Top 5 Parenting Posts of 2016

The Thoughtful Parent’s Top 5 Parenting Posts of 2016

1. Child Psychology Classics: The Mirror Test: this post continues to hold fascination for people. Honestly, I think a lot of child psychology students must be on the hunt for information for research papers too. I think this one is fascinating to parents as well. This simple tests helps us get some idea of when toddlers develop an emerging sense of self. It’s a great and easy one to try with your toddler.

2. 21 Parenting Blogs to Keep You Inspired, Informed, and Sane: I’m not surprised this post was popular this year. Put together some of your favorite bloggers in one place and it’s bound to be a hit. Seriously, though, there are some really excellent resources for parents here. These writers keep me inspired and engaged with new ideas on a daily basis.

3. More Evidence that “Difficult” Babies are Most Influenced by Parents: This post has been popular for years now, along with a related one on a similar topic. It’s encouraging that this post is popular because I think it is such a hopeful piece. We tend to think of babies who cry a lot or who are colicky as “difficult” or other negative connotations. This article really shows how these babies, while requiring a lot of energy from parents, really can thrive if parents are responsive and consistent. That’s a great message for those of us (including myself) who went through trying times with infants.

4. The Myth of a Stress-Free Childhood: We all want to protect our kids from stress, but what this article points out is that child development in itself is a bit stressful. Any sort of growth–physical, emotional, etc. can be stressful. This article offers some insight into how we as parents can manage our stress and help our kids do the same.

5. Is There Such a Thing as a “Bad Seed?”: I’m a bit surprised that this article was so popular, but I think it speaks to a common myth we see in mainstream media so I’m glad it received some attention. This article focuses on the myth that we commonly see in news stories that some children are “bad seeds.” That is, the idea that some kids are just maladjusted from the start and parents cannot do much about it. This myth goes against all the science that know concerning the interplay between genetics and a child’s environment. Science tells us that both factors of “nature” and “nurture” are at work in how any child develops. 

I hope these articles helped your parenting life in some way in the past year. Check out all the other wonderful parenting bloggers in The Jenny Evolution series. Stay tuned for more insightful parenting articles in 2017.