You Deserve A Medal!
What if we told you that a toddler might be able to go toe-to-toe against a heavy weight champ, a Tour de France cyclist, or a long distance runner? Listen now and be prepared to be amazed!
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Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is nearly here. We are thankful for all that has been accomplished on behalf of very young children and their families, as well as for all that is to come. What are you thankful for?
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Sleep Well!
Keeping regular sleep patterns is important for a young child’s development. Listen for some findings from SLEEP 2015, an annual gathering of Professional Sleep Societies.
Resources
What We’ve Learned About Kids and Sleep in 2015 (Huffington Post)
Children and Sleep (National Sleep Foundation)
SLEEP 2015
Children and Sleep (National Sleep Foundation)
SLEEP 2015
You Are A Superhero!
It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s Resilient Parent! This superhero may not fly or leap tall buildings, but she can save your child’s future. What’s her true identity? It’s you!
Resources
I Am Safe and Secure: Promoting Resilience in Young Children (NAEYC)
Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers American Psychological Association (American Psychological Association)
Strengthening Families (Maryland Family Network)
Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers American Psychological Association (American Psychological Association)
Strengthening Families (Maryland Family Network)
Dude! You've Changed!
This is an all too familiar sentiment that many new dads hear from their friends. Well, new research shows that dads do change. And for the better.
Resources
How a New Father’s Brain Changes (Scientific American)
How Fatherhood Can Change You (National Center for Fathering)
How Fatherhood Can Change You (National Center for Fathering)
Child Care Costs
The cost of child care in America has been on the rise since 2010. In Maryland, child care is almost always the second or third largest household expense for families. It’s an investment worth the money.
Resources
Trends in Child Care 2015 (Maryland Family Network)
How to Save on Child Care (Money)
FACT SHEET: Helping All Working Families with Young Children Afford Child Care (WhiteHouse.gov)
How to Save on Child Care (Money)
FACT SHEET: Helping All Working Families with Young Children Afford Child Care (WhiteHouse.gov)
Deep Poverty
Twenty million Americans live in deep poverty. For a single parent raising one child, that translates to a gross family income of less than $7,600 dollars a year. That’s pretty deep.
Resources
Deep Poverty in the United States (Center for the Study of Social Policy)
Supporting Families in Deep Poverty: CSSP Statement on New Poverty Data (Center for the Study of Social Policy)
The Unwaged War on Deep Poverty (Urban Institute)
Income and Poverty in the United States: 2014 (U.S. Census )
Supporting Families in Deep Poverty: CSSP Statement on New Poverty Data (Center for the Study of Social Policy)
The Unwaged War on Deep Poverty (Urban Institute)
Income and Poverty in the United States: 2014 (U.S. Census )
Sharing Is Caring
Sharing is hard. Look at the difficulty some adults us have relinquishing the TV remote! And we’re often pained to lend a friend a favorite book or let our partner use our car. So it’s no wonder that sharing doesn’t come easily to children.
Resources
Let's Talk Temperaments
A child’s temperament describes how she approaches and reacts to the world. It’s her personal "style." Understanding your child’s temperament can make you a better parent.
Resources
Understanding Your Child’s Temperament (PBS.Org)
Understanding Temperament in Infants and Toddlers (Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning)
Understanding Temperament in Infants and Toddlers (Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning)
I Don't Like Your Tone
Adults can be quick to judge people. We form our opinions based on not only what people say, but also how they say it. Now researchers at the University of Toronto suggest that very young children make similar snap judgments about people based on tone of voice alone.
Resources
Infants Judge People from Their Tone of Voice (Wall Street Journal)