I was so honored to sit down with Dr. Laurie Santos for today’s episode — not just because she’s a Yale psychology professor and the host of one of my favorite podcasts (The Happiness Lab), but because I genuinely credit her course, The Science of Well-Being, with helping me shift my mindset in the thick of the pandemic. Back in 2020, I took her free online course through Yale University, and now, she’s created a version of that course specifically for parents, which made our conversation feel especially timely.

As a mom of two young kids trying to balance full-time work and all the emotional noise of modern parenting, I showed up to this interview with a lot of questions. We talked about why so many of us feel like we’re drowning in decision fatigue, how to step away from the pressure of being a “perfect” parent, and what the science actually says about raising happy, healthy kids.

Dr. Santos shared so many practical tools, like how to use your signature strengths in parenting, how to embrace unstructured play and independence, and why doing LESS might be the key to everyone in your family feeling better. We also talked about how to “parent yourself” with more compassion, how to show up better for your partner, and what we can learn from other cultures that seem to be doing this whole parenting thing with a bit more ease.

Whether you’re in the thick of toddlerhood or not a parent at all, this one’s for everyone who feels like they’re trying to do it all and are finally ready to let go.

Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX 

To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. 

I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. 

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Website: https://luciefink.com/ 

Executive Producer: Cloud10

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