India Rakusen reaches the wild storm of toddler anger - once feared as fairy mischief, now often misunderstood by science and society alike. We move from ancient changeling tales to modern myths of the “lizard brain”, unravelling how culture, gender, and language shape the way we see emotion. Could anger, so often cast as dangerous or shameful, also be a vital force - something to be named, held, and guided, not silenced. A tender look at the fire in every small soul.Presented by India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans
Assistant Producer: Charlotte Evans-Young
Executive producer: Alex Hollands
Commissioning Exec: Paula McDonnell
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon and Eska Mtungwazi
Sound Design by Charlie Brandon-KingA Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4
--------
28:28
--------
28:28
3. Surprise
India Rakusen explores the emotion of surprise — from classic knock-knock jokes to the complex, messy business of toddler toilet training. Along the way, we hear how surprise isn’t just a fleeting reaction, but a powerful engine for learning, adaptation, and belief change. We dive into how surprise shapes our understanding of the world, and even how diversity in early years education can offer rich, surprising moments that foster deeper learning. This episode unpacks how moments of unpredictability - big and small - help children build resilience, challenge social assumptions, and ultimately grow. Welcome to the surprising world of… Surprise.Presented by: India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans
Assistant Producer: Charlotte Evans-Young
Executive producer: Alex Hollands
Commissioning Exec: Paula McDonnell
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon and Eska Mtungwazi
Sound Design by Charlie Brandon-KingA Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4
--------
28:37
--------
28:37
2. Fear
Fear shows up early in childhood - taught through cautionary tales and parental reactions. In this episode, we explore how fear shapes young minds, how it was used historically to control and protect, and what some scientists now say about where fear really lives in the brain, and what that could tell us about all emotions. From ancient parenting advice to cutting-edge neuroscience. A story told with scissors. Snip, snip.Presented by: India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans
Assistant Producer: Charlotte Evans-Young
Executive producer: Alex Hollands
Commissioning Exec: Paula McDonnell
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon and Eska Mtungwazi
Sound Design by Charlie Brandon-KingChild is a Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4
--------
28:49
--------
28:49
1. Happiness
India Rakusen dives into the emotional lives of toddlers, starting with the complex and often misunderstood emotion of happiness. Through giggling games of peekaboo, insights from neuroscientists, historians, and global perspectives on parenting, the episode unpacks how toddlers experience joy and how early emotional development shapes who we become. Experts reveal the science behind brain plasticity, the importance of caregiver connection, and the myths we hold about emotions. India also explores how society pressures parents to “keep kids happy” and how that links to broader cultural ideas—like the pursuit of happiness in politics and history and challenges us to rethink what happiness really is, for our children and for ourselves.Presented by: India Rakusen.
Producer: Ellie Sans
Assistant Producer: Charlotte Evans-Young
Executive producer: Alex Hollands
Commissioning Exec: Paula McDonnell
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon and Eska Mtungwazi
Sound Design by Charlie Brandon-KingChild is a Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4
--------
29:38
--------
29:38
Trailer: Child Series 2
India Rakusen returns with the second series of Child for the next chapter of the story of us all. The series will capture the joy and the pain of toddlerhood, the history of infancy and innocence, and, of course, the minefield of parenting a toddler. Because toddlers are on a life ride like no other, deep in the trenches of figuring out how to be a person in our world. In this deep dive into the mind of a toddler we explore what we really know about emotional and brain development in infancy, how it influences the whole of our lives, and how beliefs and understandings of emotions have shaped our world.Presented by: India Rakusen
Series Producer: Ellie Sans
Producer: Charlotte Evans-Young
Executive producer: Alex Hollands
Commissioning Exec: Paula McDonnell
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
Original music composed and performed by The Big Moon and Eska Mtungwazi
Sound Design by Charlie Brandon-KingA Goldhawk Production for Radio 4
Child returns for the next chapter of the story of all of us. Delve deep into the mind of a toddler and explore how our emotions and our selves are built through life experience.
UK