2021-11-14 16:41
One question I've always had is how orchidness is triggered in positive environments. Looking at the research on oxytocin and social cues, it may be a means by which this happens Read More
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Evolutionary Parenting | Where History Meets Scien Blog
evolutionaryparenting.com
Evolutionary Parenting provides parents with information on parenting topics, including co-sleeping, breastfeeding, baby carrying, play, mommy guilt and more.
2021-10-30 07:18
For too long, families practicing gentle parenting have struggled in feeling like they may be permissive. However, it may be that they have just been "harmonious" all along Read More
2021-10-10 06:03
New research looked at how neurological development was affected by spanking. The results are chilling and show us exactly how damaging spanking can be Read More
2021-09-20 06:30
Most people worry about sleep training affecting their attachment, but we don't see the in the literature. Why is that? And is that even what we should be concerned with? Read More
2021-08-30 13:00
A new meta-analysis examines if sleep training methods to improve sleep actually work to, well, improve sleep. Guess what? They don't Read More
2021-08-10 09:55
We often suggest separation of neonate and mother, even for small periods, but this isn't how we evolved and thus counters our biology. Research explored herein helps us better understand w… Read More
2021-07-21 08:30
The common suggestion is akin to earlier sleep training with families insisting on children staying in bed, coming up with hall passes, and so on. But what if the problem isn’t b… Read More
2021-06-22 15:22
Welcome to a FREE guide to help you identify 5 of the most common mistakes made in gentle parenting and how you can overcome them Read More
2021-06-15 08:52
When we accidentally harm our children, we often invoke the, "I didn't mean to!" in our defence instead of providing them with the acknowledgement of hurt and support they need Read More
2021-05-14 08:12
The question of whether and how nighttime parenting affects attachment is still unclear. I review a study that helps elucidate at least part of this issue Read More
2021-04-29 08:29
Too often people expect their kids to change their behaviour as they see themselves as right. Yet we then tell kids to walk away when they are older. How can kids reconcile this when they'… Read More
2021-04-15 09:12
One article suggests a possible link between persistent bedsharing and worse mental health outcomes for children. Does it really say that? What does this data tell us and should parents be… Read More
2021-03-29 15:11
Building attachment is a critical piece to transitioning to other care - allocare or child care - and knowing how to promote this can help with these transitions and how to select a caregive… Read More
2021-03-18 20:28
Most gentle parents I know don’t use punishment or love withdrawl (thank goodness) and so when they find themselves in a situation like we are in and their kids start acting out more a… Read More
2021-03-06 01:43
Why do our kids lie and what can we do to avoid it happening too much? Read More
2021-02-02 05:58
As a proponent of science, I also acknowledge it's limitations and one of these is how cultural bias influences what we perceive to be "scientific knowledge". A study looking at breastfeedi… Read More
2021-01-16 18:45
Contrary to the idea of sleep being a skill, it's really the idea of independent sleep that is the skill to be taught because it counters human biology Read More
2021-01-02 17:01
The premise behind extinction sleep training is that infants (and toddlers) are being taught to "self-soothe"; however, this ignores key points of what self-soothing abilities can be expecte… Read More
2020-12-23 02:44
Sign up here for the 5 Things Your Orchid Child Needs You to Know Read More
2020-12-18 17:38
Connection is not something to become conditional, yet that's exactly what we do when we fall into the trap of thinking our kids act out for attention only Read More
2020-12-04 03:42
Ms. Teigen recently suggested that we need to "normalize formula". I don't think that's the problem Read More
2020-11-18 17:19
Too often health professionals promote sleep training without it being based on their expertise, but rather their personal beliefs. This leaves parents struggling Read More
2020-11-04 18:36
Most people believe that they have to "teach" their infant to sleep, but the entire idea of sleep as a skill to be taught counters the fact that sleep is actually a biological process Read More
2020-10-23 16:10
Gentle parenting doesn't remove hard times or negative emotions. Being aware of that and making sure you're parenting gently for the right reasons is crucial Read More
2020-10-02 17:30
Too often people think the key to learning self-soothing is to be left to experience distress, but science actually tells us it's the opposite: we need co-regulation Read More
2020-09-20 12:30
Too often we expect our kids to be happy about what we need them to do instead of allowing them to experience their emotions as they need to Read More
2020-09-10 04:30
Babywearing may be as old as humankind, but it still garners controversy as a parenting tool. New research may help push forward the idea that it's not just about convenience Read More
2020-09-01 17:03
The term orchid child is becoming more mainstream and hopefully this can help families better understand what it means Read More
2020-08-18 21:40
You can hear a lot of people talk about play-based learning, but not all play-based learning is the same. Adult-led play-based learning is a whole lot different than when we take our child'… Read More
2020-06-23 04:45
What would our babies say if they could speak? Would we ever put them down if we knew? Read More
2020-06-10 14:56
We live in a society that has actively ignored that we are primates. This makes parenting so much harder, especially as our children hit the toddler years Read More
2020-05-07 19:35
An analysis of new research that aimed to assess the effects of typical sleeping arrangements and deviations from these arrangements on the physiological arousal of infants during sleep Read More
2020-03-13 01:30
Does unsettled sleep lead to later emotional problems? Should parents take a hard line and do what is necessary to build up more "settled" or solitary sleep? Read More
2020-01-20 09:25
Most people think toddlers should be sleeping through the night and that any wakings reflect some fault of the parents. New research on toddler sleep suggests otherwise Read More
2020-01-10 18:53
Most of us parents will have set new years resolutions for our parenting, but most of us will end up struggling. Here are some ways to help you ensure that you have the greatest chance for… Read More
2020-01-03 17:55
I had the pleasure of interviewing author David Epstein about his new book Range and how it pertains to the topic at the forefront of my mind - parenting Read More
2019-12-18 20:48
Weaning is often an anxiety-provoking event for children and thus my approach to weaning involves strong consideration of this anxiety and how to work with kids to reduce it when weaning is… Read More
2019-12-16 23:37
Lots of people believe that our toddlers need to sleep through the night for their development, but does new research actually support this? Read More
2019-09-30 08:00
Effective discipline can be gentle, but often parents find it difficult because they fail to realize two crucial elements: you can only control yourself and you don't need to make a fuss Read More
2019-09-09 08:00
So much of our cultural focus for infants is on sleep and getting them to sleep longer, but this inherently throws breastfeeding out the window. Can we please stop? Read More
2019-08-24 15:18
To counter the growing acceptance that night wakings are normal, sleep trainers seem to be taking to the bizarre. Welcome to "behaviourally biologically normal" Read More
2019-08-02 17:02
The issue of sharing is one that many parents struggle with. Do we need to force our kids to share? Will they learn it on their own? How to handle other parents? Read More
2019-07-01 09:00
We have all been told that we have to be consistent and firm with our kids. Yet we don't have to and sometimes that's not even the right thing to do Read More
2019-06-15 09:00
When our babies and children start resisting sleep, we often double down on our efforts to "get" them to sleep. But what if it's really all about letting go? Read More
2019-05-29 20:27
Many families will end up bedsharing at some point without having properly prepared for it. Whatever your plans are, take a moment to review your bed and your situation to ensure that bedsh… Read More
2019-05-01 09:16
The way in which we communicate with our kids can have a profound impact on how they respond to us. Sometimes in the best of intentions, we can end up doing more harm than good and so knowi… Read More
2019-04-02 20:16
Often we can forget what self-soothing looks like, instead thinking it only reflects calming behaviours. However, we all respond to anxiety differently and not all self-soothing is actually… Read More
2019-02-24 22:03
Many families worry their children aren't getting enough sleep, especially in the younger years, but what evidence do we have that tells us how much sleep is enough? Read More
2018-12-20 05:01
The holidays are rolling around and if you live in a Christian-centric culture, chances are you are facing the onslaught of Santa (even though Santa has nothing to do with the Christian reli… Read More
2018-12-13 05:01
A new "gentle" approach to sleep suggests that if parents meet all their child's needs, sleep will follow. However, I disagree and believe this type of approach can actually harm families… Read More
2018-12-06 05:55
With all the statements being made by so many about sleep training, most to get parents to get on board, parents should know that most of these statements are myths, not backed by science Read More
2018-11-29 05:37
Lots of people still maintain that punishment is necessary is raising children. Here is why it isn't Read More
2018-11-22 05:30
Sick of having other people tell you what you should be doing with respect to your child and their sleep? Here are some scientifically-backed reasons why you can safely ignore them Read More
2018-11-15 13:20
There's lots of misinformation out there when it comes to male circumcision and we owe it to our boys to dispel these myths and work for change Read More
2018-11-09 21:50
Could the root of many of our parenting woes lie in the evolutionary mismatch theory? New research looking at one example makes a strong case for this Read More
2018-11-01 22:14
New research suggests that extremely unsettled babies have a much higher risk of mental health problems in childhood. The question is now what we do with this, and I have a few ideas Read More
2018-10-19 15:01
Is harsh discipline always bad for kids? If not, how can we reconcile a desire to end such practices with research that may suggest they have a role? Read More
2018-10-17 13:35
**This is currently a work in progress. It is functional and you can use it, but it may be modified in the coming weeks as well.** Welcome to Evolutionary Parenting’s Brief Infan… Read More
2018-10-12 10:11
The Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) measures two pervasive, independent dimensions of personality, Extraversion-Introversion and Neuroticism-Stability, which account for most of the vari… Read More
2018-10-11 02:02
When we think about being in control, we often think about having children that obey and listen to us no matter what. That would be wrong. Instead it start and ends with our own responses… Read More
2018-10-05 15:17
It is a common refrain that parents of premature infants should never bedshare. Yet this is not always actively followed given the difficulties of caring for a premature baby who requires r… Read More
2018-09-28 19:31
Although not widely discussed, some articles and people highlight a relationship between SIDS and starting daycare. This can be terrifying for many families, but we need to look at what we… Read More
2018-09-19 21:36
Many of us know that we're supposed to love our kids unconditionally, but we lack the ideas as to how to do this effectively. Looking at good times, bad times, and every day times, this exp… Read More
2018-09-12 14:49
Screen time is often thought to be associated with negative social outcomes for kids, including aggression, conduct problems, and peer relational problems. New research suggests this may no… Read More
2018-09-05 12:54
Of late, bedsharing has been the central focus of governmental attempts to reduce the rates of SUID or SIDS in many Western cultures. Drs. Bartick and Tomori change the landscape by taking… Read More
2018-08-30 13:01
Catherine Bell talks us through the power of informed birth. As she says, "Not 'wishes' or 'preferences': Informed Decisions" Read More
2018-08-22 20:59
Once again, a call for World Infant Feeding Week comes during World Breastfeeding Week. Outside of the many flaws in the argument for it, what can it tell us about the experience of breastf… Read More
2018-08-16 13:08
Doctors seem to think they support breastfeeding and can handle the various questions and problems breastfeeding mothers face. Do you think this is so? Read More
2018-07-10 22:29
New research is claiming that the early introduction of solids will help infants sleep longer. But does this hold? This is an analysis of the research and what we can really take from it Read More
2018-06-12 20:23
A reply to a piece suggesting that there are definitely no long-term repercussions of any kind of sleep training and how the research cited doesn't support the claims at all Read More
2018-05-16 02:52
People are jumping on new research that supposedly says extinction sleep training methods are successful, but given this is survey data, we have to be very careful about any conclusions. He… Read More
2018-04-27 22:54
One woman's experience with responsive settling and the take-home messages she got from that that she can share with others Read More
2018-04-13 02:59
Toddler fighting bedtime? Waking regularly? It may be time to reconsider your toddler's actual sleep needs Read More
2018-03-16 14:25
New research highlights the effects of light on melatonin levels in preschool children. What does this tell us about our evening habits for all kids? Read More
2018-02-07 22:57
We take it for granted in our society that parenting is hard. Really hard. But how did we get to this stage? Was it always this way? Read More
2018-01-13 23:21
It is common practice in our society to praise our children to try and build their self-esteem. The question is: does it work? The answer is a resounding no Read More
2017-12-07 22:27
"What is most important for your child's development?" If you answered sleep, I think we need to talk Read More
2017-10-23 04:34
Attachment parenting is not anti-intellectual, but it is distinctly intellectual. Its proponents are actively thinking about what sort of adults they want to raise them to be. Read More
2017-09-24 14:35
There are few times when a book comes out that should fundamentally change the popular discourse on a topic, but hasn’t (yet). Milk Matters by Maureen Minchin is one such book Read More
2017-08-05 04:47
New research suggests a method of "responsive settling" actually can improve infant sleep as well as extinction methods. Is this wholly accurate? Read More
2017-08-05 04:47
New research suggests a method of "responsive settling" actually can improve infant sleep as well as extinction methods. Is this wholly accurate? Read More
2017-07-04 23:57
We often hear people talk about sleep regressions, but this can send parents off on a tangent, fearing their child is losing skills they once had. Understanding what's happening is essentia… Read More
Should Babies Sleep Alone? An Analysis Of The INSIGHT Study’s Findings On Infant Sleep By Location
2017-06-07 21:50
New headlines suggest solitary sleep can improve infant sleep, but digging deeper makes it clear that this suggestion is not only wrong, but potentially dangerous Read More
2017-05-08 02:55
Many people report trying extinction methods of sleep training to "help" their baby sleep better, but what does research tell us in terms of the efficacy of these methods for baby's sleep?… Read More
2017-03-27 05:54
For those families considering extinction sleep training methods, I want to ask them to try something first. Something that I hope will change their minds Read More
2017-03-23 13:56
Elizabeth Pantley has created perhaps her best book yet in the popular and much-needed No-Cry series. A book that helps families gently navigate sleep from the start, it's an excellent (and… Read More
2017-01-24 14:52
The following is a talk I presented at the 2016 Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement Conference this past October in Toronto, ON on feminism, patriarchy, and motherin… Read More
2016-12-09 15:35
The AAP recently suggested that bedsharing should never occur with infants under 4 months of age, leaving many breastfeeding families wondering what they should do for sleep. I look at the… Read More
2016-11-29 15:08
New research examines the effects of acute stress on cognitive functions in infants. Contrary to the idea that "a bit of stress is good for them", this research finds that stress inhibits f… Read More
2016-11-25 00:25
Can socks help put an end to racism? These cute ones from Pals Socks just might help and are super cute to boot! Read More
2016-11-21 17:06
Learning to read doesn't have to be boring. As we learned, it can be downright fun Read More
2016-10-25 17:10
The AAP has released their updated Safe Sleep Recommendations so it's time to take a look at what they say and how it applies to families Read More
2016-09-12 07:33
Separation anxiety is a normal, natural stage for babies, but that doesn't make it any easier on the caregiver. Here are some tips to help parents through this sometimes trying stage Read More
2016-09-05 07:31
Some days you just need to survive. And sometimes you will be surprised by the people that help you survive Read More
2016-08-22 07:00
Some have suggested that bedsharing and breastfeeding inherently go hand-in-hand. Some suggest it's simply a great tool for breastfeeding families. Two pieces of research attempt to examin… Read More
2016-07-28 21:19
Researchers in Australia are claiming their research shows breastfeeding pressure is causing postpartum depression in women, but is it? I take a full look at the research in question to see… Read More
Guest Post: Your Brain In Birth? Labor From The Neurological-physiological Perspective Of The Mother
2016-07-15 17:05
A guest post examining how our knowledge of neuroscience can help us better prepare for birth and understand the effects of various interventions and practices on our experience of birth Read More
2016-07-05 22:07
Learn about the new EP ebook available as a fundraiser to help keep EP running! Read More
2016-06-29 07:34
Going against the mainstream can be very hard, as mom and clinical counselor Fiona Griffin shares in her story of how she learned to find her own peaceful path in parenting Read More
2016-06-17 21:05
Guest Writer Emma Marie Forde, PhD examines the way in which unschooling fosters learning Read More
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