Your Child’s Journey

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  • 1-year-old girl talks with her mother while sitting on her lap. Parents should start pulling back on baby talk between 18-24 months, as their child's language starts becoming more complex.

    When Should You Pull Back on Baby Talk?

    Baby talk, also known as infant-directed speech, is a type of communication that adults use when speaking to young children. It is characterized by a higher pitch, exaggerated intonation, and simplified vocabulary. While baby talk can be an effective way to engage with infants and promote language development, there comes a time when parents should pull back on using it with their child.

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  • 6-year-old daughter and her father hug, both with big smiles on their faces. There are several ways to fill your child's emotional bucket to ensure that they are growing up healthy and happy.

    6 Ways to Fill Your Child's Emotional Bucket

    With so much on our minds and busy, modern schedules, it can be easy for adults to get wrapped up in just getting through the day. Often, if our little ones are clean, fed, and safe we feel that we've done our duty and can send them off to play. And while these things are important and children should be able to entertain themselves, it's important that we take the time to fill our little ones' emotional buckets to ensure that they are growing up feeling happy, healthy, secure, and confident. Make it a point to spend some real, distraction-free time with your child each day.

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  • A pair of child's hands hold a pencil while writing on a piece of paper at a desk covered in school supplies

    See if Your Child is on Track with This Kindergarten Writing Skills Checklist

    Kindergarten is a time of rapid development and academic progress. From reading simple words to executing life-skills, like packing up their backpack and cleaning their desk, you’ll be blown away by how much your child has grown in a single year.

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  • Two sets of hands hold cell phones, their owners completely engrossed by the screen

    Is My Own Screen Time Affecting My Children?

    The science behind the effects of screen time on developing minds is well known to most parents. But does adult screen time affect children, as well? While our brains may be fully developed, our screen time can still be detrimental. When parents are overly absorbed by their technology, they tune-out what’s going on around them.

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  • Toddler peacefully plays with toy car independently

    Independent Play: What are Reasonable Expectations for Toddlers?

    From bathing to entertaining, toddlers require enormous amounts of attention. Invested parents understand that this is a critical time for their child and will do their best to engage with their children in meaningful activities. Moreover, there’s an enormous pressure for parents to shower their children with attention as to develop their self esteem. Although this is all good and well, learning to play independently is an important skill for their development and should be incorporated daily.

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  • Young child lies on her back with a thoughtful expression on her face.

    Promoting Problem Solving to Raise Independent Kids

    As much as we want to support our children in all areas, it is important that we are training them to eventually become independent, productive adults. One way we do this is to teach them how to solve problems for themselves.

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  • Young child sleeps peacefully next to stuffed bunny

    Creating the Perfect Bedtime Routine in 5 Easy Steps

    There’s no doubt that parents of children of all ages understand the importance of sleep. Aside from preserving parental sanity, a child’s sleep is critical for their development. According to the CDC and the Sleep Foundation, adequate sleep is crucial for preventing poor mental health, obesity, type 2 diabetes, a weakened immune system, and both attention and behavior problems. Yet somehow, about 30% of children in the U.S. don’t get enough sleep.

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  • A baby with their mouth wide open in awe.

    Is Baby Talk a Bad Thing?

    Baby talk is the one language we all have in common when confronted with a small child. Despite how naturally it comes, an adult’s inclination to melt into a series of coos and sing-songy speech when in the presence of a baby has often been the topic of debate. Wouldn’t it be much better to speak properly to children so that they learn what’s “correct”? As it turns out, our instinctive tendency to use baby talk has three major benefits to language development and is completely appropriate up to a certain age.

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  • A mom, her daughter and son enjoying a read-along audiobook on their Storypod

    Promoting Language Development at Home

    Language development is highly linked to future academic achievement in children. Your child’s ability to communicate and express themselves is integral to moving through life. Naturally, you’ll want to do everything you can to promote proper growth in those first few years. As with most areas of child development, exposure is key. Consider the following tips to create a language-rich environment at home.

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  • Child practicing sight words while reading book

    What Should I Do if My Child is Having Trouble with Sight Words?

    Soon after your child learns the alphabet, he or she will begin learning their sight words. Sight words are commonly seen words that do not follow the typical rules of spelling, like does, can, and the. Because of this, they can be difficult for children to decode and are taught through memorization at school. Learning age appropriate sight words is vital for reading fluency. So what should you do if you notice your child isn’t catching on as quickly as they should be?

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  • Children's wooden blocks with numbers on them lay scattered on a surface. Toddlers may begin counting and getting familiar with numbers as early as the age of 2.

    Tips & Tricks for Teaching Your Toddler to Count

    As early as the age of 2, your child may start recognizing numbers and attempting to count (even if they're saying the numbers out of order). It's a wonderful time to start engaging with numbers and other math skills that they will solidify in the future. With some simple and fun activities and a few tips, parents can teach their toddlers to count and foster a love of numbers that will last a lifetime.

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  • Mother sits on a bed with a toddler on her lap and her 4-year-old daughter by her side. Practicing reading comprehension skills even before your child can read will give benefit your child greatly.

    Reading Comprehension with Your 4-Year-Old

    Even though your child hasn't started reading on their own quite yet, preschoolers delight in being read to by their parents or care providers. And with good reason. Their little minds are taking in a lot! From absorbing the illustrations to using context clues to learn vocabulary, your 4-year-old is building their reading comprehension skills each time you read them a book!

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