Sibling Rivalry
Siblings play a very powerful role in our lives. Starting as young children, brothers and sisters shape the way we feel about ourselves, our families and society. But let's face it, siblings don't always get along. There're some things parents can do to help keep the peace at home.
Resources
20 Tips to Stop Quibbling Siblings (Ask Dr. Sears)
What Is Sibling Rivalry? (University of Michigan)
When Sibling Fights Go Beyond Harmless Kid Stuff (NPR)
What Is Sibling Rivalry? (University of Michigan)
When Sibling Fights Go Beyond Harmless Kid Stuff (NPR)
Compensation
Did you know that some child care professionals earn less than a fast food server? But a child's care and education are not drive-through services. Let's work together to explore ways to raise the salaries of child care professionals in Maryland without raising child care costs or blocking access for working families.
Resources
Appropriate Apps
It starts with proud parents Tweeting pictures from the delivery room to a seemingly endless supply of smartphone apps that claim to be educational. In the first few years of life, children are around computer screens all the time. It's hard for parents to know how much exposure, if any, is okay for developing brains. Listen now for some tips that will help.
Resources
Media and Children (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Technology That Supports Early Learning (NAEYC)
Should This iPad Rattle Really Be a Baby Toy? (Fast Company)
For The Children's Sake, Put Down That Smartphone (NPR Morning Edition)
Technology That Supports Early Learning (NAEYC)
Should This iPad Rattle Really Be a Baby Toy? (Fast Company)
For The Children's Sake, Put Down That Smartphone (NPR Morning Edition)
Stem
Developing STEM skills - science, technology, engineering and math - help children do well in all areas of study. Especially when we start early. Teaching STEM skills can be easy, fun, and inexpensive.
Resources
Early Childhood Mental Health
If left untreated, a mental health problem can delay a child's normal development and lead to more severe problems later on. It's good to know there are others that parents can turn to and trust. Maryland Family Network mental health specialists work directly with child care providers, children, and parent to identify and solve problems. Together you can decide if it's just growing pains or something more.
Resources
How To Be A Successful Grandparent
Being a grandparent - like being a parent - isn't easy, especially in this digital age where things change so quickly. This week we present 10 tips on how to be a successful grandparent.
Resources
Choosing Child Care
Choosing child care is stressful for any parent. For parents who have children with special needs, the anxieties can be compounded. LOCATE Child Care, a program of Maryland Family Network, is designed to help all parents in Maryland find child care.
Resources
Reading Aloud
March is Read Aloud Month. To celebrate we've compiled some basic guidelines for making read-aloud time stimulating and fun for everyone. Soon you'll open a chapter that ends in a lifelong love of reading for the child in your life.
Resources
The 10 Read Aloud Commandments by Mem Fox Read Across America (National Education Association)
Read Across Maryland
Read Across Maryland
Early Childhood 101
The recent convergence of two fields of research -- neurological studies of early brain development and longitudinal studies of the long-term impact of early childhood experiences - confirm the importance of the years from birth to age five.
Resources
High/Scope (the Perry Preschool Project) (HighScope Educational Research Foundation)
Carolina Abecedarian Project (Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, UNC Chapel Hill)
The Chicago Child-Parent Centers (Promising Practices Network) [
Carolina Abecedarian Project (Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, UNC Chapel Hill)
The Chicago Child-Parent Centers (Promising Practices Network) [
Brain Development
From birth to age five, children experience a surge in brain growth and cognitive ability that sets the framework for all future development.
Resources
The Timing and Quality of Early Experiences Combine to Shape Brain Architecture (Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University)
Experiences Build Brain Architecture (Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University)
In Brief: The Science of Early Childhood Development (Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University)
Core Concepts in the Science of Early Childhood Development (Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University)
For more information, visit ZERO TO THREE, National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families.
Experiences Build Brain Architecture (Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University)
In Brief: The Science of Early Childhood Development (Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University)
Core Concepts in the Science of Early Childhood Development (Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University)
For more information, visit ZERO TO THREE, National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families.