As a mom of five, I am always looking for new strategies to increase kindness (and decrease sibling rivalry). Some days, it feels like my kids are in an endless loop of “That’s mine!” and “She started it!”—so I’m always eager for research-backed ways to foster more harmony at home.
A surprising new study has uncovered an unexpected tool for our kindness toolkit: fish. Yes, the same food that’s often met with groans at the dinner table may actually help kids become more caring, cooperative, and socially aware. And as it turns out, most kids aren’t getting nearly enough of it.
The study: Fish and kindness
A new study from the University of Bristol’s Children of the 90s research project found that children who consumed little to no seafood at age 7 were less prosocial (aka less kind, cooperative, and altruistic) at ages 7 and 9 than those who regularly ate fish. The study highlights the link between nutrition and social development, giving parents one more reason to make fish a dinner table staple.
Key takeaways:
- More Fish, More Kindness: Kids who ate seafood regularly showed better prosocial behaviors, like sharing and helping others.
- Nutritional Powerhouse: Seafood is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and iodine—nutrients essential for brain and behavioral development.
- Most Kids Aren’t Eating Enough: Nearly all children in the study weren’t meeting NHS recommendations of two servings of fish per week.
- Past Research Focused on Pregnancy: While previous studies linked maternal fish consumption to positive child development, this study suggests fish intake during childhood itself plays a major role.
- Mercury Concerns May Be Holding Parents Back: Some parents avoid fish due to concerns over pollutants, but experts still recommend moderate consumption for optimal benefits.
Related: How a parent’s influence shapes a child’s social & emotional development for life
Why this matters
Prosocial behavior is key to building strong friendships, reducing conflict, and fostering empathy. It starts developing as early as age 1 or 2 and continues to grow with age. Encouraging healthy nutrition, including fish, may be one more way to help kids develop social and emotional intelligence.
Dr. Caroline Taylor, a lead researcher in the study, emphasized,“Our evidence to link fish consumption in children with the best behavioural development is clear, and we strongly recommend parents to provide at least two portions of fish a week . . .We hope these research findings empower parents with the knowledge to give their children the best start in life.”
I never thought I’d say this, but “Alexa, order more fish.”
Related: 15 TV shows about kindness for kids
Sources:
- Seafood in pregnancy boosts child development. University of Bristol. 2025. “2025: Fish and prosocial behaviour | Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children”
- Parent-child interactions shape behavior. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. 2016. “Empathy as a driver of prosocial behaviour: highly conserved neurobehavioural mechanisms across species”
- Early experiences influence social skills. Infancy. 2015. “Early Development of Prosocial Behavior: Current Perspectives.”
