MMD BLOG


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KIDS

DO THIS IF YOU WANT TO ENJOY SUMMER WITH YOUR KIDS

 Modern Mommy Doc


PUBLICATION DATE:

April 3, 2023

DO THIS IF YOU WANT TO ENJOY SUMMER WITH YOUR KIDS

 Modern Mommy Doc

CATEGORY: KIDS

We’re in a season of the year that I like to call “no man’s land.” It’s kinda like that week between Christmas and New Year where no one has any idea who they are or what they’re doing.


This season is past the rush of the holiday season and before kids get out of school for the summer. While it seems like that should be a working mom’s sweet spot, it used to always make me feel just weird.


I didn’t feel like I could slow down, because I knew that in a couple of months, my girls will be home and I’d feel like any spare time was gone. It was also hard for me to just press in and put my “get ish done” hat on sometimes, because I didn’t want to be an exhausted mess when my girls were out of school.


I know I’m not the only one who’s ever felt like this–and not just right now in the “no man’s land” season. I hear from working moms all the time who really struggle with knowing how to prioritize all the things.


When do you just keep pushing at work? When do you know it’s time to make your family time a priority? How do you fit in all the rest of the stuff that HAS to get done but you just don’t have energy, bandwidth, or maybe even the skills to do?


And can you do all of it while still being a kind human to the rest of the people you encounter without losing your identity (or your mind?) 


At your job.

To your husband.

With your friends.

To your kids.


AND manage to squeeze in some self-care?


As moms, we're the last ones we think about taking care of and the first ones whose wellbeing gets put on the back burner.


And mama, I can stand here today and tell you confidently that it doesn’t have to be like this. 


You can create a more centered, less stressed life that you LOVE.


Introducing
Conflicted to Centered: a 7-part on-demand coaching series to help you organize your stress, clear your mental clutter, and make more space for what really matters in your life.


I created this coaching program because too often moms are running away from their life instead of creating a life that they love!


And it is 100% possible to do–even if you’re not living in it right now.


When you’ve got unorganized stress, you can’t show up as your best at your job, for your family, or for you! Which means you’re always running on that hamster wheel of motherhood, caught between the needs of everyone else, and never prioritizing your own.


And when you’re stuck in that cycle, you’re missing out on the things, people, and experiences that you really love. And you’ll stay waffling in indecision and constant juggling, unfulfilled and exhausted at the end of the day. 


In this coaching program, you’ll get:

  • Seven on-demand coaching sessions with Dr. Whitney, pediatrician and mama wellness expert
  • Seven weekly Q&A Zoom calls with Dr. Whitney (Tuesdays from 10-11 am and Wednesdays from 12-1 pm PST) 
  • PDF downloadable workbooks with challenges, prompts, and reflection activities 
  • Skills to tackle obstacles that come your way
  • Instructions for building your framework and maintaining your system 
  • Coaching session replays for when you’re on-the-go (Like a podcast!)
  • Continual access to the program workbooks and program replay videos
  • To revisit what you’ve learned IRL on the Modern Mamas Club app


What would be different in your life if you could show up confidently with direction, intention, and purpose–even on your hardest days?


Get all the info on the group program (including the bonuses you can snag right here)!

Raising Body-Confident Kids Starts at the Doctor's Office!

START NOW
By Modern Mommy Doc • October 9, 2026
About the Episode: There’s so much parenting advice out there, and most of it doesn’t matter nearly as much as the internet wants you to think. (Seed oils? We have bigger fish to fry.) In this solo episode, Dr. Whitney gets back to basics and shares the six evidence-based parenting principles she focuses on as a pediatrician, the ones she dug into with a leading child development researcher. She also shares how these play out in real life as a mom of two neurodivergent kids, because guidance only helps if it actually fits your family. Key takeaways: Be sensitive and responsive. Simple practices like mirroring your child’s emotions and “serve and return” interactions build a loving, trusting foundation. Dr. Whitney shares how a Halloween decorating session turned into a deep conversation about religion once she slowed down and got curious. Meet kids where they are, especially at their worst. Drawing on Tina Payne Bryson, co-author of The Whole-Brain Child , Dr. Whitney explains that soothing a meltdown isn’t giving in. It’s letting your child know they’re not alone in a big feeling. Model self-regulation, and repair when you lose it. Self-regulation predicts academic success better than IQ. The goal isn’t staying calm all the time, it’s understanding why you got dysregulated, coming back to baseline, and offering yourself some self-compassion. Set limits for your kids and yourself. Every child’s needs are different (screen time affects Dr. Whitney’s two daughters very differently), but all kids need limits, and so do parents. Taking time for yourself models something healthy. Aim for authoritative, not permissive. High expectations paired with warmth and grace is the sweet spot. “Gentle parenting” can blur into permissiveness, which research shows is as harmful as authoritarian parenting. Protect unstructured time. Kids need boredom and free play to become self-directed. For ADHD and autistic kids, Dr. Whitney recommends offering a few options and letting kids choose. Support internal motivation. Using a “mirrors facing outward” image from her own therapist, Dr. Whitney explains why we want kids to trust their own instincts rather than constantly look outward for approval. Want to Start Raising Body-Confident Kids Today? 📘 Order the Books Raising Body-Confident Kids If you've ever caught yourself saying something to your kid about their body that sounded exactly like what your mother said to you, this book is for you. Raising Body-Confident Kids is a research-backed, judgment-free guide for parents who want to break the cycle of diet culture and body shame without swinging into toxic positivity or giving up all structure around food and movement. It answers the real questions parents are actually asking about Ozempic, about picky eaters, about what to say when your kid is being bullied for their body, and about social media influences. This is a practical, values-based game plan you can actually use, even if your own relationship with your body is still a work in progress. My One-of-a-Kind Body My One-of-a-Kind Body gives kids the language and understanding they need to care for their bodies with respect without fear, shame, or appearance-based messaging. Through inclusive illustrations and evidence-based health education, the book teaches body literacy, boundaries, and self-trust in a way kids can actually grasp. 👉 www.raisingbodyconfidentkids.com/books
By Modern Mommy Doc • October 5, 2026
What really matters when it comes to college admissions (for you and for them).
By Modern Mommy Doc • September 17, 2026
Kids going off to college are mean for a reason.
By Modern Mommy Doc • September 10, 2026
Maybe winning back to school isn't what we really want, after all.
By Modern Mommy Doc • August 27, 2026
First-class service has a lot to do with first-class parenting.

Welcome! Get the information you need to win at parenting without losing yourself.

LEARN MORE

My Kids' Book on Body Confidence


Trying to break the cycle of body shame and diet culture?


Overwhelmed by all the parenting advice out there?


SIGN UP FOR THE FREE STARTER KIT: UNBOTHERED. IT'S FREE. CLICK HERE



FRESH

ON THE PODCAST


By Modern Mommy Doc • October 9, 2026
About the Episode: There’s so much parenting advice out there, and most of it doesn’t matter nearly as much as the internet wants you to think. (Seed oils? We have bigger fish to fry.) In this solo episode, Dr. Whitney gets back to basics and shares the six evidence-based parenting principles she focuses on as a pediatrician, the ones she dug into with a leading child development researcher. She also shares how these play out in real life as a mom of two neurodivergent kids, because guidance only helps if it actually fits your family. Key takeaways: Be sensitive and responsive. Simple practices like mirroring your child’s emotions and “serve and return” interactions build a loving, trusting foundation. Dr. Whitney shares how a Halloween decorating session turned into a deep conversation about religion once she slowed down and got curious. Meet kids where they are, especially at their worst. Drawing on Tina Payne Bryson, co-author of The Whole-Brain Child , Dr. Whitney explains that soothing a meltdown isn’t giving in. It’s letting your child know they’re not alone in a big feeling. Model self-regulation, and repair when you lose it. Self-regulation predicts academic success better than IQ. The goal isn’t staying calm all the time, it’s understanding why you got dysregulated, coming back to baseline, and offering yourself some self-compassion. Set limits for your kids and yourself. Every child’s needs are different (screen time affects Dr. Whitney’s two daughters very differently), but all kids need limits, and so do parents. Taking time for yourself models something healthy. Aim for authoritative, not permissive. High expectations paired with warmth and grace is the sweet spot. “Gentle parenting” can blur into permissiveness, which research shows is as harmful as authoritarian parenting. Protect unstructured time. Kids need boredom and free play to become self-directed. For ADHD and autistic kids, Dr. Whitney recommends offering a few options and letting kids choose. Support internal motivation. Using a “mirrors facing outward” image from her own therapist, Dr. Whitney explains why we want kids to trust their own instincts rather than constantly look outward for approval. Want to Start Raising Body-Confident Kids Today? 📘 Order the Books Raising Body-Confident Kids If you've ever caught yourself saying something to your kid about their body that sounded exactly like what your mother said to you, this book is for you. Raising Body-Confident Kids is a research-backed, judgment-free guide for parents who want to break the cycle of diet culture and body shame without swinging into toxic positivity or giving up all structure around food and movement. It answers the real questions parents are actually asking about Ozempic, about picky eaters, about what to say when your kid is being bullied for their body, and about social media influences. This is a practical, values-based game plan you can actually use, even if your own relationship with your body is still a work in progress. My One-of-a-Kind Body My One-of-a-Kind Body gives kids the language and understanding they need to care for their bodies with respect without fear, shame, or appearance-based messaging. Through inclusive illustrations and evidence-based health education, the book teaches body literacy, boundaries, and self-trust in a way kids can actually grasp. 👉 www.raisingbodyconfidentkids.com/books
By Modern Mommy Doc • October 5, 2026
What really matters when it comes to college admissions (for you and for them).
By Modern Mommy Doc • September 17, 2026
Kids going off to college are mean for a reason.