"Rebellion 1776"

Advances in technology have put the inner workings of everyday artifacts around us out of sight.  But, as our next guest argues, we can - and must - continue to encourage children's curiosity, nurture a 'mechanistic mindset', and empower their intellectual humility to help prepare them for the future. Frank Keil, Professor of Psychology and a Professor of Linguistics and Cognitive Science at Yale University, joins us to talk about his new book, The Disappearance of Insight: When Technology Undermines How and Why.

Epic, the most-widely used electronic health record system, recently made changes to their EMR that smooths the process of documentation and reporting around Reach Out and Read. It's now easier for clinicians to indicate shared reading conversations, and for clinic coordinators to generate reporting data. Building on long-standing engagement with Reach Out and Read, Dr. Jackie Gerhart, a practicing family physician and Chief Medical Officer at Epic, and Ashley Gibson, the Story Coordinator at EPIC, join us to talk about what inspired those changes, and how - and why - Epic chose to incorporate our work into theirs.

What can fossils — yes, fossils! — tell us about the history of shared parental care and infant helplessness? Jeremy DeSilva, an Endowed Professor of Archaeology, Paleontology, and Ethnology at Dartmouth takes us on a few million years' deep dive into human evolution and what the fossil record tells us about the evolution of family relationships and behavior.

Whether man-made or naturally-occurring, chances are children will be exposed to some level of trauma at some point. How we regard these situations and recognize the protective effect of positive relationships will help guide how we may talk to kids and — we hope — buffer the effects of trauma.  Yevgenia Nayberg joins us to talk about "Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters", her new book that draws upon her own upbringing in 1980s Ukraine and how she grounded herself in love and art throughout a childhood full of uncertainty.

The 20th Century was a time of unparalleled industry, creativity, innovation, and reach in the toy industry. Michael Kimmel, a SUNY distinguished professor emeritus and author of Playmakers: The Jewish Entrepreneurs Who Created the Toy Industry in America, joins us to talk about the immigrants who practically single-handedly created the material culture of American childhood as we know it.

Can fear and enchantment be two sides of the same coin?  How can stories help children navigate through darkness and wonder?  Maria Tatar, the John L. Loeb Research Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures and of Folklore and Mythology at Harvard University, joins us to discuss the role of children's literature in offering curiosity and courage in young readers.  Warning: you may never think about some classic books the same way again...

We often understand why building strong relationships in pediatric clinical care is important, but the details of how matter.  Linda Gilkerson, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of the Fussy Baby FAN Network at the Erikson Institute, joins us to talk about reflective practice and how strengthening the provider-parent relationship helps parents become attuned to their infants and ready for trying new relational approaches.

What does it mean to be "enough" as a parent, caregiver, or professional?  Where is my "maternal instinct" if I don't feel an instant bond? How do fathers come to feel like fathers — and what if the connection doesn't come right away?"  These are just some of the questions explored using narrative and reflection by Dr. Junlei Li and Thelma Ramirez in their new early relational health project, The Shock and Beauty of Early Parenthood.

She's the most influential person you may never have heard of.   A new book, Books Good Enough for You: The Storied Life of Ursula Nordstrom, Editor of Extraordinary Children's Books, recounts how she nurtured and edited some of the greatest books of the past 100 years, including titles such as Where the Wild Things Are, Goodnight Moon, The Carrot Seed, Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and dozens more.  Author Nancy Hudgins joins to talk about the impact Ursula Nordstrom had - and continues to have - on the world of children's literature.

When, why, and how did we decide as a society to dedicate all our parenting resources to the "human capitalization of children"—and at what cost? Nina Bandelj, Chancellor's Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine, joins us to help answer this question (and many others) from her new book Overinvested: The Emotional Economy of Modern Parenting.