Sleep
Why Sleep May Worsen After the First Birthday
The first birthday is often anticipated as a milestone after which sleep will improve. For many families, the opposite happens — sleep that was settli...
2 min read
20 articles found
Sleep
The Link Between Night Wakings and Developmental Stages
One of the most consistent findings in infant and toddler sleep research is that sleep disruption frequently coincides with developmental acceleration...
2 min read
Sleep
Sleep in Children Aged 2–3 Years
The 2-to-3-year period is one of rapid language development, emerging narrative thinking, and the consolidation of the toddler's sense of self. These...
2 min read
Play
Why Pretend Play Is Important for Development
In an era of structured learning activities and educational apps, pretend play can seem like a soft option — what children do when there isn't somethi...
3 min read
Play
Sound Games to Support Auditory Development in Infants
Hearing is the most developed sense at birth. Babies have been listening in the womb from around 24 weeks — to their mother's voice, to familiar music...
3 min read
Play
Singing and Dancing as Active Play
You don't need musical training to use singing and dancing as active play with a young child. The parent's voice — any voice — is more engaging to a b...
2 min read
Play
Games That Encourage Shared Attention
Before babies can speak, they can point. Before they can describe, they can share gaze. The capacity to jointly attend to something with another perso...
3 min read
Play
Puppet Theater as a Play Activity
A puppet — even a sock on a hand — has an effect on young children that is disproportionate to its complexity. The puppet seems to have its own voice,...
2 min read
Play
Character-Based Games to Support Speech Development
Children often speak more freely through a character than they do in their own voice. The puppet, the toy animal, the stick figure drawn on a paper pl...
2 min read
Play
Why Pretend Play Is Important for Development
The moment a child picks up a banana and holds it to their ear as a phone, they are making a cognitive leap: using one thing to represent another. Thi...
2 min read
Play
Play for Children Aged 24–36 Months: Imagination and Role Play
The third year of life is one of the richest developmental periods. Language becomes conversational, imagination becomes genuinely narrative, peer rel...
2 min read
Parenting
How to Use Natural Language When Correcting Behavior
When correcting your child's behavior, how you say something matters as much as what you say. Using natural, conversational language feels less harsh...
5 min read
Parenting
Communication With a Child as a Skill
You talk to your child every day, but communication with them is actually a specific skill that develops over time. It's different from communication...
5 min read
Emotions
Aggression in Toddlers: Developmental Norm or Warning Sign
The toddler who hits their parent, bites a playmate, or pushes another child off a toy is not demonstrating early antisocial tendencies. They are demo...
3 min read
Emotions
The Role of Speech in Reducing Emotional Tension
"Use your words" is one of the most repeated pieces of parenting advice for toddlers. What is less often explained is the neuroscience behind why it w...
3 min read
Emotions
Emotional Development in Children Aged 24–36 Months
Parents who have survived the worst of the two-year period often describe a noticeable shift around the third birthday — a child who is still passiona...
3 min read
Emotions
Emotional Development in Children Aged 12–18 Months
Parents who described their 8-month-old as "easy" and their 14-month-old as "a completely different child" are observing a real developmental shift. T...
3 min read
Emotions
Emotional Development in Children Aged 18–24 Months
The 18–24 month period is frequently described by parents as "the most challenging yet." Understanding what is driving the emotional intensity — rathe...
3 min read
Emotions
How Adults Help Children Name Their Feelings
"You seem really frustrated right now." Said consistently, in the moment, when a child is visibly struggling — this simple act is one of the most powe...
3 min read
Daycare
How to Talk to Your Child About Their Day at Daycare
Many parents anxiously ask "What did you do today?" only to hear "nothing" from their young child. Young children struggle to recall and report sequen...
6 min read