In this episode of Your Child Is Normal, Dr. Jessica Hochman sits down with pediatric hospitalist and mom of three, Dr. Padget Skogman, for a refreshingly honest conversation about raising healthy kids in a very imperfect world. They dive into the real-life challenges of nutrition, screen time, and daily routines—offering practical, judgment-free advice for families who want to feel better without burning out.
Dr. Skogman shares how her experience as a physician and a mother shaped her views on food, wellness, and the importance of small, sustainable changes. The episode covers everything from lunchbox negotiations to decoding wellness trends, helping parents cut through the noise and focus on what really matters.
Whether you're overwhelmed by wellness culture or just trying to get your kids to eat a vegetable, this episode is full of relatable moments and empowering guidance.
Connect with Dr. Padget Skogman:
Instagram: @padgetskogmanmd
Substack: padgetskogmanmd.substack.com
Website: padgetskogmanmd.com
Dr Jessica Hochman is a board certified pediatrician, mom to three children, and she is very passionate about the health and well being of children. Most of her educational videos are targeted towards general pediatric topics and presented in an easy to understand manner.
For more content from Dr Jessica Hochman:
Instagram: @AskDrJessica
YouTube channel: Ask Dr Jessica
Website: www.askdrjessicamd.com
-For a plant-based, USDA Organic certified vitamin supplement, check out : Llama Naturals Vitamin and use discount code: DRJESSICA20
-To test your child's microbiome and get recommendations, check out:
Tiny Health using code: DRJESSICA
Do you have a future topic you'd like Dr Jessica Hochman to discuss? Email Dr Jessica Hochman askdrjessicamd@gmail.com.
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.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Unknown (00:00):
Hi everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in to today's
episode of your child is normal.
Today, I'm joined by fellowpediatrician and mom of three,
Dr Paget skogman, and in today'sepisode, we're going to talk
about practical ways to helpkids build healthier, not
perfect, habits, even in thechaos of real life. So from food
and screens to sleep inconnection, this episode is full
of honest and doable tips. Andif you enjoy what Padgett has to
(00:21):
say and you want to learn morefrom her, I recommend checking
out her Instagram page at DrPaget COVID. I'm also linking
all of her information in theepisode description below. And
before we get started, if you'reenjoying this podcast, I would
be so grateful if you could takea moment and leave a five star
review. It really helps othersfind the show. All right. Now,
let's get into it.
Welcome Dr Paget Goldman, toyour child is normal. I'm so
(00:44):
happy to have you here. Oh, I'mso grateful to be here. This is
like, such an honor. So tell usa bit about yourself. You're a
pediatrician. Tell me aboutwhere you practice and what your
main pediatric interests are,yes, so I am a pediatrician in
Iowa, right in the middle of thecountry. I'm a born and raised,
actual Iowa farm girl, and Ipractice in general pediatrics.
(01:06):
I'm now a Pediatric Hospitalist,but started in a clinic and
worked there for about fouryears and ran a pediatric
obesity clinic, and thentransitioned into the hospital
world because I missed some ofthe acuity and also wanted more
flexible time to be able to kindof like, help grow this platform
that's amazing, and just toenvision what your life is like.
(01:29):
You're a mom and you work. Howmany kids do you have, and what
is your schedule like? Yeah, soI have three kids like you. I'm
married. My husband is a lawyer.
I have a nine year old, a sixyear old and a four year old
now, and I love being their mom.
Our schedule. I'm a communitybased hospitalist, so I'll work
(01:50):
a couple weeks on and then havea couple weeks off. I like that
schedule where you can be on fora couple of weeks and off for a
couple of weeks. I'm sure yourkids love that flexibility. I
think, yes, it's hard becauseit's like, kind of an all or
none, you know what I mean. SoI'm either, like, total, full
blown mom or totally not. But Ireally love it, because it was
hard to get as much hands on momtime as I wanted with the
(02:15):
constraints of clinic. So like,I was never able to drive for a
field trip or go in and read thebook or things like that.
Because when you're in clinic,it's, I mean, busy, full days.
So this affords some flexibilitywith that. And always, I tell
everyone, it takes a village,right? So I would not be in the
position I am without a lovingfamily that helps. My nanny is
(02:37):
like sitting in the backgroundbecause I couldn't do anything
without Sophie, like, she is agodsend. So it's really awesome
that, like, I'm able to kind of,like, do a lot of my passions
and still be a mom, which isprobably my greatest passion.
How do you balance it all?
Because that's, I mean, you canedit this out if you want. But I
was like, yesterday when I wasasking Dr Jessica and I met
briefly, and I was asking herabout, like, how does she fit in
(02:59):
this? And I thought you would belike, a full time podcaster,
like, you were like, No, Irounded at newborn nursery, and
now I'm gonna go to clinic and Ihave this lunch hour tomorrow.
And I was like, what, what areyou? You're amazing. Like,
that's so like, how do you makethat work? Thank you. Well, like
you said, it really takes avillage. So I have a very
involved husband. He's a doctor,but he's very involved with the
(03:19):
kids. We literally split thepickups and dry. Pickups and
drop offs, 5050, my mother inlaw is very helpful. My parents
are very helpful. You know, Idon't do a lot of extras, like,
meaning I don't watch a lot ofTV, but Thanks for, thanks for
thinking that I do a lot. Iappreciate that. Of course, I
also always say, likemotherhood, it's like the mess
of the magic of motherhood,right? That, like my life, at
least, is not nearly as likeorderly or perfect as I thought
(03:43):
it would be, but I kind of lovethe chaos. And I feel like the
platform I'm trying to create isto be like, I do not have it all
pulled together. And these aresome of like, my teeny, tiny
tips and tricks to show youthat, like, I prioritize healthy
eating and cooking, but in noway is it perfect, and in
(04:06):
absolutely no way, shape or formdoes it take a ton of time for
me. Because if it did take a tonof time, I would never do it.
You know, so kind of trying to,like, debug some of that and be
like, how do you do this in reallife, because everyone knows
what we're supposed to do. Wejust can't, as you mentioned, we
all know about healthy habits.
(04:27):
We know it's good to eat fruitsand vegetables. The reality is,
implementing those healthyhabits is very challenging, and
I would be a total liar if Itold you I was a perfect eater
and that my kids were perfecteaters, and it's something that
I'm always trying to work on,because I do know that I owe it
to them to try my best to raisethem with good habits, because
that sets them up for ahealthier future. So I know that
(04:49):
this is your passion. It is,that's it. It's like, the most
boring thing ever, right? Like,I'm like, teach your kids
healthy habits, but then also,like, how do you do that? Right?
And that's kind of been my.
My journey as a mom, I thinkwhen you're in residency, I
don't know about you, but I didnot have any time to think about
health or wellness. So you comeout of residency, and at that
(05:11):
point, I had one, almost twochildren, and hadn't put a ton
of like, time or effort orthought into getting them to
eat. Well, I just gave them thevery standard American diet,
like what we had kind of grownup with. And then as I've
evolved, I've kind of learnedmore and then started to do
better, you know. So it's like,how do you take your kids from
(05:32):
eating goldfish and fruit snacksand get them to, like, try more
vegetables and eat more fruitsthat, you know? And I'm not
saying that my kids don't eatgoldfish and for sex, because
they do, you know, but like, howdo I move that needle and just
teach and encourage and inviteother people on the journey? And
the same with screens, that'sthe other thing that I feel
(05:52):
like. Both nutrition andscreens, they were incredibly
hard to talk about in theoffice, because naturally, I
think as adults and momsespecially, we all know almost
exactly what we should be doing,and so it's easy to feel shame
when you have a doctor that's,hey, how many vegetables do they
(06:15):
eat? You know? And you want tosay, like, oh yeah, they're
great vegetable eaters or, youknow, but like, the reality is
that's not true for a lot ofkids. And so how do I give them
different ideas, or meet themwhere they're at or, like, just
kind of be on the journey withthem. But I think I just want to
share that with other moms,because I feel like so much of
us everywhere are in a similar,you know, boat and kind of like
(06:39):
that. Health is always it's ajourney, you know, and for me
also, so much of what I want toteach my kids is that, like,
your health doesn't have to beyour healthy habits don't have
to be perfect. They just have tobe consistent in general. And I
think health is as much goodnutrition and less screens as it
(07:00):
is, having a strong relationshipwith loving people around you
and getting enough sleep. Youknow, I kind of think of like
the five pillars of health interms of healthy eating and
nutrition, like real food. Ikind of always say sleep
movement, right, which? Likemovement and sleep are closely
related to, like screens,relationships, connection, and
(07:23):
then I kind of always includespirituality, that belief of
purpose and source and what thatcomes from, not that there's any
right answer to it. I don'tbelieve that at all, just that,
like having a piece of each ofthose is a part of what makes a
healthy person. If that makessense, it's true. It's not just
(07:43):
diet. It's not just one thing. Ionce heard someone say that the
goal for health is to be is tothink about 80% 20% where you
want to strive to be 80% quote,unquote, good, and then 20% you
can fudge a little bit and havethe unhealthy foods. So I like
that because it offers someforgiveness that you don't have
to be perfect, but if you justthink about mostly getting
(08:04):
there, you'll feel good, you'llget all the health benefits. And
I think that's really the goal.
I think so too. Or like my kids,my daughter will say, like, Bob,
you hate sugar. And I'll belike, No, I do not hate sugar. I
just want to make sure thatyou're getting your sugar from
the desserts, like we make realbrownies, we have real ice
cream, like we eat the goodstuff. But I'm like, I don't
(08:25):
want you eating sugar, likedessert for breakfast, dessert
for lunch, dessert for dinner,and then having dessert. It's
true. It's really easy to letsugar, for example, get ahead of
us, where we're having too much,and then taking a back step and
trying to retrain ourselves isreally hard, and I find what
I've struggled with a mom iskind of, I don't want my kids to
(08:45):
feel like they're on a diet orlike I'm like, I'm giving them
an eating disorder, right? Like,you hear all the kind of anti
dieting kid stuff, but I thinkthat's like a fear that a lot of
Americans, myself included, kindof have. But then there's a huge
gap between teaching them. Foodis nutrition, food is energy.
Food is like the fuel that likefeeds the cells in your body.
(09:08):
And it's like no one food isbad. But as humans, we have to
think about what we put in ourbody, because that fuels our
cells and helps us live ourbest, longest life. You know, I
think that a lot of parents areworried that if we say no to our
kids, that it will backlash,that the rebel later, that
(09:29):
they're going to overdo sugarlater on in life, because we
were so restrictive. But I thinkif you approach it where you're
educating them, where you'retelling them that this is good
for your body, this is good foryour health, because I do think
all of us really do want to behealthy. If you talk to your
kids, they are motivated to takecare of themselves. I think if
you frame it in such a way thatyou're doing this for their
(09:49):
health, so that they can bestronger, so that they can have
more energy, so that they can dobetter in school and concentrate
better, I do think that goes along way.
Okay, I hope so, right. You'realways like, I mean, because my
kids are little, so admittedly,I have not actually seen how it
turns out, but we're foreverjust trying to, like, evaluate
(10:10):
what's working, see what's not,that sort of thing. Like my nine
year old came home from school.
This was a couple weeks ago, butshe's like, Mom, all my friends
have really fun snacks, and Idon't feel like I do, you know.
And I was like, Okay, let's talkabout that. So we talked
through, kind of, like, whatthey all bring, you know, like,
we made, like, a whole list oflike, snacks that she wanted,
and then we looked at thedifferent nutritional aspects of
(10:32):
them. And then she and I totallycompromised and, like, added a
couple of them in that shewanted. She opted to, like,
leave the Oreos and candy out ofit, which I was really proud of,
because when we went through thenutritional aspects of it, she
was like, Yeah, Mom, that'sprobably not going to be my best
fuel. And then we still agreedto, like, keep some of the
snacks that I love, which are, Imean, most of you do like, nuts,
(10:54):
popcorn, fresh fruits and veg,you know, like, pretty classic,
standard stuff that, like, weall know we should be eating all
the time, but like, isn't thesexiest option, especially with
the fact that we have so manyUltra processed foods. You know
what I mean? So and I thinkyou're not alone with the snack
comparison. I think every momhas been there and we've been
(11:16):
there. I remember as a kid beingvery envious of what other kids
had in their lunch compared towhat I had in my lunch. Had in
my lunch. And it's okay, but Ithink you're right. The way I've
approached that with my kids iswe just talk about it. I say on
Sunday, in particular, when Ihave time to shop for food, I
say, What do you want in yourlunch this week? And these are
my constraints. You know, I youcan have one treat and then the
rest. I'd like to be I'd like tosee a fruit. I'd like to see
(11:38):
something that's healthy foryour body, maybe something with
protein. We talk about it sothat it's about it so that it's
a well balanced meal, and it'sokay. I think it's just the way
of parenting is that they'regonna compare us to others. I
think that that that's just partof life. I think so too. And I
would say to them, like, Hey,your mom's a pediatrician, so
this is just some of yourreality, because you got me as a
(11:59):
mom, you know. And then I talkabout, like, all the great
things that I great things thatI do, they're still little, so
they kind of buy it, but, but totry to always have that
conversation, and I use almostany part of it as, like, an
educational opportunity, right?
Because I think food andnutrition are interesting.
Exercise is interesting, youknow, like teaching her that,
hey, running is hard. It isreally hard. Like, but how good
(12:21):
do you feel at the end? Like,have you ever noticed, like, how
good your body feels and howgood your mood is and how strong
you feel? You know, because shesaid she, like, hated running,
wouldn't do it, and they had torun the mile in PE she came home
and was like, Mom,I do I feel so strong. And I'm
like, Yes, Drew nobody lovesrunning. I mean, sometimes you
kind of do. But I'm like, Ithink the more we could just
(12:41):
teach a just teach a little bitof that, right? And, like,
empower them. You're beinghonest with her. Not everybody
likes to exercise. Exercise ishard, but things that are hard,
they're worth it. There's payoffat the end of it. So that's such
a great example, noticing howyou how that endorphin rush that
you feel after exercise, what agreat, what a great feeling to
appreciate from a young age?
Yeah. I mean, I think so we'llsee. And you know, most of
(13:04):
health happens in all the thingsoutside of the office. I totally
agree with that. My husbandalways says 99% of health he
believes has nothing to do withgoing to the doctor. And at
first I think, hey, wait asecond, I'd like to think that
we're making an impact, but he'sright. I think, as you
mentioned, the way you eat, theway you sleep, who you interact
with, what's your work life islike, what's your what's your
(13:25):
day to day stress level is like,all of that makes a big impact
in your health. I think so too,and that's been a big part of my
journey. I'm a type one diabeticas well, and so I was diagnosed
from the age of five. I've hadthat kind of like disease all my
life, but I I know when I go tothe doctor that they like want
my a 1c to be right, like in acertain age. But in order to
(13:47):
implement that, my bestlikelihood of getting my a 1c in
that range is to take care ofall the things right. So if I'm
sleeping well, if I'm moving mybody, if I'm eating, well, if I
feel good, my agency ismagically always in the number,
you know, and yes, I have totake my insulin, but so much of
hitting that target is it's somuch more than just my insulin.
(14:11):
If you're not mentally well,you're not going to take good
care of your diabetes. So I wantto ask you, because I know, as
you mentioned, you're veryyou're passionate about
spreading tips about health andhealthy living to families. Can
you give us maybe three favoritepieces of advice that you'd like
to share with families on how toget started? Okay, good idea. So
(14:33):
I recommend that parents writedown without changing a thing
your daily habits or schedule.
So you wake up at this time, thekids watch TV from this time to
this time. Then you eatbreakfast. What is breakfast
normally? And kind of do thatfor, like, the whole day. Do do
it over a couple days. To do acouple days of like, where your
(14:56):
habits are, and you'll see thepatterns.
Of it, you know, like, oh yeah,we are kind of watching TV at
this time, or we are eatingmostly cereal for breakfast, or
we go to the gas station afterschool and pick up a snack
there. And then, from that kindof thinking of those five
pillars of health, right? Andthen I recommend picking one
(15:17):
thing to change and startingsmall. So if say you're gonna
say, eat more fruits andvegetables, is like, always a
great one. So I would say, thenlook at your daily habit list.
Pick one meal or one snack toadd a fruit or vegetable to pick
(15:38):
one to change. You know what Imean, to just kind of start to
move the needle. But then lookover then a couple weeks and
see, was it successful? Did itstick? Did it not Was it too
hard, you know? And if that wasgood and it worked, then you
pick one more thing, and if itwasn't good, then you kind of go
back and say, okay, like fruitsand veg for an after school
(15:59):
snack. It's too big of a jump,like we're not there, you know.
So maybe then you'd go fromCheetos to
siette chips that are made withavocado oil and have some
flavoring, but no artificialdyes. And that advice, I think,
is really practical. I thinkwhen people have these huge,
grandiose ideas, I'm going tocut out sugar completely. I'm
(16:21):
going to wake up at 5am andwe're going to have vegetables
at every meal. It's just notsustainable. It's not practical.
So I agree that having one smallhabit change. If you incorporate
that into the day to day, andyou keep adding on to that
before you know it, you canreally make some huge changes,
huge, huge changes, and the goalis to to feel empowered and be
(16:45):
successful. So it's like, if Iwanted to run a marathon, I'm
not just gonna go from likesitting on the couch to training
for a marathon, right? Like youmight buy tennis shoes and then
start to wear them, and thenyou're starting to walk outside
five minutes a day. Well, thenyou're setting yourself up for
success, and that makeseverybody feel good. Yes, yes.
(17:09):
Do you have any goals right nowthat you're working on with your
family?
Oh, yeah for sure. Like when weanytime we eat out, it's like
chicken strips and french fries,or like, cheeseburger and french
fries. And so even if we're at anicer restaurant, if there's,
like, a kid meal, it's where wego, you know. And so I was
talking about it the other day,but I'm like, I'd love to, like,
(17:30):
explore that we order differentthings when we're eating out,
because kind of my solution tothat as a mom, which is going to
sound maybe so controlling, butlike, then I feel like the only
thing I can control is that wejust don't eat out that much. So
that's kind of like one of oursthat we're like working towards.
At the moment, it is true thateating out, it's really hard to
(17:50):
eat healthy out, because there'sso much temptation. So I agree
with you. It's harder to say noto dessert, it's harder to say
no to the French fries, and youdon't know what all the
ingredients are in those foodswhen you eat out. So I do think
eating at home, that's a goodmove well, and that's like, so
some of our habit stacking hasbeen like, eating more at home.
And I've come up with, like,quick, easy things to make,
(18:14):
because I don't always have timeto cook.
But yeah, I think just so muchof our culture, and especially
we live in the Midwest, sothere's not a lot of organic
things, or, yeah, and not even,like, it has to be organic,
right? But like, we're kind ofmeat and potatoes, or meat and
french fries, and so that justis some of where we are, you
know, which I think will evolveas we're becoming more healthful
(18:38):
as a society. It feels like, asa nation, we've kind of
recognized like, hey, what we'redoing isn't working. It is
really hard. I think, I think welive in a world with so much
temptation, and I wish I couldsay I had that. We all are born
with fantastic willpower, butit's just not the reality. So I
agree, if we can have foodsaround us that are healthier
(19:00):
options to pick from thathopefully will make a
difference. One, I just want toshare one, one of my big tips
that I have to do if, if I wantour family to eat healthy, I
have to make sure that I time tokeep good food options in the
refrigerator at home, because ifI don't have good choices for
them, then that's on me. So forexample, my kids were snacking
(19:21):
on leftover cake that was in thefridge. And I said, Wait, guys,
that we haven't had dinner yet.
What are you doing having cake?
And they said, well, mommy,there's nothing, nothing to
choose. There's nothing to eat.
Tell me what else I should eat.
And and they're right, like youreally have to be prepared. And
so I think about that a lot.
Where I even for myself at work,I like to pack my lunch. I like
to prepare ahead of time, andwhen I do that, I can feel the
(19:42):
difference with the choices thatI'm making for myself and for
the kids in that tiny bit ofprep. Or like, as an example,
part of what I did when I wasbecoming more aware of like,
health and food and things likethat was like a pantry audit,
right? So, like.
Like just looking at what do Ihave around in our environment?
(20:04):
Because I can't control all ofAmerican culture. I cannot
control what happens when we'reon a road trip unless I've
packed all my snacks, right? Butlike, I can control to what
you're saying, like, what'savailable here. And then for me,
it's been like, a tiny bit ofmeal prep on the weekends goes a
long, long way, and I can dothat pretty quickly. And then we
(20:25):
kind of, like, developed Mondaynight is salmon night, Tuesday
night is fish taco night,Wednesday night is pasta night,
Thursday night is burger night.
So like, we kind of have our kidfriendly, approved meals that
then, like, grocery shopping iseasier, and then I'll prep,
like, once a month, proteinballs and bubble bars and like,
kind of some real food snacks tohave in, like, the freezer or
(20:49):
whatever, so that we've got thatavailable. And just those little
changes, I feel like the qualityof what my kids are eating is
significantly better. And thenwhere do you do your shopping? I
saw a really cool post that youhad on Instagram about how you
go about your shopping for yourfamily. Can you describe that
for everybody? Yeah, yeah. So Iam very cost conscious and
always really want to teachpeople that eating healthy
(21:12):
doesn't have to be superexpensive. So I go to Aldi,
usually for where we live,highest quality ingredients,
best best price. So we get,like, the weekly stuff from
Aldi, and kind of have like arunning list. And often we'll
Instacart that like, Thank Godfor the people that work for
Instacart. And then about once amonth, sometimes every other
(21:33):
week, depending on my schedule,I'll run to Costco and buy some
of the bigger bulk stuff like toget, like, the nuts that I want,
or the oatmeal, or some of theirmeat, like, we'll buy it, and
the fish. I love the fish atCostco. I think it's great
price, great quality. And then Ialso love and try to do whatever
I can to go to the farmersmarket and have the kids come
(21:53):
with me, you know, like, meetthe farmers and see where it's
locally sourced in Iowa, that'sonly like May through September,
sometimes October like so it'skind of a short window that we
can get fresh produce, but Ilove that. And then we'll try
to, like, inspire try newthings. Based on that, I really
appreciate taking my kids tofarmers markets. It's, it's a,
(22:13):
it's a, definitely a happy placefor me with my children, yeah,
and kind of piggyback on to thatthe best way I have gotten my
kids to try new things is Iinclude them in the making of
it. So, like, I just postedsomething today that was, like,
my six year old and I having aconversation while we're making,
like, a pasta primavera. Thatwas the first time I'd ever made
(22:34):
that. But I was like, We lovepasta. We have all these veg we
were out of salmon because Ididn't grocery shop this week,
you know? So, like, I was like,okay, what can I do with what
I've got? And honestly, none ofmy kids loved it, but all of
them ate it. I just think themore, the more they're involved.
The same with, like, having agarden. I don't know if you've
ever done that, but like, if youhave time to grow anything with
(22:56):
your kids, I promise they willeat it. I promise, like a kid
could hate tomatoes, and if theygrow cherry tomatoes with you,
they will love them. It'suniversal. I swear. Yes, we,
we've grown tomatoes before, andI found that that my kids do eat
it when it's off our own vinethe house that we have now my
(23:19):
husband, it's a little bit of ait's a discussion right now,
because my husband wants to, hestarted this big, big garden
that's taking up a lot of ourbackyard space. We don't have a
huge backyard, but he reallywants to have a garden, because
he says, and this is true, thatthe kids will get they're
getting their hands in it.
They're getting involved. Andgardening is a healthy activity
for the kids. So I do agree thatas much as
(23:43):
as much as I might not like theesthetics of how it looks right
now, it is true that the moreyou involve your kids, they will
eat the food that you grow. Andeven more than that, you're
building memories together. Whata healthy activity to garden
together, to cook together. Kidsremember the smells in the
kitchen. They remember that timewith you. It's, it's quality
(24:03):
time, for sure. Yeah, that's agreat way to look at it. And I
think just to, like, teach andeducate them, of like, Oh, these
little seeds, like, grow intosomething. And then, like, we've
had this discussion too, oflike, where do you think they
grew? Cheetos, you know? Andthen the girls were like, wow,
that's a great question, youknow, because you're just like,
kind of trying to get them torecognize a little bit that
(24:23):
ultra processed you don't. Imean, like, where what fruit are
fruit loops from?
You tell me, does anybody know,what are Froot Loops? What are
pirates corn? Are they wheat? Iactually don't know either. But
some of that kind of stuff,we're like, we've gotten so far
away from the source, so tobring a little bit of that back
(24:44):
and just educate I think iscool. Now, there's a lot online
right now. There's a lot ofnoise, especially I find on
social media about the wellnessspace. Are there any points of
contention that you have withthis wellness movement? Do you
think that there's anymisinformation?
Out there that you'd like tobring to light. I think there's
a ton of misinformation. Thecurrent wellness movement is so
(25:07):
well intended for the most part,right? But you have to recognize
supplements are profitable, soif anyone is giving you advice,
but then also pushing an item iskind of bullshit, right? Because
you're like, that's alsoprofitable. And just be careful,
(25:28):
because the reason our food isso awful is because it's
profitable, right, to make moreand more products and get
Americans to buy more and moreand so, like, that's just a real
a real thing to be aware of. Asyou said in the beginning,
there's no easy solution to ahealthy life. It's really the
big picture items that make thebiggest difference, and that's
hard to do. Totally it is hard.
It's just like, it's not easy.
(25:50):
I'm trying to make it as easy asI can, but it's not and with
regards to supplements, I don'tthink, in all honesty, there's
much harm to most supplements,but at the same time, do I think
they're doing a whole lot? No, Idon't unless a kid is truly
deficient in something, youknow, unless they're found to be
low in iron or found to be lowin vitamin D. Okay, that makes
sense. Then, you know, to advisea supplement. But do I give my
(26:10):
kids vitamins? No, I much preferthem getting vitamins from the
real food, getting the vitamin Dfrom being outside. We have the
luxury of being in SouthernCalifornia. We have no excuse
not to get our kids outside mostdays of the year. And then, on
top of it all, when it comes tomulti vitamins, there's never
been a study that I'm aware ofwith children or even adults
that have shown an improvementin any outcome. Do kids get
(26:33):
fewer colds? No. Do kids livelonger? No. Do they grow taller?
Do they have higher IQs? Do theysleep better? Any measurable
outcome that we're looking forwe've never found? Yeah, so I
agree with you. I agree with youthat it's fine to give a kid a
vitamin, but I don't thinkthat's really where the crux of
health is coming from for yourchildren. Yeah, I think I agree
(26:55):
with that. And I think as aparent, kind of one of the other
things you said that I think isso important, or that I feel
like I want every parent toknow, but that, if you say as an
example, you're a family thatdoes choose to not vaccinate
right, likeI I want them still to feel
heard and understood and notjudged for that, because I
understand each family protectstheir own children as best they
(27:18):
can, and I just want to empowerthem with as much knowledge
education as I can. And I thinkthat's some of where that gets
lost, also, because people don'tfeel heard, and then they feel
judged or like they can't evendiscuss vaccines with their
physician or whoever they see,you know, and I just want to
(27:39):
discuss it all and help you feelconfident. As a parent, I'm
sympathetic to parents, becauseI know there's a lot of noise
out there, and it's the normal,natural instinct for parents to
want to protect their childrenand give them the best health
care possible. So I do agree asphysicians, we should let them
ask those questions in a nonjudgmental safe space. I want to
know their questions, and I wantto make sure they feel
(28:01):
comfortable that it's that it isa good thing for their child's
health and keeping them safe andprotected. Yeah. And I'll always
say, like, technically, aspediatricians, right? We're
medical doctors and then alsokind of an expert in our field.
But I try to empower everyparent to be like, but you're
the expert for your child, solike, I will listen, and I want
to know what you think, becauseI may do a better job if I get
(28:27):
my information by listeningreally well to you, we're here
to help parents and be on theirteam. And that's really, that's
really the role that we want toplay, if each parent, if each
family can just live in whatthey're doing and like, listen
to their own intuition, and keepjust making culturally
appropriate healthy shiftswithout all the fear, without
(28:50):
all the shame, without all ofthe like, having someone tell
you exactly what to do, that'swhere the wellness is found.
Just keep making those littletweaks within your own
environment, and it will workout. Which I know sounds so
cliche, but I really, I reallybelieve that I love that trust
your gut. I believe that aswell. All right, so I want to
(29:12):
try something a littledifferent. I thought it'd be fun
for my listeners to get to knowyou a little bit better by
asking some lightning roundquestions. Now, Padgett has not
heard these questions, so I'mjust going to ask you some
questions, and if you don't mindjust firing off your answers.
Okay, you ready? Yes, all right,coffee or tea to help you get
through. Okay? Coffee, that wasfast. Always.
(29:35):
Tea at night when I can't handlethe caffeine.
Favorite, go to healthy snackfor your kids when you're on the
run. Oh, dried mango. Mostoverhyped wellness trend in 2025
so many.
All I can think of now is thecolostrum powder. Because I'm
like, God, they must be making aton of money getting people to
(29:56):
eat that. And I just, I thinkit's overhyped. I have no idea
what the problem.
Says even are. But I'm gonna saythat one one parenting book or
podcast that you would love torecommend, one of my very
favorite parenting books thatprobably all of you have heard
about, Dr Becky, good inside.
But the other one I thinkparents don't think about as
much is Carol Dweck growthmindset. I think life changing
(30:17):
more of like an adult psychologybook, but I think more we can
teach that to our kids, thebetter they'll be. What's your
guilty pleasure? After a longday, this is so embarrassing.
SoI hardly watch any TV. But for
whatever reason, theKardashians,
(30:39):
I will watch. I will like it ismindless, and I do not know why
I like it, but I think I'm justlike fascinated by the level of
wealth. And so occasionally Iwill watch that if you had a
giant billboard in everypediatrician's office, what
would it sayyou are enough One Health habit
that you think is underrated butsuper effective, sleep. Amen to
that. I agree with you yourkid's favorite meal that also
(31:02):
makes you feel like you'rewinning at parenting salmon.
Well, it's not their favorite,but I feel like such a like hero
that I've actually gotten themto eat salmon. You guys, that's
been like a four year journey,just, you know, like four years
of like consistently offeringand we call it salmon ice cream
night, because initially it wassuch a riot in my house that
they had to eat fish, we had tooffer ice cream. So it's a total
(31:24):
mob win, and I feel like a rockstar every time I do it. And
last question for you, what'sbringing you joy lately,
personally or professionally,doing this, I feel like it's
kind of solving a little tinybit of the moral injury I had,
of, like, being in the office,but feeling like I wasn't doing
(31:46):
enough. And so the more I've,like, found my voice and put it
out there, I feel so good. Imean, I'm gonna be on like,
CLOUD NINE after we do this,even if it doesn't get
published, I'll be like, I didit, and maybe it'll help one
person, and that is all I wantto do. Well. Thank you so much.
Dr panchit skogman, thank you somuch for coming on the podcast.
(32:06):
Your energy, your yourenthusiasm, it's all palpable.
Thank you for coming on. Yourchild is normal. Thank you so
much. I really appreciate it.
Thank you for listening, and Ihope you enjoyed this week's
episode of your child is normal.
Also, if you could take a momentand leave a five star review,
wherever it is you listen topodcasts, I would greatly
appreciate it. It really makes adifference to help this podcast
grow. You can also follow me onInstagram at ask Dr Jessica. See
(32:29):
you next Monday. You.
Hi everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in to today's
episode of your child is normal.
Today, I'm joined by fellowpediatrician and mom of three,
Dr Paget skogman, and in today'sepisode, we're going to talk
about practical ways to helpkids build healthier, not
perfect, habits, even in thechaos of real life. So from food
and screens to sleep inconnection, this episode is full
of honest and doable tips. Andif you enjoy what Padgett has to
(00:21):
say and you want to learn morefrom her, I recommend checking
out her Instagram page at DrPaget COVID. I'm also linking
all of her information in theepisode description below. And
before we get started, if you'reenjoying this podcast, I would
be so grateful if you could takea moment and leave a five star
review. It really helps othersfind the show. All right. Now,
let's get into it.
Welcome Dr Paget Goldman, toyour child is normal. I'm so
(00:44):
happy to have you here. Oh, I'mso grateful to be here. This is
like, such an honor. So tell usa bit about yourself. You're a
pediatrician. Tell me aboutwhere you practice and what your
main pediatric interests are,yes, so I am a pediatrician in
Iowa, right in the middle of thecountry. I'm a born and raised,
actual Iowa farm girl, and Ipractice in general pediatrics.
(01:06):
I'm now a Pediatric Hospitalist,but started in a clinic and
worked there for about fouryears and ran a pediatric
obesity clinic, and thentransitioned into the hospital
world because I missed some ofthe acuity and also wanted more
flexible time to be able to kindof like, help grow this platform
that's amazing, and just toenvision what your life is like.
(01:29):
You're a mom and you work. Howmany kids do you have, and what
is your schedule like? Yeah, soI have three kids like you. I'm
married. My husband is a lawyer.
I have a nine year old, a sixyear old and a four year old
now, and I love being their mom.
Our schedule. I'm a communitybased hospitalist, so I'll work
(01:50):
a couple weeks on and then havea couple weeks off. I like that
schedule where you can be on fora couple of weeks and off for a
couple of weeks. I'm sure yourkids love that flexibility. I
think, yes, it's hard becauseit's like, kind of an all or
none, you know what I mean. SoI'm either, like, total, full
blown mom or totally not. But Ireally love it, because it was
hard to get as much hands on momtime as I wanted with the
(02:15):
constraints of clinic. So like,I was never able to drive for a
field trip or go in and read thebook or things like that.
Because when you're in clinic,it's, I mean, busy, full days.
So this affords some flexibilitywith that. And always, I tell
everyone, it takes a village,right? So I would not be in the
position I am without a lovingfamily that helps. My nanny is
(02:37):
like sitting in the backgroundbecause I couldn't do anything
without Sophie, like, she is agodsend. So it's really awesome
that, like, I'm able to kind of,like, do a lot of my passions
and still be a mom, which isprobably my greatest passion.
How do you balance it all?
Because that's, I mean, you canedit this out if you want. But I
was like, yesterday when I wasasking Dr Jessica and I met
briefly, and I was asking herabout, like, how does she fit in
(02:59):
this? And I thought you would belike, a full time podcaster,
like, you were like, No, Irounded at newborn nursery, and
now I'm gonna go to clinic and Ihave this lunch hour tomorrow.
And I was like, what, what areyou? You're amazing. Like,
that's so like, how do you makethat work? Thank you. Well, like
you said, it really takes avillage. So I have a very
involved husband. He's a doctor,but he's very involved with the
(03:19):
kids. We literally split thepickups and dry. Pickups and
drop offs, 5050, my mother inlaw is very helpful. My parents
are very helpful. You know, Idon't do a lot of extras, like,
meaning I don't watch a lot ofTV, but Thanks for, thanks for
thinking that I do a lot. Iappreciate that. Of course, I
also always say, likemotherhood, it's like the mess
of the magic of motherhood,right? That, like my life, at
least, is not nearly as likeorderly or perfect as I thought
(03:43):
it would be, but I kind of lovethe chaos. And I feel like the
platform I'm trying to create isto be like, I do not have it all
pulled together. And these aresome of like, my teeny, tiny
tips and tricks to show youthat, like, I prioritize healthy
eating and cooking, but in noway is it perfect, and in
(04:06):
absolutely no way, shape or formdoes it take a ton of time for
me. Because if it did take a tonof time, I would never do it.
You know, so kind of trying to,like, debug some of that and be
like, how do you do this in reallife, because everyone knows
what we're supposed to do. Wejust can't, as you mentioned, we
all know about healthy habits.
(04:27):
We know it's good to eat fruitsand vegetables. The reality is,
implementing those healthyhabits is very challenging, and
I would be a total liar if Itold you I was a perfect eater
and that my kids were perfecteaters, and it's something that
I'm always trying to work on,because I do know that I owe it
to them to try my best to raisethem with good habits, because
that sets them up for ahealthier future. So I know that
(04:49):
this is your passion. It is,that's it. It's like, the most
boring thing ever, right? Like,I'm like, teach your kids
healthy habits, but then also,like, how do you do that? Right?
And that's kind of been my.
My journey as a mom, I thinkwhen you're in residency, I
don't know about you, but I didnot have any time to think about
health or wellness. So you comeout of residency, and at that
(05:11):
point, I had one, almost twochildren, and hadn't put a ton
of like, time or effort orthought into getting them to
eat. Well, I just gave them thevery standard American diet,
like what we had kind of grownup with. And then as I've
evolved, I've kind of learnedmore and then started to do
better, you know. So it's like,how do you take your kids from
(05:32):
eating goldfish and fruit snacksand get them to, like, try more
vegetables and eat more fruitsthat, you know? And I'm not
saying that my kids don't eatgoldfish and for sex, because
they do, you know, but like, howdo I move that needle and just
teach and encourage and inviteother people on the journey? And
the same with screens, that'sthe other thing that I feel
(05:52):
like. Both nutrition andscreens, they were incredibly
hard to talk about in theoffice, because naturally, I
think as adults and momsespecially, we all know almost
exactly what we should be doing,and so it's easy to feel shame
when you have a doctor that's,hey, how many vegetables do they
(06:15):
eat? You know? And you want tosay, like, oh yeah, they're
great vegetable eaters or, youknow, but like, the reality is
that's not true for a lot ofkids. And so how do I give them
different ideas, or meet themwhere they're at or, like, just
kind of be on the journey withthem. But I think I just want to
share that with other moms,because I feel like so much of
us everywhere are in a similar,you know, boat and kind of like
(06:39):
that. Health is always it's ajourney, you know, and for me
also, so much of what I want toteach my kids is that, like,
your health doesn't have to beyour healthy habits don't have
to be perfect. They just have tobe consistent in general. And I
think health is as much goodnutrition and less screens as it
(07:00):
is, having a strong relationshipwith loving people around you
and getting enough sleep. Youknow, I kind of think of like
the five pillars of health interms of healthy eating and
nutrition, like real food. Ikind of always say sleep
movement, right, which? Likemovement and sleep are closely
related to, like screens,relationships, connection, and
(07:23):
then I kind of always includespirituality, that belief of
purpose and source and what thatcomes from, not that there's any
right answer to it. I don'tbelieve that at all, just that,
like having a piece of each ofthose is a part of what makes a
healthy person. If that makessense, it's true. It's not just
(07:43):
diet. It's not just one thing. Ionce heard someone say that the
goal for health is to be is tothink about 80% 20% where you
want to strive to be 80% quote,unquote, good, and then 20% you
can fudge a little bit and havethe unhealthy foods. So I like
that because it offers someforgiveness that you don't have
to be perfect, but if you justthink about mostly getting
(08:04):
there, you'll feel good, you'llget all the health benefits. And
I think that's really the goal.
I think so too. Or like my kids,my daughter will say, like, Bob,
you hate sugar. And I'll belike, No, I do not hate sugar. I
just want to make sure thatyou're getting your sugar from
the desserts, like we make realbrownies, we have real ice
cream, like we eat the goodstuff. But I'm like, I don't
(08:25):
want you eating sugar, likedessert for breakfast, dessert
for lunch, dessert for dinner,and then having dessert. It's
true. It's really easy to letsugar, for example, get ahead of
us, where we're having too much,and then taking a back step and
trying to retrain ourselves isreally hard, and I find what
I've struggled with a mom iskind of, I don't want my kids to
(08:45):
feel like they're on a diet orlike I'm like, I'm giving them
an eating disorder, right? Like,you hear all the kind of anti
dieting kid stuff, but I thinkthat's like a fear that a lot of
Americans, myself included, kindof have. But then there's a huge
gap between teaching them. Foodis nutrition, food is energy.
Food is like the fuel that likefeeds the cells in your body.
(09:08):
And it's like no one food isbad. But as humans, we have to
think about what we put in ourbody, because that fuels our
cells and helps us live ourbest, longest life. You know, I
think that a lot of parents areworried that if we say no to our
kids, that it will backlash,that the rebel later, that
(09:29):
they're going to overdo sugarlater on in life, because we
were so restrictive. But I thinkif you approach it where you're
educating them, where you'retelling them that this is good
for your body, this is good foryour health, because I do think
all of us really do want to behealthy. If you talk to your
kids, they are motivated to takecare of themselves. I think if
you frame it in such a way thatyou're doing this for their
(09:49):
health, so that they can bestronger, so that they can have
more energy, so that they can dobetter in school and concentrate
better, I do think that goes along way.
Okay, I hope so, right. You'realways like, I mean, because my
kids are little, so admittedly,I have not actually seen how it
turns out, but we're foreverjust trying to, like, evaluate
(10:10):
what's working, see what's not,that sort of thing. Like my nine
year old came home from school.
This was a couple weeks ago, butshe's like, Mom, all my friends
have really fun snacks, and Idon't feel like I do, you know.
And I was like, Okay, let's talkabout that. So we talked
through, kind of, like, whatthey all bring, you know, like,
we made, like, a whole list oflike, snacks that she wanted,
and then we looked at thedifferent nutritional aspects of
(10:32):
them. And then she and I totallycompromised and, like, added a
couple of them in that shewanted. She opted to, like,
leave the Oreos and candy out ofit, which I was really proud of,
because when we went through thenutritional aspects of it, she
was like, Yeah, Mom, that'sprobably not going to be my best
fuel. And then we still agreedto, like, keep some of the
snacks that I love, which are, Imean, most of you do like, nuts,
(10:54):
popcorn, fresh fruits and veg,you know, like, pretty classic,
standard stuff that, like, weall know we should be eating all
the time, but like, isn't thesexiest option, especially with
the fact that we have so manyUltra processed foods. You know
what I mean? So and I thinkyou're not alone with the snack
comparison. I think every momhas been there and we've been
(11:16):
there. I remember as a kid beingvery envious of what other kids
had in their lunch compared towhat I had in my lunch. Had in
my lunch. And it's okay, but Ithink you're right. The way I've
approached that with my kids iswe just talk about it. I say on
Sunday, in particular, when Ihave time to shop for food, I
say, What do you want in yourlunch this week? And these are
my constraints. You know, I youcan have one treat and then the
rest. I'd like to be I'd like tosee a fruit. I'd like to see
(11:38):
something that's healthy foryour body, maybe something with
protein. We talk about it sothat it's about it so that it's
a well balanced meal, and it'sokay. I think it's just the way
of parenting is that they'regonna compare us to others. I
think that that that's just partof life. I think so too. And I
would say to them, like, Hey,your mom's a pediatrician, so
this is just some of yourreality, because you got me as a
(11:59):
mom, you know. And then I talkabout, like, all the great
things that I great things thatI do, they're still little, so
they kind of buy it, but, but totry to always have that
conversation, and I use almostany part of it as, like, an
educational opportunity, right?
Because I think food andnutrition are interesting.
Exercise is interesting, youknow, like teaching her that,
hey, running is hard. It isreally hard. Like, but how good
(12:21):
do you feel at the end? Like,have you ever noticed, like, how
good your body feels and howgood your mood is and how strong
you feel? You know, because shesaid she, like, hated running,
wouldn't do it, and they had torun the mile in PE she came home
and was like, Mom,I do I feel so strong. And I'm
like, Yes, Drew nobody lovesrunning. I mean, sometimes you
kind of do. But I'm like, Ithink the more we could just
(12:41):
teach a just teach a little bitof that, right? And, like,
empower them. You're beinghonest with her. Not everybody
likes to exercise. Exercise ishard, but things that are hard,
they're worth it. There's payoffat the end of it. So that's such
a great example, noticing howyou how that endorphin rush that
you feel after exercise, what agreat, what a great feeling to
appreciate from a young age?
Yeah. I mean, I think so we'llsee. And you know, most of
(13:04):
health happens in all the thingsoutside of the office. I totally
agree with that. My husbandalways says 99% of health he
believes has nothing to do withgoing to the doctor. And at
first I think, hey, wait asecond, I'd like to think that
we're making an impact, but he'sright. I think, as you
mentioned, the way you eat, theway you sleep, who you interact
with, what's your work life islike, what's your what's your
(13:25):
day to day stress level is like,all of that makes a big impact
in your health. I think so too,and that's been a big part of my
journey. I'm a type one diabeticas well, and so I was diagnosed
from the age of five. I've hadthat kind of like disease all my
life, but I I know when I go tothe doctor that they like want
my a 1c to be right, like in acertain age. But in order to
(13:47):
implement that, my bestlikelihood of getting my a 1c in
that range is to take care ofall the things right. So if I'm
sleeping well, if I'm moving mybody, if I'm eating, well, if I
feel good, my agency ismagically always in the number,
you know, and yes, I have totake my insulin, but so much of
hitting that target is it's somuch more than just my insulin.
(14:11):
If you're not mentally well,you're not going to take good
care of your diabetes. So I wantto ask you, because I know, as
you mentioned, you're veryyou're passionate about
spreading tips about health andhealthy living to families. Can
you give us maybe three favoritepieces of advice that you'd like
to share with families on how toget started? Okay, good idea. So
(14:33):
I recommend that parents writedown without changing a thing
your daily habits or schedule.
So you wake up at this time, thekids watch TV from this time to
this time. Then you eatbreakfast. What is breakfast
normally? And kind of do thatfor, like, the whole day. Do do
it over a couple days. To do acouple days of like, where your
(14:56):
habits are, and you'll see thepatterns.
Of it, you know, like, oh yeah,we are kind of watching TV at
this time, or we are eatingmostly cereal for breakfast, or
we go to the gas station afterschool and pick up a snack
there. And then, from that kindof thinking of those five
pillars of health, right? Andthen I recommend picking one
(15:17):
thing to change and startingsmall. So if say you're gonna
say, eat more fruits andvegetables, is like, always a
great one. So I would say, thenlook at your daily habit list.
Pick one meal or one snack toadd a fruit or vegetable to pick
(15:38):
one to change. You know what Imean, to just kind of start to
move the needle. But then lookover then a couple weeks and
see, was it successful? Did itstick? Did it not Was it too
hard, you know? And if that wasgood and it worked, then you
pick one more thing, and if itwasn't good, then you kind of go
back and say, okay, like fruitsand veg for an after school
(15:59):
snack. It's too big of a jump,like we're not there, you know.
So maybe then you'd go fromCheetos to
siette chips that are made withavocado oil and have some
flavoring, but no artificialdyes. And that advice, I think,
is really practical. I thinkwhen people have these huge,
grandiose ideas, I'm going tocut out sugar completely. I'm
(16:21):
going to wake up at 5am andwe're going to have vegetables
at every meal. It's just notsustainable. It's not practical.
So I agree that having one smallhabit change. If you incorporate
that into the day to day, andyou keep adding on to that
before you know it, you canreally make some huge changes,
huge, huge changes, and the goalis to to feel empowered and be
(16:45):
successful. So it's like, if Iwanted to run a marathon, I'm
not just gonna go from likesitting on the couch to training
for a marathon, right? Like youmight buy tennis shoes and then
start to wear them, and thenyou're starting to walk outside
five minutes a day. Well, thenyou're setting yourself up for
success, and that makeseverybody feel good. Yes, yes.
(17:09):
Do you have any goals right nowthat you're working on with your
family?
Oh, yeah for sure. Like when weanytime we eat out, it's like
chicken strips and french fries,or like, cheeseburger and french
fries. And so even if we're at anicer restaurant, if there's,
like, a kid meal, it's where wego, you know. And so I was
talking about it the other day,but I'm like, I'd love to, like,
(17:30):
explore that we order differentthings when we're eating out,
because kind of my solution tothat as a mom, which is going to
sound maybe so controlling, butlike, then I feel like the only
thing I can control is that wejust don't eat out that much. So
that's kind of like one of oursthat we're like working towards.
At the moment, it is true thateating out, it's really hard to
(17:50):
eat healthy out, because there'sso much temptation. So I agree
with you. It's harder to say noto dessert, it's harder to say
no to the French fries, and youdon't know what all the
ingredients are in those foodswhen you eat out. So I do think
eating at home, that's a goodmove well, and that's like, so
some of our habit stacking hasbeen like, eating more at home.
And I've come up with, like,quick, easy things to make,
(18:14):
because I don't always have timeto cook.
But yeah, I think just so muchof our culture, and especially
we live in the Midwest, sothere's not a lot of organic
things, or, yeah, and not even,like, it has to be organic,
right? But like, we're kind ofmeat and potatoes, or meat and
french fries, and so that justis some of where we are, you
know, which I think will evolveas we're becoming more healthful
(18:38):
as a society. It feels like, asa nation, we've kind of
recognized like, hey, what we'redoing isn't working. It is
really hard. I think, I think welive in a world with so much
temptation, and I wish I couldsay I had that. We all are born
with fantastic willpower, butit's just not the reality. So I
agree, if we can have foodsaround us that are healthier
(19:00):
options to pick from thathopefully will make a
difference. One, I just want toshare one, one of my big tips
that I have to do if, if I wantour family to eat healthy, I
have to make sure that I time tokeep good food options in the
refrigerator at home, because ifI don't have good choices for
them, then that's on me. So forexample, my kids were snacking
(19:21):
on leftover cake that was in thefridge. And I said, Wait, guys,
that we haven't had dinner yet.
What are you doing having cake?
And they said, well, mommy,there's nothing, nothing to
choose. There's nothing to eat.
Tell me what else I should eat.
And and they're right, like youreally have to be prepared. And
so I think about that a lot.
Where I even for myself at work,I like to pack my lunch. I like
to prepare ahead of time, andwhen I do that, I can feel the
(19:42):
difference with the choices thatI'm making for myself and for
the kids in that tiny bit ofprep. Or like, as an example,
part of what I did when I wasbecoming more aware of like,
health and food and things likethat was like a pantry audit,
right? So, like.
Like just looking at what do Ihave around in our environment?
(20:04):
Because I can't control all ofAmerican culture. I cannot
control what happens when we'reon a road trip unless I've
packed all my snacks, right? Butlike, I can control to what
you're saying, like, what'savailable here. And then for me,
it's been like, a tiny bit ofmeal prep on the weekends goes a
long, long way, and I can dothat pretty quickly. And then we
(20:25):
kind of, like, developed Mondaynight is salmon night, Tuesday
night is fish taco night,Wednesday night is pasta night,
Thursday night is burger night.
So like, we kind of have our kidfriendly, approved meals that
then, like, grocery shopping iseasier, and then I'll prep,
like, once a month, proteinballs and bubble bars and like,
kind of some real food snacks tohave in, like, the freezer or
(20:49):
whatever, so that we've got thatavailable. And just those little
changes, I feel like the qualityof what my kids are eating is
significantly better. And thenwhere do you do your shopping? I
saw a really cool post that youhad on Instagram about how you
go about your shopping for yourfamily. Can you describe that
for everybody? Yeah, yeah. So Iam very cost conscious and
always really want to teachpeople that eating healthy
(21:12):
doesn't have to be superexpensive. So I go to Aldi,
usually for where we live,highest quality ingredients,
best best price. So we get,like, the weekly stuff from
Aldi, and kind of have like arunning list. And often we'll
Instacart that like, Thank Godfor the people that work for
Instacart. And then about once amonth, sometimes every other
(21:33):
week, depending on my schedule,I'll run to Costco and buy some
of the bigger bulk stuff like toget, like, the nuts that I want,
or the oatmeal, or some of theirmeat, like, we'll buy it, and
the fish. I love the fish atCostco. I think it's great
price, great quality. And then Ialso love and try to do whatever
I can to go to the farmersmarket and have the kids come
(21:53):
with me, you know, like, meetthe farmers and see where it's
locally sourced in Iowa, that'sonly like May through September,
sometimes October like so it'skind of a short window that we
can get fresh produce, but Ilove that. And then we'll try
to, like, inspire try newthings. Based on that, I really
appreciate taking my kids tofarmers markets. It's, it's a,
(22:13):
it's a, definitely a happy placefor me with my children, yeah,
and kind of piggyback on to thatthe best way I have gotten my
kids to try new things is Iinclude them in the making of
it. So, like, I just postedsomething today that was, like,
my six year old and I having aconversation while we're making,
like, a pasta primavera. Thatwas the first time I'd ever made
(22:34):
that. But I was like, We lovepasta. We have all these veg we
were out of salmon because Ididn't grocery shop this week,
you know? So, like, I was like,okay, what can I do with what
I've got? And honestly, none ofmy kids loved it, but all of
them ate it. I just think themore, the more they're involved.
The same with, like, having agarden. I don't know if you've
ever done that, but like, if youhave time to grow anything with
(22:56):
your kids, I promise they willeat it. I promise, like a kid
could hate tomatoes, and if theygrow cherry tomatoes with you,
they will love them. It'suniversal. I swear. Yes, we,
we've grown tomatoes before, andI found that that my kids do eat
it when it's off our own vinethe house that we have now my
(23:19):
husband, it's a little bit of ait's a discussion right now,
because my husband wants to, hestarted this big, big garden
that's taking up a lot of ourbackyard space. We don't have a
huge backyard, but he reallywants to have a garden, because
he says, and this is true, thatthe kids will get they're
getting their hands in it.
They're getting involved. Andgardening is a healthy activity
for the kids. So I do agree thatas much as
(23:43):
as much as I might not like theesthetics of how it looks right
now, it is true that the moreyou involve your kids, they will
eat the food that you grow. Andeven more than that, you're
building memories together. Whata healthy activity to garden
together, to cook together. Kidsremember the smells in the
kitchen. They remember that timewith you. It's, it's quality
(24:03):
time, for sure. Yeah, that's agreat way to look at it. And I
think just to, like, teach andeducate them, of like, Oh, these
little seeds, like, grow intosomething. And then, like, we've
had this discussion too, oflike, where do you think they
grew? Cheetos, you know? Andthen the girls were like, wow,
that's a great question, youknow, because you're just like,
kind of trying to get them torecognize a little bit that
(24:23):
ultra processed you don't. Imean, like, where what fruit are
fruit loops from?
You tell me, does anybody know,what are Froot Loops? What are
pirates corn? Are they wheat? Iactually don't know either. But
some of that kind of stuff,we're like, we've gotten so far
away from the source, so tobring a little bit of that back
(24:44):
and just educate I think iscool. Now, there's a lot online
right now. There's a lot ofnoise, especially I find on
social media about the wellnessspace. Are there any points of
contention that you have withthis wellness movement? Do you
think that there's anymisinformation?
Out there that you'd like tobring to light. I think there's
a ton of misinformation. Thecurrent wellness movement is so
(25:07):
well intended for the most part,right? But you have to recognize
supplements are profitable, soif anyone is giving you advice,
but then also pushing an item iskind of bullshit, right? Because
you're like, that's alsoprofitable. And just be careful,
(25:28):
because the reason our food isso awful is because it's
profitable, right, to make moreand more products and get
Americans to buy more and moreand so, like, that's just a real
a real thing to be aware of. Asyou said in the beginning,
there's no easy solution to ahealthy life. It's really the
big picture items that make thebiggest difference, and that's
hard to do. Totally it is hard.
It's just like, it's not easy.
(25:50):
I'm trying to make it as easy asI can, but it's not and with
regards to supplements, I don'tthink, in all honesty, there's
much harm to most supplements,but at the same time, do I think
they're doing a whole lot? No, Idon't unless a kid is truly
deficient in something, youknow, unless they're found to be
low in iron or found to be lowin vitamin D. Okay, that makes
sense. Then, you know, to advisea supplement. But do I give my
(26:10):
kids vitamins? No, I much preferthem getting vitamins from the
real food, getting the vitamin Dfrom being outside. We have the
luxury of being in SouthernCalifornia. We have no excuse
not to get our kids outside mostdays of the year. And then, on
top of it all, when it comes tomulti vitamins, there's never
been a study that I'm aware ofwith children or even adults
that have shown an improvementin any outcome. Do kids get
(26:33):
fewer colds? No. Do kids livelonger? No. Do they grow taller?
Do they have higher IQs? Do theysleep better? Any measurable
outcome that we're looking forwe've never found? Yeah, so I
agree with you. I agree with youthat it's fine to give a kid a
vitamin, but I don't thinkthat's really where the crux of
health is coming from for yourchildren. Yeah, I think I agree
(26:55):
with that. And I think as aparent, kind of one of the other
things you said that I think isso important, or that I feel
like I want every parent toknow, but that, if you say as an
example, you're a family thatdoes choose to not vaccinate
right, likeI I want them still to feel
heard and understood and notjudged for that, because I
understand each family protectstheir own children as best they
(27:18):
can, and I just want to empowerthem with as much knowledge
education as I can. And I thinkthat's some of where that gets
lost, also, because people don'tfeel heard, and then they feel
judged or like they can't evendiscuss vaccines with their
physician or whoever they see,you know, and I just want to
(27:39):
discuss it all and help you feelconfident. As a parent, I'm
sympathetic to parents, becauseI know there's a lot of noise
out there, and it's the normal,natural instinct for parents to
want to protect their childrenand give them the best health
care possible. So I do agree asphysicians, we should let them
ask those questions in a nonjudgmental safe space. I want to
know their questions, and I wantto make sure they feel
(28:01):
comfortable that it's that it isa good thing for their child's
health and keeping them safe andprotected. Yeah. And I'll always
say, like, technically, aspediatricians, right? We're
medical doctors and then alsokind of an expert in our field.
But I try to empower everyparent to be like, but you're
the expert for your child, solike, I will listen, and I want
to know what you think, becauseI may do a better job if I get
(28:27):
my information by listeningreally well to you, we're here
to help parents and be on theirteam. And that's really, that's
really the role that we want toplay, if each parent, if each
family can just live in whatthey're doing and like, listen
to their own intuition, and keepjust making culturally
appropriate healthy shiftswithout all the fear, without
(28:50):
all the shame, without all ofthe like, having someone tell
you exactly what to do, that'swhere the wellness is found.
Just keep making those littletweaks within your own
environment, and it will workout. Which I know sounds so
cliche, but I really, I reallybelieve that I love that trust
your gut. I believe that aswell. All right, so I want to
(29:12):
try something a littledifferent. I thought it'd be fun
for my listeners to get to knowyou a little bit better by
asking some lightning roundquestions. Now, Padgett has not
heard these questions, so I'mjust going to ask you some
questions, and if you don't mindjust firing off your answers.
Okay, you ready? Yes, all right,coffee or tea to help you get
through. Okay? Coffee, that wasfast. Always.
(29:35):
Tea at night when I can't handlethe caffeine.
Favorite, go to healthy snackfor your kids when you're on the
run. Oh, dried mango. Mostoverhyped wellness trend in 2025
so many.
All I can think of now is thecolostrum powder. Because I'm
like, God, they must be making aton of money getting people to
(29:56):
eat that. And I just, I thinkit's overhyped. I have no idea
what the problem.
Says even are. But I'm gonna saythat one one parenting book or
podcast that you would love torecommend, one of my very
favorite parenting books thatprobably all of you have heard
about, Dr Becky, good inside.
But the other one I thinkparents don't think about as
much is Carol Dweck growthmindset. I think life changing
(30:17):
more of like an adult psychologybook, but I think more we can
teach that to our kids, thebetter they'll be. What's your
guilty pleasure? After a longday, this is so embarrassing.
SoI hardly watch any TV. But for
whatever reason, theKardashians,
(30:39):
I will watch. I will like it ismindless, and I do not know why
I like it, but I think I'm justlike fascinated by the level of
wealth. And so occasionally Iwill watch that if you had a
giant billboard in everypediatrician's office, what
would it sayyou are enough One Health habit
that you think is underrated butsuper effective, sleep. Amen to
that. I agree with you yourkid's favorite meal that also
(31:02):
makes you feel like you'rewinning at parenting salmon.
Well, it's not their favorite,but I feel like such a like hero
that I've actually gotten themto eat salmon. You guys, that's
been like a four year journey,just, you know, like four years
of like consistently offeringand we call it salmon ice cream
night, because initially it wassuch a riot in my house that
they had to eat fish, we had tooffer ice cream. So it's a total
(31:24):
mob win, and I feel like a rockstar every time I do it. And
last question for you, what'sbringing you joy lately,
personally or professionally,doing this, I feel like it's
kind of solving a little tinybit of the moral injury I had,
of, like, being in the office,but feeling like I wasn't doing
(31:46):
enough. And so the more I've,like, found my voice and put it
out there, I feel so good. Imean, I'm gonna be on like,
CLOUD NINE after we do this,even if it doesn't get
published, I'll be like, I didit, and maybe it'll help one
person, and that is all I wantto do. Well. Thank you so much.
Dr panchit skogman, thank you somuch for coming on the podcast.
(32:06):
Your energy, your yourenthusiasm, it's all palpable.
Thank you for coming on. Yourchild is normal. Thank you so
much. I really appreciate it.
Thank you for listening, and Ihope you enjoyed this week's
episode of your child is normal.
Also, if you could take a momentand leave a five star review,
wherever it is you listen topodcasts, I would greatly
appreciate it. It really makes adifference to help this podcast
grow. You can also follow me onInstagram at ask Dr Jessica. See
(32:29):
you next Monday. You.
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