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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

Enjoy this ad-free, post from early childhood rocks! , a non-profit organization that exists to supports early childhood care and education. Nobody likes whining! Not even babies! Occasionally, I see a young child cover their ears when another child cries. Sometimes they call another child a crybaby. That's when I say this: Babies cry a lot. That's because they can't talk. That's the only way they kn ow how to communicate with us. As we g et older, we cry less and less

Since you clicked on my pin, you could be my soulmate. Just read to the bottom of this incredibly short post, and you'll find a gift. I'm looking for people who believe that world peace is possible and that teaching toddlers non-violent problem-solving will bring us closer to it. Is that you? Brain science and social science have proven both points. I've proven it to myself through over 30 years of hands-on work with toddlers. I hold a BS in education and an MA in human dev

In Ghosts From The Nursery  (1997, p. 146), Karr-Morse and Wiley suggest we focus on the period from 10-18 months to prevent violence since that's when foundational connections are made between the prefrontal cortex and the limbic systems. During this time, the child's brain learns to modulate stress. The connections that form lay the groundwork for all future learning. Nothing could be more critical. This chart from Harvard shows how important the earliest months really are.

Change is in the air. The child care crisis is real, and it's devastating. The good news is that, having hit rock bottom, things are now starting to improve for parents, teachers, and the children they care for. It's going to be a process. Throughout that process, we will continue to focus on you, the caregivers. You are the people who are actually providing the care and making the many, many daily decisions that are crucial to the children's growth and development. We hono

Enjoy this ad-free post from early childhood rocks , nonprofit org Some people feel that when a young child mistreats another young child, they need to receive immediate punishment to teach them a lesson. Others think they need to be reasoned with and gently told what the right thing to do is over and over again until it sinks in. But there is another question to consider. Could we teach young children to problem-solve instead? Is that even possible? Problem-Solving Professio

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 in no particular order: Katie Hobbs (D) https://katiehobbs.org/ That’s why she eliminated t

Jocelyn Benson (D) https://jocelynbenson.com/about/ As an educator and daughter of public school teachers, it’s deeply personal for her to know that every child can receive a world-class education. She also knows the rising costs of taking care of a family, buying a home, putting food on the table, and ensuring access to health care have made it too hard for families to get into the middle class and stay in it. "I want Michigan to be the best place in the country to be a kid,