Babies

This episode explores the issue of gender.

Tomboy or Sissy?

The Personality Test

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.

Brain Magic

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.

Thanks for the Memories

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.

Power Struggles

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.

Active or Idle

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.

Zero to Hero

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.

Read My Lips

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.

The Making Of Me

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.

Identity Crisis

State of Play

What are Dads For?

As the children turn five, the programme follows their first term at school.

Tried and Tested

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.

Happiness

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.

Flesh and Blood

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.

Right and Wrong

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.

Your Recipe for Success

Professor Robert Winston explores the psychology of success.

The Will To Win

Professor Robert Winston explores the benefits and dangers of conformity.

Fitting In Or Standing Out

Professor Robert Winston explores the importance of creative thinking.

Killing Creativity

New series of Professor Robert Winston's project documenting the lives of 25 British children until the age of 20. Now eight, the kids are struggling to make sense of gender roles. In the home they see their parents striving for equality. But increasingly they are looking to the outside world for their role models. So in a culture dominated by sex, celebrity and consumerism, what are they learning? And is the divide of the sexes growing?

The Divide Of The Sexes

Professor Robert Winston presents a documentary series following the lives of 25 British children until the age of 20. Children face more stress than ever before. Seven-year-olds sit exams, bullying is on the increase, and some children experience the devastating effects of terminal illness in the family. Does stress in childhood prepare youngsters for an uncertain life ahead, or is it too much, too young?

The Age of Stress

Professor Robert Winston presents a documentary series following the lives of 25 British children until the age of 20. For this edition, all the kids have been filmed continuously for 48 hours, putting their day-to-day lives under the microscope. Every laugh, every tear and every movement has been recorded, counted and analysed to build up a real picture of a day in the life of the average British child.

24 Hours

A Revolution in Childhood

How does your personality shape your life? Can it dictate whether you are in the right job, make or break your relationship, influence your health and even how long you'll live? In this two part special to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Child of our Time, the children and their families explore their personalities, while presenters Robert Winston and Sophie Raworth reveal the results of the BBC's online Big Personality Test, the biggest ever investigation into the personality of the nation. In this first programme, we catch up on some of the Child of our Time Children, and find out their combination of personality traits. Has James Cachia's chaotic life contributed to him being a fun loving extrovert, and why does Charlotte Langeveld score so high on agreeableness? What does it mean to be high in openness and neuroticism, and can you be too conscientious? For a free Open University booklet Personality and Your Life call 0845 366 8019 or log onto www.bbc.co.uk/childofourtime

The Big Personality Test

How does your personality shape your life? Can it dictate whether you are in the right job, make or break your relationship, influence your health and even how long you'll live? In this two part special to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Child of our Time, the children and their families explore their personalities, while presenters Robert Winston and Sophie Raworth reveal the results of the BBC's online Big Personality Test, the biggest ever investigation into the personality of the nation. In this second programme, we find out how understanding your personality can help you make important decisions in life and boost your chance of happiness. We visit a top city law firm and discover the link between personality and earnings, and go to a publisher of glossy magazines to find out how your personality can determine what kind of career you end up in. And we catch up on more of the Child of our Time Children - how are their personality traits influencing their lives? For a free Open University booklet Personality and Your Life call 0845 366 8019 or log onto www.bbc.co.uk/childofourtime

The Big Personality Test (2)

In this programme we follow several of our children preparing to become teenagers and see how their parents and grandparents will cope! Having followed our children from tiny babies through to pre-teen tearaways, viewers will now get to hear them articulate their feelings about life more eloquently. We discover how they have coped with bullying, with having a famous mum or with learning to live with money worries. The children's bodies and brains are changing, and their interviews are illustrated with not only their lives today but our rich archive, giving us a unique view into the past. All our families take part in both programmes but this one predominantly features Helena, the only survivor of triplets born extremely prematurely; Parys, whose mum Alison Lapper is a famous artist; forthright Yorkshire girl Rhianna; technology-loving Taliesin; Het, from Wembley in London, who has big ambitions; farm girl Megan; Matthew from Surrey, whose family are preparing for a great change in their lives; Scottish twins Alex and Ivo; and sports-mad William from Settle. The programme looks at how these children are growing up and brings the stories right up to date, as the children reach their thirteenth birthday. Exploring the last 12-18 months, we re-enter our families' lives at a time of significant change, having recently left the familiarity and safety of junior school and into the new environment of secondary school. How has each child adapted and coped with this enormous transition? We'll also witness some challenging physiological and biological changes, as they become teenagers. From mood swings and bullying, to body image issues, and fitting in.

Growing Up

In this programme we look at how some of our children - and their parents and grandparents - have coped with the changes in their family. Now, with thousands of hours of observational archive and interviews at our disposal, we're able to see how our families have changed in the thirteen years we've been filming them. Viewers will hear our children articulate their feelings about life more eloquently. We discover how they have coped with the divorce of their parents, with getting into trouble at school or even with bereavement. All our families take part in both programmes but this one predominantly features Charlotte, who is now part of a large extended family; Jamie, coping with his parents' separation and divorce; triplets Phoebe, Alice and Mabel; Nathan from Scotland, who is beginning to push boundaries with his parents; Ethan from Northern Ireland; East Anglian Calvin; Rebecca from London; Tyrese from Birmingham; Charlie, whose mum was our youngest Child of Our Time parent; and Eve, who sadly lost her mum to cancer in 2008. We'll also find out from the parents what their expectations might be for their kids as well as explore the future of the family as a whole. How predictive has our 12-year study been - have we identified the key moments that made them who they are today - and how insightful will this archive be in terms of where the children want to go next? The programme gives a fascinating insight into the next generation; as they make the transition from children into young adults.

Changing Families

Child of Our Time is a documentary commissioned by the BBC, co-produced with the Open University and presented by Robert Winston. It follows the lives of 25 children, born at the beginning of the 21st century, as they grow from infancy, through childhood, and on to becoming young adults.

The aim of the series is to build up a coherent and scientifically accurate picture of how the genes and the environment of growing children interact to make a fully formed adult. A large portion of the series is made up of experiments designed to examine these questions. The main topic under consideration is: "Are we born or are we made?". The nature of the family in contemporary Britain is also addressed.

The project is planned to run for 20 years, following its subjects from birth until the age of 20. During the first half of its run a set of about three or four episodes was produced annually. After 2008 new episodes became less frequent, and in 2011 there was some doubt about the future of the programme, including from Winston himself. In February 2013 it was announced that the series would resume, with two new episodes presented by Winston. Rather than the psychological experiments of previous series, these episodes focused on the first interviews with the participating children themselves and their families.

All Episodes of Child of Our Time

Browse all episodes of Child of Our Time

Browse all episodes of Child of Our Time

Season 1

Babies

Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 12/31/1999

Tomboy or Sissy?

Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 1/10/2001