Parenting Works Best With Planning and Flexibility

Parenting today feels like navigating endless advice while quietly wondering if you’re doing any of it right.

Jay sits down with bestselling author and economist Emily Oster to unpack one of the most overwhelming journeys many people will ever face: becoming a parent. In a world filled with endless advice, social media pressure, and conflicting research, parenting can start to feel like a test you’re constantly failing. Emily offers a refreshing, data-driven perspective that helps parents cut through the noise, separating real evidence from the myths that fuel unnecessary anxiety. From pregnancy and fertility to sleep training and screen time, this conversation reveals what truly matters and what parents can finally let go of.

Together, Jay and Emily challenge many of the parenting beliefs we’ve accepted without question. They explore why modern parents feel so overwhelmed by information and expectations, when the data actually shows there are many “right” ways to raise a child. Emily breaks down how correlation is often mistaken for causation in parenting advice and how that misunderstanding quietly drives guilt, fear, and comparison. Whether it’s breastfeeding versus formula, screen time, sleep training, or developmental milestones, Emily encourages parents to move away from perfection and toward confident, thoughtful decision-making.

In this episode you'll learn:

How to Stop Overthinking Parenting Decisions

How to Decide What Parenting Advice to Ignore

How to Choose the Sleep Strategy That Works for Your Family

How to Raise Kids with a Growth Mindset

How to Plan Parenting Decisions Before Problems Arise

How to Let Go of the Pressure to Parent Perfectly

Parenting can feel overwhelming, especially in a world filled with endless advice, opinions, and expectations. The truth is, raising a child isn’t about getting every small decision perfectly right, it’s about showing up with love, care, and intention, day after day.

Emily’s book, Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong--and What You Really Need to Know, offers guidance through pregnancy and motherhood. Grab a copy now.

With Love and Gratitude,

Jay Shetty

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What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro

01:39 Why Does Parenting Feel Harder Today?

04:06 What the Data Really Says About Parenting

05:24 Don’t Trust This Fertility Advice!

07:56 What Affects Sperm Health

09:51 Lifestyle Habits That Affect Fertility

12:26 Are Antidepressants Safe During Pregnancy?

15:02 Which Pregnancy Rules Actually Matter (And Which Don’t)

18:25 When Is the Best Age to Have Kids?

21:56 Common Pregnancy Myths Debunked

31:19 How Dads Can Support After Birth

34:09 What’s Actually Best for the Baby?

36:51 More Parenting and Pregnancy Myths

44:20 How to Deal With Mom Guilt

47:55 How to Raise Confident Kids

54:28 Parenting Decisions That Cause Stress

56:27 The Truth About Sleep Training

01:02:03 Does Crying It Out Harm Attachment?

01:04:12 How Much Screen Time Is Too Much?

01:09:40 The Truth About Childhood Vaccines

01:12:02 Are Kids Being Overmedicated?

01:14:35 The Many Paths to Parenthood

01:16:49 This or That: Parenting Edition

01:24:31 Emily on Final Five

Episode Resources:

Website | https://parentdata.org/ 

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/emily.oster.509/ 

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/profemilyoster 

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/parentdata 

TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@profemilyoster 

X | https://x.com/ProfEmilyOster 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.