Careful listening helps kids feel heard. Language that communicates careful listening when kids have strong emotions is similar to paraphrasing, but in a way that signals...
Interpreting Baby’s Body Language
Your baby’s body language can tell you how they are feeling and what they may need. Responding to their body language helps your baby feel safe and seen, which also supports...
Exploratory Learning Experiences
Exploratory learning experiences are all about curiosity! They engage kids in hands-on investigation of materials, ideas, and concepts. During these experiences, kids get to...
Receptive and Expressive Language
Language is an important part of development, and it’s not just about the ability to say words. Expressive and receptive language skills are both required for...
Meaningful Learning Experiences
Learning new things is easier for kids when the new part connects to something they already know a little bit about. When kids can connect their own experiences and...
Benefits of Family Style Meals and Snacks
“Family style” is when kids and adults sit together for a meal or snack. Food and drinks are served from shared plates, pitchers, etc. When kids eat family style, they learn...
Supporting Kids Who Are Slow To Warm Up
Many kids are “slow to warm up,” meaning they are uneasy or cautious in new situations or with unfamiliar people. As babies, maybe they didn’t like being held by just...
Facilitating Learning Experiences
Learning experiences build on existing knowledge (something familiar) and invite children to extend their thinking in a way that balances safety and risk (curiosity). ...
Reciprocal Relationships
In a reciprocal relationship, each person is equally respected and valued. The relationship is balanced so that both people feel seen and heard. When you engage in a...
Curiosity Leads to Confidence
Confidence comes from who we believe and know ourselves to be, and what we believe and know we can do. This belief and this knowledge come from having experiences, and by...
Responsive Interactions
When you give kids what they need in the moment – like a smile, a hug, or some help – you are responding to their actions and words in a positive and respectful way....
Raising Humane Humans
Learning to recognize the emotions they are feeling will help your kids understand how to handle them – within themselves and with empathy for others.You can download...
Helping Big Kids Adjust to a New Baby
Bringing a baby home is a huge transition for an older sibling. Before your baby is born, read books together about new babies, siblings, big brothers and big sisters and...
Transitioning Home With A New Baby
Don’t be surprised if you have mixed emotions about bringing your baby home. It’s OK to be nervous, and normal to feel uncertain or overwhelmed – maybe you’re even a...
Building Authentic Relationships
Children learn about relationships from the adults who care for them. Being genuine in what you say and do creates honest, authentic relationships built on trust. This is...
3 Mindfulness Activities to Try with Your Kids
Mindfulness allows us to observe our surroundings, thoughts, and feelings, and to develop self-awareness. Mindfulness can teach your kids to focus, help them regulate their...
Serve & Return
“Serve and return” is about the everyday, back and forth interactions you have with your kids. It’s the practice of noticing and responding to their cues with eye contact,...
Domains of Development: Sense of Self & Relationships
Sense of Self & Relationships refers to the social and emotional development children go through during which they begin to understand who they are, what they are...
The Domains of Development
The Domains of Development Growing and learning go hand in hand. As young children learn and grow, interact with the world around them, and begin to understand...
8 Things All Parents Should Know About Play
8 Things All Parents Should Know About Play Give your children time for play and you will see all they are capable of doing when given the opportunity. Children learn...
The Six Cs of Playtime
The Six Cs of Playtime It’s never “just play,” it’s learning. Learning that emerges through play is deep and meaningful to children because they have shaped it themselves....
Outdoor Play and the Domains of Development
The American Academy of Pediatrics says lots of unstructured outdoor play is critical to the health of children. That’s because outdoor play benefits children in every...
5 Benefits of Playing Outside
Kids should play outside! Here are 5 reasons why. When kids are given unstructured time to play alone or with other children, especially outdoors, they make up their own...
10 Daily Rituals to Encourage Bonding
In chaotic everyday life, parents can leverage the power of intention to ensure that they fit in what’s most important to them – the moments of fun, connection, and...
20 Things to Do in Social Isolation
Outside is never canceled. Here are 20 new things to do outside with your kids while you stay at home together!
5 Ways for Learning Conflict Resolution
5 Tips for Learning Conflict Resolution Manage Emotions Kids (and adults!) have every right to feel strong emotions, but it’s important to have strategies for remaining...
5 Ways to Support Kids Self Expression
Here are 5 ways you can encourage your child to express themselves. ART Encourage your kids to try different art forms and artistic mediums. STYLE Let your kids pick out...
Teaching Kids Self-Regulation
Self-regulation is the ability to control behavioral and emotional responses. It's having the skill to calm yourself down when you get upset, to adjust to a change, and to...
How to Model Mindfulness
From our earliest moments and at each developmental stage, mindfulness can be a useful tool for decreasing anxiety and promoting happiness. It's helpful for children,...
4 Ways to Teach Children Empathy
Empathy is at the heart of good relationships of many kinds, and it begins with valuing other perspectives and other people. Parents can cultivate empathy in their children...
7 Strategies for Teaching Kids About Emotions
Children have big emotions, but they often don't have the words to talk about how they are feeling. You can help your children understand and express their emotions using...
The Basics of Social and Emotional Development
The Sense of Self & Relationships Domain of Development refers to the social and emotional development children go through, especially in their first five years of life, during which they begin to understand who they are, what they are feeling and what to expect when interacting with others.
First Feelings: Building A Healthy Foundation
The first step in helping your child learn to cope with their feelings is to embrace them - all of them. Sadness and joy, anger and love can co-exist and are all part of the...
10 Things Babies Learn When We Sing to Them
Are babies really listening when we sing to them? Absolutely! Here's what your baby is learning while you sing:
4 Ways to Foster Emotional Development
Learn 4 ways you can encourage your child to express their feelings and support their emotional development.
Building Social and Emotional Skills at Home
Building Social and Emotional Skills at Home School classrooms are busy places where young children learn all sorts of things, including social and emotional skills such as...