ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What happens when the advice parents receive is driven more by fear than by evidence?
In this episode of Do Not Disturb, I sit down with economist, bestselling author and mother Emily Oster for an honest conversation about modern parenting, decision-making, risk, and why so many parents feel paralysed by the pressure to get everything right.
We live in an age of more parenting information than ever before. Yet many mothers and fathers feel less confident, more anxious, and more afraid of making the wrong decision.
Emily has built her career by asking a different question:
What does the evidence actually say?
Together we explore how fear has become embedded in modern parenting, why guilt has become almost a default emotion for parents, and how understanding data can help us make calmer, more confident decisions.
This isn’t a conversation about finding the perfect way to raise children.
It’s a conversation about learning to trust yourself when the world is telling you there is only one right answer.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why parenting feels more overwhelming than ever
- Pregnancy advice versus evidence
- Vaccines, risk and making informed decisions
- Screen time, phones and children’s independence
- Why modern parents feel so guilty
- Raising resilient children rather than perfectly protected ones
- How data can reduce anxiety instead of creating it
- What confident parenting actually looks like
Whether you’re expecting your first child, raising teenagers, or simply trying to navigate modern family life with more confidence, this episode offers a thoughtful, evidence-based perspective on one of the biggest responsibilities we’ll ever have.
About Emily Oster
Emily Oster is a professor of economics at Brown University, bestselling author of Expecting Better, Cribsheet, The Family Firm and The Unexpected, and founder of ParentData. Through her books, research and writing, she has helped millions of parents make informed decisions by translating complex evidence into practical advice.
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