Did you know that maternal mental health has been recognized as globally significant? Well, this is true! There is lots of research regarding negative mental health in mothers, however not much so in the positive sense, which is important as it aids in the development of children and aids the mother regarding parenting.  

Positive mental health can be measured via a hedonic (positive emotions/life satisfaction) or eudaimonia (self-acceptance/engagement) perspective. When a pregnant mother has high self-esteem or optimism, their babies are born with higher birth weight. Other observations revealed that many advantages happen while the baby is still in utero! 

Due to new research of maternal mental health, there is more overall knowledge of the well-being of their children. The mental health of mothers can possibly affect the physiological and psychological behaviors of children. More research is required for a more direct answer, however with little research about maternal mental health, we can see many types of impacts on mother and child. 

To read more, click here! 

Ashley Bejar, UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

In the 21st century, researchers have discovered new, more effective methods of bringing up children. Outdated assumptions in use today can thus be quite harmful in their development. 

The “Kids Today Project”, created by Richard Neville and his team, was designed to view complex issues of development through the child’s eyes via a head-mounted camera. This allowed the researchers to see exactly what the child sees to understand their perspective of the big, endless moving world. 

So, what did they discover? Regardless of location, culture, differences, and situations, children shared one common theme: an immense desire to learn. 

The research illustrated that children must learn to take control of their own lives. If they don’t then how can we expect them to develop skills needed in adulthood? 

To watch the full Ted Talk, click here! 

Ashley Bejar, UConn KIDS Research Assistant