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Ways & Means Presents: What We Can All Learn From The Way Kids Think, Feel And Cope

WUNC | By Anita Rao,
Carol Jackson, Emily Hanford
Published March 23, 2020 at 11:40 AM EDT
Credit Melissa Carrico

Nothing changes your life like the addition of a child. Suddenly, there are so many new things to consider for a tiny human whose brain works in really mysterious ways. 

The State of Things presents The Ways & Means podcast from Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. This episode concentrates on children.

Policy researchers in North Carolina have been trying to answer some of the biggest questions about parenting and child development, including how to teach preschoolers healthy ways to process their emotions and what parents really need after they head for home with their newborn - besides more sleep. This research is featured in the second installment of a collaboration between The State of Things and Ways & Means, a podcast from Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy.

Journalist Emily Hanford introduces us to an innovative project in Kenya that provides mental health care to orphans who are grieving the loss of a parent and more stories of what we’re learning about children around the world.

Part One: Beyond Elmo: How Puppets Teach Preschoolers Self-Control

Four-year-olds are expected to be able to behave in the classroom, but more and more preschools are kicking children out for bad behavior. In this episode: new research into how to best help children control themselves in the classroom.

Part Two: Life After Loss for Orphans in Africa

A multinational team of researchers explores ways to help 50 million orphans in Africa who are grieving the loss of one or both parents.

Part Three: Answering New Parents' Cries for Help

A free public program helps new moms and dads adjust to life with a newborn. 

Theme music by David Schulman. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions/Creative Commons.

Copyright 2020 North Carolina Public Radio
Anita Rao
Anita Rao is the host and creator of "Embodied," a live, weekly radio show and seasonal podcast about sex, relationships & health. She's also the managing editor of WUNC's on-demand content. She has traveled the country recording interviews for the Peabody Award-winning StoryCorps production department, founded and launched a podcast about millennial feminism in the South, and served as the managing editor and regular host of "The State of Things," North Carolina Public Radio's flagship daily, live talk show. Anita was born in a small coal-mining town in Northeast England but spent most of her life growing up in Iowa and has a fond affection for the Midwest.
See stories by Anita Rao
Carol Jackson
Carol Jackson has been with WUNC since 2006. As Digital News Editor, she writes stories for wunc.org, and helps reporters and hosts make digital versions of their radio stories. She is also responsible for sharing stories on social media. Previously, Carol spent eight years with WUNC's nationally syndicated show The Story with Dick Gordon, serving as Managing Editor and Interim Senior Producer.
See stories by Carol Jackson
Emily Hanford