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.
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Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin © 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 … Continue reading
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin © 2009 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Babies sometimes act like they have very strong opinions about food. What’s going on in their heads? Do they truly hate green beans? Or love rice cereal? Do babies prefer bland food, or do they like certain spices? Do babies experience flavors … Continue reading
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin © 2009 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Numerous studies report a link between daycare centers and stress. The more time young children spend in childcare facilities, the more likely they are to develop abnormal stress hormone profiles. What’s normal? Typically, the body produces high levels of the stress hormone … Continue reading
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin © 2009 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Mancala games to motivate young mathematicians Looking for activities to motivate your school-aged kids to count and think strategically? Try out mancala. Also known as “count and capture” games, mancala games have an ancient pedigree. There is archeological evidence that these games … Continue reading
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin © 2009 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved These activities allow kids to explore the concept of buoyancy. The first preschool project is that old standby — “floaters and sinkers.” The two that follow introduce children to the more complex activity of boat-building. To help kids develop a deeper understanding on the … Continue reading
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin These preschool science projects permit kids to explore the properties of different kinds of dirt and mud. Kids will make observations using their senses and some science tools, like a magnifying glass and some tweezers. Kids will also explore the concept of change as they turn dirt into mud—-and vice … Continue reading
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin Science for kids? Surely it begins at home. When kids grow up in science-friendly homes, they are encouraged to ask questions, think critically, experiment, explain their reasoning, read, write, create models, and watch science programs on TV. But what are the best activities and resources? And what about school? What … Continue reading
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin © 2009 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Like babies? Experiments suggest that women can read a man’s affinity for babies in his face. What’s more, men with “baby-friendly” faces are more attractive to women. Good genes, sexy dads: What makes men attractive to women Mention the evolutionary psychology of … Continue reading
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin When I searched the web today, I found a batch of stories with headlines like “Study: Teenage brain lacks empathy,” and “Teen Brain: It’s all about me.” These stories describe a brain scan study, but key facts are incorrectly reported. Contrary to the headlines, the study didn’t actually measure empathy. … Continue reading
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin Natural changes in stress hormones during pregnancy Prolonged, severe stress is bad for pregnancy. And stress hormones are to blame. When stress hormone levels run very high, women are less likely to conceive and more likely to miscarry (Sapolsky 2004; Nepomaschy et al 2006). Babies are more likely to be … Continue reading
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin These references accompany the article, “Pregnancy stress hormones: How a natural rise in hormone levels may benefit babies and re-program mothers’ brains” Atkinson HC and Waddell BJ. 1995. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in rat pregnancy and lactation: circadian variation and interrelationship of plasma adrenocorticotropin and corticosterone. Endocrinology 136(2):512-20. Bardi M, French … Continue reading
What should you do before you begin toilet training? Read this potty training checklist.