Mathilde Ross

Care taker, Doctor, Educator/Teacher, Parent, Writer/Editor

I joined Boston University Student Health Services as a psychiatrist in 2008. It was a radical change from my previous roles at major hospitals, and a decidedly mommy-track move: part-time, with summers off. I began spending my days talking to college students. I should say college kids - they’re kids. They resemble adults visually, but if you close your eyes and just listen, it’s easy to imagine them at the playground. I was spending a lot of time on playgrounds during the same years. Remember the summers off? I observed all different kinds of kids, which helped me develop a full developmental picture of my college students. I learned to imagine what they were like at age 3, 8, 12, and 15. This perspective helped me understand what my students might be missing, and how to help them. Turns out mommy-track was an asset, not a liability. My day job also informed my parenting - the synergy went both ways. It helped me understand which events were true crossroads, and which were just phases. I saw how parenting trends solve certain problems, and cause others. I could see what the kids in my neighborhood would be like at ages 12, 15, 18, and 21. In both roles, I observed the ingredients of healthy development. Accepting and available parents. Joyful activities. Not sweating the small stuff. Sleep. Personal space. Trust. Love. And in both roles, I observed the benefits of healthy development. Emotional resilience. Robust friend networks. Motivation. Empathy. Trust. Love. I am delighted to have the opportunity to share some of my observations about parenting, development, and mental health at the TEDNext 2024 conference.

Sleep. You should be, too! It's great for your brain.

"You know more than you think you do." Benjamin Spock, MD, 1946

mental health, navigating the treacherous transition to adulthood

Finding things! That's right - anything from socks to head phones to wedding rings. If it's lost, I can find it!