Better Mental Health in Children: Make Sure They Eat Their Veggies
Razi Berry Children who eat a better diet, packed with fruit and vegetables, have better mental wellbeing — according to new research from the University of East Anglia. A new study published today is the first to investigate the association between fruit and vegetable intakes, breakfast and lunch choices, and mental wellbeing in UK school […]
“Outgrowing ADD/HD” Maybe? – But Only 10%
Razi Berry Most children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) don’t outgrow the disorder, as widely thought. It manifests itself in adulthood in different ways and waxes and wanes over a lifetime, according to a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. “It’s important for people diagnosed with ADHD to understand that it’s […]
Poverty Correlates to Smaller Brain Areas
Razi Berry Children in poverty are more likely to have cognitive and behavioral difficulties than their better-off peers. Plenty of past research has looked into the physical effects of childhood poverty, or documented mental health disparities between socioeconomic classes. But Deanna Barch, chair and professor in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences in Arts […]
Early Life-Style Guidance Needed from Parents and Children in Childhood Obesity
Razi Berry Rates of childhood obesity are at historically high levels in the U.S., yet there are few interventions that promote healthy weight gain in children from infancy to age two — a critical period for the development and prevention of childhood obesity. A new study published in Pediatrics found that fewer infants gained excess […]
Better Recess, Better Social-Emotional Function of Children
Razi Berry Recess quality, not just the amount of time spent away from the classroom, plays a major role in whether children experience the full physical, mental and social-emotional benefits of recess, a new study from Oregon State University found. “Not all recess is created equal,” said William Massey, study author and an assistant professor […]
Physically Punishing Kids is Not Effective
Razi Berry A conclusive narrative review has found physical punishment of children is not effective in preventing child behavior problems or promoting positive outcomes and instead predicts increases in behavior problems and other poor outcomes over time. The study by an international group of scientists including a researcher from The University of Texas at Austin […]
The Sweet Spot of Information to Encourage Curiosity in Children
Razi Berry Preschool children are sensitive to the gap between how much they know and how much there is to learn, according to a Rutgers University-New Brunswick study. The research, published in the journal Psychological Science, found preschool children are more likely to choose to gather more information about something if they know just enough […]
Identifying Children at Risk of Self-Harm Earlier
Razi Berry Researchers have identified two subgroups of adolescents who self-harm and have shown that it is possible to predict those individuals at greatest risk almost a decade before they begin self-harming. The team, based at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, found that while sleep problems and low self-esteem were […]
Adults Who Don’t Want Children are Still Happy
Razi Berry Parenting is one of life’s greatest joys, right? Not for everyone. New research from Michigan State University psychologists examines characteristics and satisfaction of adults who don’t want children. As more people acknowledge they simply don’t want to have kids, Jennifer Watling Neal and Zachary Neal, both associate professors in MSU’s department of psychology, […]
A New Take on Discipling Schoolchildren… Or Not
Razi Berry A study examining Japanese schools’ hands-off approach when children fight showed it could create opportunities for autonomy and encourage ownership of solutions, suggesting a new strategy in handling kids squabbles in other countries. Called mimamoru, the pedagogical strategy is a portmanteau of the Japanese words mi, meaning watch, and mamoru, meaning guard or […]