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Childhood and adolescence

Photo of a girl swinging high above a cityscape with a cloudy sky in the background.

Mental health

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Why does early puberty pose a risk to girls’ mental health?

Girls who start puberty earlier are at greater risk of depression and anxiety. To know why, we must look beyond biology

by Marjolein E A Barendse & Michelle L Byrne

Two women wearing bathing suits sit on a rock by a waterfall in nature; one has her arm around the other. Towels are draped over the rock.

Nature and the environment

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Rewilding attachment theory by recognising Earth as a caregiver

We are raised by people, but we are also raised by the Earth – here’s what that means for our emotional development

by Vanessa Chakour

A photo of a child in a patterned blue coat and pink hat standing by railway tracks looking to the side.

Personality

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Childhood shyness can be advantageous – don’t pathologise it

Given their cautious vigilance, shy children are more likely to detect social threats and anticipate how events will unfold

by Raha Hassan & Kristie Poole

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

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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 close-up photo of a hand scrolling through a social media app on a smartphone in dim lighting.

Sex and sexuality

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Teenagers are going to sext, let’s teach them to do it safely

Preaching abstinence doesn’t work – in sex as in sexting. Instead, we should teach how to reduce risk and sext safely

by Joris Van Ouytsel

Photo of a child in a pink shirt concentrating on writing in a notebook while an adult assists, showing a learning activity.

Parenting and families

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Why are tiger parents willing to trade love for success?

Growing up under tiger parenting, I’ve seen that pushing a child to succeed often fails – and isn’t worth the emotional cost

by Louis Li

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

Transcendent experience

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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 child meeting Santa in a mall looks disbelieving

Childhood and adolescence

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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