Sleep deprivation is one of the most common struggles for new parents. Parents are constantly trying to find new ways or methods to help their babies sleep through the night. Sleep training has struck intense debates regarding its success. Prior research ultimately found that sleep training methods improve infants’ sleep quality; however, much of this data was parent-reported so, it’s likely biased.

A randomized controlled sleep training study used actigraphy, data monitoring devices that infants wear, to detect whether the infant was asleep or awake. This study was composed of 6-8-month-olds who had parent-reported sleep problems. This study found that sleep-trained babies sleep longer for their first period of sleep, but only by 16 minutes. The researchers also found that infants in the sleep-trained group woke up just as often as infants in the control group.

Another randomized sleep training study assigned parents to one of three groups: checking in, bedtime fading, or sleep education. The parents reported that children in the checking-in and bedtime fading groups slept better after treatment. However, objective sleep measures revealed there was no difference in sleep patterns between any of the groups.

While the parental reports may still be biased, the data reveals that parents were sleeping better. Sleep training may provide moderate sleep improvements but is unlikely to result in long-term sleep improvements. Sleep training may be effective for some children and not for others. Each child is unique and has needs that may have to be catered for differently.

Read the full article here

Emma Dineen

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Storytime can be so much fun for both children and caregivers. Whether it’s a fairy tale, mystery, or classic novel, reading to children can be beneficial in numerous ways. Not only does reading aloud to children foster bonding time, but it also aids in cognitive development, improves language skills, prepares children for academic success, increases concentration, and improves imagination.

Reading to children has been proven to increase cognitive development. Cognitive development is the ability to think and understand. It allows children to perceive the world around them by processing information. Reading can give children background knowledge about the world and help them make sense of their lives. 

Reading daily to young children has additionally been proven to improve language skills. Reading stimulates the section of the brain that allows children to understand the meaning of language. Communication is arguably one of the most important skills we know, and reading is a great way to improve it. 

On top of these benefits, reading to your child can forge a strong bond. Storytime provides an opportunity for caregivers to set up a regular, shared event that their child can look forward to. Children learn to trust that their parents will be there with them during this time. Reading one-on-one with a child can be intimate and help your child feel close to you. 

The benefits of reading aloud to children go far beyond these reasons. Learning to love reading can not only help children’s development but can be the key to successful lifelong learning.

Read the full article here.

Emma Dineen

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Having a newborn baby can be one of the most exciting yet scary times in a parent’s life. For parents, so much of the neonatal period involves learning to bond, care for, and get to know their baby. There is also much uncertainty as babies discover the world around them and parents learn to manage caring for a new baby. One certainty is that being cautious is crucial during this time as babies are rapidly growing, developing, and changing. 

The World Health Organization and UNICEF recently launched a new progress report detailing the need to improve nurturing care around the world. This improvement would require investing more in care, especially in poorer countries. The two organizations emphasize that the first year of a child’s life provides numerous opportunities to improve lifelong well-being.

The report focuses on using the Nurturing Care Framework, which aims to support young children’s physical, emotional, and intellectual development. It promotes overall child health by covering nutrition, security, learning, and responsive caregiving. The report found that utilizing the Nurturing Care Framework has increased commitment to early child development worldwide. 

Improving the health of a child goes far beyond enhancing physical health. Their emotional health needs to be considered as well. We must help them develop positive relationships with those around them to improve their physical and emotional well-being.

Read the full article here

Emma Dineen

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Children often behave in ways we may not understand. It’s impossible to know exactly what is happening in their head, which can sometimes worry parents. Preschool teachers are taught that children’s behavior is the key to communication. They shared some of the best tips that parents can use when observing their children’s behavior. 

The first tip they shared is to look for patterns. Behaviors that occur repeatedly happen for a reason. Finding the pattern in which the behavior occurs is essential for stopping it. Preschool teachers recommend writing down when certain behaviors take place. Writing down behaviors can help parents remember when and why the behavior occurred.

The second tip given was the ABCs of behavior. The ABCs of behavior is what teachers refer to as the Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence model. This model essentially looks for what happened before the behavior, what the behavior was, and what happened right after. Understanding the catalyst and consequences of the behavior is crucial for determining why it might have taken place.

Many teachers emphasize the importance of writing down observations when stuck trying to understand a child’s behavior. Identifying the pattern is the first step to changing it. Writing down behavior may feel weird at first, but it will be greatly beneficial in the long run.

Read the full article here.

Emma Dineen

UConn KIDS, Research Assistant

Social media continues to make an impact on our world each day. It’s hard to go through our day-to-day lives without seeing some sort of social media. On top of this, many individuals worry that social media use is isolating and may be linked to youth mental health issues. Yet, evidence continues to be weak regarding the correlation between social media use and mental health problems among youth. 

The American Psychological Association (APA) initially testified that social media is harmful to youth. Naturally, many parents were frightened by these statements. However, the statements from the APA conflicted with a lot of scientific evidence that has been unable to prove a definite link between social media use and poor mental health outcomes. 

Many individuals, especially teen girls in the United States, are facing a mental health crisis. It’s easy to assume that these mental health crises are because of an increase in social media; however, this is not the case. Oftentimes, teens isolate for reasons besides social media, such as being bullied or exposed to loved ones’ isolation. Social media overuse is often a symptom of these factors. 

It’s important to emphasize that social media does not directly impact adolescents’ mental health. Many other factors can be involved, and blaming technology can avoid the origin of the issue. 

Read the full article here

Emma Dineen

UConn Kids, Research Assistant

The benefits of reading stories to children go far beyond bonding and creating strong relationships. Stories can help children improve their theory of mind, empathy, self-regulation, and literary development. 

Social-emotional learning is the process of acquiring knowledge and applying it to different attitudes and skills necessary for understanding emotions. It helps us accomplish our goals, cultivate positive relationships, and show empathy for others. Many educators now recognize the importance of helping children learn social-emotional skills and work to develop them in the classroom.

Reading is one of the most beneficial ways to develop emotional recognition. It helps children identify others’ cues of what characters could be feeling. On top of this, reading can also help children learn empathy. By identifying characters’ emotions, children learn how to imagine what others are feeling. 

Reading stories ultimately fosters many essential skills for social-emotional development. It helps children learn empathy, self-regulation, perspective-taking, emotional recognition, and so much more. 

Read the full article here.

Emma Dineen

UConn KIDS, Research Assistant

Parents are constantly looking for ways to help their children thrive. Many parents are familiar with the idea that children learn through play; however, play is especially important for children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. Children with ADHD sometimes need additional help settling down and focusing their attention. Play can be a helpful solution to calming children with ADHD down.

It’s important to understand the importance of play. Neuroscientist and psychobiologist Jaak Panksepp discovered that play stimulates brain development during early childhood. He argued that intensive social play interventions can alleviate ADHD symptoms in children. Play ultimately aids in frontal lobe maturation. Frontal lobe maturation increases children’s capacity for self-reflection, imagination, and empathy. On top of this, play can improve social skills, fine and gross motor skills, creativity, teamwork, patience, attention skills, and so much more.

Many children, especially those with ADHD, need time to be active and explore their imagination. Taking time to play with children can significantly help their development. It’s important to encourage children to play as often as possible as it can improve their behavior and attention span.

Read the full article here

Emma Dineen

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

 

Aside from being incredibly cute, babies learning to dance is an essential developmental milestone. Dancing requires coordination, strength, and a basic understanding of one’s environment. In fact, caregivers who engage in activities involving dancing with their infants aid their children’s social development. 

There are several reasons why babies might dance without understanding its long-term benefits. A key reason for this is that music and dance are universal. Oftentimes, babies in many cultures are exposed to music before they’re even born. Subsequently, most babies are familiar with music from the day they are born and are likely to respond to it. 

Babies’ dancing becomes more intricate and on-beat as they age. They learn to listen to the beat and imitate others around them. It’s ultimately important to expose babies to music as early as possible and continue dancing with them throughout childhood to further their development.

Read the full article here

Emma Dineen

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

 

Parents are constantly responding to their children’s emotions. It’s easy for them to turn to technology to help soothe their child when they’re upset or can’t calm down. So, what effect does technology have on child development? Is it okay for parents to turn to screen time?

Children can develop executive functions or processes for self-regulation. The only caveat is these functions must be learned through relationships and experiences. Unfortunately, media use immediately negatively impacts a child’s developing executive functioning and emotional reactivity. However, there’s research that supports the idea that only emotional reactivity is affected in the long term.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends less than one hour per day of media use for children 2-5. They also advise that children co-use educational media with parents. Co-using educational media with parents has been proven to improve levels of executive functioning in children. 

Aside from technology, many alternative calming methods can be used to help children regulate their emotions. The use of sensory toys, coloring, and playing calming music are all recommended. It is additionally recommended to help children identify their emotions and talk about them. This will help children create a habit of recognizing their emotions and learning how they make them feel.

Read the full link here

Emma Dineen

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Disgust is a fundamental emotion that is powerful enough to help keep us safe. It teaches us to avoid certain behaviors, environments, or foods. However, many children have a difficult time labeling disgust compared to other emotions, such as happiness or sadness. So, how exactly do children learn how to classify disgust?

Toddlers first learn about disgust through physical events, such as bad tastes. This physical awareness creates a foundation for children to further develop their sense of disgust. It’s not until around age 4 that children can fully grasp the concept of what disgust actually is. This often occurs by observing facial expressions. By the time children are in early elementary school they have a full understanding of disgust as an emotion. 

Caregivers must support children as they learn about disgust. Children often turn to their caregivers for approval or guidance on how to react in new situations. If caregivers clearly show children that certain things are “disgusting” the child will be more likely to avoid them.

While some attributes of disgust are learned through experience, such as eating new foods, teaching children what they should consider physically disgusting can protect them from harm.  

Read the full link here.

Emma Dineen

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS