© 2019 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Parents can help children recover from stress by offering physical affection and words of support. But is there more? Maybe secure attachment relationships also help kids develop the ability to self-soothe. What happens when you soothe your baby’s tears? When you make eye contact, engage your baby … Continue reading
Correcting behavior? Studies suggest the best approach is positive and constructive. When kids make mistakes, we should ask them to think about solutions.
Spanking children doesn’t help them learn self-control or social skills, and studies consistently show that spanking increases a child’s risk of developing behavior problems. But how can we be sure that spanking is harmful, and what can parents do instead when their children misbehave?
Is Chinese parenting superior? Amy Chua argues that Chinese kids achieve more because traditional Chinese moms are more strict and demanding. Here’s what the research suggests.
Oxytocin is often called the “hormone of attachment” because it seems to help individuals bond with other members of their in-group. A surge of oxytocin makes us feel more trusting and generous toward our social partners (e.g., Baumgartner et al 2008; Zak et al 2007). It encourages us to tend and befriend. It can help … Continue reading
Mind-minded parenting assumes that even babies have independent thoughts and feelings. It’s an approach that helps kids build secure relationships, strong social skills, and self-control.
People have trouble predicting their own feelings. No wonder they make mistakes interpreting the feelings of others. Learn about the hot-cold empathy gap and how we might overcome it.
The newborn feeding schedule: Why feeding frequently, on cue, is best for the health and development of young infants.
© 2009-2014 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved “You’ve heard of evidence-based medicine? This is evidence-based parenting.” That’s how I explained the purpose of my website, Parenting Science, when I started it back in 2006. For people familiar with the approach, it got the point across. Evidence-based medicine has been defined as “the conscientious, explicit, … Continue reading
© 2009 -2013 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Teaching empathy? A skeptic might wonder if it makes any difference. Can’t we assume that empathy will emerge automatically, as part of the developmental process? After all, even babies show signs of empathy. For instance, experiments confirm that newborn babies are more likely to cry if … Continue reading
Should parents be friends with their kids? Surely that depends on your definition of friendship.
© 2010 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Some people believe that kids shouldn’t be required to restrain their impulses. Adults shouldn’t tell them what to do or how to behave. Children should be free to express themselves and explore the world on their own terms. How far does this freedom go? Some parents sheepishly … Continue reading