Scribbling and drawing have their origins in the same parts of the brain that will later be used for writing. Tell Me More Even toddlers, who can barely hold a crayon or pencil, are eager to ‘write’ long before they acquire the skills that formally prepare them to read and write. Children who are encouraged
The TreeHouse
Tips & tricks for parents and sitters
Setting Up Your Sitter for Success
When I was the mother of five little boys under age 10, babysitters were of utmost importance—along with food, water, and fresh air. Yet, in the anticipation of time away from daily demands, I never gave much thought to ways I could make the babysitting experience more enjoyable for my substitutes. Of course, there were
Learning how to read minds
The ability to understand what someone else is feeling and thinking represents the pinnacle of a series of developmental steps toward the development of a mature mind. Tell Me More In the first few years of life, your primary focus was yourself. You wanted food, warmth, or an engaging toy, and you were willing to
The over-tired child
More than just a product of too little sleep, over-tiredness is actually a real condition with a hormonal explanation. Tell Me More A very common, and the least recognized reason for sleep problems between the ages of 1-2 years is over-tiredness. Over-tiredness and its correction have a neural basis. Children in the throes of a
Screen Time Guidelines for Children 5 and Under
Today’s parents can often find themselves wondering how much screen time is too much. The ever-changing landscape of digital media can make it difficult for us to keep up with how much is too much and which type(s) of devices and content should our children be exposed to. Childhood is changing, especially when it comes
Toddlers – small teenagers?
Just as the teenage years are marked by strong mood swings and hormonal surges, the characteristic emotional outbursts of the “terrible twos and threes’ are in large part due to a temporary imbalance in the areas of the brain responsible for anger and self-control. Tell Me More Two and three-year-old pass through a phase where
Reading style matters
The way we read books to our children makes a difference in how they learn new words and develop early reading skills. Tell Me More There’s more than one way to read a book, and the way you read to your child has been found to significantly correlate with the benefits children receive from reading
March Date Night Giveaway: FREE Babysitting + $100 Gift Card
SitterTree will give away one FREE date night to a deserving family each month through December 2019. Each date night includes 3 hours of FREE babysitting by a SitterTree’s top-rated sitter + $100 Gift Certificate. Alright, Atlanta parents, this one is for you! We know you all LOVE your kids, but dating your spouse is SUPER
Babies memories: better than previously thought
Twelve-month-old babies seem to have the ability to not only process information quickly, but also to retain that information for at least a month – amazing! Tell Me More It’s hard to tell what babies are thinking and how good their memories are since they can’t yet communicate verbally. However, research into memory development in
Children that walk well, talk well
Motor and language development depend on one another much more so than previously thought. Tell Me More Our ability to speak depends in part on the muscles in the mouth, tongue, and throat. These muscles are controlled by nerves that mature just like those needed for other motor activities, such as, walking. Accordingly, children who