The Nurtured Noggins Blog
International travel with a baby
Travel. What a fun thing to do with your baby! But sometimes it can be a little tricky. We just got back from a vacation to Italy. Wow, what a wonderful experience! Not sure I’ve ever seen so much beauty and history (and so many people from all over the world)...
read more
“Loose Parts” Play: Problem solving and creativity with everyday stuff
Every moment your baby is awake they are learning something. You know this already. But when it comes to "teaching" your baby, it’s easy to put learning into categories — when you go to the park, she’s learning about trees and flowers, when you read a book,...
read more
4 Easy ways to encourage pretend play
Pretend Play: What is it? Cadence loves to pretend to be “Grump Cera”, a baby dinosaur from the movie Land Before Time and she’s got it down! For over a year she's focused on this one character, honing her dinosaur skills as she plays. Note how she holds her body,...
read more
10 Reasons to go on a walk with your baby right now
Today's a good day for a walk. Lots of good reasons to do so - most importantly for you, it’s good for the soul to get outside! And for your kids, whether they’re walking on their own two feet or riding in a stroller, there’s so much to learn from a simple walk around...
read more
Making the most of all those diaper changes
How to Support Your Baby's Developmental Growth During Routine Diaper Changes!5000. That’s the average number of times a baby will have their diaper changed in the early years. Good grief, that’s a lot of diapers! Let’s not even go there about the money spent - just...
read more
Lining up blocks… what does this tell us?
Block Play! Last week we got to hang out with Megan, Josh and the grandkids! We live far apart so when we spend time together, it’s really special. And of course, since I love all things child development, it’s fun to see how the kids have grown, what they like to...
read moreFree Download: How to Talk to Your Newborn
7 reasons newborns cry (and ways to make it stop!)
Babies don’t cry to manipulate. They cry to communicate a physical condition or emotion. You won’t spoil your baby when you respond to crying. Rather, your response gives your baby a sense of security, that she knows she’s heard and understood and that you will keep her safe. It doesn’t teach her to cry more.
read more
Supporting Emotional Development
Children pick up on our emotions at an amazingly young age. Researchers have found that babies as young as 4 months can detect positive and negative emotions in our facial expressions and tone of voice.
read more
Baby Gazes
When we gaze into the eyes of our newborn we fall in love. And this begins from the moment the baby comes into your life, whether by biological birth, through adoption or whatever circumstance a baby comes into your world. This is how we attach to one another.
read more
10 things to look for when choosing child care for your baby
How to Choose a Childcare Center for My New Baby? It’s time to make one of the more important decisions that you’ll make as a parent – finding child care for your little one. You’ve done your due diligence. You’ve asked for recommendations from friends, checked state...
read more
Make Playdough Together
Best Playdough Recipe Ever Everybody loves playdough, especially me. It’s a universal soother for toddlers through grownups! It lends itself to great conversation and imaginative play (everybody makes playdough snakes and slithers them around the table…) Make a fresh...
read more
My Newborn Essential List
There are thousands of things you can buy for your baby. But what do you really NEED? Check out this list that talks about actual newborn necessities and nice-to have- items. Plus, a bonus list of helpful newborn items you won’t find on most registries.
read more
Children’s Books About Death
Reading can be a gentle way to face and process new ideas. By reading books about certain topics, like death, you give your child the opportunity to explore the concept, ask questions, and facilitate conversation. Here are my favorite children’s books that address death.
read more
The One Question About My Baby I Can’t Stand…
I love getting questions and advice from people about parenting, but this is one question I can’t stand. Let me tell you why.
read more
30 Encouragements for Any Baby (or Big Kid!)
Positive language helps children to succeed and thrive. But sometimes it can be hard to think of positive things to say to your baby… you’re still getting to know them after all. Here are 30 encouragements to use with you baby (or big kid!) today.
read more