In your work, you see children who have experienced hard things. Childhood trauma is something that we, as early childhood professionals, need to be aware of, sensitive to and informed about. The pandemic has had serious implications for some children who have experienced family loss, isolation and social setbacks. In this podcast episode, I talk to early […]
Worry. It seems to come with the territory of parenting. We worry about… … whether we can break the unhealthy patterns from our own childhood.… if the isolation of a pandemic will affect our child.… how the uncertainty of today’s world will affect our child’s future. In today’s podcast episode, bestselling author Holly Elissa Bruno […]
Have you experienced the joy of leaving your baby with a child care provider or sitter for the first time? What about the fear and uncertainty that comes with it? I remember it so well, and there were so many mixed emotions. I wanted (and needed) some personal space, but it seemed that every day, as soon […]
Is she a good baby?What a stupid question. Why? Because the answer is always YES. Every baby is a good baby. What they’re really asking is… Does she sleep well?Does she eat well?Does she cry a lot?Does she demand your attention? What if the answer to these questions is no? Does that mean she’s not […]
As we celebrate Valentine’s Day, we’re reminded that children need our love and care. This is nothing new – it’s why you do what you do! And in the all day long, sometimes wearisome, life of caring for children, here’s some encouragement for you on ways to love those little ones. L.R. Knost describes love […]
Research has shown time and time again what a powerful impact words have on outcome. Both positive and negative language have the transformative power to make situations better or worse. This is true for people of all ages and the effects can be found both from self-talk and the language used around you. Positive language […]
Sounds morbid, right? Who wants to read a story about death to little children?? Though these types of weighty topics can be difficult to discuss, it’s an important responsibility we have as educators: to help children build mental constructs around all sorts of issues, including death. It’s a natural process of life that we all experience in […]
One of my favorite books to read to children is Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli. It’s the story of a lonely man who leads a dull, boring life. One day, the postman delivers a big, beautiful box of candy to his home with a note attached that says, “Somebody loves you.” This […]
“We need to help students and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural diversity that nourishes and strengthens this community – and this nation.” — Cesar Chavez Our diverse world… Did you know that Houston is the most diverse city in the entire country? At a recent training with preschool teachers in the Houston […]
When my kids were young we had lots of tea parties. We’d set the table with a pretty cloth napkin laid out as a table cloth, a tray with a little tea set with sugar cubes and a little pitcher of milk, and sometimes a plate of cookies or crackers. They loved it and of […]