Growing with Your Kids as They Grow Up (with Kenya Malcolm)

Are we doomed to traumatize our kids? Host Emily Hessney Lynch sits down with Dr. Kenya Malcolm, PhD, a clinical psychologist and the Director of Infant and Early Childhood Initiatives at the University of Rochester Medical Center's Department of Psychiatry, for a conversation about exactly that. We explore how our trauma shows up as parents and how our anxieties can impact the environment our kids grow up in and their attachment to us, what your first stop should be when you're worried about your child's mental health (or your own!), and how to parse all the conflicting parenting advice you see online.In the second half of the episode, we chat about a new title Kenya recently added: grandma! She shares her hopes for being a grandparent (hint: it involves spoiling them and having tons of fun), how she's taking care of her daughter postpartum, and how she built a relationship with her daughters that was flexible and allowed both her and her kids to grow and change as they got older.Links:We both use a Brick to help reduce the time we spend on our phones; if you're interested in trying it, you can save 10% with my link!For more of Kenya, follow her PhD Instagram, her Bookstagram, and the Genre Snaps Book Club, or check out her consulting business.Emily's website & Instagram.Books mentioned in the episode:Nonfiction: The Whole-Brain Child and How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk Children's books: My Mouth is a Volcano!, I Just Don't Like the Sound of No!, and The Bakery DragonFiction: Theo of Golden, Nothing Tastes as Good, and Fabulous Bodies (out July 7, 2026)To support the show, leave us a one-time (or recurring!) tip. We'll send you a sticker to say thanks!We're a proud member of the Lunchador Podcast Network. Our logo is by Tenderchomps Art.Mentioned in this episode:Common Thread Check out Common Thread on Lunchador! https://feeds.captivate.fm/common-threads-hardcore/ Getting Real with Bossy: For Women Who Own BusinessCheck out Getting Real with Bossy: For Women Who Own Business on Lunchador! https://feeds.captivate.fm/gettingrealwithbossy/ Joe Bean RoastersVisit joebeanroasters.com to get fresh roasted specialty coffee either by the bag or with a Perpetual Joy subscription!