Here we go again … 2023 is coming to an end. It’s a quiet week over here, but we’ve got a lot of fun stuff to take you through the holidays.
If you need to get out of the house for a walk, I highly recommend listening to my interview with Majka Burhardt, which we’re bringing back to the podcast today. It’s an honest conversation about the reality of marriage with young kids (twins!) that was a favorite of yours from this year. You can listen here or by searching for “ParentData” in your favorite podcast app. If you are looking for something to read, we’re bringing back another ParentData favorite this Thursday: an article about the data behind CDC guidelines on breast milk, including storage times, refreezing, mixing, and more.
We will be back on January 2 with a new article on baby-friendly hospitals and whether there is evidence that they meet their goal of higher breastfeeding rates.
And now, in case you missed them, here are some of this year’s other top articles, podcast episodes, and reels. This is a great email to read through slowly over the break — and forward to a friend who hasn’t heard of us. I hope you enjoy it!
Top articles
Our top articles — by readership or by my personal opinion — of the year:
- Everything You Need to Know About Poop. It’s one of our favorite topics. In fact, we’ve got a whole page of poop articles on ParentData, including baby poop colors, why men take so long to poop, and how to get your child to use the toilet.
- Is Day Care Bad for Kids? A response to one of the biggest parenting anxieties I hear about.
- Total Responsibility Transfer: Dividing Household Labor More Evenly. My take on the “hidden labor” of tasks, and how to fix it.
- Data and advice from you all. The Best and Worst Baby Items, Your Sex Life After Kids, and the Best Potty Training Advice.
- Not an article, but: This year we introduced Dewey to the ParentData family. Dewey is a chatbot trained on all the ParentData content — you have questions, it has answers (and citations). If you’re looking for a quick answer, or a thoughtful way to search the ParentData archive, visit Dewey here.
Note: We have made these articles open to all subscribers for the rest of December. If you like being able to read or search for older articles, you can have full access to our archive as a paid subscriber. It’s an awesome benefit and makes a great gift for a new or expecting parent. Go to parentdata.org/subscribe to learn more.
Top podcast episodes
This fall we relaunched the ParentData podcast, with incredible guests and a big step up in audio quality (thanks to our podcast producer, Tamar Avishai!). Time magazine named it one of the 10 best podcasts of 2023. Give it a listen, starting with our top three episodes:
- High-Achieving Kids: The culture of never enough
- Self-Care Without Candles: Redefining wellness for parents
- Let’s Talk Puberty: Supporting our kids through the cringe
Top reels
Every Wednesday over on Instagram (@profemilyoster), I answer your questions, provide guidance, and try to make people laugh a little. You’ve got to be there on Wednesday to see the stories, but throughout the week I also post about what’s new on ParentData, panic headlines, and the occasional rant or pep talk. Here are the top three reels from this year:
Final thoughts
This was a huge year for ParentData. I got to write about so many topics I’ve wondered about and to dive into the data, which is my favorite thing. We celebrated the 10th anniversary of the release of Expecting Better, a book that changed my life in ways I’m still coming to terms with. We announced my next book, The Unexpected, which I hope will spark a broader conversation about pregnancy complications and research into women’s health. And I brought on a team of spectacular people to help ParentData be even better.
We’ve got a lot in store for 2024, and I cannot wait to tell you all about it. Until then, have a wonderful and restful holiday, and happy new year!
Running full speed into 2024!
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