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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Preschool science experiment: Using ice to teach science concepts
Jun 18, 21 09:50 PM
An introduction to the preschool science experiment, with evidence-based tips, and illustrated examples of supervised projects for kids ages 4 and up.
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Stopping gun violence: What can we do to protect our children?
Jun 11, 21 09:45 PM
The United States has a special problem with gun violence. But there are plenty of facts to guide us to a solution.
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Machiavellian kids: Understanding the moral reasoning of bullies
Jun 04, 21 04:06 PM
Studies suggest that many bullies are popular, confident, and socially-savvy. So what's missing? Empathy, and a sense of social responsibility.
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Health benefits of religion: Are religious kids better off?
May 27, 21 06:21 PM
Studies link religion with health benefits, but that doesn't mean that being religious makes us healthy. What matters is social and emotional support.
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What is colic? An evidence-based guide to excessive infant crying
May 18, 21 03:38 PM
Colicky babies cry excessively and inconsolably. Most cases improve by 4-6 months, but crying can be a sign of illness or pain, so it's important to consult your doctor.
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
Copyright © 2006-2021 by Gwen Dewar, Ph.D.; all rights reserved.
For educational purposes only. If you suspect you have a medical problem, please see a physician.
