the science says about the right approaches to reading, and then, more practically, about how parents can evaluate their own kids’ learning and whether the legislation we’re seeing is doing any good. Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.

Why Kids Can't Read: How we missed the mark on literacy education

Comedian and NPR mainstay Ophira Eisenberg wrestles with changing her kid’s school, and how to clean slime. Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.

Ophira Eisenberg’s Late-Night Panic Google

We’ve been hearing a lot about the teen mental health crisis — and there is no question that on a number of metrics, teens do seem to be struggling more than they have in the past. But is it really that bad? Is there a chance we’re overreacting to normal teenage feelings? Today on ParentData, we’re joined by Dr. Mathilde Ross, a psychiatrist at Boston University. Her view is, yes, sometimes we are overreacting. And more to the point, she thinks sometimes parents are the problem. We talk today about what she’s seeing in college kids, how parents can choose to step back, and how to embrace independence, in both your 17-year-old and 7-year-old. Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.

The Kids Are Actually Alright: Is parental anxiety too high?

Have you ever panic-Googled a parenting question late at night? If so, you’re not alone. Most of us turn to that little search bar whenever fear or confusion strikes. On these ParentData mini-episodes, starting today, you’ll hear from some familiar names about the questions keeping them up at night, and how data can help. First up: actress Claire Holt and the difference between night terrors and nightmares (hopefully not about vampires).

Claire Holt's Late-Night Panic Google

Our kids need a glass of water. Or an extra hug. How do we get them to sleep? So much has been written about this with advice for exhausted parents. But it’s usually in the context of babies. Toddlers and older kids are a whole other ballgame.

Today on ParentData, we’re joined by perhaps our most practical guest ever. Jessica Berk is a toddler and preschooler sleep consultant. Together, we answer your questions, talk about sleep strategies, and explore why sleep is so important not just for kids, but also for parents.

Subscribe to ParentData.org for free access to new articles every week on data-driven pregnancy and parenting.

Gas Stoves and Asthma

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