Psychotherapist and author Erica Komisar joins John to make the case that what happens in a child's first 3 years shapes their emotional security for life, and that current childcare policy is built on a dangerous ignorance of child development.They also discuss why ADHD is better understood as a stress response than a disorder, what the evidence tells us about cortisol levels in babies separated from their primary caregivers, why Australia's social media ban is a step in the right direction but far from a complete solution, and what governments could do differently if they genuinely wanted to support families rather than promote institutional childcare.Erica Komisar is a clinical social worker, psychoanalyst, parent coach, and author. With over thirty years of experience in private practice, she works to alleviate pain in individuals who suffer from depression, anxiety, eating, and other compulsive disorders. She is the author of Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters.Visit John's new substack here: https://www.ourcivilisationalmoment.com/Sign up to John's newsletter here: https://johnanderson.net.au/contact/--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

0:00 Trailer

0:58 Intro

1:10 Why the formative years are critical

6:11 The damage of screens and social media

13:06 The case for "dumb phones" for kids

16:18 Why universal childcare is a bad policy

36:58 How short sighted politics is harming children

42:33 Is ADHD actually a disorder?

50:10 How neglect is impacting low birth rates

57:00 Solving the "depopulation bomb" crisis

1:01:46 A warning from Romania...