Your Child is Normal: with Dr Jessica Hochman
Welcome to Your Child Is Normal, the podcast that educates and reassures parents about childhood behaviors, health concerns, and development. Hosted by Dr Jessica Hochman, a pediatrician and mom of three, this podcast covers a wide range of topics--from medical issues to emotional and social challenges--helping parents feel informed and confident. By providing expert insights and practical advice, Your Child Is Normal empowers parents to spend less time worrying and more time connecting with their children.
Episodes
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...
Parents today have access to more health information than ever—but does more information actually make it easier to raise healthy kids?
In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman talks with Arielle Levi, pediatric health coach and co-founder of the Pediatric Health Coach Academy, about helping families turn health advice into realistic, sustainable habits.
They discuss what pediatric health coa...
Why are so many children afraid of going to the doctor—and what can parents do to help?
In this episode, Dr. Jessica Hochman is joined by family physician and Playhouse MD co-founder Dr. Kaitlin to discuss why medical visits can feel so overwhelming for children and how parents and healthcare providers can make them less intimidating.
They talk about the developmental reasons behind medical anxiety, the powerful...
In this episode, Dr. Jessica Hochman welcomes back anxiety expert Lynn Lyons, to discuss how parents can help children navigate back-to-school anxiety.
Lynn explains why reassurance isn't always reassuring, why parents often talk too much when children are anxious, and how simple changes in our language can build confidence instead of fear. Together they discuss what to say when a child doesn't want to go to school, ...
For years, many of us have assumed that toddlers are naturally picky—that children are simply born preferring bland foods, avoiding vegetables, and rejecting anything unfamiliar. But what if that's not actually true?
This week I'm joined by historian Helen Zoe Veit, author of Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History. Together we explore how picky eating became so common, why children i...
What are the most common eye injuries in children—and how can parents help prevent them?
In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with Dr. Aaron Nagiel, pediatric retinal specialist and Chief of the Retina Division at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, to discuss children's eye health, vision safety, and the latest breakthroughs in retinal care.
Dr. Nagiel explains how the retina work...
ADHD affects nearly 1 in 9 children in the United States, and many parents wonder whether medication is their only option. In this episode, I sit down with Dana Kay, founder of the ADHD Thrive Institute, to discuss practical lifestyle strategies that may help support children with ADHD symptoms. Dana also shares her personal journey raising a son with ADHD and how that experience inspired her work helping thousands ...
In this episode, therapist and play therapy expert Dr. Kim Van Dusen explains why play may be one of the most powerful parenting tools we have: play strengthens parent-child relationships, reduces power struggles, supports emotional regulation, encourages independence, and helps children learn important life skills.
She shares practical ways to incorporate play into everyday routines, including chores, homework, tran...
Divorce is one of the most significant transitions a family can experience—but how does it affect children, and what can parents do to minimize the emotional impact?
In this episode, Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with psychotherapist, psychoanalyst, and bestselling author Erica Komisar to discuss the developmental and emotional effects of divorce on children. They explore why certain ages may be more vulnerable...
Many parents worry about reading: Is my child reading early enough? What if my child doesn't like books?
In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica sits down with a very special guest—her mother-in-law, a speech-language pathologist and reading specialist with decades of experience helping children develop language, literacy, and learning skills.
Together they discuss the difference between speech and ...
Skincare has become a major part of teen and tween culture. From Sephora shopping trips to elaborate nighttime routines, many kids are using more skincare products than ever before. But what do young people actually need for healthy skin?
In this episode, Dr. Jessica Hochman talks with dermatologist Dr. Angela Casey about the rise of skincare among children and teens and how parents can help their kids make smart cho...
Food allergies can feel incredibly overwhelming for parents — especially during infancy when introducing new foods for the first time. What does a true allergic reaction actually look like? And what should families know about new treatment options for food allergies?
In this episode, Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with allergist Dr. Akansha Ganju of Latitude Food Allergy Care to discuss the latest science around...
In this replay of episodes 31 and 32 of Your Child Is Normal, anxiety expert and psychotherapist Lynn Lyons shares practical, reassuring advice for parents raising anxious kids.
The conversation covers:
- how anxiety shows up in children
- why reassurance can sometimes worsen anxiety
- how avoidance strengthens fear
- ways parents unintentionally accommodate anxiety
- practical strategies to help children build resilience and c...
What helps children become resilient? How do we raise kids with genuine confidence and self-esteem—while also helping them navigate disappointment, frustration, and uncomfortable emotions?
In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, I am replaying one of my favorite past conversations—originally released as Episode 51—with Dr. Joan Rosenberg, bestselling author, psychologist, TEDx speaker, and expert o...
Parents hear it all the time: kids need routine.
But what does that actually mean—and how do you make it work in real life without becoming overly rigid?
In this episode, we are joined by pediatric occupational therapist Jessica Irwin, founder of Rooted in Routine, to talk about how simple, flexible routines can make a big difference for kids—and parents.
We discuss:
- Why routines help kids fee...
When it comes to babies and movement, parents often ask:
Is my child developing normally? Should I be worried? And when is it time to get help?
In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman is joined by Daniella Brown, a pediatric physical therapist and founder of Proactive Pediatric Physical Therapy.
They cover:
- What pediatric physical therapy actually looks like
- Common rea...
In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with pumping expert Tamari to break down everything parents need to know about pumping—from when to start, how often to pump, and how to make it actually work in real life.
They talk honestly about the challenges of breastfeeding and pumping, the pressure many moms feel, and why it doesn’t have to be as stressful as it often seems. Tam...
Sleep is one of the most common—and stressful—concerns for parents, especially in the first year of life.
In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with therapist, sleep expert, and mom of four Chrissy (The Peaceful Sleeper) to talk about how to approach sleep in a way that actually works for real families.
Chrissy shares a practical, intuitive framework for understanding...
Why do parents feel so relieved when their child gets a diagnosis?
And when can that same label do more harm than good?
In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman speaks with pediatrician Dr. William Wilkoff, who has spent decades caring for children in Maine and writing for both parents and physicians.
Dr. Wilkoff introduces a powerful idea he calls the “Rumpelstiltskin effect&rdquo...
In part two of my conversation with Dr. Michael Milobsky, we talk about boys — and why so much normal boy behavior is increasingly being labeled as a problem. We discuss redshirting, kindergarten expectations, ADHD concerns, school environments that may not fit many boys well, and how to tell the difference between a child who is truly struggling and one who is simply developing normally. This is an important ...
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