In No More Sidewalks: Parenting Today, a podcast from the Brookings Institution, host Abby McCloskey and her guests catalog major structural changes that have impacted childrearing in America in the 21st century: family structure, children's health, technology, public schools, fertility, neighborhoods, and more and offer fresh policy ideas to address the challenges.
Screens have transformed how children learn, play, and build relationships. What happens when artificial intelligence enters the picture? In this episode, host Abby McCloskey speaks with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, about how smartphones, social media, and classroom technology have reshaped childhood—and why he sees AI as the largest disrupter of childhood yet. They discuss children's mental health, attention, and learning, as well as steps parents and policymakers can take to protect children online and restore opportunities for independent, in-person play.
Transcript and show notes.
No More Sidewalks: Parenting Today is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.
15 Oct 2026
Parenting in a fertility crisis
A growing number of American adults don't expect to ever have children. What is driving this change? And what does it mean for society (and for those who are parenting) when there are fewer parents and children around? In this episode of No More Sidewalks, host Abby McCloskey speaks with Christine Emba, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, about the massive shifts in sex and fertility over the last generation, plus cultural shifts, new fertility technologies, and what policymakers are promising—from cost-free birth to baby bonuses.
Transcript and show notes.
No More Sidewalks: Parenting Today is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.
1 Oct 2026
Tradwives and the manosphere: New cultural scripts for parenting
On this episode of No More Sidewalks, host Abby McCloskey leads a discussion with her guests about how the expectations and responsibilities of motherhood and fatherhood have evolved in this generation. Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, and Anne-Marie Slaughter, former CEO of New America, join her to explore balancing work and care, changes in family structure, and emerging scripts for parenting ranging from tradwives to the manosphere. Together they discuss what can be done at the household and government levels to support parents.
Transcript and show notes.
No More Sidewalks: Parenting Today is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.
17 Sept 2026
Navigating curriculum and culture wars: What happened to public school?
On this episode of No More Sidewalks, host Abby McCloskey speaks with Margaret Spellings, president of the Bipartisan Policy Center and former secretary of education during the George W. Bush administration, about changes to public education, including dropping student achievement scores and growing distrust in public schools. In the conversation, they explore the role of standardized testing, screens, reading lists, curriculum, and culture wars— alongside other potential factors for these changes—while discussing solutions to contribute to children's education.
Transcript and show notes.
No More Sidewalks: Parenting Today is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.
3 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
Raising children in the MAHA era: Where have all the healthy kids gone?
There have been massive changes in children's health—both physical and mental—over the last generation. In this episode of No More Sidewalks: Parenting Today, CEO of ParentData and Brown University economist Emily Oster joins host Abby McCloskey to discuss what new factors could be driving these shifts, as well as what can be done at the household and government levels to improve the health of children.
Transcript and show notes.
No More Sidewalks: Parenting Today is part of the Brookings Podcast Network. Subscribe and listen wherever you listen to podcasts. Send feedback to podcasts@brookings.edu.
28 Aug 2026
Introducing No More Sidewalks: Parenting Today with Abby McCloskey, a podcast about the major structural changes impacting childrearing in America
In No More Sidewalks: Parenting Today, a new podcast from the Brookings Institution, host Abby McCloskey and her guests catalog major structural changes that have impacted childrearing in America in the 21st century: family structure, children's health, technology, public schools, fertility, neighborhoods, and more. Things that most people took for granted in previous generations can no longer be counted on, but it isn't yet clear what will emerge in their place. McCloskey, a nonresident fellow with the Center for Economic Security and Opportunity at Brookings and columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and the Dallas Morning News, explores these issues and offers fresh policy ideas to address the challenges.
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Inside a recent episode
Raising children in the MAHA era: Where have all the healthy kids gone?
Published 3 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] There is probably more sedentary behavior relative to the past. There's more fun stuff to do inside. And so exercise is important and people aren't probably doing as much of that as they should. But Those are the two things I think are the biggest changes. I don't know what you'd put on that list. […]
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