Researchers at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard have long used the term “serve and return” to describe the back and forth interactions between child and caregiver. You’ve probably seen videos of such an exchange and whether you know it or not, you’ve almost certainly engaged in one. But recent research at Princeton has gone beyond what we can see right in front of us in those interactions, and made some exciting observations within the brain. In this episode, we’ll cover a quick review of what serve and return interactions are as well as what the newest research tells us about why they’re so important.
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Notes from the Show:
(*May contain affiliate links.)
Serve and Return Resources from Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child
Article on the Study from Princeton’s Baby Lab
Interesting Narrative on Serve and Return from a Physician’s Perspective
Brookings Institution Consensus Statement
Dr. Jack Shonkoff in an Episode of Brain Architects (Loving this new podcast!)
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