Being a helper: The effect of phrasing on children’s helping behaviour

My daughter’s favourite game right now is to pull all the pillows, blankets and toys out from her bedroom and pile them up on the couch in the living room. Apparently she is packing to go on a trip, which is fine, until it is time to put everything away. I just want her to help tidy up, but it is always a battle. New research published in the journal Child Development suggests that asking her to help me tidy {Read More}

All grown up: Do preschoolers understand future preferences?

When I ask my 3 ½-year old what she wants to be when she grows up, she tells me that she wants to be a “real” doctor. In her mind, I am not a real doctor. I do get to put Dr. in front of my name occasionally, by virtue of having a Ph.D, but according to my daughter I “just do research”. Three-year olds talk about future career paths a lot, and it is tempting to think that they {Read More}