EvoParenting

Parenting today looks very different from what it once was. We have very little time and countless devices and products that are supposed to make parenting easier, such as strollers, baby monitors, pacifiers, and infant formula. But do they really help? Or do they sometimes create new challenges? To look for answers to these questions — and to understand how we can parent better — it may help to look back in time. Evolutionary thinking might offer an important key to understanding both our children and ourselves. By looking at the environments in which humans evolved, we may begin to understand why children behave the way they do — and why parenting sometimes feels so difficult today. Maybe evolution holds some of the answers many modern parents are looking for. My name is Magdalena Babiszewska-Aksamit, and I’m a scientist working in the fields of human biology, physical anthropology, and evolutionary medicine. This is the Evo Parenting Podcast, where we use evolutionary knowledge to help parents better understand their children — and themselves. Make yourself comfortable. Give me a moment to prepare my favorite tea, and let’s begin!