Your child’s schedule can be full while their joy is disappearing.
In this episode of Success Reimagined, Dr. Amna Shabbir welcomes back Dr. Stuart Slavin, pediatrician, medical educator, and author of The Success Trap, for an honest conversation about achievement pressure, perfectionism, and youth mental health.
Dr. Slavin explains why conversations about teen anxiety and depression need to look beyond smartphones and social media to the academic demands, competitive activities, and constant comparisons shaping childhood. Together, they explore how children begin tying their worth to their grades—and why parents can feel just as trapped by the pressure to succeed.
They also discuss practical ways to create a healthier balance: making room for play, celebrating qualities beyond achievement, and helping children respond to disappointment with self-compassion.
This conversation offers parents permission to reconsider what success looks like—and explore a path that makes room for ambition, well-being, and joy.
Key Takeaways
- How achievement pressure and social media can reinforce each other.
- Why perfectionism, comparison, and tying identity to performance can leave children feeling inadequate.
- How to shift conversations from grades toward learning, effort, kindness, and creativity.
- Why children need to hear that your love does not depend on their performance.
- What Dr. Slavin’s work in medical education reveals about supporting well-being and academic success together.
About Dr. Stuart Slavin
Stuart Slavin, MD, MEd, is a pediatrician, medical educator, nationally recognized leader in well-being, and author of The Success Trap: How the Pressure to Stand Out Is Fueling Anxiety, Depression, and Burnout in Teens—and the Fundamental Fix They Deserve. For more than four decades, he has worked to create healthier environments where children, students, and physicians can learn, grow, and thrive. Through his research and educational leadership, he helps parents, educators, and communities rethink achievement pressure and support young people in flourishing—not simply achieving.
Listen to my first episode with Dr. Slavin - Ep 10. Dr. Stuart Slavin on Medical Training, Mental Health & Culture Change - Unmasking Perfectionism Series - https://dramnashabbir.transistor.fm/episodes/ep-10-dr-stuart-slavin-on-medical-training-mental-health-culture-change-unpacking-perfectionism
Connect with Dr. Stuart Slavin
- Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drstuartslavin/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-slavin-md-med-5b64106
- YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@DrStuartSlavin
- Website:https://drstuartslavin.com/
- Book: The Success Trap
About the Host
Dr. Amna Shabbir, MD, NBC-HWC, CPC is a Dual Board-Certified Physician and TEDx Speaker with advanced training in Integrative Well-being, Performance, and Leadership Development. She speaks, coaches, and consults on Workplace Wellness, Perfectionism, Sustainable Success, and the well-being of High Achievers.
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Connect with Dr. Shabbir
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📹 Watch Dr. Shabbir's TEDx Talk
Perfectionism Has A Solution - It is Not What You Think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNIzzM4Vg3s&t=3s
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❌ Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or therapeutic advice. The views expressed are personal and do not reflect those of any employer or institution.
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