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MomDocTalk with Kristen Cook, MD
Welcome to MomDoc Talk, where real-life parenting meets medical expertise! Hosted by Dr. Kristen Cook, a seasoned pediatrician and mom, this podcast is your go-to resource for evidence-based insights on child development, health, and raising well-rounded, compassionate kids. As both a mother and a pediatrician with over a decade of experience, Dr. Cook understands the challenges parents face today and knows what truly works. Each episode dives into relatable parenting stories, expert advice, and science-backed tips, blending warmth, wisdom, and practicality to support you in guiding your child’s growth in today’s ever-evolving world.
Join Dr. Cook and her guests as they tackle everything from behavior management to health basics, all while keeping the focus on raising good humans.
Disclaimer
The information presented in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitution for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider for medical concerns. All of the opinions are of Dr. Kristen Cook and do not reflect the opinions of her employer nor the hospitals she is affiliated with. The authors and publishers of this podcast do not assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or consequences of using the information provided.
Episodes
99 episodes
Is My Child Being Bullied? How to Tell Bullying From Conflict
Your child gets into the car after school and says, “They’re bullying me.” Your protective instincts kick in immediately. But before you call the school, the other parent, or start imagining a classroom change, it helps to understand what bully...
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AI Safety for Kids: 6 Rules Every Parent Should Teach
Artificial intelligence is already part of childhood. Kids encounter it through search engines, schoolwork, social media, games, recommendation algorithms, image generators, and conversational chatbots. The question for parents is no longer whe...
After-School Meltdowns: 5 Things Not to Do and What Helps Instead
Last week, Dr. Kristen Cook explained why some children hold it together all day at school and then completely fall apart once they get home. In this episode, she continues the conversation and gets practical about what parents can do next.<...
Why Does My Child Melt Down After School? Understanding After-School Restraint Collapse
Your child's teacher says they were wonderful all day. Twenty minutes later, they are yelling about the wrong snack, fighting with a sibling, refusing every request, or completely falling apart at home. What happened?In this ep...
How to Raise Independent Kids Without Making Them Feel Abandoned
This episode is the direct continuation of Episode 93. Kristen opens by telling listeners she is continuing last week's conversation about clinginess, separation, and emotional independence, then takes the topic deeper by focusing on the parent...
Why Is My Child So Clingy? Understanding Separation Anxiety
Why does your child follow you from room to room, cry when you leave, insist you stay until they fall asleep, or suddenly struggle with separation after months of seeming independent?In this episode of Mom Doc Talk, board-certified pedia...
Why Parenting Feels So Hard: How to Reduce Burnout and Mental Load
Have you ever gone to bed completely exhausted, not because one major crisis happened, but because your brain had to make hundreds of small decisions all day?You remembered spirit week, signed the permission slip, scheduled appointments,...
Why Is My Child So Disrespectful? What Talking Back Really Means
Eye-rolling. Door slamming. Arguing. Ignoring directions. The dreaded "whatever." When children speak or behave harshly, parents often wonder whether they are raising a disrespectful child or doing something wrong.In this episode of Mom ...
Why Is My Child Lying? A Pediatrician Explains What It Really Means
Why does your child lie, even when the truth seems obvious?Maybe your five-year-old insists they didn't eat the cookie while chocolate is still on their face. Maybe your eight-year-old swears they brushed their teeth when they clearly...
Helping Children Through Divorce: Co-Parenting, Custody, and Emotional Support
Divorce can bring grief, guilt, fear, financial stress, uncertainty, and deep concern about how children will be affected. Although divorce is a major family transition, it does not automatically determine a child's future emotional health.
Back-to-School Tips for Parents: Sleep, Anxiety, Routines, and School Safety
Back-to-school season can bring excitement, relief, and a fresh start. It can also bring disrupted sleep, anxious children, rushed mornings, changing friendships, new technology, and a long list of worries for parents.In this episode of ...
Parenting Advice That Changed: 7 Safety Rules Every Parent and Grandparent Should Know
Have you ever heard a grandparent say, "We did it this way, and you turned out fine"?They're not wrong. They were following the best medical advice available at the time.In this episode of MomDoc Talk, board-certified pediatrician...
How to Raise Girls and Boys Who Reject Misogyny and Support Others
Misogyny isn't just something we see in history books or headlines. It can show up in everyday conversations, subtle expectations, social media, and even the messages we unknowingly pass on to our children.In this thought-provoking episo...
Teen Dating: How to Help Your Teen Build Healthy Relationships
Watching your child start dating can be both exciting and terrifying. Questions about the right age to date, peer pressure, heartbreak, consent, social media, and healthy relationships leave many parents wondering if they're saying the right th...
Strong-Willed vs. ADHD vs. Autism: What Parents Need to Know
Your child argues, melts down, resists transitions, and seems to feel every emotion intensely. But is it simply a strong-willed personality, or could it be ADHD, autism, anxiety, or another underlying challenge?In this episode of MomDoc ...
Strong-Willed Children: Why They Argue, Resist, and Thrive
Does your child argue about everything? Question every rule? Push back on even the simplest requests?If so, you may not be parenting a difficult child. You may be parenting a strong-willed child.In this episode of MomDoc Talk, ped...
Tick Bites and Lyme Disease in Kids: What Every Parent Needs to Know
Tick season is here, and if you've ever found a tick on your child, your pet, or even yourself, you've probably wondered: How worried should I be?In this episode of MomDoc Talk, pediatrician and mom Dr. Kristen Cook breaks down everythin...
Father's Day and Parenting: Helping Kids Honor Dad, Grieve Loss, and Navigate Absence
Father's Day can be a joyful celebration, but for many families, it can also bring complicated emotions, grief, disappointment, and difficult questions. In this heartfelt episode of MomDoc Talk, pediatrician and parenting expert Dr. Kristen Coo...
Summer Parenting Without Guilt: Screen Time, Routines, and Strong-Willed Kids
Summer is supposed to feel relaxing, but for many parents, it feels anything but. School routines disappear, screen time increases, kids become dysregulated, and strong-willed children seem to find new ways to test every boundary.In this...
How to Help a Child With Obesity Without Shame or Diet Culture
Childhood obesity affects nearly 1 in 5 children in the United States, yet many parents feel afraid, ashamed, or overwhelmed when discussing weight and health with their children. In this honest and compassionate episode of MomDoc Talk, pediatr...
Teaching Gratitude and Service: Kristen’s Tips for Meaningful Memorial Day Conversations with Kids
In this episode of MomDoc Talk, Kristen explores the deeper meaning of Memorial Day beyond barbecues and long weekends. She shares the holiday's history, tracing it back to 1868's Decoration Day, and offers parents practical guidance for discus...
The Best Summer Choices for Your Child: School, Camp, or Enrichment?
In this episode of MomDoc Talk, Kristen tackles the common parental dilemma of choosing between summer school and summer camp. She examines the needs of three groups: academically struggling children, who may benefit most from summer school's s...
The Mental Load of Parenting: Kristen’s Permission to Let Go and Lighten Your Burden
In this episode of MomDoc Talk, Kristen explores why parenting feels so overwhelming despite the abundance of available advice. She acknowledges the invisible mental load parents carry, including the fear of "messing up" their kids. Rather than...
What Does Mother’s Day Really Mean to Moms?
In this episode, Kristen explores the true meaning of Mother's Day, tracing its origins with Anna Jarvis and how commercialization distorted its purpose. Drawing from personal experiences — including pregnancy loss, bonding struggles, and paren...
Why Don’t Kids Listen Even When We Repeat Ourselves?
In this episode of MomDoc Talk, Kristen explores why children struggle to listen and why parents often resort to repeating themselves. She explains that listening is a learned skill influenced by developmental stages, not defiance. Kristen offe...