Plenty of parents jumped for joy on October 7th when Pfizer asked the FDA to grant Emergency Use Authorization to give its COVID-19 vaccine to kids aged 5–11. While the official EUA approval hasn't yet been announced, the timing of when kids can potentially get the vaccine has led many parent to wonder whether the COVID vaccine can be given with th…

People seem to think that sleep problems are only for babies. The moment you bring your newborn home, people start asking "How much sleep are you getting?"—and the question is more annoying than the lack of sleep! No one asks you that once you have a toddler or your kid's in school—and yet kids at these ages are often just as difficult to get to be…

As part of the huge response to the last episode (thank you!) in which I broke down the new CDC guidelines on how vaccinated and unvaccinated people can mix, I received dozens of emails and Instgram messages from people asking questions about how the PB&J Method applies to their family's particular situation. Many of those questions had common them…

Now that the COVID vaccine rollout is well under way around the world—and the light at the end of the tunnel is within grasp!—we're still left with one wrinkle: How to handle gathering with family & friends when some people have gotten the vaccine and some haven't? This is especially important for families, as kids aren't likely to be able to get t…

I can't believe it, but The Child Repair Guide is celebrating a HUGE milestone! And to celebrate, I've dug deep into the archives to share a topic that I know impacts almost every family. I've said before that my job as a pediatrician & host of this podcast is to not just make all the parenting missteps myself, but to research the solutions & share…

With many areas approaching the dates and metrics they've set for reopening school—or back at school already—the question of schools' role in COVID spread has weighed heavily on many parents' minds. Well, it turns out that 50% of kids in the U.S. have been at school in-person, in one form or another, since the fall—and the data is in. I take a look…

It goes without saying that the ability to manage stress and recover from trauma would certainly come in handy these days. For parents, these skills of mental resilience are important even in “normal times,” as our kids learn how to handle challenges and stress by watching what we do in front of them. And yet the very act of being a parent—dealing …

We are finally here—the end of 2020 & the start of 2021! But the truth is, we can’t walk into 2021 hoping to reset the clock back to what life was like in 2019. This year changed us—and we need to let its lessons sink in and choose how we want to use them to direct us as we move forward. This episode explores how you can honestly assess what was go…

This is a super-special & super-exciting episode! At long last, vaccines against COVID-19 are being rolled out and administered. Parents have been asking me a host of questions, and I'm answering as many as I can right here. This episode goes over everything we currently know about how this vaccine's new approach works, its effectiveness and safety…

Perhaps the greatest challenge we all face as we grow up is finding our identity—figuring out who we are and who we want to become. It’s no easy task—some of us adults (maybe even most of us?) are still trying to figure this out. But the challenge is even greater for cross-cultural kids & teens. Whether they’ve lived in several cultural environment…

This holiday season, everyone is asking the same questions: “Can we find a way to get together with family? What if we all get tested first? Do we risk it?” COVID is destined to throw a massive wrench in what is often a time of gathering together. In this episode, I break down the risks + lay out some points to consider if you aim to make your fami…

It goes without saying that COVID has turned everything we know on its head. This is equally true for almost all things parenting. Things we used to take for granted—like scheduling a playdate in a park or seeing family—now take on extra layers of awkwardness and caution. Is the other family on the same page precaution-wise as you? How to handle th…

Hey, we’re all trying to do our best when feeding our kids healthy food. And what might be your best effort right now may not be your best effort at some other time, or the same as someone else’s best effort—and that’s okay. But what isn’t fair is when the cards are stacked against you—when things that have been marketed to us as “food” are really …

When a pediatric dietician has over 1 Million followers on Instagram, you know she's got amazing tips. Jennifer Anderson is the brilliant mind behind @kids.eat.in.color, the wildly successful Instagram through which she helps families around the world develop healthy eating habits in their kids without battles. And as you'll see in this interview, …

We’re about nine months into this pandemic—do you feel like you have a handle on how to tell if it’s getting better or worse? Do you have a sense of how to know when it’s OK for your family to “open up“ and start doing some things you’ve been holding back on? If your answer either of those questions is “no,” you’re not alone. Absolutely. Not. Alone…

One of the biggest questions I’ve been asked lately is how to help young kids develop social skills—whether it’s because their preschools are currently closed, or their parents just want to make sure their kids thrive. It's a valid concern—but also one that you can learn to address right at home. I sat down with the wonderful Monica Silvestro—yup, …

There's been a great debate these past few months about whether and how to send kids back to school. But something's been missing from the conversation—the fact that most kids will experience online learning at some point this fall/winter no matter what, whether for a semester, a month, or just a few weeks. In this episode, I lay out why that's the…

If you’ve felt like these past few months have both dragged on and flown past at the same time, you’re not alone. We’re all waiting with bated breath... “I can’t wait until this is over.” But what does it do to us—as individuals? as a society?—when we “can’t wait” for a whole year to go by? What happens to life in the meantime? This episode tackles…

We all have multiple roles to play—but none of us expected to have to play them all at the same time, all day long. These last several months, many parents have had to fill the roles of parent, educator, and teleworker with few, if any, clear boundaries between them. The result? The nagging feeling that you're failing at every single one of those j…

The most common answer pediatricians have been asked by parents of young kids is: "Is it safe to send my child to daycare right now?" The best, most honest answer we currently have? Probably. Maybe. We think. In this episode, I outline everything we currently know so you can make the best decision for your family. *You can share this episode by sha…

We're halfway into 2020 & it's clear that we could all use a glimmer of hope right now. This is a tool that I've mentioned before, but that has taken on even more importance for my family right now. My hope is that it can help yours, too. You can find the article version of this episode at drstevesilvestro.com/115 I've also extended the discount fo…

Like much of the country, I’ve been thinking a lot about inequality and bigotry of late, trying to put so many feelings into coherent thoughts. And as I do, the memory of one impactful experience from when I was 19 keeps coming back to me... You can find the article version of this episode at drstevesilvestro.com/116 The moral arc of the universe b…

The task of parenting a modern day boy is daunting. It's as if teenage boys and those who raise them are in an Indiana Jones movie, dodging blades and poisonous darts flying past them at every turn. And the snake-filled pit, of course, is the constant barrage of headlines showing masculinity gone wrong. So how do we crack the code of raising boys—a…

"Fear and what you do with it are two separate things." I love this quote from Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, especially right now. What we and our kids do with big emotions can have more of an impact on our lives than feeling the emotions themselves. In this episode, Robin Brannan, founder of Better Together Family Therapy, shares tips to help kids co…

When I last spoke with Dr. Michael Daignault 6 weeks ago, the COVID-19 storm was approaching. Now that we're in the thick of it, he and I catch up to discuss what it's been like on the front lines in the Emergency Department. We also dispel some rumors you may have heard about treatment & prevention, discuss what's necessary to "open the country," …

We're in a new normal—and with no clear end in sight. And as frustrating or anxiety-provoking as it may be, there is one indisputable fact about our current situation: We and our children will grow as people because of it. So how do we ensure that growth and development are the best they can be? How do we help our kids thrive during COVID-19? Havin…

So I’m the pediatrician who wrote that viral article discouraging playdates during the coronavirus pandemic. And while I’m glad the message got out—over 2 million people read that article—it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to write. Why? Because even though I know that such extreme social distancing is absolutely necessary to slow the s…

There's a flood of information about the COVID-19 coronavirus out there, and it can be challenging to tease out what it really means for you and your kids. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Michael Daignault—an emergency medicine physician with a global health background who's been on top of providing info & guidance on coronavirus these last severa…

Comedian Ray Romano once noted that "having children is like living in a frat house — nobody sleeps, everything's broken, and there’s a lot of throwing up." As just about everyone listening to this right now knows, being a parent is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. Sure, it’s also the most wonderful, joyous, meaningful thing you’ll ever do…

I’d say that anyone who’s paid attention to the news in the last few years, has been on social media—or has just conversed with other human beings—has probably gotten the sense now and then that the world seems on edge. Still, many of us parents can get so inspired by our own kids that we get the sense that they’re going to change the world—or at l…

Remember that "always wear sunscreen" song from the late-90s? Well, here's my version—updated now that we're all parents. After taking care of thousands of kids for over a decade, plus raising two of my own for over twelve years, I’ve come to recognize the value of things that aren’t taught in books. Here is some of my personal advice for a year of…

I didn't walk into 'Frozen 2' expecting to be moved as deeply as I was. But an unexpected and brave choice struck a chord with me and, I hope, will have a positive impact on me & my family in the future. This episode is also available as an article at www.drstevesilvestro.com/frozenAf Dr. Steve Silvestro

When your kids were little, chances are that you’d occasionally face a “witching hour”—usually somewhere between 5 and 7 PM—when everyone was cranky and emotions ran high. Now your kids are older and what happens smack in the middle of that timeframe? Homework! Whether kids have specific challenges with learning or are doing just fine in school, it…

"People are not just birthing babies—they’re birthing themselves as parents.” - Tara Campbell Lussier, cofounder of Arrow Birth Getting ready to have a baby is no small feat. We've somehow turned this millennia-old rite of the human experience into work. There are books to read. Conversations to be had. Things to buy. Your body and nutrition to pre…

We all have “To Do” lists—sometimes several of them at once. But do you have a parenting To Do List? And of those list of things to do—whether they’re short-term or long-term—how many of them are things that NEED to get done, versus things you WANT to see happen, versus things you feel like you SHOULD be doing? See, there’s a big difference—and my …

I can't believe it—100 episodes! To celebrate this big milestone for The Child Repair Guide, I've dug deep into the archives to pluck out some of the absolute best insights from the pantheon of experts I've had the opportunity to speak with over the last 3 1/2 years. You'll hear from: Amy Morin, author of 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do …

Has this ever happened to you? You’re in the grocery store checkout line, pregnant, and a random stranger decides it’s okay to touch your belly. Or You encounter someone who has absolutely no medical training at all, but who is a self-proclaimed expert in something they passionately argue is crucial to the health of your family, even though doctors…

Decided to share one of my speaking engagements with you because -- I hope -- there are some pearls in here that you might find helpful. Last week, I was invited to speak at Dentons in Washington, DC, to talk about "mindfulness for parents" with their Parent Professional Network. You'll hear: A powerful story from my pediatric training that shows h…

I have a SUPER special guest this week—my amazing wife, Monica Silvestro! Monica has built a life around education, health, and personal development—first working in the public health world on programs centered around youth education, then in the field of nutrition, and more recently in early childhood education. Working with 3-year-olds for the la…

This is an episode I hope every parent hears. Bullying has been a hot topic in the last several years, and for good reason. Up to half of all kids report being bullied by the end of high school. One in three kids admits to bullying someone else(!), and up to 70% of kids report witnessing bullying episodes take place. All of which can have serious l…

This is a quick and important point that all parents of today’s kids need to hear and pass on to their children. If your kids have said they want a YouTube channel, you’re not alone—a new survey reports that three times more kids want to be a YouTube star than an astronaut (good news: almost as many kids want to be a teacher). I’m actually okay wit…

I messed up. I made my daughter cry. It wasn't pretty, and I felt awful afterward. But I've learned in my 11 1/2 years of parenting that owning your mistakes and apologizing to your kids is POWERFUL. In fact, the 3 BIG lessons I discuss in this episode can be used by you and your kids to make each other and your relationships stronger. If this epis…

Whether you’re on the verge of starting to potty train, in the middle of it, or having no success at all, this is the episode for you. This is a completely revamped update to my 2016 episode, making this the most comprehensive conversation about potty training anywhere. Learn how to introduce potty training in a fun way, plus overcome your child's …

I don't know about you, but my kids' dressers are jam-packed with trophies, medals, and ribbons. And all but two or three are for participation. Every season, the participation trophy stirs up debate. But the debate usually misses the point. Here's how to use the trophy to help your kid develop growth mindset & grit.…

Whether you have a toddler or a teenager, this is an episode you need to hear. I sit down with Marc Groman, former Obama White House tech and privacy advisor, and Dr. David Reitman, adolescent medicine expert -- who together host the podcast Their Own Devices -- to cover everything from screen time and development, behavior, sexting, cyberbullying,…

As you've likely heard, there's a measles outbreak. But if it's only infected a few hundred people, why all the fuss? Is this something you actually need to be concerned about? This episode was inspired by a conversation with a parent who asked me those very questions. Take a few minutes to listen, as I break down everything you need to know about …

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," right? But what if your child isn't hungry before school? Is that a problem? What's going on & what should you do? In the first "Listener Mailbag" episode of The Child Repair Guide, I answer a listener's question about this very topic. If you'd like to submit a question for me to answer on the podc…

Kids don't come with an instruction manual (just a "Child Repair Guide!"), and the parenting section in bookstores can be overwhelming. And yet, there are a handful of books that have stood the test of time. 1-2-3 Magic is one of them, having sold nearly 2 million copies over close to 30 years. My guest today is the author of this perennially bests…

I hurt when my kids hurt. It's heartbreaking as a parent to watch your child be in pain. And if your child has chronic pain, it can take such a toll on your family that you'd do everything possible to help your child feel better This episode is going to give you everything you need to understand--and help--your child with pain. My guest is Lindsay …

We'd all love to raise kids who are positive and who can appreciate the good in their lives. In this episode, I describe a simple, fun activity that can help your family do exactly that. This activity has brought so much warmth, joy, and gratitude into my family over the past year, I'm thrilled to share the idea with you. You can share this episode…