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Parenting tips obtained from hunter-gatherers in Africa may be the key to bringing up more contented children, researchers have suggested. The idea is based on studies of communities such as the Kung of Botswana, where each child is cared for by many adults. Kung children as young as four will help to look after younger ones and “baby-wearing”, in which infants are carried in slings, is considered the norm.

According to Dr Nikhil Chaudhary, an evolutionary anthropologist at Cambridge University, these practices, known as alloparenting, could lead to less anxiety for children and parents.

Dr Annie Swanepool, a child psychiatrist, believes that there are ways to incorporate them into western life. In Germany, one scheme has paired an old people’s home with a nursery. The residents help to look after the children, an arrangement akin to alloparenting. Another measure could be encouraging friendship between children in different school years to mirror the unsupervised mixed-age playgroups in hunter-gatherer communities.

In a paper published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, researchers said that the western nuclear family was a recent invention which broke with revolutionary history. This abrupt shift to an “intensive mothering narrative”, which suggests that mothers should manage childcare alone, was likely to have been harmful. “Such narratives can lead to maternal exhaustion and have dangerous consequences,” they wrote.

By contrast, in hunter-gatherer societies adults other than the parents can provide almost half of a child’s care. One previous study looked at the Efé people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It found that infants had an average of 14 alloparents a day by the time they were 18 weeks old and were passed between caregivers eight times an hour.

Chaudhary said that parents now had less childcare support from family and social networks than during most of humans’ evolutionary history, but introducing additional caregivers could reduce stress and maternal depression, which could have a “knock-on” benefit to a child’s wellbeing. An infant born to a hunter-gatherer society could have more than ten caregivers—this contrasts starkly to nursery settings in the UK where regulations call for a ratio of one carer to four children aged two to three.

While hunter-gatherer children learnt from observation and imitation in mixed-age playgroups, researchers said that western “instructive teaching”, where pupils are asked to sit still, may contribute to conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Chaudhary said that Britain should explore the possibility that older siblings helping their parents “might also enhance their own social development”.

生词释义

infant - n.
- paraphrase：a very young child or baby
- synonym：baby, newborn
- example：When the mother carried the infant in a sling, the baby felt safe and could observe the surroundings easily.
sling - n.
- paraphrase：a cloth band used to carry babies
- synonym：carrier, wrap
- example：The mother tied her baby to her chest with a sling so she could work while keeping the child close.
norm - n.
- paraphrase：common practice or standard
- synonym：standard, custom
- example：In some cultures, sharing childcare duties is the norm, whereas in others it is rare.
evolutionary - adj.
- paraphrase：related to gradual development over time
- synonym：developmental, progressive
- example：Evolutionary studies show that humans naturally relied on group parenting for survival.
revolutionary - adj.
- paraphrase：completely new and different from the past
- synonym：radical, groundbreaking
- example：The nuclear family model was a revolutionary change that disrupted ancient childcare patterns.
anthropologist - n.
- paraphrase：a person who studies human societies
- synonym：researcher, ethnologist
- example：The anthropologist observed that hunter-gatherer children learn through imitation rather than formal lessons.
incorporate - v.
- paraphrase：to include something as part of a system
- synonym：integrate, adopt
- example：Schools could incorporate mixed-age playgroups if they want to mirror traditional learning methods.
scheme - n.
- paraphrase：an organized plan or project
- synonym：program, initiative
- example：The government introduced a new scheme where schools and hospitals work together to improve community health.
pair - v.
- paraphrase：to connect two things together
- synonym：match, combine
- example：Researchers suggested we pair retirement homes with nurseries so elders can interact with children.
nursery - n.
- paraphrase：a place where young children are cared for
- synonym：daycare, kindergarten
- example：At the nursery, toddlers play with toys while caregivers monitor their activities.
akin - adj.
- paraphrase：similar to something
- synonym：similar, comparable
- example：The community project is akin to traditional alloparenting because multiple adults care for each child.
unsupervised - adj.
- paraphrase：without adult watching
- synonym：unmonitored, free
- example：Children in mixed-age groups often play unsupervised, which helps them develop problem-solving skills.
mirror - v.
- paraphrase：to copy or reflect
- synonym：imitate, replicate
- example：Modern schools could mirror hunter-gatherer communities by allowing children to learn through exploration.
abrupt - adj.
- paraphrase：sudden and unexpected
- synonym：sharp, hurried
- example：The abrupt shift to single-parent childcare left many mothers feeling overwhelmed.
narrative - n.
- paraphrase：a story or belief system
- synonym：storyline, account
- example：The cultural narrative that mothers must handle childcare alone increases stress levels.
maternal - adj.
- paraphrase：related to motherhood
- synonym：motherly, parental
- example：Maternal exhaustion often occurs when mothers lack support from extended family.
exhaustion - n.
- paraphrase：extreme tiredness
- synonym：fatigue, burnout
- example：Prolonged exhaustion can harm both physical health and emotional wellbeing.
knock-on - adj.
- paraphrase：having a chain effect
- synonym：ripple, cascading
- example：Reducing maternal stress has a knock-on benefit because happier parents raise more confident children.
starkly - adv.
- paraphrase：in a clearly different way
- synonym：sharply, distinctly
- example：Hunter-gatherer childcare contrasts starkly with modern systems that limit caregiver numbers.
instructive - adj.
- paraphrase：providing knowledge through direct teaching
- synonym：educational, informative
- example：While instructive lessons are common in schools, play-based learning may be more natural for children.
pupil - n.
- paraphrase：a student in school
- synonym：student, learner
- example：When pupils are forced to sit still for hours, they may develop attention difficulties.
hyperactivity - n.
- paraphrase：excessive physical movement
- synonym：restlessness, fidgeting
- example：Some experts believe that hyperactivity in children arises from unnatural learning environments.
deficit - n.
- paraphrase：lack of something necessary
- synonym：shortage, insufficiency
- example：Attention deficit disorders might be linked to limited opportunities for free play.
sibling - n.
- paraphrase：a brother or sister
- synonym：brother/sister, kin
- example：Older siblings who help care for younger ones often develop stronger leadership skills.

生词列表

infant
sling
norm
evolutionary
revolutionary
anthropologist
incorporate
scheme
pair
nursery
akin
unsupervised
mirror
abrupt
narrative
maternal
exhaustion
knock-on
starkly
instructive
pupil
hyperactivity
deficit
sibling