The Science of Parenting

This wrap-up gathers reflections and practical tools from this season’s guests, highlighting joys and challenges from newborns to adults. Featuring “Across the Ages” insights, we share bonus answers on common hurdles and go-to strategies from each stage to bring our research-and-reality theme full circle.

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We explore what it means to parent in adulthood’s most ambiguous stage—when children are grown but still growing. Extension educator and mom-of-five Cindy Thompson joins us to share insights on boundaries, financial support, and staying connected as adult children find their own way.

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We explore fueling growth and movement in the pre-teen and teenage years—how nutrition and activity support rapidly changing bodies and brains. Registered dietitian Jody Gatewood shares practical tips on breakfast, key nutrients, affordable fruits/veggies, 60-minute daily movement, and family routines that build healthy, stress-free habits.

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We dive into raising STEM-ready kids by encouraging exploration and innovation at school, after school, and at home. NASA Iowa Space Grant Director Sara Nelson unpacks integrated STEM and project-based learning, plus what to look for in quality programs.

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We connect messy play to meaningful learning, showing how everyday curiosity builds science, technology, engineering, and math skills. From cardboard ramps to kitchen experiments, discover simple ways to weave STEM at home into play without turning it into schoolwork.

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Exploration and safety for little movers take center stage as we walk room-by-room through simple, research-based ways to prevent injuries at home. From outlets and cords to water temps, gates, tip-overs, and creating safe spaces to explore, you’ll learn practical steps that protect without stifling curiosity.

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From diapers to development, we unpack what parenting in the newborn stage really looks like—routines, safety, sleep, feeding, and self-care. With research-based tips and real-life stories, you’ll learn simple ways to support healthy growth while balancing older siblings and your own wellbeing.

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Parenting by Age is a season of growth that walks families through the parenting journey—from newborns to emerging adults. Blending real-life stories with expert insights, this episode offers research-based guidance to help parents understand development, set realistic expectations, and enjoy each stage along the way.

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Books are powerful tools for exploring emotions and building empathy. Stories help children navigate feelings, manage stress, and connect with characters experiencing similar situations.

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Some children face challenges with reading, even after early exposure to books and language. Learn to recognize common signs of struggle and explore simple, effective strategies to provide support at home.

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Community spaces like libraries, farmers markets, and local events offer more than entertainment—they provide valuable opportunities to support language and literacy development.

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Reading for pleasure boosts cognitive development and improves literacy, yet interest often declines in the teen years. Explore how reading impacts adolescent thinking, empathy, and emotional growth.

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Shared reading routines, accurate word reading, writing integration, and selecting engaging texts all play a key role in developing strong reading skills during the early school years.

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Preschool is a prime time for building language and literacy skills. Reading at this stage involves emerging abilities that begin to resemble more traditional reading behaviors.

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Reading with the youngest children focuses on talking, listening, and building a strong foundation in language—often referred to as “language nutrition.”

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Before children can read or write on their own, they begin developing key skills that pave the way for literacy. Early literacy builds the foundation for future reading success.

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When things get tough, relationships can too. In the last episode of this season, our parenting pros discuss research-based strategies to help strengthen and preserve our positive relationships even in challenging moments.

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Join our cohosts in this episode to explore characteristics that enhance resilience in kids and parents. Learn about protective factors and discover how these qualities can help your family navigate tough times! 

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There is more than one way for a family to get through a tough time and tap into their resiliency.  In this episode our parenting experts discuss skills and strategies parents can use to help raise resilient kids and introduce the concept of “bouncing forward” during tough times. 

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Listen in on this episode to delve into attachment theory with our cohosts! They will explore what it is (and what it’s not) and the role that our parent-child relationship has in regulation. 

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In this episode, the Science of Parenting team examines and reflects on our parenting role when it comes to regulation, self-control, and big feelings. 

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Lies, tantrums, and bad attitudes, oh my! When kids have challenging behaviors, it might be that they need help learning to regulate. In this episode our cohosts dive into the topic of regulation and discuss a crucial strategy for helping our children regulate themselves. 

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As our cohosts discuss the emotional process and its profound impact on guidance and discipline, take some time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of emotions in parenting.

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What guides your discipline decisions? Join our cohosts in this episode to uncover the subtle influences on our discipline choices that often go unrecognized.

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Discipline takes center stage in this re-released episode. Gain insights into how discipline is defined, explore different types, and discover a straightforward flip to enhance your child's ability to meet your expectations more often.

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When family stress is high, patience can run low. As we wrap up this season revisiting episodes focusing on taking care of YOU, join our cohosts as they discuss the essential steps of reconnecting and repairing with our children after we’ve lost our cool. 

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Join our cohosts in this episode to discover strategies for learning how to find the right household balance for your family. 

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Do you know your strengths as a parent? Discover your parenting strengths, then learn how to make a plan for utilizing them in this episode. 

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Flip the switch on stress by learning how to gain resiliency. In this episode, explore ways to pull stress apart—it might be as easy as switching to paper plates! 

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It’s crucial to take care of yourself as a parent AND as a person. Join our cohosts in this episode to hear about different ways we can practice self-care.

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In challenging moments, do you react with your gut or respond with intention? Rediscover strategies to slow down and respond thoughtfully to your children in this re-released episode.

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Join us for this season of re-releases to embark on an adventure into the research on effective parenting in our current reality and the model we can use to drive us there. Don’t forget to bring along your parenting toolbox and collect strategies along the way for managing stress and taking care of yourself! 

We are kicking off this season by revisiting the episode on self-talk and setting ourselves up for success! The Science of Parenting cohosts discuss strategies to reframe your inner self-talk that sets the tone for how you respond or react to your fam...

As we wrap up this season revisiting our foundational parenting episodes, join the cohosts as they summarize the temperament season and share their a-ha moments along the way. Remember, every child is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to parenting. By understanding your child’s temperament, you can tailor your parenting style to meet their needs and help them thrive.

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In this episode, author and expert Dr. Mary Sheedy Kurcinka joined the Science of Parenting team to share her best tips for parenting spirited and feisty kids and learning to love their energy!

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Check out this episode that focuses on ‘chameleon’ children with flexible temperaments. Join our cohosts as they discuss how to guide our “easy” kids in expressing and advocating for themselves!

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Listen to this episode to hear about how our children’s temperament might be affecting their actions, and how we can learn to work WITH not against those temperament gifts!

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How can we keep it together when everything seems to be falling apart? Re-explore this episode where the co-hosts discuss techniques for when emotions are high to help move our children from meltdown to calm down.

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Parenting can be tough, especially when it comes to handling emotional meltdowns. Listen to this episode to learn tips and tricks on how to anticipate triggers and prevent parenting stress. You've got this!

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Keeping our cool in emotionally charged moments can be difficult. Revisit this episode about the stop, breathe, talk approach and how you can use it to communicate more effectively with your family. This is a great foundational technique for your parenting toolbox!

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Parenting is a delicate balancing act, and perfection is not the goal. Join our experts as they dissect the latest research and confront the realities facing today’s families!

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