By Your Side
By Your Side
Podcast Description
Pregnant or navigating life with a newborn? By Your Side is the podcast that gets it. Hosted by Katie Barron — educator, parent support advocate and big believer in honest conversations — each episode brings real talk, expert insight and emotional backup for the messy magic of early parenthood. From baby sleep to identity shifts, crying to co-regulation, this is the place to feel calmer, more connected, and a little more like yourself. Because no one should have to figure this out alone — and now, you don’t have to.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on various aspects of early parenthood, covering themes such as infant sleep, bonding through touch, emotional support, and identity shifts. Episodes include expert insights like those from Professor Helen Ball on sleep patterns and Dan Berman on the benefits of infant massage, aimed at debunking myths and providing practical advice.
Pregnant or navigating life with a newborn? By Your Side is the podcast that gets it. Hosted by Katie Barron — educator, parent support advocate and big believer in honest conversations — each episode brings real talk, expert insight and emotional backup for the messy magic of early parenthood. From baby sleep to identity shifts, crying to co-regulation, this is the place to feel calmer, more connected, and a little more like yourself. Because no one should have to figure this out alone — and now, you don’t have to.
In this episode, I’m joined by Will Mauer, founder of the Children’s Media Research and Reform Lab and a TEDx speaker.
We talk about something almost every parent wrestles with: screens.
Will explains how many children’s shows aren’t designed for development — they’re engineered for engagement. Fast cuts. Flashy visuals. Autoplay. Stacked episodes. All carefully structured to trigger dopamine hits and keep young viewers watching.
For babies and toddlers — especially under two — that matters.
We unpack:
What “junk food media” actually means
Why rapid pacing and autoplay affect the developing brain
How addictive viewing patterns form
The difference between quality and quantity
Why co-viewing changes everything
What to choose when you do need to use a screen
This isn’t a shame-fest. It’s clarity.
If screens are part of your life (and let’s be honest, for most of us they are), this episode will help you make steadier, more intentional choices — and be kinder to yourself in the process.
Because protecting early development doesn’t require perfection. It requires awareness.
To find out more about Will you can find him on Linktree: https://linktr.ee/willmaurer
or contact him on [email protected]
Disclaimer
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