Currently, I’m attending the Society for Research on Human Development biennial conference in New Orleans, LA.  It’s stormy here, but that only adds to the charm of The Big Easy.  The morning symposiums have been interesting and target adolescent socio-emotional development and implementing early childhood mental health consultation.  My colleague and I are taking a break to blog (obviously) and to prep for our presentation this afternoon:  The Role of Artwork in Expanding Children’s Narratives of Secret Hiding Places.  Specifically, we are highlighting the methodology created and implemented in my dissertation study on preschoolers’ secrets and secret hiding places.  The majority of research with preschoolers have focused primarily on parent/teacher reports, rather than from the mouths of the children themselves.   Results suggest the usefulness of qualitative, hands-on interviews with preschoolers in order to evoke richer narratives and had implications for studying preschoolers’ secrets and secret spaces in terms of socio-emotional development, due to the emotinal themes found withn the narratives themselves (e.g., retreating to a secret space to reflect or to sort out emotions)  and their discussion of confidants within these spaces.  I look forward to the questions and comments I’ll get from conference participants.  I’ll keep you posted!