
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
Best Advice for New Parents: Lead with Your Heart {but keep your mind open}
Sneak peek: Many folks claim to have advice for new parents on any given parenting topic but it’s hard to sort through all the voices. Let’s take a thoughtful look at how new parents can balance advice, research and intuition in making parenting decisions. Remember when you first brought home your newborn? You were probably …
A Parent’s Guide to Understanding the 4 Attachment Styles
Sneak peek: The 4 parenting attachment styles are helpful in understanding the dynamics of bondingThanks to my last post, we now understand the origins of attachment theory–what the researchers were interested in and why. Now, let’s move on to understanding the theory itself and how it helps us understand parenting attachment styles. Even today, this …
What Parents Need to Know About Digital Safety for Kids
Digital safety, especially for kids, is top of mind for many parents these days. Even if your child or teen doesn’t have their own device yet, they likely spent time online, either watching videos, playing games or researching for school projects. As fast as technology is changing and the emergence of AI, it can be …
The Revealing Reason Why Kids Love Video Games
Sneak peek: Parents often ask why are video games addicting to kids? Research gives us some surprising answers about why kids like video games. I’m kind of embarrassed to admit this, but my 6-year-old is known as the “pinball king” in our house. From the time he learned that arcade and video games existed, he …
What Research Says is the Best Stay-at-Home Mom Schedule for Kids {and moms too!}
Peek inside: Being a stay-at-home mom with a toddler has its ups and downs. Learn how to establish a stay at home mom schedule for toddlers that works for you and your child. I sat at the bottom of the basement stairs crying. My husband ran out of his home office, wondering what was going …
Super Simple, Research-Backed Ways to Raise a Thankful Child
Sneak peek: Most of us have a goal of raising a thankful child, but the cultural narrative of entitlement is a major challenge. Simple ways to foster gratitude in kids. Does this sound familiar? Your child is given a lovely gift for a birthday or invited to a friend’s party. You know he loved the …