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

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.

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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

This article explains how too much screen time can affect a child’s development, especially in areas like learning, language, and social-emotional growth. Sudheer Kumar Muppala et al. point out that screens aren’t automatically harmful—some educational apps and videos can help with early learning—but problems appear when children spend long periods on screens without adult guidance. The research shows that heavy screen use, especially when kids switch rapidly between apps or devices, can make it harder for them to focus, remember information, and perform well in school later on.

The article also talks about language development. Young children learn to talk by interacting with adults, mostly by listening, copying sounds, and having back-and-forth conversations. When screen time takes the place of those real-life interactions, language skills may develop more slowly. It’s not just the amount of screen time that matters, but the quality of it. Watching with a parent, talking about what’s on the screen, or using truly educational content can make screen time less harmful and sometimes even helpful.

Additionally, the article describes how excessive screen use can affect social and emotional growth. Kids who spend a lot of time on screens, especially when screens are in their bedrooms or used right before bed, are more likely to have sleep problems, emotional issues like anxiety or lower empathy, behavior challenges, or higher risk for obesity. Screens can’t replace the social learning kids get from playing with peers, reading facial expressions, or talking with caregivers. Because of this, the authors suggest simple strategies like setting clear limits on screen time, removing screens from bedrooms, choosing high-quality content, and modeling healthy screen habits as adults.

Overall, the message is that screens are part of modern life, but they should be used thoughtfully. With reasonable limits, caregiver involvement, and plenty of real-world play and conversation, children can enjoy technology without it getting in the way of their healthy development.

If you want to read more, click here!

Erin Mulroy

UConn KIDS Research Assistant

 

 

In this talk, Dr. Michalska explores how children who struggle with aggressive behaviors, often diagnosed with what psychologists call Conduct Disorder, differ in the way their brains process empathy and emotional pain in others. She explains how children who repeatedly break rules, hurt others, or show little remorse can have variations in brain regions tied to feeling other people’s pain and understanding social cues. By using neuroimaging research, she shows that these kids often have dampened responses in areas like the insula (which helps us feel what others are feeling) when they witness someone else being harmed. Because of this diminished “emotional mirror,” it becomes harder for them to connect their behavior to how others feel, which in turn can make harmful behavior more likely. Understanding this brain-based perspective doesn’t excuse the behavior, but it helps explain why it happens and opens the door to more empathetic, targeted interventions that help children build stronger emotional-social skills, rather than simply punishing them.

To watch this Ted Talk, click here!

Erin Mulroy 

UConn KIDS Research Assistant 

The article from the University of Chicago Press focuses on how the everyday interactions between parents and children shape a child’s overall development. It explains that a child’s growth depends not only on what they learn in school, but also on the warmth, attention, and support they receive from their parents. When a parent comforts their child, praises their effort, or simply spends time talking and playing with them, it helps the child develop a positive sense of self. The child begins to see themselves as capable and valued, which builds what psychologists call “noncognitive skills”—things like confidence, motivation, self-control, and perseverance. These skills are just as important as traditional academic abilities because they influence how children approach challenges and how well they learn later in life.

The article also discusses how differences in these early interactions can explain why some children seem to thrive more than others. For example, families with more resources or time may be able to provide more supportive environments, while others may struggle due to stress or limited access to help. This means that inequalities in child outcomes may begin long before school starts. The author suggests that helping parents—through parenting support, education, or early-childhood programs—could make a big difference in narrowing these developmental gaps. Overall, the article emphasizes that a child’s early relationships are not just about love or bonding; they are the foundation for learning, behavior, and lifelong success.

To read more about this, click here!

Erin Mulroy

UConn KIDS Research Assistant

Maria Riegger discusses how parents and caregivers can help teenagers build healthy boundaries. Rather than focusing only on rules and restrictions, the idea is to guide teens in practising self-control, understanding their limits, and respectfully interacting with others. It emphasizes that when teens are taught boundaries in a safe environment where they can try things out, make mistakes, and learn; they often respond with less resistance and feel more empowered.

The talk also highlights the shift from “adult does everything for the teen” to “adult supports the teen in doing things for themselves.” This means parents gradually step back and let the teenager take more responsibility for choosing how to act, while still offering support and guidance. When teens feel they are part of the process, rather than simply being told what to do, they are more likely to engage and follow through.

The overall message is helping teens form strong boundaries is not about controlling them, but about giving them tools to understand themselves, make wise choices, and feel secure in their growing independence.

 

To watch this Ted Talk, click here!

Erin Mulroy

UConn KIDS Research Assistant