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Science and parenting journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer returns to discuss the importance of self-compassion and how to practice it, why conveying a growth mindset is much more helpful to kids than giving compliments about fixed qualities, misconceptions about resilience (and what the science really says), the difference between trauma and healthy distress, and her new book, HELLO, CRUEL WORLD: Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times. Behind the paywall, we get into the evidence on how detrimental academic pressure is to kids, how to support and challenge children who are insatiably curious without making them feel pressured, how to teach kids media literacy and critical thinking skills, how to navigate screen time and social media with kids, and more.

Paid subscribers can hear the full interview, and the first half is available to all listeners. To upgrade to paid, go to rethinkingwellness.substack.com.

Melinda Wenner Moyer is an award-winning science journalist whose work explores the intersection of science and everyday life. She’s known for her deep dives into subjects that have both scientific and societal implications, often addressing issues that are relevant to parents and families. Her writing often challenges popular beliefs and provides readers with a clearer, more informed understanding of issues in child development, parenting, and the social sciences.

Moyer is a contributing editor at Scientific American magazine and a regular contributor — and former columnist — at The New York Times. Her first book, How To Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes, was published in July 2021 and won a gold medal in the 2022 Living Now Book Awards. Her second book, Hello Cruel World!: Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times, was published on May 27, 2025.

Moyer was the recipient of the 2022 Excellence in Science Journalism award from The Society for Personality and Social Psychology and the 2019 Bricker Award for Science Writing in Medicine. She has a master’s in Science, Health & Environmental Reporting from NYU and a background in cell and molecular biology. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley. Learn more and subscribe to her Substack at melindawmoyer.substack.com.

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