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Do you want your infant to grow up to be smart and to be able to respond to adversity should it arise? Including violence? If so, you'll want to teach them about problem-solving and positive communication from the beginning of life. These are skills that can begin in infancy and develop throughout one's lifespan. The same problem-solving skills used in social situations can be applied to other life problems, such as learning to read or passing a course one doesn't really enj

Enjoy this ad-free article from Early Childhood Rocks, a non-profit organization. If you spend time with toddlers, you know how it feels when they just won't listen to you. Perhaps you've tried being nice, giving them something fun to do, raising your voice, giving a time-out, and/or threatening some pretty dire consequences, but nothing is working, and you can't move forward because of all the fighting, whining, and general chaos. Welcome to your place of support. We want

I don't let anyone hit me! Period. There's only one little snafu. If we teach our children not to let anyone hit them, we probably shouldn't hit them ourselves. Children learn by example. My first job was as a teacher's aide in a 4K summer program for at-risk children. On my first day, as I bent down to tie a child's shoe, another ran up quickly behind me and grabbed my ponytail, trying to see if he could swing on it. I don't remember how I reacted over 40 years ago, but t

Welcome! All the experiences and activities I share are backed by evidence-based research and 50 years of real-world experience in early childhood learning. Citations are included. Songs Sing short rhyming songs often at predictable times during the day. Use singing as part of your routines. Make a list of the cute little songs you sing and share them with others who care for your child. If you can't imagine singing, you can always use chanting rhymes and finger plays. ideas

Early Childhood Rocks is a non-profit with a vision and a heart. You won't find any outside ads in our articles. Just solid information you can use. We have many articles about behavior, including tried-and-true activities that work with real children. We also include articles about self-care because sometimes even the best caregivers forget how important it is to take care of themselves. We also include many articles about fun and learning during the first few years of

Science now understands the significance of the first few years of life regarding learning. The neural connections formed and strengthened during that critical period shape the brain's architecture. A strong foundation can mean a lifetime of learning. A weak one can mean many missed opportunities. In the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections form every second. After this period of rapid proliferation, connections are reduced through a process

Congratulations on making it through another tough week! I want to share something great today that you can use right away. I know how hard it is to stay motivated when caring for young children day in and day out. This activity is not only fun but also helps people everywhere see how very young children learn math in a hands-on way. I've been using this activity since I saw some master teachers use it years ago in a mixed-age group of children with special behavioral and

Enjoy this ad-free article from our non-profit organization dedicated to children during their first few years of life and the people who care for them. If you're in charge of a toddler for any period of time, you need this strategy now. It can give you the gift of an easier, less stressful day. This suggestion came from Dr. Becky Bailey PhD., creator of the world-renowned Conscious Discipline program. She shared this at the close of a national early childhood conference wit

Here's an idea for a letter to send to your candidates, no matter what side of the political spectrum they're on. The 2026 elections are crucial for everyone, especially our youngest and most vulnerable citizens.

Everyone wants their kids to be smart. And happy. There are a few things that neuroscientists know that others may not. one Start Early Too many people wait too long to start. It's not that the experts think we could prevent all mental and physical challenges. Of course not. Genetics and trauma count. However, they do agree that we can develop resilience to challenges by forming new neural pathways as needed. Those pathways are strengthened by repetition. Those pathway

Problem-solving for children during the first few years of their lives is more important than most people think. That's because, although we can't see it happening, the brain is forming over one million new neural connections every second! Those connections are needed for more complex reasoning later in life, but they are already being used as problem-solving strategies emerge throughout infancy and toddlerhood. Science has identified the strategies that promote problem-solv

Most babies would rather do just about anything than fall asleep peacefully. Innately, they want to safely explore the world and learn about it. Falling asleep may make them feel vulnerable and/or experience FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Adults know that we need to sleep in order for our brains and bodies to work right, but babies' brains may be wired toward prioritizing survival and constant learning about their environment. We have to help them regulate, wind down, and rela

Hygge, pronounced hoo'-gah, is a Scandinavian term that roughly translates to English as a feeling of family coziness and well-being. Here's a definition I found online. a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture). History The concept of hygge came about in order to fight the dreariness of the long, dark winters in Scandinavia. It often includes natural ligh

When a toddler misbehaves, what's the best course of action to take? Should we have a quiet talk about it or impose a swift time-out? Many parents are asking that question as they struggle to figure it all out. I can't give the perfect answer, but I can offer support based on 50 years of experience and a couple of degrees in early childhood care and education. Before the concept of "gentle parenting" became a trend, critical research on parenting styles was conducted. In 196

In the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections form every second. After this period of rapid proliferation, connections are reduced through a process called pruning, which allows brain circuits to become more efficient. In light of these findings, focusing on early childhood only makes sense. -Center for the Developing Child, Harvard University- Yes... You Read That Right! One million new neural connections are formed every second in the human br

It's time we started holding candidates accountable for improving the care and education of our youngest. This developmental chart from Harvard shows why. Here's an example of a letter you might consider sending. If you need help figuring out who to send it to check here. Dear Candidate, I see that you're running for election in 2026. I'm a parent, grandparent, and/or early child care and education professional. Even though brain science has proven that the foundation for e

The easiest way to increase both listening and language in children ages 0-3 is a technique called Floortime (Stanley Greenspan) or supported playtime. It works because it supports individual learning while giving parents and providers a chance to unwind and enjoy their children without the pressure of teaching. It's ironic that this method actually teaches them more. It's used by highly trained experts with children with special needs. When used in this way, it's called DI

The Harvard chart on brain development below illustrates why we should begin intentionally guiding children's emotional development early in life. It also gives us an idea of how to proceed. First through sensory learning, then on to language and eventually to reasoning and other higher-level functions. It's incredible to see how this all starts at birth. Of course, emotional learning continues throughout the lifespan, but neglecting to build a strong foundation early can

It also builds resilience to bullying. Most people want to raise children who are strong, compassionate, and intelligent. During the first few years of life, we have a unique opportunity to develop all three traits by teaching a single, all-encompassing skill. That skill is problem-solving. But how do we teach problem-solving to infants and toddlers? Does anybody know for sure? Science has identified several ways to lay the groundwork for more advanced problem-solving mecha

Since the governor's races are crucial to early child care and education, we thought you'd like to know where your candidates stand on child care. For each major candidate, we searched for (their name) for governor and child care. Then we reported on what their official campaign literature, if any, said and anything else reported on that they said or did for us. Here are the results . Lynne Walz (D) https://lynnewalz.com/about/ After high school, Lynne worked as a caretake