PARENTING FOR THE SCIENCE-MINDED -- by Gwen Dewar, Ph.D

Founded by an evolutionary anthropologist, this parenting resource is for critical thinkers -- people who want to understand child development from the perspectives of psychology, anthropology, evolution, and cognitive neuroscience.

I’ve got opinions. But who cares? You might be a scientist, physician, or teacher. Maybe you're an educated, skeptical layperson who loves science. Whatever the case, you don't need a sermon. You need evidence. You can draw your own conclusions.

So here it is: No folk theories. No preachy advice. No authoritarian pronouncements or pseudoscientific political dogma. Instead, you’ll find my analysis of the research, fully-referenced so you know where to go if you want to dig deeper yourself.

Recent highlights

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  1. Bed-wetting (nocturnal enuresis) in children: An evidence-based guide

    Oct 15, 19 02:37 PM

    Bed-wetting (or sleep enuresis) is a medical condition, not a behavior problem. What causes bed-wetting? What are the most effective, evidence-based therapies?

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  2. The benefits of fantasy fiction and imaginative play

    Oct 02, 19 08:25 PM

    Are kids confused by fairy tales? Is reading fantasy fiction a waste of time? No. Studies suggest fantasy can boost creativity, learning, and self-regulation.

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  3. Moral sense: Babies prefer underdogs and do-gooders

    Sep 20, 19 08:18 PM

    Do babies possess a sense of morality? They seem to care about victims, and they prefer individuals who treat others with kindness and fairness.

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Praise for Parenting Science

"[A] welcome antidote to the opinion dressed up as science that parents are constantly fed. Tear up your parenting books and get yourselves over there..."

- Charles Fernyhough, Ph.D., developmental psychologist and author of A Thousand Days of Wonder: A Scientist’s Chronicle of his Daughter’s Developing Mind

"...[O]ne of the most awesome websites I’ve seen in a long time…In addition to being helpful to academic parents, I see this site being useful in anthropology courses on human sexuality, life history, parenting, evolutionary medicine, evolutionary psychology, etc. Please check it out!"

- Julienne Rutherford, Ph.D., University of Illinois biological anthropologist and founder of the Biological Anthropology Developing Investigators Troop (BANDIT)

"I came across a great website run by Gwen Dewar, one I wish it had been available to me when my children were young. I hope everyone interested in math and kids will look at In search of the smart preschool board game and other pages on this site."

- Bill Marsh, Ph.D., in mathematics and author of MathInking, a blog about teaching math