Childhood and adolescence

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

Black-and-white photo of a child standing in front of a large aquarium, watching big fish swim by.

Transcendent experience

idea

To thrive, children need to experience awe – and you can help

Alongside love, sleep and play, awe is precious for children. There are small, everyday ways to make it a part of their lives

by Artemisia O’bi & Fan Yang

A young child passenger sits on the front of a motor scooter, with an older male rider partly visible behind. The rider has tattooed arms and a sign on the scooter reads ‘Thailand’

Personality

idea

How babies’ and children’s temperament varies around the world

International research reveals intriguing regional differences in temperament – the infant precursor to adult personality

by Matt Huston

A young teenage girl wearing a trilby hat sits on the steps leading up to a yellow front door

Childhood and adolescence

guide

How to support kids to be brave

The desire to protect kids from uncomfortable situations is natural. But they need your help to grow into the unknown

by Sarah Rose Cavanagh

Three girls dancing in a bedroom; one on a bed in blue outfit, others on the floor wearing casual clothes. The room has pink curtains and a blue lamp.

Life stages

film

A nostalgic ode to being 15, fearless and in love with the world

Directed by Celia Willis

A child meeting Santa in a mall looks disbelieving

Childhood and adolescence

idea

At what point does the Santa myth become a harmful deception?

Exactly when and how children discover they’ve been duped makes an important difference to the revelatory experience

by Shayla Love

Several children and a teacher interact happily at a table in a classroom, with one boy laughing and a girl in blue looking on.

Learning and education

idea

This is how to nurture curiosity in children (and yourself)

The curiosity that comes naturally to babies and young children can soon wilt – but there are ways to help it grow

by Shayla Love

Black-and-white photo of a group of children viewing a large bronze sculpture of two figures embracing in a museum setting.

Parenting and families

guide

How to talk to your children about sex

It’s not about one embarrassing ‘big talk’. Prepare and protect them by applying these basic principles early and often

by Eva Goldfarb

Childhood and adolescence

film

Charting seven decades of heartbreak and rebellion for queer teens at prom

Directed by Andrew Moir

People standing and walking near a street corner with a brick building and a colourful mural in the background on a sunny day.

Childhood and adolescence

idea

Adolescence is a ‘use it or lose it’ time for moral development

For certain neural pathways, including those involved in moral decision making, adolescence is a one-shot chance of development

by Brandon Bretl

Black-and-white photo of young children dancing in a studio, with one girl in the foreground, mouth open and hair swinging.

Home

idea

How war destroys the childhood sense-scape we call ‘home’

What we grow up with determines the gestures, textures, spaces, sights, smells, sounds and thoughts we call ‘home’

by Julia F Christensen

Blurry image of a person sitting at a desk with books and magazines, appearing to be in motion.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

guide

How to empower a teen with ADHD

As they go through the most challenging period of their life, there are ways you can help them not just cope but thrive

by Margaret Sibley

Illustration of a girl in a blue dress playing the violin, surrounded by colourful abstract shapes and sketchy lines on a beige background.

Music

film

A playful ode to the minor indignities of childhood music lessons

Directed by Miloš Tomić