Prenatal Learning

via TED.com - a talk about how much we are already primed to expect from the outside world, even before we are born.

Wired to Connect

Mothers and babies really do connect on a very fundamental level - babies and their biological mothers synchronize heartbeats when they are engaging in mutually cheerful behavior - smiling, cooing, or laughing.

The article is great, but the picture of the mother and baby smiling at each other is really priceless. Do yourself a favor and click through.

ScienceShot: Human Hearts Beat Together

Crying Means Distress

I could rant a lot more about this subject so I will restrain myself. Psychology Today has a really great article describing the impact that being left alone to "cry it out" has on babies and toddlers. In a nutshell, it makes kids grow up less intelligent, more anxious, unable to integrate socially, and highly liable to pass on those same unwanted traits to further generations.

Dangers of “Crying It Out”

Honest Babies

Live Science reports on research showing that babies are inherently turned off by people who are dishonest or unreliable. Humans are, from an extremely early age, able to judge the behavior of others around them and to develop preferences for people they can rely upon. They also prefer to imitate and learn from those people. Let's live up to their expectations, shall we?

Babies Picky About Who They Imitate