In the premiere episode, Professor Robert Winston introduces this groundbreaking 20 year long project, which will follow 25 children over 20 years of their lives. He starts with the question, 'Are we born or are we made?' - the age-old question of whether we are predefined by our genes, or are shaped by our parents and environments.We meet the newborn babies and their parents.
In the premiere episode, Professor Robert Winston introduces this groundbreaking 20 year long project, which will follow 25 children over 20 years of their lives. He starts with the question, 'Are we born or are we made?' - the age-old question of whether we are predefined by our genes, or are shaped by our parents and environments. We meet the newborn babies and their parents.
This episode looks back on the first year of development of the children. It explores the effect of trauma on the child - including one of the most traumatic experiences of all, simply being born - and how our personalities are already being defined in our first year. It seems that we end up being quite a bit like our parents. It also looks at happiness - children who are more secure about the love they receive from their parents, are more happy.
This episode explores the issue of gender. Already in the first year, babies start to behave in gender-stereotyped ways, but is this because they are born that way, or because of the way they are treated by their parents and others around them?
The topic of this episode is intelligence. Is it possible for parents to increase or decrease their child's intelligence, or is intelligence simply fixed in our genes? The baby's brain increases by 3 times in the first year, so factors such as nutrition, whether a baby is premature or not, and environmental stimulation are critical.
The children are now in their terrible twos. This episode is focused on memory, and how much we remember from our childhood. It turns out that we do remember more than we realize of our experiences even at this very young age. Trauma such as witnessing the breakup of ones parents, or being unwanted, can have long-lasting effects on a child.
In this episode, Professor Winston looks at the battle for independence. It is very important for children to develop their independence, and they start on this path by standing up to their parents. Some of the first words uttered by a child are usually those that help it to communicate their needs; some children manipulate their parents through temper tantrums. It's important for the parent to be firm with their children, but it's not easy.
What makes a child a potential star athlete, or a lifetime couch potato? Most of not all 2 year olds seem to have perpetual motion engines, but already at this stage, there are active children who can't stop moving, and those who are much slower moving. A father is usually responsible for the active times in a child's day, so can the absence of a father make a child less active? Can environment hinder, or help, a toddler's growth and development?
The children are now 3 years old. Winston finds out if popular adults are marked out at this early stage in life and if life's loners are already apparent.
Communication is at the heart of being human and learning to communicate effectively takes a lifetime to perfect. In this episode, Professor Robert Winston explores how we develop the art of speech and body language to make ourselves understood and to understand others.
Self-esteem is a key element of happiness and success and makes us feel good about ourselves. During our lifetimes, self-esteem can fluctuate, because it is not something we are born with, it is something we acquire.
James Cachia lives in an impoverished area of South-East London. As his mother tries to protect the family from a threatening ex-boyfriend, nursery provides a valuable refuge. But is the turmoil at home affecting his chances? William Roberts, on the other hand, has all the advantages money can buy. But that doesn't mean that life is easy at the moment, William is locked in a battle of wills with his mother. Could a cross-dressing gender experiment provide the key to William's need to assert his masculine identity?
As the children turn five, the programme follows their first term at school.
Robert Winston returns for a new series, beginning by assessing the youngsters' ability to be happy. He discovers which areas of the brain develop self-confidence and contentment - and finds illuminating patterns when comparing the children's results with their parents'. Further tests identify the optimists and pessimists within the group, as well as revealing how resilient they are.
Professor Robert Winston examines how children's development is affected by the bonds with their siblings, a relationship thought to be even more important than that between parent and offspring. He asks why some brothers and sisters get on well and others loathe one another, and tests the youngsters' temperaments to learn how they respond to differential treatment.
Professor Robert Winston finds out how the six-year-olds are distinguishing between right and wrong, discovering the ways in which upbringing affects values in later life. He learns which circumstances cause children to lie, and uses a specially designed game of `moral Mastermind' to assess whether the youngsters are more ethical than their parents
Professor Robert Winston presents an interactive show in which the children's ability to pick up new skills is tested through a series of elaborate games and puzzles. He also meets people who use all their senses to learn, including a former world memory champion and a man with synaesthesia.
Robert Winston returns as the five families continue to try and give their children the best possible start in life as is achievable.
With the children now aged seven they learn how to fit in with different groups of other children.
Robert takes a look at the current forces that work against children having natural creativity.
The children are now eight years old and they are trying to make sense of their gender roles.
The show takes a look at if too much stress in childhood leads to an uncertain life ahead.
All the children are filmed constantly for 48 hours so that their every movement can be monitored.
The Child of Our Time children and their families explore their personalities.
The programme visits a top law firm to discover the link between personality and earnings.
The children reveal how they have coped with the transition to secondary school.
Robert Winston looks at how the children have coped with changes in their families.
In 2000 the BBC embarked on a groundbreaking project to follow the lives of 25 babies from across the UK. At 16, these children of our time are almost fully grown. They are now free to live by themselves, get married, pay taxes and even have children of their own. In this episode Professor Robert Winston and Professor Tanya Byron discover how our teenagers’ changing brains means that what they choose to do at 16, can shape their lives forever. Tanya invites fun-loving Matt to take part in a MRI scan to investigate what might be at the root of his new-found thrill-seeking. Megan enjoys her newfound independence, and we meet Charlie in the throes of first love. Eve shares a life-changing revelation, and Jamie explains the shocking events that caused him to re-evaluate his priorities. Megan’s high-spirited birthday party reveals the influence of peer groups, while Rhianna’s close friendships show the importance of teenage tribes. In Scotland, twins Alex and Ivo’s busy brains shed light on the critical biological changes happening to all our teens. With surprising new research in human biology and neuroscience, we reveal how the most baffling aspects of teenage life can be explained and illuminated by the latest understanding of the changing teenage brain. The brains of our 16 year-olds are wired to feel more self-conscious, to be more mentally creative, and to feel more intense pleasure, than at any other time in their lives. Through intimate stories, compelling archive and experiments Child Of Our Time brings you the inside story of today’s 16 year-olds. Child Of Our Time was produced in partnership with The Open University.
In this episode Professor Robert Winston and Professor Tanya Byron follow our teens through their GCSE year to discover how our teenagers are being shaped by these unique times. In Scotland, Nathan shares how it feels growing up in an unconventional family - attitudes to his father’s homosexuality have transformed in his lifetime. More open, available communication is having a huge impact on the lives of all of today’s teenagers. In a bold experiment Child Of Our Time teens gave us access to their digital lives – giving a 24/7 window into their phone use. The triplets Alice, Mabel and Phoebe were some of our highest social media users, with messages from friends every two minutes. Tanya explores what impact this sociable multi-tasking has on concentration, social skills and risk taking in the real world. In Essex, Taliesin reveals what impact his online gaming habit is having on his friendships and his sleep, while Rebecca shows us why friends are so critical during testing times. As the exams approach, Het is finding her own strategies to manage exam stress and Ivo is already planning his future – many miles away from his identical twin Alex. As our teens reach this landmark age we explore how they cope with the challenges of life, to build their dreams for the future. Through intimate stories, compelling archive and experiments Child Of Our Time brings you the inside story of today’s 16 year olds.
In 1999, the groundbreaking BBC series Child Of Our Time began filming a group of babies, from the moment they were born, to explore what would shape their lives in the new millennium. Twenty years on, these children are fully grown and can reflect, in their own words, on growing up during a time of extraordinary social change. Drawing on thousands of hours of archive footage, this Horizon special will focus on three of the children, exploring their childhood as the first generation of 21st century Britain. Eve, Jamie and Rhianna share their feelings on starting school, finding friends and their turbulent teenage years. Alongside the fun of childhood, all have faced challenges. They can now reflect on how rebellion, family tension, and bereavement have played a part in making them the adults they are today. Throughout this special, a number of other children from Child Of Our Time share their own reflections and experiences on some of the issues that have touched their generation, including mental health, sexual identity and the pressure to achieve.
