The world has changed so much, but the tenets of timeless parenting haven't changed one bit.

Our culture tends to treat childhood like a race. But the push to meet academic benchmarks at younger and younger ages is counterproductive to how a child's brain naturally develops. And when parents overschedule their children because they're afraid they'll be left behind, they may be robbing them of the downtime they need to thrive.

On today's show world-renowned child psychologists Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Dr. Roberta Michnick Golinkoff [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/594245/einstein-never-used-flash-cards-revised-edition-by-kathy-hirsh-pasek-phd-and-roberta-michnick-golinkoff-phd-with-diane-eyer-phd/9780593980767/?ref=PRHB7BD76FBDB&aid=14813&linkid=PRHB7BD76FBDB] dive into how to raise healthy, happy children without burning out -- and without relying on the latest "educational" gadgets.

 

Here's a preview:

[5:15] Smart phones, AI, oh my: The fundamental needs of children haven't changed, even if  technology has

[15:00] How to ignore the very-real temptation to get our kids "ahead"

[19:45] Unrealistic expectations characterize much of the "academic" toys on the market. Here's how to spot them

[25:00] The research is clear: Kids need more downtime. Extracurriculars aren't downtime!

[34:00] Your new parenting mantra: "Reflect, Resist, Recenter"

 

Resources mentioned:

 * Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Children Really Learn–And Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less [https://amzn.to/4bfiisf]
 * Trouble in Toyland 2025: A.I. bots and toxics present hidden dangers [https://pirg.org/edfund/resources/trouble-in-toyland-2025-a-i-bots-and-toxics-represent-hidden-dangers/] (via PIRG)
 * Kathy and Roberta on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/drkathyanddrro/]
 * Book clubs are scheduled!  [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/p/2026-book-clubs-scheduled]

 
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.


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Timeless Parenting

A former Meta executive recently revealed that, when a girl posts a selfie on social media and takes it down, the algorithm then targets her for beauty products.

Enter today's teen and tween skincare craze, where Sephora Kids and "SkinTock" reign supreme. But pushing skincare on young girls is a business that's off of highlighting a child's flaws. Worse, many of the products being marketed to them contain powerful ingredients that may actually harm — not help — developing skin.

On today's show: A minimalist parent's take on multi-step skincare routines for tweens and teens, with the help of clean beauty expert Andrea Dahr [https://www.switchnatural.com/].

 

Here's a preview:

[7:00] Children have sensitive skin, and anti-aging products can harm their skin for the long haul

[9:00] What the "clean section" at Sephora means — and what it doesn't

[14:30] The link between endocrine-disrupting chemicals and early puberty

[20:00] What should teens and tweens *actually* be putting on their faces on a daily basis?

[34:00] Five tips for parents of teens and tweens who love skincare

 

Resources mentioned:

 * Episode #528: Heathy Hair [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/p/healthy-hair]
 * Episode #320: The Obesogens [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/p/the-obesogens-320]
 * Switch Natural app [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/switch-natural/id1585993920]
 * We have an aligned sponsor! Head to Duckfeetusa.com [https://duckfeetusa.com/] and use code MAMAMINIMALIST FOR $50 off.

 
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The #SkinTok Effect

My husband and I made a fatal error. We gave our pre-teen limited access to a screen at a developmentally vulnerable age. And then we took it back.

On today's show: A cautionary tale about what happened when we eased up on our household's screen rules.

Here's a preview:

[3:00] My household's descent into screendom: How did we get here?

[16:00] "The light went out behind her eyes" and other tween behavioral and personality changes

[21:00] The four foundational harms of smart phones, according to Jonathan Heidt

[28:00] Kids are highly susceptible to both conformist bias and prestige bias. That's why phones are so darn powerful

[31:00] If you don't want your child to act like a TikTok influencer, don't give them access to TikTok!

[32:00] The presence of screens reduces a child's interest in all other non-screen activities (and other helpful reminders)

Resources mentioned:
 * We have an aligned sponsor! Head to Duckfeetusa.com [https://duckfeetusa.com/] and use code MAMAMINIMALIST FOR $50 off.
 * The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-anxious-generation-how-the-great-rewiring-of-childhood-is-causing-an-epidemic-of-mental-illness-jonathan-haidt/e7dfa59b478f9574]

 
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Digital Childhood

While suburbia has long symbolized comfort, safety, and home ownership, its consequences reach far beyond picket fences and cul-de-sacs. From traffic congestion and environmental degradation to economic inequality and declining community life, our reverence for sprawl has reshaped how we live, work, and connect.

On today's show author and developer Steve Nygren [https://stevenygren.com/] discusses how this pattern of development took hold, who benefits when we're isolated, and what better alternatives can look like.

Here's a preview:

[6:30] Calling out the "boundaries that box us in"

[14:30] The antidote? Connect with people who have common concerns

[22:00] Easy ways to live with community — not sprawl — in mind

[32:00] Who benefits when we're isolated, lonely, sedentary, and sad?

Resources mentioned:
 * We have an aligned sponsor! Head to Duckfeetusa.com [https://duckfeetusa.com/] and use code MAMAMINIMALIST FOR $50 off.
 * Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where We Live With Radical Common Sense [https://bookshop.org/p/books/start-in-your-own-backyard-transforming-where-we-live-with-radical-common-sense-steve-nygren/176c9c9e9ebf75b6?ean=9781637747438&next=t]
 * Last Child in the Woods [https://bookshop.org/p/books/last-child-in-the-woods-saving-our-children-from-nature-deficit-disorder-richard-louv/ca7b8fb573e26639?ean=9781565126053&next=t] (by Richard Louv)
 * The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-anxious-generation-how-the-great-rewiring-of-childhood-is-causing-an-epidemic-of-mental-illness-jonathan-haidt/e7dfa59b478f9574?ean=9780593655030&next=t] (by Jonathan Haidt)
 * Serenbe [https://www.serenbe.com/]
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Suburban Sprawl

The downsizing mindset isn’t just about moving to a smaller home or getting rid of clutter. It’s a lifestyle that creates a habit of routinely shedding excess weight from your life.

If you’re feeling heaviness and overwhelm, embracing a downsizing approach to life may serve as an act of personal liberation. Detaching from possessions often frees up time, money, and energy for what really matters. It may also release you from the societal pressure to constantly accumulate more.

A downsizing mindset quietly trades excess for ease and distraction for depth. On today’s show podcaster and organizer Tracy Hoth [https://simplysquaredaway.com/] suggests simple routines to usher in the downsizing mindset, whether you’re planning to move in the near future or not.

Here's a preview:

[5:00] Not downsizing anytime soon? That's A-OK! Here are two things you should be doing now anyway

[10;30] If you're feeling the urge to save items for your children, keep this in mind

[16:00] Revisiting the kids' artwork and awards conundrum. How much should we be keeping?

[25:00] If you've got loads of "unmade decisions" in your home, here's one thing you can do right now

Resources mentioned:
 * We have an aligned sponsor! Head to Duckfeetusa.com [https://duckfeetusa.com/] and use code MAMAMINIMALIST FOR $50 off.
 * The Organized Coach [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-organized-coach-productivity-business-systems/id1687840766] podcast

 
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Downsizing Mindset

Want to get off fossil fuels but don't know where to start? Thinking about ditching utilities but overwhelmed by the complexity? Many off-grid advocates attest that countercultural living saves money and infuses meaning into daily life. For my environmentalists listening, burning fewer fossil fuels also means you're living and breathing your pro-climate values.

On today's show author and off-grid enthusiast Ryan Mitchell [https://www.thetinylife.com] offers his best tips for stepping back from—but not completely abandoning—society's (fossil fuel burning) systems. And because clean energy tax credits are soon expiring, today's conversation has a special focus on installing solar panels when the time is right.

Here's a preview:

[4:00] It's prudent to be intentional about how you power your life. If you aren't, others will be happy to make those decisions for you, to their benefit

[9:00] You can *incrementally* take back some of your power, so choose your own adventure!

[17:00] Self-sufficiency 101: Lean into your natural curiosities

[22:00] Thinking about solar panels? Here's what you need to know

[28:00] Going incrementally off-grid will likely save you money. It was also reduce your reliance on fossil fuels

Resources mentioned:
 * Clean energy tax credits are expiring at the end of 2025 [https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/residential-clean-energy-credit] (via the Internal Revenue Service)
 * Living Off Grid: 50 Steps to Unplug, Become Self-Sufficient, and Build The Homestead Of Your Dreams [https://resources.thetinylife.com/store/off-grid-living/]

 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Incrementally Off-Grid

After World War II Americans became bonafide consumers. And yet conditioned consumerism sneakily hijacks our time, money, and mental bandwidth. It also harms the planet.

The system is entrenched, the marketing is omnipresent, and it's all designed to keep us buying until we die. But there IS a way out. On today's show author and former marketer Ashlee Piper [https://www.ashleepiper.com/] pulls back the curtain on modern marketing so that we may hop off the addictive consumer hamster wheel for good.

Here's a preview:

[5:30] There's a reason why so many of us shop to soothe our discontent (We're told to!)

[8:00] Advertising + Psychology = A powerful selling combination

[22:00] When people feel lonely, inadequate, or restless they shop

[32:00] When marketing gets predatory: zip code marketing, old guard sexism, and more

[35:00] Why Ashlee has a problem with the 'underconsumption' trend, and for good reason

Resources mentioned:

 * No New Things: A Radically Simple 30-Day Guide to Saving Money, the Planet, and Your Sanity [https://bookshop.org/p/books/no-new-things-a-radically-simple-30-day-guide-to-saving-money-the-planet-and-your-sanity-ashlee-piper/21543486?ean=9781250382160&next=t] (via Bookshop.org)
 * Book Club (with Ashlee!) is scheduled for Monday, August 25 at 7pm EST. Email to come.
 * Join us for the Instagram giveaway, which officially goes live on Wednesday, August 6 [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/]

 
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Conditioned Consumerism

From a young age, many of us were exposed to messages linking financial success with personal value. Advertisements, media, and even family conversations equate wealth with achievement and social status.

Not surprisingly, this constant reinforcement creates strong associations between money and self-worth.

Although our culture tends to regard money (and fancy job titles, for that matter) as symbols of success, my guest todays argues that money is nothing more than a tool. And if money is just a tool, it certainly doesn't have the power to say much about who we are as people: How worthy we are. How good we are. How important we are.

On today's show: A conversation with podcaster Shari Rash [https://www.everyonestalkinmoneypodcast.com/] about untangling your self-worth from your net worth, for good.

Here's a preview:

[7:30] Money is just a tool to help you feel the way you want to feel

[11:00] Money conservations might be awkward, but they're essential in bringing to light your unconscious beliefs about finances

[15:00] Exactly how our culture ties money to identity—and why that’s so damaging

[21:00] Rewiring the way you see yourself in relation to money

Resources mentioned:
 * Breaking Free from the Consumption Hamster Wheel: How Minimalism Can Transform Your Money Mindset [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breaking-free-from-the-consumption-hamster-wheel-how/id957163760?i=1000715255317] (Part 2 of my conversation with Shari)
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com

Your Net Worth Isn't Your Self-Worth

Cultural messaging and suggests you should be happy all the time. But your "happy chemicals"—dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphin—evolved to motivate survival behavior, not make you happy.

In fact, unhappiness is your brain's default state.

On today's show Dr. Loretta Breuning [https://www.innermammalinstitute.org] argues that you can manage your happy chemicals when you know how they work in the state of nature, and she's here to show us how.

Here's a preview:

[9:00] Serotonin is about social dominance. Enter comparison and competition

[13:00] Want a dose of oxytocin? Be part of a herd

[15:30] Endorphin is the brain's natural opioid. But you can habituate to it!

[18:00] Just got something you want? That flood of happiness is dopamine's doing, but dopamine runs out

[25:00] We are living in an era of immense abundance. So why aren't we happy?

 

Resources mentioned:

 * Why You're Unhappy: Biology Versus Politics [https://amzn.to/3SuyGe5]
 * Become a subscriber on Substack! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]

 
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Unhappy? You're Normal

Every purchase you make has an impact on the world. If you aren't careful, your shopping choices contribute to climate change and social injustice. But when you align the contents of your shopping cart with your personal values you slowly but surely shape the market.

Times are uncertain and everyday goods are getting more expensive. Still, we should purchase with intention anyway. On today's show author and sustainability expert Diane Osgood [https://www.dianeosgood.com/about] offers a comprehensive roadmap that navigates each of us toward positive and sustainable shopping practices.

Here's a preview:

[4:00] 70% of the U.S. economy is driven by consumer spending. We citizens control the market!

[13:00] 3 easy-peasy shopping principles to guide you when you're feeling overwhelmed

[17:00] Should you listen to the angel on your shoulder, or the devil? Here's what to remember in those moments you want to backtrack

[21:00] *Exactly how* to avoid products made with forced labor or child labor

[28:00] Buying small, local, and diverse has the power to "chip away at systemic inequality". Here's how

 

Resources mentioned:

 * Your Shopping Superpower: Follow Your Values and Better Your World One Purchase At A Time [https://bookshop.org/p/books/your-shopping-superpower-improve-your-world-and-feel-better-one-purchase-at-a-time-diane-osgood/21711427?ean=9780757325267&next=t]
 * The Chocolate Scorecard [https://www.chocolatescorecard.com/]
 * Remake [https://remake.world/]
 * U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol [https://trustuscotton.org/]

 
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Instagram, [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] Substack [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Your Shopping Superpowers

Creating eco-friendly, minimalist homes (without the extra work).

Stephanie

Shows