Your Child is Normal: with Dr Jessica Hochman

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Ep 256: Breaking Free of childhood Anxiety and OCD: A conversation about SPACE! With Dr Eli Lebowitz (Replay) Nov 02, 2026

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This episode is a replay from July 2025, episode 194 with Dr Eli Lebowitz. His advice is so helpful, that I thought this conversation would be valuable revisiting.

Dr Lebowitz is a clinical psychologist and creator of the SPACE program (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), about how parents can help reduce their child’s anxiety—not by changing their kids, but by changing their own responses. We discuss how accommodation and overprotection can backfire, what supportive parenting really looks like, and why this parent-based model is so empowering. Whether your child has a formal anxiety diagnosis or just tends to worry more than others, this episode offers research-backed tools that truly make a difference.

Your Child is Normal is the trusted podcast for parents, pediatricians, and child health experts who want smart, nuanced conversations about raising healthy, resilient kids. Hosted by Dr. Jessica Hochman — a board-certified practicing pediatrician — the show combines evidence-based medicine, expert interviews, and real-world parenting advice to help listeners navigate everything from sleep struggles to mental health, nutrition, screen time, and more.
Follow Dr Jessica Hochman:
Instagram: @AskDrJessica and Tiktok @askdrjessica
YouTube: Ask Dr Jessica

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The information presented in Ask Dr Jessica is for general educational purposes only. She does not diagnose medical conditions or formulate treatment plans for specific individuals. If you have a concern about your child's health, be sure to call your child's health care provider.

Ep 255: You Are the Parent: How to Set Boundaries Without Guilt | Dr. Siggie Cohen Oct 26, 2026

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How to Set Boundaries Without Guilt | Dr. Siggie Cohen on Discipline, Saying No & Raising Confident Kids

Why is it so hard for parents to say no? Have we become so focused on our children's feelings that we've forgotten the importance of boundaries?

In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, pediatrician Dr. Jessica Hochman welcomes back parenting expert and child development specialist Dr. Siggie Cohen, author of You Are the Parent.

Dr. Siggie shares her refreshing approach to parenting—one that balances empathy with confident leadership. She explains why children don't always need explanations, why discipline isn't the same as punishment, and why parents don't need to fix every uncomfortable emotion.

Together, we explore everyday parenting challenges, including:

Saying no: Why parents shouldn't feel guilty about setting boundaries.
Discipline: How to guide children without relying on punishment or rewards.
Sibling rivalry: How to help children navigate conflict and develop problem-solving skills.
Social media: What to say when your child insists they're the only one without Snapchat or other social media.
Lying and sneaking: Understanding what's driving the behavior instead of simply punishing it.
Bragging: Helping children feel proud of themselves without putting others down.
Parenting confidence: Why staying calm and resisting the urge to fix everything can make such a difference.

Dr. Siggie reminds us that our children don't need perfect parents. They need parents who are confident, compassionate, and willing to guide them through life's challenges.

One of my favorite takeaways: We can validate our children's feelings without accommodating every request.

If you've ever struggled with setting limits, managing sibling fights, or knowing when to step in versus step back, this conversation is for you.

About Dr. Siggie Cohen:

Dr. Siggie Cohen is a child development specialist, parenting expert, and author of You Are the Parent. She is known for her practical, compassionate approach to helping parents understand their children's behavior and respond with confidence.

Instagram: @dr.siggie

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Ep 254: Picky Eating, How to Make Mealtimes Less Stressful with Pediatrician Dr William Wilkoff Oct 19, 2026

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Why are so many kids picky eaters, and what can parents do about it? Should you make a separate meal when your child refuses dinner? Is it okay for a child to go to bed hungry? And how can we make family meals less stressful?

In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, I’m joined by Dr. William G. Wilkoff, MD, a pediatrician who practiced for decades in Maine and has spent much of his career helping parents navigate everyday challenges of raising children. He is the author of Coping with a Picky Eater: A Guide for the Perplexed Parent, a practical guide to managing picky eating and reducing mealtime battles.

We discuss why children become picky eaters, how parents can encourage children to try different foods without turning meals into a struggle, and why a parent’s job is to provide food rather than pressure a child to eat it. We also talk about second dinners, desserts, family meals, screens at the table, and when picky eating may deserve closer attention.

One of Dr. Wilkoff’s central messages is that the goal isn’t to force children to eat. It’s to offer food in a pleasant environment, set reasonable expectations, and take the conflict out of mealtimes.

If feeding your child has become a daily source of stress, this conversation offers a thoughtful perspective on how to approach picky eating with more patience and less pressure.

About Dr. Wilkoff’s book: Coping with a Picky Eater: A Guide for the Perplexed Parent by William G. Wilkoff, MD.

Thanks for listening to Your Child Is Normal! If you find this episode helpful, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Ep 253: Mouth Breathing and Snoring in Kids: What Parents Should Know, with Dr Reddy Pediatric ENT Oct 12, 2026

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Why do some children snore or breathe through their mouths while sleeping? When is it normal, and when might it be a sign of a problem?

In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, I’m joined by Dr. Reddy, a pediatric ear nose and throat (ENT) specialist, to talk about noisy breathing, snoring, and sleep-disordered breathing in children.

We discuss the signs parents should pay attention to, when it may be reasonable to wait and see whether symptoms improve with time, and when further evaluation or treatment is important.

We also take a closer look at popular airway-focused treatments, including palate expanders and tongue-tie and lip-tie releases. With so much information circulating on social media, how can parents tell what is supported by good evidence?

Dr. Reddy shares a thoughtful perspective on balancing parental concerns with evidence-based care, and why children with suspected sleep apnea should receive appropriate medical evaluation rather than delaying care for alternative treatments.

As always, the goal is to help parents understand what may be a normal part of childhood, what deserves attention, and how to make informed decisions for their families.

Connect with Dr. Reddy: IG: @pedsentdoc

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Ep 252: Helping Kids With ADHD Thrive at School: A Parent-Teacher Partnership Oct 07, 2026

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How can parents and teachers support children with ADHD?

In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Mike McLeod, founder of Grow Now ADHD discusses how parents and teachers can work together to support children with ADHD at school.

This conversation is intended to give parents and teachers practical ideas for supporting children with ADHD while helping them build the skills they will need as they get older.

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Ep 251: The Gut Microbiome: What Actually Matters for Kids? with Stephanie Culler, PhD Sep 28, 2026

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What exactly is the gut microbiome—and how much does it really matter for our kids?

In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman talks with Stephanie Culler, PhD, microbiome scientist and co-founder and CEO of Persephone Biosciences.

Stephanie explains how the microbiome develops beginning in infancy, why Bifidobacterium may be particularly important early in life, and how birth, diet, antibiotics, pets, siblings, fiber, and fermented foods can influence the bacteria living in our gut.

We also talk about:

• What the microbiome actually does
• Why researchers are studying the connection between the gut and immune health
• What we can learn from Amish, Mennonite, and hunter-gatherer populations
• Fiber and fermented foods such as yogurt and kefir
• Whether kids really need probiotics
• What antibiotics do to the microbiome
• The connection between the microbiome, eczema, allergies, and asthma
• Why correlation and causation are still important to distinguish
• Whether at-home microbiome testing is useful
• What microbiome science may look like in the future.

Learn more about Stephanie Culler and Persephone Biosciences:

My Baby Biome research and Persephone’s science: available through Persephone’s website

As always, this conversation is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice.

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Ep 250: Is This Normal—or Is It OCD? What Parents Need to Know with Dr. Emily Aron Sep 21, 2026

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Is your child's repetitive behavior just a normal childhood phase—or could it be OCD?

In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, pediatrician Dr. Jessica Hochman talks with child psychiatrist Dr. Emily Aron about how obsessive-compulsive disorder can show up in children and how parents can recognize when everyday worries, rituals, and routines have crossed the line into something that needs support.

We discuss the difference between OCD and anxiety, intrusive “junk thoughts,” compulsions, reassurance-seeking, perfectionism, and why well-intentioned parents can sometimes accidentally reinforce OCD by repeatedly reassuring or accommodating their child.

Dr. Aron also explains Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold-standard treatment for pediatric OCD, when medication may be considered, and why early treatment can make such a difference.

About Dr. Emily Aron

Dr. Emily Aron is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist who specializes in children's mental health. She is passionate about helping parents better understand their children's emotional and behavioral health and making evidence-based information accessible to families.

Dr. Aron writes about children's mental health for Pediatric News and offers parent guides and resources on her website, including information about recognizing and managing OCD.

Learn more from Dr. Emily Aron:

🌐 Website: emilyaron.com

📩 Newsletter: Sign up for Dr. Aron's newsletter on her website for regular information about children's mental health and parenting.

📝 Pediatric News: Find Dr. Aron's articles on children's mental health in Pediatric News.

🎙️ Your Child Is Normal — evidence-based pediatric guidance to help parents worry less and connect more.

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Ep 249: The Japanese Way of Parenting: What American Parents Can Learn About Manners, Independence & Community, with Lisa Katayama Sep 14, 2026

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The Japanese Way of Parenting: What American Parents Can Learn About Manners, Independence & Community

What can American parents learn from the way children are raised in Japan?

In this episode, I sit down with Lisa, author of The Japanese Way of Parenting, to explore the cultural differences—and surprising similarities—between Japanese and American parenting.

Lisa shares what inspired her to look at her own Japanese upbringing after becoming a mother in the United States, and how she has incorporated elements of Japanese culture into raising her children.

We talk about:

• Why community comes before the individual in many aspects of Japanese culture
• Teaching children manners and consideration for the people around them
• Why Japanese children are often given more opportunities for independence
• How children can learn to help around the house from a young age
and more!

One of my biggest takeaways from this conversation is that parenting doesn't have to be all or nothing. We can learn from other cultures, take what resonates with us, and create our own parenting philosophy.

What Japanese parenting practice would you like to bring into your home?

Subscribe for more conversations about parenting, child development, and the ideas that can help us raise happy, capable, thoughtful kids.

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Ep 248: Why Your Teen Can’t Sleep: What Parents Need to Know, with Dr. Rakesh Bhattacharjee, pediatric sleep specialist Aug 31, 2026

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In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman talks with pediatric sleep specialist Dr. Bhattacharjee, who leads the sleep program at Rady Children’s Hospital, about why sleep is so important for children’s physical health, mood, learning, attention, and athletic performance.

They discuss why teenagers naturally want to stay up later, how early school schedules work against adolescent biology, and what parents can realistically do to help. Dr. Bhattacharjee shares practical advice about screens, phones in the bedroom, caffeine, weekend sleep schedules, bedtime routines, and figuring out how much sleep your individual child actually needs.

They also discuss the connection between sleep deprivation and ADHD-like symptoms, whether sleep helps children grow, melatonin and other sleep aids, when excessive sleepiness deserves medical attention, and why consistency may be one of the most underrated sleep strategies.

Learn more about Dr. Bhattacharjee:
Dr. Bhattacharjee practices at UC San Diego and Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego and is an active member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Make sure and Follow Your Child Is Normal podcast for practical, evidence-based conversations designed to help parents learn more and worry less.

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Ep 247: Feeding Kids Without Fear: Picky Eating, Nutrition & Practical Meal Tips with Jennifer Anderson Aug 24, 2026

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In this episode, Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with Jennifer Anderson, founder of Kids Eat in Color, to discuss her new book, Feed Them Well, releasing September 8, 2026. They talk about how parents can tune out fear-based nutrition messaging—including concerns about ingredients like Red Dye 40—and look past the marketing of “healthy” foods and hyper-palatable “healthy swaps.”

They also discuss what really matters when feeding kids, including prioritizing protein and fiber, understanding normal changes in appetite (especially during the toddler years), and helping prevent extreme picky eating through repeated food exposure, coming to meals hungry, and therapeutic food play. Jennifer also explains the nuance around “pressure to eat” and offers an important reminder for parents: you’re probably doing a better job feeding your kids than you think.

Jennifer Anderson is a registered dietitian and the founder of Kids Eat in Color, a trusted resource that helps families navigate picky eating and raise healthy, confident eaters without fear or pressure. Through Kids Eat in Color, she offers practical nutrition resources, meal-planning tools, and programs for families looking for support with feeding and picky eating. You can also find her on Instagram at @kids.eat.in.color, where she shares approachable, evidence-based advice for feeding kids.

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