Research has shown the importance of routines for optimal child development. A systematic review can offer a detailed overview of the evidence linking routines to child outcomes, particularly in high‐risk settings. This review aimed to elucidate the association between daily routines and child development and to pinpoint the protective role of routines in high‐risk environments. A search of PubMed and PsycINFO databases yielded literature from 1950 to June 2020. Out of 4297 initial hits, 170 studies met the selection criteria. Findings mainly indicate that routines are associated with positive developmental outcomes in children, covering cognitive, self‐regulation, social–emotional, academic skills, and overall mental and physical health. The results also underline the protective power of routines in challenging environments. The study suggests possible mechanisms through which routines influence child outcomes and recommends avenues for future research, supporting evidence‐based strategies to encourage parental use of routines.

Background: Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is one of the most common disorders of adolescence and results in marked impairments in social and academic/occupational activities that likely to persist into adulthood. Multiple etiological factors contribute to the development of social anxiety disorder. Two critical factors in presenting with a primary diagnosis of SAD might be adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and attachment styles. The current study examined how ACEs and attachment styles may be related to SAD in adolescents. Methods: 60 participants with ages ranging from 11 to 18 (M = 14.6; female = 36), who have a primary diagnosis of SAD and 60 control group adolescents (M = 14.6; female = 30) were included in the study. Both groups completed the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and the Adolescent Relationship Scales Questionnaire (A-RSQ). Results: After controlling adolescent gender and parental education levels, childhood emotional neglect and income significantly predicted an increased risk for adolescents’ SAD diagnosis. Attachment styles did not significantly contribute to predicting adolescents’ SAD diagnosis after controlling childhood emotional neglect. Conclusion: The high predictive value of emotional neglect in childhood emphasizes its importance as a risk factor of SAD in adolescence.

Although a large body of research has documented the importance of routines for children's development, the role of developmental timing of routines has received less attention. The present study examined how use of routines across the preschool period is linked to children's socioemotional adjustment. We used Year 3 and Year 5 data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 2,353; 48% female). Child routines were measured through maternal reports of routines, including household chores, play, mealtime, and bedtime. Latent profile analysis revealed four groups based on timing and number of routines: stable-high, increasing, decreasing, and stable-low. In Year 5, parents reported on children's attentional, externalizing, and internalizing problems and social skills. Latent transition analysis indicated that most children (n = 1,782; 75%) maintained the same profiles over time. Regression analyses showed that profiles were differentially related to outcomes. After controlling for a set of confounding variables, children in the stable-high group had significantly lower attentional, externalizing, and internalizing problems than the decrease routines group (βs range from .23 to .40, p < .05). These findings contribute to the understanding of how routines are associated with child functioning and highlight the potential importance of the continued use of routines across early childhood. Children who had consistently high routines demonstrated better adjustment compared to those whose routines decreased across the preschool period. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Interdisciplinary approaches are needed to measure the additive or multiplicative impacts of chemical and non-chemical stressors on child development outcomes. The lack of interdisciplinary approaches to environmental health and child development has led to a gap in the development of effective intervention strategies. It is hypothesized that a broader systems approach can support more effective interventions over time. To achieve these goals, detailed study protocols are needed. Researchers in child development typically focus on psychosocial stressors. Less attention is paid to chemical and non-chemical stressors and how the interaction of these stressors may impact child development. This feasibility study aims to bridge the gap between child development and environmental epidemiology research by trialing novel methods of gathering ultrafine particle data with a wearable air sensor, while simultaneously gathering language and noise data with the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system. Additionally, psychosocial data (e.g., parenting quality, caregiver depression, and household chaos) was gathered from parent reports. Child participants (age 3–4 years) completed cognitive tasks to assess self-regulation and receptive language skills, and provided a biospecimen analyzed for inflammatory biomarkers. Data collection was completed at two time points, roughly corresponding to fall and spring. Twenty-six participants were recruited for baseline data, and 11 participants completed a follow-up session. Preliminary results indicate that it is feasible to gather personal Particulate Matter (PM2.5), language, and noise data, cognitive assessments, and biospecimens from our sample of 3-4-year-old children. While there are obstacles to overcome when working with this age group, future studies can benefit from adapting lessons learned regarding recruitment strategies, study design, and protocol implementation.

Background: Previous studies have established a link between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and risky internet use (RIU); however, the processes underlying this association remain unclear. This study examines whether a proportion of the association between ADHD and RIU was shared with social skills. Methods: The sample included 142 children aged 6–12 years (65% female, M = 8.5, SD = 1.7), comprising 71 children diagnosed with ADHD and 71 controls without ADHD. Standardized assessments were administered to measure RIU and social skills. Path analysis was employed to evaluate the association among ADHD, social skills, and RIU. Key demographic variables, including gender, birth timing, age of speech onset, household income, parental education, and number of siblings, were controlled for in the analyses. Results: An ADHD diagnosis was significantly associated with reduced social skills (β = − 1.68, p < 0.001), and reduced social skills was strongly linked to higher levels of RIU (β = − 0.57, p = 0.004). The direct association between ADHD and RIU was not statistically significant (β = − 0.52, p = 0.169). However, a significant indirect effect was observed, indicating that ADHD-RIU link was shared with reduced social skills (β = 0.96, p = 0.004). Conclusions: The findings indicate that a significant proportion of the association between ADHD and RIU was shared with social skills, emphasizing the importance of social skills as a potential factor for RIU risk in children with ADHD. Interventions that focus on enhancing social skills may support efforts to address RIU in this population.