Ours is an age of pedagogy. Anxious parents instruct their children more and more, at younger and younger ages, until they're reading books to babies in the womb. Alison Gopnik ageanxiousbaby Change image and share on social
Each new generation of children grows up in the new environment its parents have created, and each generation of brains becomes wired in a different way. The human mind can change radically in just a few generations. Alison Gopnik brainchangechild share on social
If you just casually look at a baby, it doesn't look like there's very much going on there, but they know more and learn more than we would ever have thought. Every single minute is incredibly full of thought and novelty. It's easy as adults to take for granted everything it took to arrive at the state where we are. Alison Gopnik adultarrivebaby share on social
Childhood is a fundamental part of all human lives, parents or not, since that's how we all start out. And yet babies and young children are so mysterious and puzzling and even paradoxical. Alison Gopnik babychildchildhood Change image and share on social
Babies and young children are like the research and development division of the human species, and we grown-ups are production and marketing. Alison Gopnik babychilddevelopment Change image and share on social
Putting together philosophy and children would have been difficult for most of history. But very fortunately for me, when I started graduate school there was a real scientific revolution taking place in developmental psychology. Alison Gopnik childdevelopmentaldifficult share on social
Many philosophers say it's impossible to explain our conscious experience in scientific, biological terms at all. But that's not exactly true. Scientists have explained why we have certain experiences and not others. It's just that they haven't explained the special features of consciousness that philosophers care about. Alison Gopnik biologicalcareconscious share on social
Imaginary friends are one of the weirder forms of pretend play in childhood. But the research shows that imaginary friends actually help children understand the other people around them and imagine all the many ways that people could be. Alison Gopnik childchildhoodform share on social
We know what makes babies smart and happy and thrive. It's having human beings who are dedicated to caring for them - human beings who are well supported, not stressed out and not poor. Alison Gopnik babybeingcare Change image and share on social
I'm afraid the parenting advice to come out of developmental psychology is very boring: pay attention to your kids and love them. Alison Gopnik adviceafraidattention Change image and share on social