Fine motor skills are the ability to make movements using the small muscles in our hands and wrists. These skills are important for all ages and are developed from birth. Infancy-12 months Placing toys within reach (or for younger infants in their hands) helps to build the small muscles that are used for grasping. Bonus Read More
Category: Learn
Handwashing
By the time your child is 4 years old they should be able to wash and dry their hands on their own. Younger children will need help, and sometimes older children might need assistance and/or supervision. But even adults don’t necessarily follow standard hand washing hygiene, despite hand washing being the number one way of Read More
Siblings And Language Development
Communication is comprised of both expressive and receptive language skills. Receptive skills are what we hear and understand. Expressive language is vocabulary, usage (grammar) and articulation (how words sound when we pronounce them). Read More
Cooperative Play And Socialization
Do infants need to socialize? Many parents I work with wonder how important it is to socialize their infants—spending time with other children the same age–to develop social skills. Parents are usually surprised when I tell them that cooperative play and sharing skills don’t emerge until at least 3 years old! Infants tend to interact Read More
Learning Apps and Marketing to Children
Parents want the best for their children. Many turn to “learning apps” that their children can “play” on phones, pads and computers. But, most parents might be dismayed to find out that 95% of apps marketed to children contain at least one form of advertising directed at children. And, often, these ads are not age Read More
Developing Trust
What is trust? As parents, how can we teach our children to be trustworthy? Trust is difficult to understand for most adults, and even harder to teach kids. Dr. Brené Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston, recommends using a marble jar to help children visualize trust. Her research suggests that small, seemingly Read More