Family Tips
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
Self-Care for New Mothers
The transition into parenthood is a wonderful and joyous time, but it can be overwhelming and stressful. While self-care includes everyday activities you find enjoyable such as reading a book or taking a bath, it is important to participate in activities which promote wellbeing and positive thoughts about yourself. Self-care is about doing anything that
Read More
Nutrition nourishes neural connections
Whole volumes have been published about the impact good nutrition on early development, both before and after birth, with good reason – nutrition plays an integral part in the development of neural connections in the brain. Tell Me More Why does food choice matter? The brain grows primarily by forming new neural connections and be
Read More
Babies need books!
Reading to babies has a direct impact on preschool vocabulary and listening comprehension and is directly related to reading skills in school. Tell Me More Most parents understanding the importance and benefits of reading to kids, but you might be surprised to learn that the language advantages of reading have been shown in babies as
Read More