Research-based parent education

Self-paced classes for parents who want science they can actually use.

Learn how early development works, what shapes behavior, and how to respond with more clarity and less shame.

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A parent holding a young child at home in warm, natural light.

How classes work

Built for the parent who keeps a calm head and a busy life.

Learn on your own schedule

Short lessons you can return to anytime — during a nap, after bedtime, or in 10-minute pieces.

Grounded in developmental science

Evidence-informed, non-shaming, and practical — not trends, scripts, or a single personal philosophy.

Built for real family life

Designed for parents who need clarity, not perfection. Every idea has to work on a normal weekday.

Featured classes

Self-paced classes for the early years.

Focused mini-courses for parents of children 0–3, plus broader classes on preschool years and the family system around your child.

A close view of a parent holding a baby's hand.
Self-paced

Birth to 12 months

Ages 0–12 months

A calm picture of the first year — what infants are practicing, and how to read cues without rigid rules.

A toddler exploring wooden blocks at home.
Self-paced Launching first

Toddler years: language, autonomy, and big feelings

Ages 1–3

What toddlers are actually practicing — and what helps adults respond to meltdowns, "no," and the vocabulary explosion.

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A young child engaged in focused play.
Self-paced Coming soon

Preschool years: friendship, play, and the move toward school

Ages 3–5

Self-regulation, social skills, and what kindergarten readiness really means in the research.

A family reading a book together.
Self-paced Coming soon

Family systems & stress

Any age

How couples, siblings, work, and care arrangements shape a child's nervous system — and what helps inside, and beyond, the home.

Why parents trust this

What makes this different.

  • Research-based, not trend-based. Built from peer-reviewed developmental science, not the parenting algorithm.
  • Non-shaming and parent-respecting. Calm, plain language. No scripts, no rigid systems, no pressure to perform a particular style of parenting.
  • Built to connect science, everyday care, and bigger systems. What happens at home is connected to leave, child care, and the world outside the front door.

"Parents do not need more pressure. They need better explanations."

An open notebook and warm drink on a table.

About Matthew

The person behind these classes.

Growing Minds Science is built by Matthew McArthur. His background is in developmental science — supporting infants, children, and families, and translating research into usable parent education. The work also draws on a lens of child advocacy and systems change.

His research background includes cognitive development, language development, environmental influences on skill development, and parenting behaviors. He teaches an Infant and Toddler Socialization class in Los Angeles and works as a Child Development Specialist and parent coach.

  • UCLA — B.A. in Psychology
  • SDSU — M.A. in Developmental Psychology
  • Boston University — Doctor of Law
  • Practice — Child Development Specialist and parent coach
  • Teaching — Infant and Toddler Socialization class in Los Angeles