S2EP5 - Where Evolutionary Parenting Meets Modern Practice: A Conversation On Postpartum, Parenting Culture, And Creative Pursuits With Tracy Cassels
“It's okay to struggle in a society that doesn't support you. It's okay to be like, this doesn't work and I have to get some stuff done. The question is then, how do you approach those changes that you have to make with your family in mind [...] while considering everyone? So it's also looking at your child and saying, Yep, this may not be ideal, it may not be what I want it to be, but how do I do it knowing what's most important to my child?”
~ Tracy Cassels, PhD
In this episode, Kaitlin has a conversation with Tracy Cassels, PhD. Tracy is the director of Evolutionary Parenting, an online resource and community she founded in 2011 after the birth of her daughter, Maddie.
Tracy is married to Brian, a mother to two young kids, and a stepmother to one older child. She lives in a small town in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. Kaitlin came to know her work when seeking more evidence-based resources in early parenting and has always appreciated the community she builds by way of her thoughtful approach.
Tracy and Kaitlin talked about:
Tracy’s pregnancy/birth journey and how it compelled her to build this entire universe and approach of evolutionary parenting.
The impact that our societal, cultural, and structural constraints –lack of federally mandated family leave and the inability to pass a federal caregiver act in the United States– have on our well-being and approach to motherhood and caregiving, as well as society as a whole.
What it looks like to concurrently build support for you and your baby in a system that isn't designed to do so, especially when you can't afford it.
Practical tips on carving out time for our creative pursuits alongside the constraints that becoming a mother and /or carer throws at us.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts| Spotify | Amazon Music|Stitcher |Google Podcasts| RSS
More about Tracy Cassels PhD:
Website: https://evolutionaryparenting.com/about/
Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-563905685
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracycasselsphd/
Related Resources:
Evolutionary Parenting: https://evolutionaryparenting.com/
Research results on US parental Leave policy in comparison to other countries around the world: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/12/16/u-s-lacks-mandated-paid-parental-leave/
Our Babies Ourselves: How Biology and Culture Shape the Way We Parent, Meredith Small: https://bookshop.org/a/86159/9780385483629
A Quick Guide to Safely Sleeping with Your Baby: A Parent's Guide to Cosleeping, James J. McKenna https://bookshop.org/a/86159/9781930775251
An example of research on the nuclear family – Beyond the Nuclear Family: The Increasing Importance of Multigenerational Bonds, Vern L. Bengtson: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2001.00001.x
Tracy’s sleep course: https://evolutionaryparenting.com/product/back-to-basics-sleep-course/
Dr Lara Acknin et al on generosity: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-011-9267-5
Katie Hinde and her research on human evolution, specifically babies and breast milk: https://search.asu.edu/profile/2740008
Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and give us a rating. This will help us reach more listeners like you who are navigating the joys and pitfalls of artistic and parenting identities.
For regular updates:
Visit our website: postpartumproduction.com
Follow us on Instagram: @postpartumproductionpodcast
Subscribe to our podcast newsletter on Substack: https://postpartumproduction.substack.com
