Look Who's Talking
While in the womb, some children hear as much as five hours of language per day, according to a study from the University of Illinois. Yet others will hear far fewer. During pregnancy and during the first five years of life, the brain is developing more rapidly than at any other time. Talking with children, a lot, during that time builds the brain architecture needed later to support communication, reading, and other skills. Listen now for more.
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How much speech do unborn children hear? It varies. (Philly Voice)
Talk with your baby (Talk With Your Baby)
Talk with your baby (Talk With Your Baby)
Help For Dads Helps Moms
Researchers from Stanford University examined a Swedish law that allows fathers to take up to 30 days, as needed, in the year after a birth. Since the law was enacted, there has been a 26 percent decrease in anti-anxiety prescriptions and a 14 percent reduction in hospitalizations for new Swedish mothers. Meanwhile the United States is the only industrialized country with no paid leave required by law for either parent. It’s time for a change. The time for paid family leave is now. Listen now to learn more.
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Sweden finds a simple way to improve new mothers' health. It involved fathers. (New York Times)
Time to Care (Maryland Family Network)
Time to Care (Maryland Family Network)
Water Safety
Summer’s here and the time is right…for swimming! And that means it’s time to stay vigilant when your child is in or near the water. Drowning happens in a matter of seconds and is the leading cause of injury-related deaths of children one to four years of age in the United States. Listen now to learn more about water safety.
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Prevention of Drowning (AAP News & Journals)
Drowning: It Can Happen in an Instant (National Safety Council)
Know the Facts: Fatal Child Drownings (Pool Safety)
Drowning: It Can Happen in an Instant (National Safety Council)
Know the Facts: Fatal Child Drownings (Pool Safety)
Child And Dependent Care Tax Credit
When America was founded nearly 250 years ago "child care" would have meant spending the day on the farm or in the fields. We’ve come a long way since then. The Maryland General Assembly recently took another step toward making child care available to more families. For the first time in 20 years Maryland’s Child and Dependent Tax Credit was expanded. Listen now to learn more about how this legislation benefits us all.
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Outdoor Play
While the importance of outdoor play is well known, results from a study done in the UK reveal that children today are spending much less time outdoors than is recommended. Listen now to learn more.
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Paternity Leave & Child Development
The push for paternity leave continues to intensify. Research shows the benefits of paternity leave to both newborns and families. What are the implications of this, and how does it affect child development? Listen here to learn more.
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With A Little Vocab Help From A Friend
Toddlers’ brains are like sponges, soaking up the vocabulary and mannerisms of those around them. Researchers at Ohio State University and Purdue University studied children’s learning habits and concluded that children learn new words best from their peers. Listen now to learn more about the implications of these findings.
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Keeping Your Little Daredevil Safe
Little ones are full of energy, excitement, and inquisitiveness. Directing that energy into productive play and safe activities can be challenging. Here are three tips to keep in mind to help you do just that. Listen here to learn more.
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Keep Your Daredevil Toddler Safe (Lifehacker)
Perry Parents Prevail
Nobel Prize-winning economist James Heckman says that the benefits of attending a high-quality early childhood program are so great that they positively impact at least two generations. Heckman’s research looked at a program that started five decades ago for children who attended the Perry Preschool. Now the children of those children are reaping the benefits thanks to their parents' participation. Listen now to learn more.
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Perry Preschooler: Intergenerational Effects Toolkit (Heckman Equation)
Infant Mortality, Racism, And Sexism
Racism and sexism are killing us. According to the Centers for Disease Control, black women in America die at three to four times the rate of white women during childbirth. Black babies die at twice the rate of white babies. The chronic stress black women experience from combined racism and sexism may be the reason for higher rates of pre-term birth, low-birthweight, and infant and maternal mortality among black mothers and babies. Listen here to find out why.