Course description
The Science of Parenting
Everyone has an opinion on parenting – where babies should sleep, what they should eat, and whether parents should spank, scold, or praise. What’s more, the media often offers support for whichever opinions appear most popular at any given time. This leaves those of us who like to base our decisions on firm, provable facts feeling dizzy.
“The Science of Parenting” addresses this confusion by moving beyond the chatter and opinion surrounding parenting, and by looking directly at the science. Parenting itself is far from a science. Nevertheless, scientists have conducted thousands of studies that can help parents – or future parents – make sensible, informed decisions.
One goal of this course will be to provide a survey of important scientific findings spanning a range of topics that are central to the lives of parents:
- diet
- sleep
- discipline
- learning
- screen time
- impulse control
- vaccination
We’ll also explore ongoing mysteries, like what causes autism, and why so many children are allergic to peanuts.
Upcoming start dates
Suitability - Who should attend?
Prerequisites
None
Outcome / Qualification etc.
What you'll learn
- Core knowledge on topics including infant sleep, forms of discipline, breastfeeding, language and math learning, screen time, bilingualism, and autism.
- Analytical and applied techniques, including how to compute the contribution of genetics to a trait, how to understand and compute correlations, and how kids can effectively study for tests.
- Best practices for sleep training, discipline, and feeding.
Training Course Content
- The Nature vs. Nurture Debate; Adoption and Behavior Genetics
- Learning Language; Screen time; Preschool; Music
- Morality; Self Control; Family Structure
- Autism and Vaccination; Sleep; Diet & Breastfeeding
- Learning and School: The Achievement Gap; Learning Styles; Acceleration; Homeschooling
Course delivery details
This course is offered through The University of California, San Diego, a partner institute of EdX.
3-5 hours per week
Expenses
- Verified Track -$49
- Audit Track - Free