the
empathy
lab

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,

Are you a US voter who wants to stand up for better child care and education? If so, you're among 70-90% of all voters nationwide. In 2026, gubernatorial elections will be held in 36 states. Let's bring parents, providers, and other stakeholders together to make a change for children.  We need to start raising humans who are strong, intelligent, and caring. Starting early only makes sense. Thirty-six states will hold gubernatorial elections in 2026. At early childhood rocks

Here are 4 candidates, in no particular order. This post will be revised as the race changes. Keisha Lance Bottoms https://www.keishaforgovernor.com/aboutfrom From her official website: Keisha will work to eliminate income taxes for teachers, crack down on corporate landlords that are buying up houses and making it harder for families to buy a home or afford rent, and she will invest in education so our children have better pathways to success through career training or col

It’s easy these days to be acquainted with a lot of people. But how many of those people do we really know?  And how many do we want to know? When asked, most people say that they  prefer a few close friends to many acquaintances.  But when pressed to say how they do it, they usually admit that they find it hard to develop the close lasting friends that we remember from TV sitcoms. Studies* have shown people who ask slightly nosy questions form stronger bonds with others on a

The following candidates are officially in the race for Governor of Wisconsin. We'll try to keep up with changes as they occur. The candidates are listed in no particular order. We tried to include as much information on each candidate's child care ideas as we could find at the time of publication. Josh Schoemann (R) from his official website: https://www.joshschoemann.com/ Wisconsin doesn’t need more politics. We need more neighbors. That means fighting for working families

Here's a popular game that teaches counting, comparison, addition, subtraction, and division  to preschoolers without them knowing it As an advocate of learning through play, I recently interviewed a 5-year-old on the structure of her kindergarten class. Do you get to play a lot, or do you work most of the time? Oh, we only got to play in 4-K . In kindergarten, all we do is work. I HATE math!! I've heard the same description of pre-K and kindergarten activities so many tim

I use this old Russian folk song to teach appreciation and thankfulness to very young children. One day, I asked a group of toddlers and preschoolers what they liked and what made them really happy. I made a list of their heartwarming answers and jotted their names or symbols next to each answer. I posted it in a good spot, and we often sang the song with their answers inserted. The smiles on their faces when they heard their answers incorporated in the song were priceless.

Let's create something new in early care and education. There is a pressing need for high-quality options, especially in infant and toddler care. Since a child's approach to problem-solving and general attitudes toward learning are formed during this time, we must stop treating it as if it doesn't matter. Investing in children and their caregivers during this period holds the most significant potential for societal change. It's been scientifically proven that focusing on the

"I've noticed that my child seems to be exceptionally smart, maybe even gifted. What should I do?" You’re probably right about your child being gifted. All toddlers have gifts and talents. It takes a keen observer to notice what they are and build on them in ways that are fun and educational for both of you. A recent developmental study of 241 profoundly gifted children between 160 and 237+ IQ (Stanford-Binet Form LM) discovered that: 94% were very alert as infants. 94% had

Expectations play a huge role in creating responsible, empathetic human beings. Our approach to everything, our attitudes, and our ability to communicate with others effectively are all formed during our first few years of life. Scientists have long known that emotional habits can change the neural pathways that govern mood and regulation. But if it's so important, how are we supposed to know what to expect? And how do we help young children develop good emotional habits? E

C aring O bservation V igilance E xpectations S caffolding Today, we focus on vigilance. Good parents and teachers never give up on children. They find a way to reach them. Day, in and day out, they show up and do their best. And they don't mind repeating themselves often if they have to. Here's a shortcut that helps me realize that there are only three main rules in my world. Since I often repeat and sing them, it makes a lasting impression. Along with the three rul

An Underwear Story I worked with a teacher who made a big mistake. She accidentally flushed a young 3-year-old's underwear when she was rinsing it out after a BM accident. And it went right down the industrial-strength toilet, never to be seen again. She apologized profusely to the parent who said, Oh no! That was his favorite red underwear! So the teacher felt really bad and drove all over town, but couldn't find the exact pa ir anywhere. So sh e bought a pair that was

Yes, empathy can indeed be created. It doesn't appear from nowhere. But how do we build empathy in young children? Here's one word that...

COVES Caring Observing Vigilance Expectations Scaffolding There is a lack of empathy in the world. But why? Lots of people have opinions....