Parenting with Research, Insight, and Love
Parenting with confidence comes from knowledge. Parenting with grace comes from insight.
Play-Based Learning
Toddler Development
I’m a wife, mom of two boys and a child development writer. I may have a Ph.D, but I believe the value of child development research is not in telling us what is “right” or “wrong” with our parenting, but in helping us to see our children with a new lens.
If you are looking for strategies to support your child’s development using research combined with your own innate intuition, this is the place for you.
Latest Posts
The Science-Based Reason Why Experience Gifts are Great for Kids
{plus 25+ awesome experience gift ideas} Sneak peek: Looking for some “outside the box” gift ideas that kids will definitely remember? How about some experience gifts for kids that they will love? I was listening to a story on the radio yesterday and the author profiled had written a book about consumption. He said if the whole world bought …
Growth Mindset: Helping Kids See Failure with a New Lens
Growth mindset is more than just a buzzword. Research helps us understand growth mindset for kids and helps them find meaning in failure. Are you familiar with the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? Remember that song about failure? Here’s a reminder: Every bursted bubble has a glory!Each abysmal failure makes a point!Every glowing path that goes astray,Shows …
One Simple Trick to Make Reading to Your Baby More Effective (and fun)
Sneak peek: What are the best baby books? As new parents, we often wonder which books to read to our babies. Luckily, research can guide us in choosing books to read to our babies that actually boost brain development. What was the first book you read to your baby? Some parents feel awkward reading to a …
5 Powerful Lessons Being a Mom Taught Me About Child Development
I have learned a lot about kids through earning an advanced degree in Human Development, however, some of my best lessons have come from my own kids. Some advice to parents on learning from your kids. I have been reflecting on child development lessons I’ve learned from my kids over the past 11 years of …
The Most Underrated Brain-Boosting Toy in your Kids’ Toy Box
Sneak peek: When kids engage in block play in early childhood, it builds real cognitive skills. Some insights into the benefits of block play. I recently put together a new bookshelf for my office. You know the ones that come in pieces from IKEA or Walmart and you have to assemble them yourself. The instructions …
Insights for Parents from the Science of Child Temperament
Sneak peek: A basic overview of the child temperament types in child development and the role they play in parent-child relationships. The idea of ‘temperament’ is heard a lot in any circle of parents, caregivers, or teachers discussing children. Although the word ‘temperament’ may not be used, you hear parents and teachers discuss a child who, …
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