The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

Potty training can feel smooth one day and completely off track the next. In this Follow Up episode of the PedsDocTalk podcast, Dr. Mona revisits a favorite potty training conversation while actively potty training her own youngest child and dealing with very real regressions.

Dr. Mona is joined by Allison Jandu, founder of The Potty Training Consultant, to break down readiness, timing, and how to choose a method that fits your child and your family. They talk through the average age for potty training, common signs of readiness, and why age alone should not drive the decision.

This episode compares gradual approaches and shorter weekend-style methods, explores why some kids resist even when they seem ready, and explains how pressure, timers, and rewards can sometimes backfire. You will also hear practical guidance on floor potties versus toilet seats, using daily routines to support learning, and helping kids feel more in control through play and choice.

If potty training feels confusing, frustrating, or messier than expected, this episode offers reassurance, perspective, and realistic support.

Want more? Listen to the full, original episode.

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, I sit down with Shannon Watts to talk about something so many parents and caregivers quietly wrestle with, how to stay fired up in the middle of responsibility, burnout, and the weight of shoulds.

Shannon is the founder of Moms Demand Action and the author of Fired Up, and our conversation goes far beyond advocacy. We talk about identity, purpose, and what happens when women are taught to put obligation ahead of desire for most of their lives. This episode is about what it looks like to reconnect with yourself, not by blowing up your life, but by getting honest about what matters.

Topics we cover include:


Why so many women are taught to fulfill obligations before desires


How guilt, fear, and perfectionism drain motivation


The difference between purpose and being purposeful


Imposter syndrome and fear of public failure


Parenting, fulfillment, and modeling self trust for kids


Community as a key part of sustainable change


Why wanting more does not mean you are ungrateful

To connect with Shannon Watts follow her on Instagram @shannonrwatts, check out all her resources at https://shannonwatts.org/home/ and buy her book “Fired Up” https://www.firedupbook.com/. 

00:00 – Choosing Hope Over Cynicism
00:38 – Why This Conversation Matters Right Now
01:31 – Meet Shannon Watts
02:55 – Staying Fired Up Without Burning Out
03:36 – Leaving California and Finding Community
05:55 – Talking Across Differences
07:17 – Why Women Feel Stuck in Obligation
08:35 – The Moment Everything Changed
10:22 – Desire vs Obligation
12:45 – It Is Never Too Late
15:13 – Rethinking Legacy and Guilt
18:06 – What Kids Really Learn From Us
20:12 – Losing Forward and Redefining Failure
23:21 – Handling Blowback and Shame
25:27 – Imposter Syndrome and Being the First
27:59 – Values, Abilities, and Desires
32:18 – Finding Your People
37:22 – Parenting, Purpose, and Modeling Fire
40:48 – The First Step to Living on Fire
42:51 – Final Reflections

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parenting already asks a lot of us. So why does it feel like our generation is carrying so much more pressure, doubt, and noise?

In this Follow-Up episode, I’m revisiting one of our most listened-to conversations, a real, late-night talk with my husband Gaurav that hit a nerve for so many parents. We talk honestly about how comparison culture, constant advice, and fear of getting it wrong have made parenting feel heavier than it needs to be.

We Talk About


Why our generation feels intense pressure to parent “the right way”


How social media and constant access to other people’s lives fuels comparison


Why more information does not always lead to more confidence


How external voices can drown out parental intuition


The problem with chasing a narrow definition of success for our kids


Why perfection is not only impossible, but unnecessary


How reconnecting with yourself can quiet parenting anxiety


What it really means to be “doing your best” as a parent

Want more? Listen to the full, original episode.

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this solo episode, I am opening up about a big life change. I recently resigned from my clinical job. On paper it may sound simple, but the story under it holds a lot of layers, emotion, and growth.

I talk about what led to my decision, what it brought up from my childhood, and how this shift is changing the way I raise my kids. If you grew up chasing safety, grades, or approval, parts of this will feel familiar.

I get into:


Why leaving a “stable” job can feel scary even when it is the right move


Growing up with fear of failure and how that shaped my choices


How the healthcare system wore me down over time


The grief that comes with leaving patients, residents, and a place that shaped me


Panic, burnout, and the signs your body gives you before your mind catches up


How I want my kids to think about failure, risk, and self trust


Why security matters and why quitting is not always simple or possible


What it means to choose alignment even when fear is in the room

Check out more on Poppins as I step into a new role there 

00:00 – What Bravery Really Means
01:06 – Welcome and Finding Joy Returns
02:35 – Growing Up With Fear of Failure
03:48 – Why Medicine Felt Safe
04:25 – Burnout and Losing Alignment
04:46 – Building PedsDocTalk
05:31 – Signs It Was Time to Leave
06:45 – Choosing Risk and Entrepreneurship
07:46 – Grief, Loyalty, and Letting Go
09:09 – When the System Moves On Without You
09:53 – Breaking Generational Patterns
10:15 – What I Want My Kids to Learn
11:44 – Choosing Yourself Despite Uncertainty
12:45 – Questions to Find Your Own Alignment
13:30 – Closing and What’s Next

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Follow-Up episode, Dr. Mona revisits one of the most downloaded PedsDocTalk conversations, her discussion with Dr. Loretta Breuning on how rewards and threats shape a child’s brain.

They break down why yelling, pleading, and bribing often backfire, and how attention itself can accidentally reinforce behaviors parents want to stop. You will hear why giving in after resistance makes behaviors stronger over time, and how inconsistency trains kids to escalate.

This episode focuses on building healthier reward pathways with clarity and consistency, without fear, shame, or constant power struggles. If certain parenting moments feel stuck on repeat, this conversation helps explain why and what to do differently.

Want more? Listen to the original, full episode.

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices