There is no shortage of influencers and other professionals telling parents how to raise their children today. The noise can sometimes be overwhelming—whole foods, eating clean, baby-led weaning, vaccinating (or not), raw or pasteurized milk, screen time, social media rules, home schooling vs. public schooling, gentle parenting … we’ve heard it all.
As a pediatrician who is also a parent navigating the same world, I feel deeply the weight of this information overload. I sometimes wish I could go back to a previous time when there was limited access to information, when perhaps we made worse choices but we agonized over them less.
When I counsel parents about healthcare decisions for their children, they often say, “Just tell us what to do.” My initial tendency is to comply and give them my opinion as fact. After all, I was trained in medical school to think in concrete and absolute terms.
But I have since learned to challenge this mindset and accept that, as finite human beings, we will never have all the information. Every decision has risks and benefits, some immediate and some long-term. So rather than telling families what to do, I give them options and ask this question: “Which choice will give you more peace?”
You see, there are some things in this life that I believe are absolute and true. Are we called to love and care for our children? Yes. Is God in control of the universe? Yes. Is stealing wrong? Yes. However, most of our daily decisions will fall into a gray space of risks and benefits, pros and cons and require us to come to conclusions without complete clarity. This can be unsettling and anxiety-provoking, but I always encourage my families: Using your resources and trusted members of your village as a guide, make the choices that are best for your family.
Our children are growing up in a world unlike any before it. They are savvy and resourceful. They are busy, and they have goals. They know more and have access to more than we ever did at their age, for better and for worse. The challenge today’s parents face in guiding and mentoring their children, during an era when technology and artificial intelligence are constantly competing for their attention, is unprecedented. But I would argue it is not insurmountable.
This 2026, let us not regret past mistakes. Let us not worry about things out of our sphere of control. I believe that our generation of children was placed on earth uniquely equipped to take on the challenges of this time in history, and we as parents can have peace knowing that we make thoughtful decisions with the information we have—and leave the rest to God.
SparrowPediatricsGroup.com |@sparrowpediatrics
Christy Jensen, M.D., also known as “Dr. C,” is a wife, mom of three, and board-certified pediatrician. Her passion is helping families thrive, and she loves partnering with parents to raise healthy kids.