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Observing children as they grow is one of life’s great joys. Supporting children as they grow is our most important responsibility. As children grow, they acquire skills in five general domains, or areas, of development:  Approaches to Learning Social & Emotional Development Physical Development Language Development Cognitive Development (which includes math, science, and creative arts) […]

Sleep is an important element in any person’s life, particularly a child. A good amount of sleep is necessary for healthy physical, emotional, and mental growth. However, bedtime can also be an ongoing battle. Questions such as, “How do I get my child to sleep on time?” or “How do I make sure they get […]

A public temper tantrum—it’s every parent’s worst nightmare. They can be frustrating, embarrassing, unexpected… and are completely normal. In order to manage a tantrum, it is important to try to understand the cause. This can be difficult because they can be caused by many different things, such as frustration, hunger, fear, anger, stress, sensory overload, […]

For much of the country, the weather has begun to change and warm up so that children are starting to play outside more often. We all know the importance of spending time being active, and there is no better place for this than the outdoors. For parents, this means having a new set of safety […]

Childhood obesity is now the number one health concern among parents in the United States. It affects about 12.7 million children and adolescents. But eating healthy can be a challenge, especially if your child is a picky eater! It is important to create positive mealtime habits now so that your child can make healthier choices […]

Challenging behavior and positive behavior are actually two sides of the same coin. Children exhibit what we call challenging behavior because they do not yet have the social, emotional, language, and cognitive skills to behave in more positive ways. As early childhood educators, we see challenging behavior as a learning opportunity. Through our responses to […]

Earth Day is April 22. This day was created to spread awareness, information, and support of environmental protection across the world. It is the perfect chance for you to talk about recycling, saving water and energy, protecting plants and animals, and reducing pollution. It is important to teach our children how to care for the […]

While at the park, you see your child take a toy away from another child. Your first instinct is to grab the toy away from your child and say something like, “We don’t take toys from people. Now, tell him you’re sorry.” However, many early childhood educators suggest that forcing children to apologize, when they […]

It can be hard to tell the difference between age-appropriate behaviors, and those behaviors that may signal a deeper problem. Age-appropriate behaviors, even if they are challenging, are behaviors that help children learn and progress in their social development. It is normal and necessary for children to test limits in order to learn about relationships […]

As parents, we want our children to be generous, kind, and cooperative with others. We may think we can help them learn these skills by requiring them to share with others. However, many educators now believe forcing children to share does not actually teach the intended lessons. So let’s start by thinking about the social […]

During the holidays, there are often many extended family meals and get-togethers. Once the holidays are over, however, we often go back to our busy, everyday lives. School, work, homework, and after-school practices and activities take over, while family meals and time spent together often take a back seat to quick, on-the-go meals in the […]

How much screen time is too much? What should my child be watching? When do I limit their usage, and how? These are common questions that many parents struggle with in this age where technology is everywhere! While technology is more readily available and can be a wonderful source of learning, even for children as […]