Show Notes: Episodes 37-48

It's time to take your shot! Still have questions? Here are the resources we shared on our episode. Tag us on social media to share resources you love!

• Vaccines.gov has an easy-to-use search tool to find COVID‑19 vaccine locations near you.
• Find COVID-19 data on the children in your state on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) COVID-19 reporting page. The CDC also tracks death rates from COVID-19.
• The AAP has also compiled FAQs on the different types of COVID-19 vaccines available for all children and teens.
• We love these audio guides! Listen to our Physician-Mom Hack this week to hear why!

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We hope you "judged" this episode to be as inspiring as we did! (See what we did there? #momjokes)

• Learn more about Judge Mathew's incredible journey as the first Indian-American woman elected to the judicial bench in the United States. 
• Our Mothers in Politics series now has its own page! Check out all of our Mothers in Politics episodes and guests here, and share it with a friend who you want to encourage to run for office!
• (Remember, all views expressed by guests on the show or at external links are their own. See our full disclaimer on our home page.)

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It's our Season 4 premiere! We’re talking about all the parental back-to-school fears we didn’t need to have. Can you relate to being worried that your child didn’t get the best teacher? Won’t make any friends? Isn’t on enough basketball teams to make the NBA? In this episode, we share our favorite tips with you so that you can bypass the worries and head into a successful school year! 

• Want even more tips on reducing your family's stress these first few weeks of the year? Check out Aha! Parenting Blog's list.
• Want more info educational resources, enrichment activities, and parent guides by school grade? Head over to this list at Today.com.
• We love that this week's Physician-Mom Hack of the Week will save you money. And you can help families in under-resourced communities by donating school supplies. Here's how!

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We hope you found some practical tips in this episode on how we can all do our part to end the gun violence epidemic.  Here are some articles, data, and organizations that you can share and support in the fight.

• Tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry on how to talk to children and teens about gun violence
• It's not enough to keep kids safe in your own home. Learn from Asking Saves Kids about how to protect them from accidental shootings where they play or visit.
• A study, conducted by pediatricians, showing that states with stricter firearm legislation, specifically legislation regarding universal background checks for firearms, had lower firearm-related mortality rates in children.
• What do Pope Francis and other faith leaders say about guns?
• Bipartisan laws to reduce gun violence can happen! It is time to advocate for our elected officials to put our collective safety above partisan politics.
• Share the facts: Around 90% of Americans, including gun owners, support universal background checks. Gun control is not futile; it saves lives. Firearm injuries are the leading cause of death in children, and strategic policies can fix this problem. Gun ownership also leads to higher incidence of suicide.
• Learn the truth about the NRA and the firearm lobby: They profit from mass shootings. They hold rallies where people are suffering after mass shootings. They fought to prevent the CDC from conducting research into gun violence. They fight to prevent doctors from discussing gun safety with their patients and were successful for several years. They encourage nonsensical and dangerous laws like this one in Iowa, allowing children of all ages to own a gun.
• Consider donating to these organizations as they advocate for common sense gun reform: Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, Brady Coalition, and The Trace. 
• Good Guy with a Howitzer: A satirical article on why we should all own tanks.
• Did you know that the authors of the 2nd Amendment banned guns on campus at our alma mater, the University of Virginia?
• From The New Yorker: "In America alone, gun massacres, most often of children, happen with hideous regularity, and they happen with hideous regularity because guns are hideously and regularly available."

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Did this episode speak to you -- and the pain in your back, neck, and other places you didn't ever expect? Ready to try some simple lifestyle changes that might have a lasting impact on your quality of life?  Check out these websites from Dr. Sharma and share your journey with us on social media! 

• Learn more about Dr. Sharma and what motivated her to search for effective, drug-free ways to treat pain. Her website also includes a blog with more resources to help strengthen your body and mind.
• Want to read more about treating pain holistically? Dr. Sharma literally wrote a book about it -- The Pain Solution: 5 Steps to Relieve and Prevent Back Pain, Muscle Pain, and Joint Pain.

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We may technically be adults, but we love finding out about new STEM toys, games, and books!  Can you relate (and pretend they're for the kids in your life)?  Here are links to the items we shared on this episode.  Listen to the show to hear why we love each one!

• Lego Chain Reactions 
• MagnaTiles 
• Stomp Rockets
• Primary Science Lab Set
• Outdoor Bug-Catching Kit
• Crayola Color Chemistry Lab Set
• My First Mind-Blowing Science Kit
• Squishy Human Body Anatomy Kit
• Gravity Maze
• National Geographic Dino Fossil Dig Kit
• KiwiCo monthly subscriptions
• Steve Spangler Science Kits
• Magnetic Science
• Botley the Coding Robot
• Snapino Circuit Coding
• "The Ultimate Book" series
• Usborne Lift-the-Flap books
• National Geographic books
• Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World
• Helaine Becker's series on important scientists
• Unbored: The Essential Field Guide to Serious Fun
• Brainchild series on Netflix

Share your favorite STEM books, games, and toys with us on social media!

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Waste not, want not!  We hope you picked up some helpful tips from this episode to make that saying a reality for you.  Here are more ways that you can reduce, reuse, recycle... and upcycle!  (None of these links are sponsored.  We just genuinely find them helpful!)

• What do those expiration dates on food really mean?  How long does food stay safe to eat? (Spoiler: It might be longer than you think!)
• The EPA's guide to composting may help make composting your food scraps simpler than you expect.
• Ready to save some $$$ and help the planet by selling your clothing or buying secondhand? This site is a one-stop shop with 36 popular thrift stores (including women-owned and Black-owned shops) in the U.S. and around the world.  The list includes stores like ThredUp and many more!
• Wondering what types of plastics are recyclable?  We love this NPR site that makes it easy to figure out the nuances.
• Want to make it even easier? Check out Earth911.com, enter your location and the material that you want to recycle, and you can quickly find out what your local recycling plant can process!
• Here's how Lanre made an upcycled wine cork trivet! And here are Lisa's fave reusable lunch bags from Lunchskins and a list of some of the best reusable shopping bags.
• Want to take it a step further and work on a community or policy level?  Check out www.Earthday.org for ways that you can support local, national, and international efforts to curb waste and pollution.  

Share your favorite tips with us on social media!

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We learned so much about moving (and thriving!) abroad with Jennifer Stevens, the voice behind the blog Adventurous Appetite who has now lived in four new countries.  

• Learn more about Jennifer and her travels through her website, Adventurous Appetite.
• Were you able to guess the most popular countries for people to move to?  See the full list on InterNations. Their organization helps connect expats from any country in any city. 

Are you considering moving abroad? Or have you already decided to make the leap? We're here to help you sift through the countless resources online:

• Transitions Abroad has guides for living, working, volunteering, and studying abroad.
• International Citizens includes advice on health, financial, legal, and other issues that should be considered before moving. They also share this step-by-step guide for moving abroad from the U.S.
• Passports, taxes, and voting, oh my! American Citizens Abroad has info on these nuances and more about life abroad.
• Connect with other Americans abroad and keep up-to-date with the many policies impacting American expats with the Association of Americans Resident Overseas. 

We recognize that "expat" can be a loaded word, particularly given the challenges faced by immigrants everywhere. Read more about the racial and economic history behind these terms and how people are working to examine and redefine these designations.

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We're grateful to Dr. Fortuna for sharing her expertise on recognizing and managing anxiety in kids and teens. Share these resources on mental health with everyone in your circles - we could all use a little support these days!

• Learn more about Dr. Fortuna and her work at UCSF.
• 3 major pediatric organizations joined forces to declare a national emergency in children’s mental health.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry have published several articles on youth mental health, free to the public. 
• Priceless tips on coping during a crisis, with lots of information and practices for both adults and children
• Resources for parents on child mental health, including conditions like ADHD and emotion regulation issues

Looking for apps and other tech resources to support your or your child's mental health?  This comprehensive list is a great place to start. These offers are current at the time of this episode's release; please check the fine print on their websites to confirm the details on availability and cost.

Meditation and relaxation:

• Headspace: Two-week free trial for the general public.
• Healthy Minds Program App: Free. Meditation and mindfulness skills.
• Calm: Seven-day free trial. A meditation, sleep, and relaxation app.
• Stop, Breathe & Think: Personalized mindfulness app, available by subscription.
• Insight Timer: Free. This is not a daily app, but rather a great library where you can search for various types of meditations and lengths by excellent teachers.
• 10% Happier: Free and paid options available. (Seven days free, then $99 per year.)
• Mindfulness Coach: Mindfulness Coach 2.0 was developed to help veterans, service members, and others learn how to practice mindfulness. The app provides a gradual, self-guided training program designed to help you understand and adopt a simple mindfulness practice.

Coping with anxiety and depression:

• Sanvello: A program for reducing stress and treating anxiety and depression that includes a coach or groups.
• Happify: Some free content, including stress reduction and cognitive techniques to address anxiety.
• MindShift CBT: Free content, including cognitive behavioral therapy strategies to address general worry, social anxiety, and panic.
• PTSD Coach: Created by the VA’s National Center for PTSD and the Department of Defense’s National Center for Telehealth & Technology. This app provides education about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), information about professional care, a self-assessment for PTSD, opportunities to find support, and tools that can help you manage the stresses of daily life with PTSD.  The PTSD Family Coach version includes guidance on taking care of your relationship with your loved ones or with children and how to help your loved one get the treatment they deserve.
• Mothers and Babies Online Course: A well-validated, web-based program for depression (available in both English and Spanish) for pregnant women, new mothers, and those who want to support them.
• COVID Coach: Created for everyone, including veterans and service members, to support self-care and overall mental health during the coronavirus pandemic.

Insomnia

• CBT-i Coach: Free cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

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This episode was chock-full of updates and resources.  You might want to bookmark some of these sites and share with others!

• The most up-to-date CDC recommendations for quarantine and isolation
• The real facts about COVID vaccine efficacy from the Mayo Clinic and vaccine safety from the CDC, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, and Harvard
• FAQs about COVID vaccines for kids from the American Academy of Pediatrics (we're all looking forward to the day when we can celebrate the approval of the under-5 vaccine!)
• Get your free COVID tests from the federal government if you're in the U.S.
• Inaccuracies in death certificates and the true toll from COVID 
• Learn how to debunk myths about COVID vaccines and the safety of masks 
• Curious about your own Resiliency Assessment after hearing our Physician-Mom Hack of the Week? Try it out here, and connect with us on social media to let us know what you think!

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Feeling inspired to take the leap and apply to medical school? Or want to share some resources with a loved one who wants to become a doctor?

• Finding summer research opportunities to add to your experience and resume can be challenging. Luckily, the National Science Foundation and Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) have databases of programs throughout the country. 
• The AAMC also has suggestions on how to find a doctor to shadow. What better way to know what you're getting into?
• Medical school can be very expensive. The AAMC and US News have great tips on how to finance your education.  
• You may be familiar with the organization Black Men in White Coats, which released an inspiring documentary in 2020 about the experiences of Black male physicians. They're partnering with DiverseMedicine.org to provide mentorship and guidance to students from ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds that are underrepresented in medicine -- including helping students pay for the MCAT! These are students who would make great doctors but face financial obstacles that would be otherwise insurmountable. If you feel compelled to help out, go to diversemedicine.org/donate to learn more. We're not affiliated with the organization, but we bet that the students you help would be incredibly grateful!
• This episode focused on the MD-school application process. But if you’re interested in becoming an osteopathic physician (getting a DO degree), check out the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

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