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.

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Spaced learning: What’s the best schedule for children’s lessons?

What is the “spaced learning” effect? If your child needs to learn something — and you want that learning to stick — the best approach is to space learning sessions apart in time. A single, long lesson is usually less effective than multiple, shorter lessons. Moreover, the ideal duration of a lesson may be much briefer than we realize — particularly for young children.

Iron-rich foods: How to improve children’s iron status through diet

assortment of iron rich foods, including fish, beans, seeds, nuts, vegetables

Why do children – especially babies over the age of 6 months who have been breastfed – need to consume iron-rich foods? And what’s the best diet for achieving iron sufficiency? The question can be tricky, because many foods, including some with substantial iron content, contain chemical compounds that interfere with iron absorption.

Does screen time cause sleep problems children?

Child using phone in bed - does screen time cause sleep problems?

Research indicates that screen time can cause sleep problems for children. Exposure to artificial light at night is part of the trouble, but so is the sleep-disturbing nature of electronic content. And individual differences mean that some children are affected more than others. Read more about the risk factors, and the steps you can take to minimize sleep disruption.

How to start babies on solid food: An evidence-based guide

baby at high chair, father spoon feeding infant cereal

When to start solids depends on your baby’s developmental skills, and on whether or not you want to offer your baby finger foods. These evidence-based tips explain how to start babies on solid food, what to expect, and how to cope with a baby’s negative reactions.

What is parental phubbing, and how does it harm families?

phubbing father is ignoring young son next to him, son is trying to get his attention

Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin No need to point fingers, because we’ve all done it: Ignoring people around us while we focus on a technological device. When we ignore or snub folks with our smartphones, it’s called “phubbing,” and since many of us carry our smartphones everywhere, phubbing has become very common. But — no … Continue reading