Author: Chien Liu
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My Child Gets Embarrassed Easily: What the Research Says
A child who gets embarrassed easilyis showing one of the most commonand most uncomfortable emotionalsensitivities of childhood. Embarrassmentsensitivity — the tendency to experienceembarrassment more intensely, morefrequently, or in response to smallertriggers than typical peers — affectsa significant proportion of childrenand can significantly restrict theirwillingness to try new things, participatein social situations, and take therisks that…
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How to Help a Child Regulate Emotions at School: What the Research Says
School is one of the most emotionallydemanding environments children navigate —and one where emotional regulationdifficulties are most visible andmost consequential. The demands ofthe classroom — sustained attention,social complexity, performance pressure,transitions, and the constant presenceof peers — place significant regulatorydemands on children whose regulationcapacity is still developing. This article covers what the researchshows about helping children…
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Emotional Coaching for Kids: What the Research Says
Emotional coaching is one of the mostextensively researched and most practicallyeffective parenting approaches available —and one of the most commonly misunderstood.It is not permissiveness — emotionalcoaching does not mean accepting allbehavior. It is not therapy — itdoes not require professional training.It is a specific set of parentingresponses to children’s emotionalexperiences that research consistentlyfinds produces significantly…
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How to Teach Emotional Regulation to a 3 Year Old: What the Research Says
Teaching emotional regulation to athree-year-old requires understandingone fundamental fact: three-year-oldscannot self-regulate. The brain structuresthat support emotional regulation —particularly the prefrontal cortex —are in the very earliest stages ofdevelopment at three. What three-year-oldscan do is begin to experience co-regulation —the process through which a calm,regulated adult helps a dysregulatedchild return to calm — and throughrepeated co-regulation…
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Signs of Poor Emotional Regulation in Children: What Parents Need to Know
Emotional regulation — the capacityto manage emotional responses in waysthat are appropriate to the situation —is one of the most important developmentalachievements of childhood. When emotionalregulation is significantly impaired,the effects ripple across every domainof a child’s life — academic functioning,peer relationships, family life, andwellbeing. Recognizing the signs of poor emotionalregulation accurately — and distinguishingthem from…
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How to Help a Child With Embarrassment: What the Research Says
Embarrassment is one of the mostintensely uncomfortable emotions ofchildhood — and one of the leastdiscussed. Research consistently findsthat embarrassment is a genuinelypainful social emotion that significantlyaffects children’s willingness totry new things, speak up, and engagewith others. Understanding what embarrassmentactually is, why some children experienceit more intensely, and what the researchshows about helping effectively ispractically useful…
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Gifted Child Fear of Failure: What the Research Says
Fear of failure in gifted childrenis one of the most counterintuitiveand most commonly overlooked challengesin gifted education and parenting.The child who is identified as gifted —who has experienced consistent academicsuccess, who has been praised fortheir intelligence — is frequentlythe child most paralyzed by the prospectof failure. Research consistentlyfinds that giftedness and fear offailure frequently co-occur…
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How to Help an Insecure Child: What the Research Says
Insecurity in children — the persistentsense of being less worthy, less capable,or less lovable than others — is oneof the most painful childhood experiencesand one of the most important forparents to recognize and respond toeffectively. Research consistentlyfinds that childhood insecurity, whenunaddressed, significantly affectssocial relationships, academic functioning,and long-term wellbeing. This article covers what the researchshows about…
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Child Gets Upset When Making Mistakes: What the Research Says
A child who becomes intensely upsetwhen making mistakes is showing oneof the most common and most misunderstoodpatterns in childhood emotional development.Parents frequently either dismissthe distress — “it’s just a smallmistake, don’t be so dramatic” —or become worried that somethingis seriously wrong. Research suggestsa more nuanced understanding — anda specific, evidence-based approachthat genuinely helps. This article…
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How to Help a Perfectionist Child: What the Research Says
Perfectionism in children is frequentlymistaken for a virtue — the conscientiouschild who wants to do things right,who has high standards, who caresabout quality. And sometimes it isa strength. But research consistentlyfinds that perfectionism in childrenmore often reflects anxiety aboutfailure than genuine standards ofexcellence — and that it is associatedwith significant distress, avoidance,and fragile self-esteem rather…