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Airdate: Life at 9

The next instalment of "Life at" is back on ABC, now picking up the same kids 2 years later.

2014-07-14_0213The Life series returns to ABC1 later this month with Life at 9, following on from previous instalments of Life at 1 / 3 / 5 / 7.

There are two new episodes as eight Australian children negotiate life in the rapidly changing world of late childhood, in the crucial few years before adolescence begins.

The Life kids are part of a scientific and social experiment and have been filmed since their first year of life – the public face of a pioneering study of 10,000 Australian children.

Now nine, Daniel, Joshua, Wyatt, Anastasia, Sophia, Declan, Ben and Shine – wrestle with school, divorce, illness, friends and everything in between as they continue their journey toward adulthood. Quintuplet Ben copes with his parent’s separation alongside a speech impediment; Daniel helps his mum with her diminishing eyesight while trying to repair his relationship with his father; and there are big changes ahead for Wyatt, whose greatest wish is for his severely disabled brother to walk.

Life throws all our other nine year-olds their fair share of ups and downs too. But how will the hurdles they encounter now affect them later on? Scientific research has pinpointed two fascinating childhood predictors for success later in life, Independence and Creativity. And in Life at 9, our kids are tested for both.

Through the prism of the Life Lab the kids undergo developmental and behavioural experiments with child psychologist, Dr Marc de Rosnay and creativity expert, Dr David Cropley. How independently do they think? What kind of praise equips children to cope with failure? And can kids improve their creativity levels in just one day? Their parents are put under the microscope too. How much freedom are they giving their kids to make their own decisions?

And are today’s kids less creative than their parents?

As the nation watches the lives of our children unfold, we ask what it is that sets us up for the greatest challenge of all…life. This is Life at 9.

8:30pm Tuesday July 29 & August 5 ABC.

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