Many parents worry that exposing a child to more than one language might confuse them or make it harder for them to learn to talk. UConn’s HELLO Lab helps break down that concern in a simple, research-based way. The speaker explains that children’s brains are actually built to handle multiple languages from a very early age, and they naturally sort out which words belong to which language as they grow.

The video also shares that bilingual and multilingual children reach their major language milestones—like saying their first words or forming sentences—on a timeline that is completely normal. Hearing two or more languages doesn’t “overload” them. Instead, it gives them extra tools for thinking, communication, and understanding the world around them.

Overall, the episode reassures families that raising a child with more than one language is not only safe; it can be incredibly beneficial. It encourages caregivers to feel confident that supporting a child’s home language while also introducing English (or another language) can strengthen connection, identity, and long-term learning.

If you want to watch more, click here!

Erin Mulroy

UConn KIDS Research Assistant

A new 2025 study from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) takes a closer look at how smoking during pregnancy affects young children’s development. While we often hear that smoking can lead to lower birth weight or exposure to harmful chemicals, this research wanted to understand something deeper: does smoking itself directly influence how a child grows, learns, and develops in the first few years of life? To answer this, the researchers followed nearly 4,800 mother–child pairs, tracking the mothers’ smoking habits and evaluating the children’s developmental skills at ages two and four.

The mothers in the study were grouped by their smoking behavior: those who never smoked during pregnancy, those who quit before pregnancy, those who quit after finding out they were pregnant, and those who continued smoking throughout. The children were later assessed on thinking skills, early language and communication, social behavior, and motor skills. The researchers also looked at factors like birth weight and cadmium levels in the mother’s blood, since cadmium is a toxic metal found in cigarette smoke and has been linked to developmental concerns.

The clearest finding was that boys whose mothers smoked while pregnant showed noticeable developmental delays at both ages two and four. Their scores in areas like problem-solving, communication, and social development tended to be lower compared to boys whose mothers did not smoke. Interestingly, the same pattern was not as strong or consistent in girls, suggesting that boys may be more sensitive to prenatal exposure to smoking. The study also showed that the developmental differences were not simply due to babies being born smaller or being exposed to cadmium—meaning the act of smoking itself likely plays a direct role in affecting early brain development.

For families and health professionals, these findings offer an important takeaway. Avoiding smoking during pregnancy is not only about protecting a baby’s physical health at birth—it also supports the child’s long-term developmental well-being. This research adds another layer to our understanding of prenatal health and reinforces why reducing smoking during pregnancy remains a critical public health priority.

If you want to read more, click here!

Erin Mulroy

UConn Kids Research Assistant

The answer to last week’s question: At what age do infants typically say their first word?  

Is 10-18 months! 

This week’s trivia question is: 

By what age can most children typically skip and hop on one foot? 

1. 2-3 years old
2. 3-4 years old  
3. 4-5 years old
4. 5-6 years old 

Many parents are amazed by how early babies seem to understand the world around them. Research over the years has suggested that even very young infants can tell the difference between “good” and “bad” behavior. For example, in classic baby psychology experiments, infants often prefer a character that helps another over one that hinders. This has led some scientists to believe that babies might be born with a basic moral sense. But a newer study offers a different, simpler explanation. 

Instead of babies making moral judgments, the researchers suggest that infants may just be responding to basic positive and negative experiences they see on screen. The researchers wondered: are babies really judging helpfulness, or are they just reacting to what looks and feels good or bad? To test this, they redesigned the experiments.  

They found that babies are incredibly smart, but their preferences may come from simple cause-and-effect learning rather than built-in moral reasoning. Instead of thinking, “That character was nice,” they may be thinking, “That scene made me feel good.” This doesn’t mean babies won’t grow into moral thinkers. It just shows that what looks like morality in the first year of life might actually be the early building blocks of learning how the world works. Simple experiences like comfort, joy, surprise, and discomfort may be the foundation that later supports real moral understanding. Babies may not be born with a moral compass, but they are constantly learning from what feels good and what doesn’t, and that’s where their future sense of right and wrong begins. 

If you want to read more, click here! 

Angelina Stofka 

UConn KIDS, Research Assistant 

This week’s Friday Feature highlights HELLO Lab and the launch of their new YouTube channel, HELLO Lab Presents. The channel debuts a series of engaging, research-informed videos about early language development and child learning.

HELLO Lab Presents aims to provide evidence-based “edutainment;” accessible, clear explanations about child development topics. Viewers can watch short, informative episodes that break down common questions about early learning, such as when babies typically say their first words, how social interaction shapes language skills, and why playful communication is so important in infancy and toddlerhood. The channel also addresses frequent misconceptions, highlighting what the research actually says in a friendly, easy-to-understand format.

This launch represents a broader effort to promote science communication and make developmental research more widely available to families and caregivers who can benefit from it most. Several videos are already live, including topics related to “baby talk,” early speech sounds, and the foundations of communication. Additional content will be soon to come, offering a growing library of reliable, evidence-based resources.

Stay tuned for HELLO Lab’s upcoming video release on December 10, “Is Learning Multiple Languages Confusing My Kid?”, where they’ll continue sharing accessible, research-informed insights into early language and child development.

If you want to learn more subscribe here!

Thanks HELLO Labs for being our Friday Feature this week. Stay tuned for more upcoming features!

 

In her talk, Lenore Skenazy argues that many parents today, caught up in a culture of fear and hyper-protection,  inadvertently deprive children of the very experiences they need to grow into confident, resilient adults.

Skenazy points out that decades of media-driven fear have convinced many caregivers that kids are constantly in danger, so much so that everyday childhood tasks like walking to school, playing outside with friends, or solving small problems on their own have become almost taboo. She warns that this over-protection can erode a child’s sense of autonomy, fuel anxiety, and stifle the natural confidence that comes from doing things independently.

Instead, Skenazy calls for a return to “real childhood”–a version in which children are trusted with age-appropriate responsibility, allowed unsupervised play, and encouraged to take small risks under safe conditions. She argues that by gradually giving children freedom and opportunities to make mistakes (and learn from them), parents and communities can help kids build true self-reliance, resilience, and emotional strength. 

Importantly, this isn’t about reckless parenting or neglect. Skenazy emphasizes “safe, sane” freedom, suggesting practical, incremental steps families and neighborhoods can take to renormalize independence, unsupervised play, and trust in young people. Ultimately, her message is a reminder: when children are given space to explore, fail, try again, and succeed (on their own terms), they become more confident, capable, and ready for life.

To watch this Ted Talk, click here!

Erin Mulroy 

UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health challenges experienced by children and adolescents. While occasional worry is a normal part of development, some young people experience anxiety that becomes persistent and disruptive, affecting their academic performance, social relationships, and overall quality of life. Creswell et al. shows that anxiety in youth arises from a combination of factors, including a child’s temperament, family history, parenting patterns, and stressful or challenging life experiences.

Because symptoms often overlap with other conditions, accurate assessment requires gathering information from both children and caregivers using structured interviews and validated questionnaires. The article emphasizes that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most effective and well-supported treatment for pediatric anxiety, helping many children learn to manage fears, challenge unhelpful thoughts, and gradually face situations that cause distress. However, despite the availability of effective interventions, many children do not receive the support they need due to barriers such as limited access to trained providers, long waitlists, or the misconception that anxiety is simply a phase.

Creswell et al. stresses the importance of expanding access to evidence-based treatments and continuing research to better tailor approaches to different developmental stages. Moreover, the review underscores a crucial message: anxiety in young people is real, common, and highly treatable, and early intervention can significantly improve long-term outcomes.

If you want to watch more, click here!

Erin Mulroy

UConn KIDS Research Assistant

Researcher John Iversen explains how music can play a powerful role in shaping a child’s developing brain. He shares his work studying children involved in school music programs and shows that music does much more than help kids perform songs. When children learn rhythm, practice an instrument, or participate in ensemble activities, their brains become more organized in ways that support attention, learning, and self-control.

Iversen describes how the brain responds to musical training by strengthening important pathways related to listening, processing sound, and focusing. These are the same skills children use for reading, language, and success in the classroom. He also highlights that even small amounts of consistent musical experience can make a positive difference. The changes are not simply about talent—they are about how the brain grows when it is challenged and engaged.

Overall, the talk encourages parents, teachers, and communities to view music as an essential part of child development rather than an optional extra. Music helps build core abilities that support learning in many areas of life. Iversen’s message is simple: when we give children access to music, we are helping their brains grow in healthy, meaningful ways.

If you want to watch more, click here!

Erin Mulroy

UConn KIDS Research Assistant

Toddlers have a different way of regulating emotions than adults do because they are still learning about their feelings and how to cope with them. A recent study contains helpful insight into how young children begin to manage those intense feelings and how their strategies shift as they grow. 

Researchers followed a group of toddlers at 24 months and again at 30 months, observing how they reacted during two challenging situations: one designed to spark fear and another meant to create frustration and anger. What the researchers found is that toddlers don’t regulate all emotions the same way. In fact, they use very different tools depending on whether they’re scared or upset. 

When toddlers felt afraid, they relied mainly on themselves. They pulled away from the scary object, avoided it, or used small soothing behaviors to calm down. Fear naturally pushes children to protect themselves, so these self-driven responses make sense. Toddlers seemed to understand, even at such a young age, that fear is about staying safe. 

When they measured anger in toddlers, it looked very different. When something blocked their goal, like a toy being taken away, toddlers turned toward their caregivers. They sought attention, tried to get help, or looked to their parent for comfort or support. Anger’s purpose is to overcome obstacles, and young children often realize that turning to a trusted adult is the quickest route to getting things back on track. 

From this study, they found that emotional development in toddlerhood isn’t a simple march from “immature” to “mature” behaviors. Instead, toddlers are learning which strategies work best in different situations. The ability to choose the right response for the moment is a key sign of healthy emotional growth. 

Each moment of fear or frustration gives toddlers a chance to test out new ways of coping, whether that means calming themselves or seeking your help. And as they grow, they become increasingly skilled at picking the strategy that helps them feel balanced again. Understanding this can make it a little easier to support your toddler through those ups and downs.  

If you want to read more, click here! 

Angelina Stofka 

UConn KIDS, Research Assistant 

The answer to last week’s question: At what age can most infants sit unsupported? 

Is 6 months old! 

This week’s trivia question is: 

At what age do infants typically say their first word? 

1. 4-6 months  
2. 6-8 months 
3. 10-18 months
4. 18-24 months