A friend offhandedly told me recently, “It’s so easy to get my daughter to behave after her birthday – there are so many new toys to take away when she’s bad!” While there is certainly an appeal to such a powerful parenting hack, the truth is that there’s a pretty big downside to parenting with […] … learn more→

Each afternoon, a familiar conversation unfolds in many households. “How was school today?” “Fine.” “What did you learn?” “Nothing.” In the classroom, teachers also struggle with stonewalling students. They’ll pose a question, only to be met with blank stares. They might incorporate “wait time” to give students a moment to gather their thoughts. But even then, […] … learn more→

What does a baby know about right and wrong? A foundational finding in moral psychology suggested that even infants have a moral sense, preferring “helpers” over “hinderers” before uttering their first word. Now, nearly 20 years later, a study that tried to replicate these findings calls this result into question. In the original study, Kiley Hamlin and her […] … learn more→

The holiday season is here, and streets are filled with festive sparkles, twinkling lights and cheerful Christmas songs. While many of us are looking forward to spending the holiday period with family and friends, Christmas is anything but jolly for others. Some people are dreading to spend the period without loved ones. Others are fearful […] … learn more→

Grandparents are rarely at the heart of studies on family relationships even though their discreet presence remains essential in the lives of their grandchildren. Generation Z (which includes people born between 1997 and 2012) would be the generation furthest removed from their grandparents with only 18% of this generation feeling very close to their grandparents, compared to […] … learn more→

Mario throws himself on the ground, kicking and screaming “like a man possessed.” His father, embarrassed, tries to coax him to get up, first with soft, persuasive words, then more firmly. Around them, in the supermarket queue, people look on with little or no surprise, depending on their previous experience with children of Mario’s age: […] … learn more→

It’s become completely normal to find a romantic partner through a bit of swiping on your phone. But could the same be about to happen for parenting? “Elective co-parenting” involves two or more people choosing to have and raise a child together outside of a romantic relationship. And if this becomes commonplace, would it be […] … learn more→

Smartphones – or other devices, such as tablets – are likely to be high on many children and teenagers’ wish lists this festive season. It’s a gift that parents may be apprehensive about giving. Many people have concerns about their children spending too much time in front of a screen as well as the impact of social media on […] … learn more→

Family meetings are often touted as an effective way to resolve conflicts, work out some shared goals and bring the family together. They seem to wax and wane in popularity. But as Google Trends shows, there has been a steady growth in people searching for information about family meetings over the past decade, with a spike during 2021, […] … learn more→

The correlation between socioeconomic origin and educational success is well known . According to available data , children from more humble backgrounds, with parents with a low educational level and limited resources, have statistically lower academic performance and, in general, are more likely to fail academically. To explain this phenomenon, different causes are usually pointed out, among them, that […] … learn more→