Hellobee

Different cultures parent differently. But there are consistencies across all cultures, commonalities in parenting… right? Actually, that’s not true according to Nicholas Day (author of a book on the science and history of infancy); when he talked to Sara Harkness (a professor of human development at the University of Connecticut), she said the only commonality [...]

The preschool rat race used to be limited to upper-class residents of major cities, but it’s slowly spreading across the country, according to Melinda Wenner Moyer in an article on Slate.com. Parents are obsessively researching options, waiting in hours-long admissions lines, and even subjecting 3-year-olds to admissions tests. Of course, parents who are willing to [...]

There have been a lot of theories surrounding babies’ early language development and why some children seem much quicker to pick up words than others. Much has crystallized into this prevailing advice: The more you talk to your baby, the more words she hears, and the more words she will eventually know. In other words, [...]

Several researchers have established what most parents know, but probably don’t like to admit to themselves: Bribing is bad. Kids learn to expect a reward, and when the reward no longer exists, their task becomes that much more unappealing. It makes sense, right? But faced with stubborn children, each day can feel like a battle, [...]

Violent television aimed at kids is controversial for good reason. It seems logical to limit kids’ exposure. After all, kids who watch violent TV may mimic the behavior and become violent themselves. A study profiled in “NurtureShock” confirmed this hypothesis, but also revealed something surprising. Kids who watched educational TV shows (which parents often think [...]

Did you participate in DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) when you were in school? If you went to public school, the chances are high—the DARE program is in more than 80 percent of public districts across the country, according to “NurtureShock.” That’s a huge number—so the program must be effective at keeping kids from trying [...]

Parents look forward to their kids’ teen years as much as most people look forward to a root canal. They dread constant lying, boundary-testing, and arguing that we’re told are emblematic of that stage. Interestingly, while parents dread conflict, this doesn’t extend to their kids, the authors of “NurtureShock” say. Teens are able to bounce [...]