The Parenting Science News Feed

The Parenting Science news feed alerts you to updates on the Parenting Science website and to new blog posts or articles written by Gwen Dewar about parenting and child development topics.

If you have a social media account, you can follow this site by clicking on one of the Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or RSS buttons.

Preschool science experiment: Using ice to teach kids about scientific concepts (with crucial safety tips)

preschool boy carefully removing ice tray from freezer

Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin© 2008 – 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved A preschool science experiment is an opportunity to introduce children to the concepts of observation, prediction, and testing (Gelman and Brenneman 2004). Exciting? Yes. But it’s also tricky. On the one hand, research suggests that young children don’t think as creatively … Continue reading

The effects of television on speech development: Is it helpful or harmful?

toddler watching television

Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin Studies report a link between TV and language development in young children. The more time kids spend watching television, the more slowly they learn to talk. What’s going on? Some people conclude that the effects of television on children are direct and negative. According to this view, television is noxious, … Continue reading

Bedwetting in scientific perspective: Debunking destructive myths

child sleeping bed at night

Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin© 2010 – 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Myths about bedwetting? There are several, and they aren’t helpful. Ever heard the claim that kids wet the bed out of laziness? Or that kids require counseling — talking therapy — in order to break the “habit?” Or how about the … Continue reading

ADHD in children: What parents need to know about attention and hyperactivity problems

friends talking - two boys in conversation

Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin© 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved The difficulty of identifying ADHD in children Diagnosing ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is intrinsically problematic.    The symptoms—distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity—are consistent with the normal behavior of young children. So when young children are diagnosed, the implication is that they are more distractible, … Continue reading

Exercise for children: How physical fitness benefits the brain — and helps kids learn

seven school age children, diverse ethnicities, running happily on the grass at a park

Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin© 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Experts recommend that kids get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise each day. Why? Such activities are crucial for cardiovascular health. But exercise for children is important for other reasons too. It appears to stimulate brain growth. It helps kids focus, and … Continue reading

What’s the right age to start potty training? It depends on your goals

toddler lifts the lid of a toilet

Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin © 2021 Gwen Dewar, all rights reserved In Western countries like the United States, many children begin toilet training sometime between 24 and 36 months.  But from an historical and cross-cultural standpoint, this timing is very late, and it comes with a downside. So what’s the right potty training age? … Continue reading

Teaching critical thinking: The first step is to pause and reflect

girl child with hand on chin portrait side view backlit

Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin© 2021 Gwen Dewar, all rights reserved Why do we fall for fallacies? Why do we get duped by lies? It isn’t because we lack brain power, and it isn’t because we are helpless to overcome our own biases. Instead, what’s really crucial is whether we take the time to pause … Continue reading

The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.