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-King
Child is a Goldhawk production for BBC Radio 4
