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By Chloe Caldwell, The New York Times, Sept. 3, 2020 Getting a pandemic puppy seemed like a bad idea for a blended family. Until we did it. Even as a child, I never wanted a dog. When I was a longtime single through my 20s, a friend once asked me who I’d rather be with: a partner who had a dog or a partner who had a cat. I said, “a kid.” My stepdaughter, Louise, is 10 years old and like many girls her age, she has a nurturing and maternal streak. She’s attuned to the needs of her parents,...

By The HOPE Team, 10/5/21, positiveexperience.org/blog A year ago, we posted a blog with ten ways to help children have positive experiences during the pandemic. Now, we know that most families have struggled – successfully – to create positive experiences for their young children during this terribly disruptive time. Although we had hoped that the pandemic would be behind us, we are still living with COVID-19. Progress has been stalled by the rise of the more infectious delta variant and...

Due to relatively recent student-led school shootings and youth suicides, bullying has come to the forefront of the public eye. Several campaigns have evolved to prevent youth bullying in schools, but in reality, many people have forgotten that kids aren’t the only ones capable of bullying. Adults often engage in the act; and unfortunately, some adults in trusted positions, such as teachers and child care workers, focus their mean-spirited behaviors on children. For this reason, every parent...

By Claudia M. Gold , MD, September 25, 2021 Carla’s bright flamboyance stood in stark contrast to her quiet 3-month-old infant, who lay on a blanket on the floor, his eyes transfixed by the light in the ceiling. ‘I think he’s autistic” had been her opening words when she called to make an appointment in my behavioral pediatrics practice. We sat beside him on the floor. With her bright flowered dress and bangling necklaces matching her high lilting voice, she leaned into her son’s face, with...

By Alison Gopnik, The Wall Street Journal, Sept. 16, 2021 Parents may worry that babies surrounded by face masks will suffer in their development. Studies suggest there’s no cause for concern. Parents worry, and Covid-19 has given them lots of things to worry about. Here’s one: How will babies be affected by being surrounded by people in masks? Will they have trouble connecting with their parents and other people? [ Please click here to continue reading. ]

via Parents - The Barrón family, winners of Parents Kindest Family in America contest. To read more of Tod Perry's article, please click here. Parents magazine held a contest that began last April looking for the kindest family in America. Real kindness isn't about winning awards or getting your name on the cover of a magazine. But Parents thought that the campaign was a great way to inspire "families to continue to do good and to share their stories." The contest was judged by a panel that...

By Larissa Marulli, Moms, September 23, 2021 When it comes to our children and lives with our families, making memories is a vital part of the whole experience. We can only live in the present and ultimately when our kids are grown up and move out, all we will have left are the memories that you made. While that can be a sad way of looking at parenting, it is the reality of it all. This chaotic time of child-rearing that involves school, friends, homework, sports, playdates, mood swings and...

There are no children who would not like to draw. And you can hardly find parents who would not have to buy coloring books for their kids. But, unfortunately, no one or almost no one pays attention to what is hidden behind the bright cover. And oddly enough, but psychologists also do not spend a lot of their time researching colorings, or rather, what they mean. Coloring various pictures is not only interesting but also very rewarding. Painting pictures will help the child expand knowledge...

By Deborah Farmer Kris, KQED, September 23, 2021 As children file back into America’s classrooms, they bring with them “backpacks full of emotion,” says Katie Hurley, a child psychotherapist and author of " The Happy Kid Handbook ." And they are counting on adults to “work together to help them sort it out.” During children’s early years, teachers and caregivers have a prime opportunity to focus on emotional skills that support students’ academic achievement , wellness and sense of...

These suggestions offer some starting points for parents who want their children to develop a just and inclusive worldview. Look at your baby or toddler. They are still learning to eat from a spoon, roll over, stack blocks, walk a few steps, or say their first words. It’s hard to imagine that even in these early years, young children are being shaped by the biases that surround them in the world. This is why parenting for social justice begins at birth. Get started with the following tips.

As child care costs continue to rise, more and more grandparents are stepping up to care for today’s infants and toddlers. While there are great rewards to these relationships, the dynamics can be challenging to navigate. ZERO TO THREE has created a suite of resources for professionals and families that include the latest information, tools and best practices to help support caregivers across the generations. Click here to find resources for professionals and for families!

I recently had a conversation with a local organization and a terrific question came up so I'd love to ask YOU! Once a father is screened for ACES what would be the next step in referrals? Who would you as an agency turn to? Are there local fathers groups or resources that have seen success?