Emotions
Early Self-Control in Toddlers
The popular framing — "they need to learn self-control" — misunderstands what's actually possible at age 2. Self-control isn't a habit or an attitude...
5 min read
Emotions
Understanding and managing your child's emotional world.
Emotions
How to Tell Fatigue From Depression
"I'm just tired" is the explanation many new parents give themselves for months. Sometimes it's accurate. Sometimes it isn't. Postpartum depression of...
5 min read
Emotions
Emotional Development at 24 to 36 Months
If 18–24 months is where many parents say "this is the hardest age," 24–36 months is where they say "I can see the light." The intensity is still ther...
5 min read
Emotions
Emotional Development at 12 to 18 Months
The shift from 8 months to 14 months is one of the most dramatic in child development. The placid baby who accepted being put down now arches their ba...
5 min read
Emotions
Emotional Development at 18 to 24 Months
The "terrible twos" started early at your house, and you're wondering if something went wrong. Probably not. Most parents date the most challenging st...
4 min read
Emotions
How Couple Relationships Change After Childbirth
The Gottman Institute's longitudinal research has found that about two-thirds of couples report a meaningful drop in relationship satisfaction in the...
7 min read
Emotions
When to Consult a Child Psychologist
A lot of parents wait too long to talk to a child psychologist because they're worried it means admitting something is wrong with their child. Most ev...
6 min read
Emotions
Communicating With Children Without Yelling
You've sworn off yelling. Then bath time happens, the third "no," the toy gets thrown, and you yell anyway. Welcome — every parent has been here. The...
5 min read
Emotions
Why Consistent Adult Behavior Reduces Child Anxiety
A toddler whose parent responds calmly to the same kind of mistake on most days, and occasionally less calmly when stressed, has a manageable map of t...
5 min read
Emotions
How Children Learn to Recognize Emotions
A four-year-old who can look at someone's face and say "she's worried" didn't pick that up automatically. They learned it the same way they learned th...
5 min read
Emotions
The Emotional Strain of Chronic Sleep Deprivation
The first year of a baby's life often runs on 4-hour fragmented stretches of sleep, and many parents stay there for two or three years. The tiredness...
6 min read
Emotions
How Young Children React to Loud and Unexpected Stimuli
A blender. A vacuum. The bathroom hand dryer at the airport. Your toddler is in pieces and you cannot understand why a household appliance is the vill...
5 min read
Emotions
Children's Emotional Responses to Changes in Environment
You're thrilled about the move; your three-year-old is sobbing and won't let go of your leg. This mismatch confuses many parents — but to a child whos...
6 min read
Emotions
What Causes Increased Anxiety in Toddlers
Two children growing up in similar households can have very different anxiety levels — and most of the time the explanation is a mix of genetics and w...
5 min read
Emotions
How Children Cope With Changes in Daily Routine
A 30-minute shift in bedtime can wreck a toddler's week. To you, it's nothing. To a two-year-old, it's the equivalent of waking up in a hotel room and...
6 min read
Emotions
Baby Blues vs. Postpartum Depression: How to Tell the Difference
The first two weeks after birth come with weeping, wild mood swings, and a sense of being crushed by something you can't name — and most of the time,...
5 min read
Emotions
How Emotional Bonding Between Mother and Newborn Develops
The "magical bonding moment" at birth is one of the most damaging stories told to new mothers. About a third of women describe their first feeling tow...
5 min read
Emotions
The Struggle for Autonomy at Age Two
A two-year-old who melts down because you zipped his coat is not being unreasonable. He's working on the most important developmental project of his l...
5 min read
Emotions
Types of Attachment and How They Develop in Infancy
The four attachment patterns aren't personality types or destinies. They're the strategies an infant has developed for handling distress, based on wha...
5 min read
Emotions
Attachment Formation During the First Six Months of Life
You don't bond with your baby in one transformative moment in the delivery room. You bond across diaper changes at 3 a.m., across hundreds of feeds, a...
5 min read