During sleep, our brains, especially those of babies and young children, aren’t actually resting – in fact, quite the opposite: the brain continues to be extremely active, laying down pathways and forging new connections while you slumber. Tell Me More It’s no big surprise that adequate rest is an important component of child development. One
Author: SitterTree
Home language environment is the biggest determinant of future language skills
No matter how much time children spend in daycare or preschool, research clearly shows that the home environment exerts the most influence on language development. Tell Me More Depending on the home environment, there may be significant differences in the number of words and quality of speech that a child hears. These differences can have
Most parents and caregivers unknowingly underestimate a child’s language skills
Children’s word comprehension develops far faster than speaking ability – even from the first month’s children are capable of understanding far more than we realize Tell Me More It’s no surprise that speaking to babies from their very first days supports and stimulates early language development. Thanks to recent research, we now know just how
Talkative toddler, master of math?
Strong early verbal skills have been linked to greater conceptual understanding of mathematics. Tell Me More By now, the advice to speak to your children as much as possible from even the earliest days has reached most parents. However, much less known is that vocabulary size during the preschool years, influenced heavily by parents, is
Sleep routines mean more sleep for everyone
Reinforcing sleep routines means your child goes to sleep earlier and sleeps longer. Tell Me More Many parents swear by bedtime routines, and scientific evidence supports this: children who have both a regular bedtime and a bedtime routine fall asleep faster and sleep, on average, longer than children who do not. This fact holds true
Getting Ready for Your Sitter
You’ve done it! Booked a sitter via SitterTree, snagged that hard-to-get dinner reservation and picked up your favorite dress from the cleaners. Now what? It’s time to get ready for the sitter. I’m a “planner” by nature and making sure the babysitter is well prepared for her time with my son is important. Hiring sitters
Imaginary friends can be good to have
Imaginary friends tend to reflect strong cognitive, social, and emotional skills in young children, rather than being a cause for concern. Tell Me More Creating a fantasy friend requires a child to do a lot of mental work – they create something to see and feel out of thin air, right inside their own head.
Quality of early care linked to outcome
High-quality care before entering school has a significant impact on long-term outcomes. Tell Me More While there’s no evidence that anyone specific preschool program is better than another, substantial evidence underscores the fact that high-quality care leads to both short and long-term advantages to your child. The quality of care is not only reflected in
The development of empathy
Tiny cells in the brain that act like internal mirrors give us the capacity to copy actions and behaviors as well as feel or empathize with other people’s emotions. Tell Me More When I reach for something or feel something, my brain is activated. When I see you reach for something or feel something, my
Healthy Kids: It Starts with Mom
As a new mom, we learn to scrutinize every nuance of our baby to understand what the little person is trying to tell us. Before long we know the difference in the cry for food and the cry from pain. We continuously monitor the signals our infant gives and we’re experts in non-verbal communication. Why?