Have you ever stopped to think about how much children learn in their first few years of life, before they start school, before anyone tries in any systematic way to teach them anything? Next time you are in viewing range of a child under the age of about five years old, sit back and watch for awhile. You're in for a treat.

As adults we do have certain responsibilities toward our children and the world’s children. It is our responsibility to create safe, health-promoting, respectful environments in which children can develop. It is our responsibility to be sure that children have proper foods, fresh air, non-toxic places to play, and lots of opportunities to interact freely with other people across the whole spectrum of ages. It is our responsibility to be models of human decency. But one thing we do not have to worry about is how to educate children. ...

For years, opponents to combat-esque sports like football and wrestling have argued that these sports make their participants more prone to violence. But there hasn't been much hard data to back up such claims. Until now.

Recently released survey data suggests that a surprising number of children, aged 11-18, have experienced some form of abuse in dating relationships. That an ethic of abuse has bled into the romantic relationships of children suggests that the culture of bullying has been transformed from a social problem into a social given. As the responsible stewards of a conscious society we need to get our Puritanical heads out of the sand, drop the dance of denial and own up to the fact that our kids are having sex and hitting each other.

No, I am not a Marxist, although, like many of my generation, I fancied myself one when I was in college. But I am still occasionally an economic determinist, which means, to me, that sometimes the solution to apparently complex social problems can be found by following a relatively simple rule: follow the money.

Everywhere we turn these days we find pundits and politicians arguing for more restrictive schooling. Of course they don’t use the word “restrictive,” but that’s what it amounts to. They want more standardized tests, more homework, more supervision, longer school days, longer school years, more sanctions against children’s taking a day or two off for a family vacation. This is one realm in which politicians from both of the major parties, at every level of government, seem to agree.

Judges are supposed to decide custody after divorce by doing what's "in the best interests of the child." That can be tough to figure out, so legal scholars are proposing an alternative: Children should spend as much time with each parent after the divorce as they did before. But a psychologist argues that this so-called "approximation rule" has little basis in science-and tilts against fathers.

 Do you undermine your partner's parenting--like this?

In the "Ugly Duckling", a young swan goes from awkward and ugly to graceful and beautiful. This kind of transformation is also seen in abilities, and those who go from average to extraordinary are typically labelled "late bloomers". How are late bloomers possible? How can a nuanced understanding of genes contribute to our understanding?

In China and Myanmar, the innate impulse to communicate through art, play, and imagination is emerging as children begin the long process of recovery. But what about those who don’t want to remember what happened or discuss the terror they have experienced? Some children are so traumatized they may never learn to be children again.

Disasters are upsetting for everyone, but particularly for children. Probably one of the most important factors in determining how a child adapts to a disaster relates to how the child's parent or other caregiver responds. Let's take a look at some ways children react to disasters and discuss some suggestions on what we, as parents, can do to help.

What psychology experiment would you love to carry out if neither ethics nor practical reality stood in your way? For the August issue of Psychology Today, I asked several PT bloggers this question and printed four responses. Here's a more complete roundup of their insights.

 Hurrying chldren has always been with us

I appeared on ABC World News last night, where my small voice was drowned out by a chorus of government and media ones shouting - "Don't ever, ever let your kid drink."

Do you want to co-parent well or poorly?

What should Apple do when Steve Jobs departs? Take a hint from the Dalai Lama.

A newly published review of 24 studies finds that fathers have an important positive influence on their kids: When fathers are engaged with their children, boys have fewer behavior problems, girls have fewer psychological problems, and both show enhanced cognitive development.

"Wait," my brother shouts to my mother in his most determined voice, "George is way behind." She stops to let George catch up. On other occasions, my brother insists George be pushed on a swing or a cookie be saved for George. George, my older brother's imaginary pal, trailed him everywhere for a significant period of time. Months? Years? No one in the family can recall George's precise lifespan.

Do you want a coparenting partner or helper?

Can anyone be a Mozart? New research sheds some light on this question, by suggesting that while practice is certainly an important factor in music achievement, other factors may play as much, if not more of a role.