New This Week

at Dr. Robin's School

Hi Reader,

I've been thinking about sex ed lately — specifically about how almost everyone got a terrible version of it, whether it was at home, school, a place of worship, or somewhere else.

Not bad in the same way. Bad in different, very specific, very recognizable ways.

I got The Horror Director — terrifying STI photos and the strong implication that any physical contact with another human would cause us to melt into green slime.

Who did you get? Hit reply and let us know!

I have names for all of them. And I have a whole page about why this happened, what the actual consequences are, and what we're doing about it.

Making More Humans launches June 2nd. Early enrollment opens May 27th for everyone on the waitlist. When you join the waitlist, you get immediate access to 138 printable Conversation Cards — practical prompts designed to build trust and improve conversations at home.

If you've been meaning to join the waitlist, this week is a good week to do it.

Together with You,
Dr. Robin

P.S. 👉 See all six archetypes — and join the waitlist for early access + free Conversation Cards​

P.P.S. If you aren't interested in Making More Humans, no worries! MedPath and LifePath are still our main programs. If you scroll down, you'll see a new feature for MedPath students: the I Want to Be a Doctor Podcast videos!

✨Congratulations Nurse Jill

Before we get to this week's content, we want to take a moment to celebrate.

Nurse Jill Cooper — the person many of you have talked to, emailed, or scheduled office hours with — has just been named Best Tutoring Service by the News 12 A-List Awards.

Jill is the heartbeat of Dr. Robin's School. She's the one who answers your questions, follows up when things get complicated, and makes sure no family falls through the cracks. This recognition is well-deserved and we are so proud of her.

You can find Jill's tutoring services for nursing students at nursingmathtutor.com.

🎬 The Feature Lab

The I Want to Be a Doctor podcast is back. This time as a video series!

This is Dr. Robin's show for medical hopefuls of every age — from kids who are just starting to wonder what doctors actually do, to teens figuring out whether medicine is really the path for them. Every episode answers a real question from a real listener. Hit reply with yours if you want it in a future season!

This week's video is the trailer and series announcement. If you've been curious about the show, this is the best place to start — you'll get a real sense of the format, the topics, and yes, apparently the ASMR quality of Dr. Robin's voice that listeners keep mentioning.

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📥 Resource Bench

Week 5 of 10 Important Conversations.

This week: Beyond the Mirror — how to talk to your tween or teen about body image and self-esteem without accidentally making things worse.

One thing the blog post covers that I think is genuinely important: positive affirmations don't actually work well for kids who don't believe what they're saying. What actually helps is teaching them not to catastrophize their struggles while recognizing their real strengths. That's a different approach than most parents expect, and it's worth reading.

The other thing I want to flag: if you criticize your own body out loud, your kids are listening. A lot of parents are surprised by how directly that connects to what their kids say about themselves. The parent journal this week asks you to look honestly at that before you start the conversation.

📖 Read the Blog Post and get the full framework — including what to avoid and the one rule of thumb that makes most situations easier Read: Beyond the Mirror

✍ Download the Parent Journal and look honestly at your own relationship with your body before you bring it up with your kid Reflect Before You Talk

👩‍👦 Download the Youth Journal so your tween or teen has a safe place to think through how they actually feel about their own body — on their own terms first Give Them Space to Reflect

Missed previous weeks?

Prepare: Tips for Conversations​
Week 1 of 10: Building a Healthy Relationship with Food. Parent Journal, Youth Journal​
Week 2 of 10: Moving Together. Parent Journal | Youth Journal​
Week 3: Rest & Recharge. Parent Journal | Youth Journal
​Week 4: Navigating the Digital World. Parent Journal | Youth Journal​

🌱 Ask Dr. Robin: My daughter is so hard on herself and I don't know how to help.

Q: My twelve-year-old is constantly criticizing the way she looks. Nothing I say seems to help — when I tell her she's beautiful she either rolls her eyes or seems to feel worse. What am I doing wrong?

A: You're doing the thing that feels most natural, which is reassuring her. But reassurance often backfires with body image because it doesn't address what's actually happening.

When she says something negative about how she looks and you say "you're beautiful," she hears one of two things: either you're just saying that because you're her parent, or — and this is the harder one — that how she looks is what matters and you're offering a counter-opinion on it. Neither lands the way you intend.

Before I give you some tips, do consider talking with a therapist as well before things get worse. I can't tell you how many times I've suggested therapy and I've been told, "Well, it's not that bad yet." But the question is, how bad does it have to be?

As far as quick tips for home...What tends to work better is redirecting away from appearance entirely. Instead of responding to the content of what she said, try responding to the feeling underneath it. "That sounds really hard. What's going on?"

Then, separately and not in the same conversation, help her build a real picture of her own strengths. Not "you're so pretty" but "you figured out that problem in a way I wouldn't have thought of" or "I noticed how you handled that situation with your friend." Specific, true, and nothing to do with how she looks.

And the hardest part: pay attention to how you talk about your own body. If she hears you criticize yourself — even casually, even in passing — she's learning that's the normal way to think about bodies. It's worth taking that seriously.

The journal this week has prompts for both of you. It can be really useful to fill yours out first, before you try to have the conversation.

P.S. Over the next few weeks I'll be answering questions about human reproduction and the 10 Conversations topics: food, body image, sleep, puberty, relationships, and more. If something's been on your mind, hit reply and ask. Your question might be featured in a future Ask Dr. Robin.

That's all for this week! Happy Learning!

Questions? Get one-on-one assistance from Nurse Jill Cooper. Reply to this email, schedule office hours with Jill, or text or call 720-257-9030. Business hours are 9-5 M-F MST, closed for school holidays.