New research reveals that bullying can actually cause post-traumatic stress in children. If your child can’t 'bounce back' from being bullied, they aren't weak. We explain the biology of the hurt, and how to help them heal.
Why is your daughter so stressed? New research shows high-achieving girls often link their self-worth to their grades. Constant notifications from school apps mean they can never truly switch off. Learn how to help her value herself beyond the screen and give her permission to be human.
It can feel like wasting money on 'fake' items. But for your child, digital assets and skins are a ticket to social belonging. We explain the science behind the screen and how to handle the requests.
Parenting advice can leave us feeling out of our depth. The Inquisitive Parent replaces conflicting opinions with objective science. We find the evidence and insights to help you parent with clarity and confidence.
Parenting is perhaps the only role where receiving more advice often makes us feel more out of our depth. For previous generations, the challenges of raising children were navigated within a small, close circle of lived experience. Today, we find ourselves exposed to a constant stream of subjective opinions, conflicting headlines, and "viral" studies that frequently lack the necessary context to be helpful.
We started The Inquisitive Parent to change that. Our goal is to be a well-read friend - someone who has the time and training to look at original data so you do not have to. We focus on objective evidence and the science-based "why" of child development, providing you with clarity rather than another set of subjective rules.
The Science Behind the Reassurance
My work is built on twenty years of science journalism. After earning an MSc in Science Communication, I spent a decade as a senior editor at New Scientist. During that time, I analyzed complex research and questioned methodologies to separate robust, foundational discoveries from statistical outliers.
I then spent ten years at the BBC, leading teams to build digital science platforms. That work received a BAFTA nomination and two Webby awards for the world’s best science website. These honors reflect a deep-seated commitment to accuracy and the belief that complex science should be accessible to everyone, especially when it concerns our families.
The research we share here is often underreported or pre-mainstream. We monitor journals such as Nature, The Lancet, and the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry to identify findings before they are simplified or distorted by the 24-hour news cycle.
Our Promise
We look for studies that offer genuine insight into child development and our own parental well-being. If we feature research, it is because we believe the data helps you feel more empowered and less nervous.
Like you, we know what it feels like to worry that a choice might be a mistake. The Inquisitive Parent is a source of evidence-based reassurance.
We are not here to tell you how to parent; we share the science of how children grow, and how our parenting affects them, so you can help your children develop with more confidence.
Matt Walker Editor, The Inquisitive Parent