Parenting Tips
Early multilingualism builds stronger learning skills
Learning an additional language, especially in early childhood, improves certain brain functions besides language, including overall learning abilities. Tell Me More The old myths that bilingual children are somehow more intelligent than other monolingual counterparts, or that early bilingualism causes speech delays, are simply unproven. Speaking two or more languages doesn’t increase general intelligence measures,
Read More9 Tips for Raising Boys
Being the only female in a family consisting of a husband and five sons taught me a little about males and rearing boys. What I’ve learned over the years can be summarized into one sentence: Boys want to act like grown men, and grown men sometimes want to act like boys. So what’s a mom
Read MorePC’s and Preschoolers
Carefully collected observations indicate that judicious computer use may offer gains for children over three years of age. Tell Me More Many researchers recommend against exposing children under three years old to computers. Computers simply do not match children’s learning style at this age, where learning occurs predominantly through the eyes, ears, mouths, hands, and
Read MoreGood sleep behaviors linked to cognitive benefits
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
Read MoreHome 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
Read MoreDads, It’s Time for a Date Night
Being a dad is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. I am the parent of three incredible children (two girls and a boy). There is not a feeling in the world quite like when you see them smile and hear them laugh. To see each of your children develop, grow, and
Read MoreMost 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
Read MoreTalkative 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
Read MoreSleep 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
Read MoreGetting 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
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