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How the right safety messages can help children take smarter risks For many international families living in the Netherlands, childhood means bikes, playgrounds, schoolyards, sports clubs, and a culture that encourages independence from an early age. This freedom is wonderful for children’s development—but it can also come with risks. Recent research highlights something many parents recognize intuitively: when children are excited and in a very positive mood, they are more l

The quieter rhythm of the Xmas break often gives me space to step back from day-to-day clinical work and reconnect with the research. This year, one paper that particularly caught my attention is a newly published longitudinal study by Sharp and colleagues (2026) examining how self and interpersonal functioning develop across childhood—and how these trajectories may point to a core pathway toward personality pathology in late adolescence and early adulthood. For clinicians,

Understanding the Challenge From an early age, boys across cultures receive messages—spoken and unspoken—about what it means to be “a boy.” Phrases like “boys don’t cry” or “toughen up” may seem harmless in the moment, but they create a lasting emotional script. This socialization teaches boys that strength is equated with silence and that vulnerability is something to hide. Over time, these beliefs can make it difficult for boys to talk about emotions, even when they want t