#372:The Parenting Mistakes We Inherited and How to Break the Cycle with Michaeleen Doucleff

"Doctor Mom" Podcast | Practical Tips to Be a Proactive Parent

Cooperative parenting may be the key to less stress and more connection in your home. In this fascinating episode, Dr. Elana sits down with New York Times bestselling author and NPR reporter Michaeleen Doucleff to explore what modern American parents can learn from traditional cultures around the world. Michaeleen shares how traveling to the Yucatán, the Arctic, and Tanzania transformed her parenting and helped her navigate power struggles with her strong-willed daughter. You’ll hear how simple shifts like reducing interference, encouraging autonomy, and inviting children into household tasks can completely change your dynamic.

From helping toddlers feel capable, to replacing arguments with confidence-building strategies, this episode is packed with refreshing wisdom and realistic ideas you can try today. Whether you're raising a toddler or a teenager, Michaeleen’s stories and research will help you feel more empowered and at ease in your parenting journey.

Topics Covered In This Episode:

• How to raise cooperative children naturally

• Why toddlers are wired to be helpful

• The benefits of hands-off parenting

• Tips for raising confident and calm kids

• Global parenting wisdom for modern families

Show Notes:

• Follow @foodiescience on X

• Learn more about Michaeleen

• Click here to learn more about Dr. Elana Roumell’s Doctor Mom Membership, a membership designed for moms who want to be their child’s number one health advocate!

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• Listen to today’s episode on our website

Michaeleen Doucleff, PhD, is a global health correspondent for NPR’s Science Desk and the author of the New York Times bestseller Hunt, Gather, Parent. The book describes a way of raising kind and confident children, which moms and dads all over the world have turned to for millennia.

Doucleff has a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Berkeley, California, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Caltech.

For the past decade, Doucleff has reported on disease outbreaks and children’s health for NPR. Before that, Doucleff was an editor at the journal Cell, where she wrote about the science behind pop culture.

She lives in San Francisco with her husband, daughter and German Shepherd, Savanna

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Please remember that the views and ideas presented on this podcast are for informational purposes only. All information presented on this podcast is for informational purposes and not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a healthcare provider. Consult with your healthcare provider before starting any diet, supplement regimen, or to determine the appropriateness of the information shared on this podcast, or if you have any questions regarding your treatment plan.