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.

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Emma Dineen

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

 

Preschoolers were asked whether they would rather learn from a competent robot or an incompetent human. The study found that five-year-olds preferred learning from a competent robot over a human, while three-year-olds had no preference. To see if the morphology of the robot affected the children’s trust strategies, the researchers used two different robots, one with humanoid characteristics and one with a truck shape. The results were similar, indicating that the appearance of the robot has no effect on children’s selective trust. The research expands on prior findings that children attribute certain human-like characteristics to robots.

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Hsin-Yu Huang

UConn KIDS Research Assistant

A new study conducted by the Florida Atlantic University has suggested that a rise in mental health disorders in children and adolescents can be owed to the decline in the opportunities for independent play through recent years such as roaming around and playing around without adult supervision. In 2021, the rate of anxiety and depression in teens was at an all-time high and was declared a national emergency. Children and teens need more opportunities to be able to contribute to family conversations and community life in order to feel trusted, responsible, and capable of being able to effectively manage the real world. Contrary to popular belief, allowing children to engage in risky play helps them prevent future phobias and reduces anxiety for unknown and “scary” situations which as a result, promotes self-confidence. Over the recent years, many factors have resulted in this reduction in play, including longer school hours and the pandemic. The fear of academic failure and insufficient achievement has been a large source of distress for teens and prevents time for individual play. The pandemic has led to parents wanting to take extra measures to protect their children, increasing schooling both in and out of school, and restricting independent play from fear. Even though parental guidance is needed in younger years, it needs to be recognized that adolescents need their freedom to be able to grow both physically and mentally.

Read the full article here!: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230309101330.htm

Tulsi Patel

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

Research focusing on parent-guided use of spontaneous focus on number (the frequency at which children focus their attention on the number of objects in a set) has shown that enhancing a child’s SFON may lead to increased math performance later in life.

In the study, Children’s Spontaneous Focus on Number Before and After Guided Parent-Child Interactions in a Children’s Museum, researchers examined the extend to which parents can foster the development of SFON in children while interacting with a play grocery-store exhibit in a children’s museum. Parents were given one of two prompts to guide their child’s play: a numerical prompt (budgeting) and a nonnumerical prompt (healthy eating), and were directed to play with their children for five minutes. Children were given SFON assessments before and after the parent-guided play to assess any changes in SFON. In these pre- and posttests researchers asked children to replicate a series of actions, and evaluated whether children accurately replicated the number of actions that were completed.

Overall, it was found that children whose parents were assigned to the numerical prompt scored higher on SFON in their posttest. Parents’ use of number talk is relatively simple and can aid children in focusing more on numbers and mathematical concepts in their play in a relatively short amount of time.

Kylie Robinshaw

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

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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.

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Emma Dineen

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

 

Children from low-income families have better outcomes when both parents view their co-parenting relationship positively, according to a study by Ohio State University. Outcomes were worst when both parents viewed their relationship negatively. However, when co-parenting was seen as moderately good, and mothers and fathers had different views on their co-parenting relationship, children were almost as well-adjusted as those whose parents saw their relationship positively. When fathers had negative views, child outcomes were poorer, indicating psychological distress may affect parenting duties and lead to more conflict and poorer engagement with children. Practitioners working with parents may need to pay special attention when fathers are less positive than mothers about their co-parenting relationship.

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Hsin-Yu Huang

UConn KIDS Research Assistant

 

Childrens’ ability to use emotional labels like “happy” or “sad” for how they’re feeling has been shown to predict their interactions with peers, ability to tamper extreme emotions, and educational success.

A recent study from Princeton University looked at language production and input with toddlers to explore if emotional labels help children learn their meaning, as well as if parents and caregivers are able to support the apprehension of these labels. Their research found that children are more likely to understand an emotional label if related valenced (positive/negative) words are used with it in context, and that parental/caregiver support helps. For example, parents can support their child’s learning of the label “happy,” by pairing “happy” situations or actions, like a birthday party, with their discussion.

Further research conducted on this matter analyzed the development of valenced words in over 5,000 toddlers and found that learning of emotional labels begin at neutral labels and later extends to positive and negative labels. This research also demonstrated that when caregivers consistently link emotional labels to valenced words, it facilitates children’s learning.

Overall, while this topic of study is relatively new and needs to be further researched, evidence has so far shown that children can benefit from learning emotional labels when they are paired with valenced words.

Kylie Robinshaw

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

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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.

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Emma Dineen

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

In a recent study done by the American Psychological Association, teens and adolescents who reduced their social media usage by 50% saw a significant increase in the positive attitude they had towards their body image, weight, and overall appearance. On average, teens spend about 6-8 hours per day on social media, and these hours exposes them to beauty ideals and standards set by the mass that for many, are unattainable. The study that they conducted only looked at the short-term effect of reducing social media usage and it proved to be a potential component in treating “body-image-related disturbances” and is greatly beneficial to the vulnerable population with heavy social media usage. They expanded their research to include any gender limitations as well, but found that gender did not play a part in the differences in the views on body image. Teens and adolescents can be encouraged to decrease their screen time, especially on social media sites, to show positive improvement in mood and view for a short period of time. Currently, the same team is trying to conduct a study where the long-term effects of this strategy can be analyzed to prove even more greater psychological benefits.

Read the full article here!: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230223132843.htm

Tulsi Patel,

Research Assistant, UConn KIDS

According to the study, as Stockholm’s air has become cleaner, the younger generation’s lungs have become more robust. Cleaner air could benefit everyone’s health, which could have ramifications for cities worldwide. The harmful health effects of air pollutants on children’s lungs are well documented, but little is known about the impact of changes in air quality on lung development.

The health of children’s lungs is critical for their future risk of developing chronic lung diseases. According to the study’s co-authors, air quality in Stockholm has improved over the last 20 years, leading to decreased air pollutants and improved air quality in the city’s lungs. Between 2016 and 2019, air pollution levels in Stockholm fell by 60%, and there was a 20% reduction in the risk of having impaired lung function. People who live in areas with lower levels of air pollution have better lung development in childhood and early adulthood.

Poor air quality has a significant impact on children’s lung function because their lung function develops throughout their lives. Improving air quality can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases in children in the future.

 

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Hsin-Yu Huang

UConn KIDS Research Assistant