Data-Driven Parenting

As a new parent, every decision feels consequential – and you never know for sure if you’re doing it right. While there are no right answers to parenting, there is data that can guide us to make better decisions. Emily Oster, an award-winning economist at Brown University, wrote the bestselling book on it: Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool. She’s with us to share what the data says about many of the big questions and topics parents face, from breastfeeding, sleep training, work guilt, vaccines, daycare, and more. Emily (a mom of two) explains how to cut through the social media and societal noise and use data and personal preferences in tandem to make better parenting decisions. Listen to this episode to learn: -Surprising evidence about peanut allergies – is early exposure the way to avoid them? -The truth about breastfeeding – what the data does and doesn’t say -Advice on co-sleeping and the often overlooked benefits of sleep training -The bottom line on the safety and efficacy of vaccines -Advice for parents who are juggling work and family -How daycare affects kids’ behavioral and educational development -Why sometimes just relaxing and not overthinking is the best decision a parent can make