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.
We all know 0-3 month olds pretty much eat, sleep, and poop. But what do we do with them when they’re awake? Learn 20 ways to play with your 0-3 month old.
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #56: Surviving the First Year of Motherhood with Becky Viera, Author of Enough About the Baby Surviving the first year of motherhood can be an incredibly challenging experience, yet many of the struggles that new...
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.
We all know 0-3 month olds pretty much eat, sleep, and poop. But what do we do with them when they’re awake? Learn 20 ways to play with your 0-3 month old.
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #55: 5 Myths about Newborns with Deborah McNelis It's easy to feel lost and overwhelmed when it comes to caring for your newborn, but don't worry! Let me introduce you to Deborah McNelis, who's here to help guide...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #54: Mom Story: How I Helped My Only Child Welcome a New Baby with Zlata Stankovic-Ramirez When she found out she was pregnant, today's featured mom wondered how she could help her only child welcome a new baby...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #53: The Greatest Letter You'll Ever Write with Blake Brewer Blake Brewer is on a mission to help 1 million dads and moms write a lasting legacy letter for their children. His story is personal to me. When our...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #52: Mental Self-Care for New Moms with Colleen O'Grady What are the habits new moms can begin now to ensure a healthy mindset throughout the all the stages of parenting? In this episode, Colleen O'Grady explains...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #51: The Benefits of Play with Dr. Stephanie Goloway What are the benefits of play, besides entertaining your child? Our guest today says there's lots more going on when you simply play and interact with your...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #50: Mom Story: Why I Took a Break from Social Media with Priscilla Hall Do you ever feel like you just need to take a break from social media? I sure do! I love seeing what people are doing, saying and teaching me. But...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #49: What New Parents Need to Know About Babies and Music There's just something about music and babies. New parents seem to know intuitively that it will soothe their baby and will naturally rock and sway as they...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #48: Parenting with a Positive Mindset Keeping a positive mindset as a new parent is challenging because the first 3 years can be intense. First you have months of interrupted sleep and adjustments, going back to work...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #47: New Year Intentions for Every New Parent What will happen in 2023 for you? What will happen for your child? You’ve likely got some new year intentions for yourself... or maybe not. Some people love setting...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #46: The Gift of Parenting: Reflections from Parenting Experts It's a good idea to regularly reflect on your parenting journey, to step back and take a look at what you're learning, how you've changed as a...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #45: Wisdom from a Montessori Mom with Maranda Deason In this mom story, you'll meet Maranda Deason, Montessori teacher and mother of 7 children including 3 under age two! She shares her thoughts on the cultural changes...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #44: Language Development in the First Years with Lenora Edwards Language development in the first years seems to just happen on its own. But is this really true? Will babies just naturally say their first words...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #43: Attachment Parenting Explained with Diane Goyette and Gabrielle Holt There's a lively conversation on social media about attachment parenting and sometimes it feels like just one more thing to get right, or...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #42: How Your Enneagram Type Affects Parenting with Rochelle Bridges What's your Enneagram type? I'm a 9 all the way, straight up. I have all the quirks and characteristics of this Enneagram personality type. I'm...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #41: 5 Ways to Soothe a Crying Newborn with Dympna Kennedy The sound of a crying newborn... oh my goodness. It sends shivers up our spine, creates emotional tension and we just want to do all we can to help them....
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #40: How to Organize Toys with Amanda Liford You love ‘em, your kid loves ‘em, people give you lots of them and after a while, they take over your house! How do you organize toys? Amanda Liford, has the answers. ...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #39: What Happens When Your Child Puts on a Costume? Developmental Play! with Ann McKitrick It's that time of year when kids like to wear their Halloween costume any chance they get and I say, let 'em! It seems like just a...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #38: What to Expect in the Fourth Trimester with Meg & Carly of Fourth Trimester Foundations The "fourth trimester" is the term coined for the first 3 months after birth. Those first weeks are beautiful, memorable and...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #37: Making Holiday Plans that Work for Your Child with Prerna Richards It's time to make holiday plans, which will likely include get-togethers and parties with lots of people. What do you do when your child screams,...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #36: How COVID Changed Children's Lives with Anya Kamenetz The story of COVID and children isn't over. Because much of this unique story will unfold over time. In this episode, Anya Kamenetz, author of The Stolen Year: How...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #35: Postpartum Mental Health: Are These Feelings Normal? with Sherry Duson Postpartum mental health is often a not-talked-about-enough topic. Most new parents experience up and down emotions in the first weeks and months...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #34: What Grandparents Need to Know Grandparents, aunties, uncles, extended family all play an important role in your baby's life. Babies have a way of bringing a new dimension to families and learning what works for your...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #33: How to Break Negative Cycles in Parenting with Lorena Seidel, Joyful Parenting In this episode, we discuss parenting strategies that enable you to break free from negative cycles you may have experienced as a child....
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #32: Birthday Party Planning for Babies and Toddlers with Kim Morrison, The Hygge Gathering It's an amazing milestone ~ you all made it through the first year! Now it's time to do some birthday party planning....
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #31: How New Parents Can Support Secure Attachment with Annie Brook, Therapist & Founder of the Brook Institute In this episode, Annie Brook and I explore ways to support secure attachment between parents and...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #30: 5 Things to know about starting preschool Starting preschool is an exciting milestone for your child and will build a strong foundation for kindergarten. In this episode, you'll learn what types of programs are...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #29: How Motherly Helps New Mothers with Liz Tenety, Co-Founder of Motherly Liz Tenety, co-founder of Motherly, gives behind-the-scenes insight on trends, what she sees as a big source of struggles for new mothers,...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #28: Exploring Parenting Styles: RIE with Erica Orosco Cruz Finding your own personal parenting style when you first have a baby takes time. There are so many people and approaches to glean from as you find what...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #27: The 6 Stages of Parenting with Ann McKitrick Just as our children are going through phases of development throughout their lives, we too are going through stages of parenting as our kid get...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #26: What Does Parental Self-Care Look Like? with Sue Ludwig When you're a new parent, you're expected to do it all. Homemade food, the best diapers, constant eye contact and playtime, zero chemicals. Meanwhile, the...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #25: How to Talk to Kids About Death with Michele Benyo Have you had the death talk with your child yet? Maybe it hasn't come up. Maybe you think they're too young. Or maybe you were forced to discuss it after a family pet...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #24: Six Quick Tips for Toddler Parenting Struggles with Gabrielle Holt You’re doing it all... working a joy you love, taking care of littles, finding time for the big things that matter. But right now, at this...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #23: Finding Guidance through Faith and Prayer with Bunmi Laditan Parents around the world find comfort and guidance in their spiritual faith, even during the hardest of times of their parenting journey. Prayer,...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #22: The Power of Smell in Attachment with Jude Stewart Everyone knows that special newborn smell. And if you haven't experienced it yet, you've no doubt heard about it. Mothers young and old can recall the smell their...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #20: Babies Need Diversity: Fathers and Attachment with Dr. Josh Thompson Fathers play an important and complicated role in their family. Not too long ago, fathers were expected to provide financially, and not much else....
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #20: Debunking Breastfeeding Myths with Erica Campbell Breastfeeding. It's one of the most controversial topics concerning motherhood. And no wonder - it's both communal and extremely personal, there are so many...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #19: Keeping a Growth Mindset While Parenting with Estelle Giraud When you have a growth mindset, you believe that your abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work (compared to solely relying on brains and...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #18: Teaching Your Child Autonomy at a Young Age with Rae Pica One of our goals as parents is to raise confident, independent human beings who can take care of themselves so they can one day leave home and start a life...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #17: Creating a Loving Home with Deborah Farmer Kris Showing our children that our love is not based on how "good" they are is an important part of creating a lasting bond between parent and child. Not only that, but it...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #16: Introducing Solid Food the Montessori Way with Sarah Moudry Little ones love to help, especially when it involves food. But our culture tends to exclude young children from the entire process of serving a meal. We sit...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #15: Introducing Foods to Infants and Toddlers to Raise Intuitive Eaters with Dani Lebovitz The way we talk about food in today's culture is vastly different than when I was growing up (take a listen below to hear about...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #14: The Dos and Don'ts of Developmental Play We all need play in our lives. Yes, even you! It's amazing to watch babies and children play. It comes so naturally to them, whereas it seems like we as adults completely...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #13: Tips for Potty Training with Positivity with Camilla McGill How do you know when your child is ready to use the potty? How do you teach them to do it? Should you give them rewards or candy when they're successful?...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #12: Trauma in Early Childhood with Holly Elissa Bruno Did your baby or child experience any trauma in early childhood? If you were quick to answer 'no', consider whether the past couple of years, living through a...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #11: How to Handle and Prevent Child Care Issues with Dr. Zlata Stankovic-Ramirez Things can get a little sticky when parents and childcare providers don't see eye-to-eye on things like discipline, nutrition, and...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #10: Help Your Baby Sleep Better at Night with Joanna Clark There's nothing more frustrating as a new parent than dealing with sleep disruptions. After all, when the baby doesn't sleep well, neither does one or both of the...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #9: Four Things to Do With Your Newborn with Deborah McNelis We've all heard how important the first 60 days are for your newborn's development. But when all you see them do is sleep, eat, and poop, it can be hard to...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #8: How to Manage Tantrums & Meltdowns with Diane Goyette Tantrums can be very triggering, leaving us feeling bewildered, impatient, overwhelmed, helpless, and ready to throw in the towel on this whole parenting thing....
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #7: "Is She a Good Baby?" Exploring Infant Temperaments with Ann McKitrick There’s one question people commonly ask new parents that I can’t stand. And that’s, “is she a good baby?” Everyone wants an easy baby! But that’s...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #6: How to Hygge with Your Baby with Maria Dior Denmark has repeatedly been voted as having the happiest people in the world. It may be due to this thing called hygge (pronounced hoo-guh), which is a Danish term that means...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #5: Tips for Parenting a 2-Year-Old with Ann McKitrick People's opinions about parenting a 2-year-old are no big secret. After all, toddlers have a bad rap. Maybe you've even had someone say to you, "just wait until...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #4: Phones and Screen Time for Babies with Ann McKitrick Screen time for babies is a tricky topic. Babies and toddlers know, just as we do, that there are so many fun things to do with a phone! Maybe you're trying to work,...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #3: How to Help Your Baby Thrive When Starting Daycare with Gabrielle Holt Starting daycare is a big adjustment for parents and children alike. How can you best prepare? What if the transition doesn't go well? Will your...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #2: What Makes Babies Laugh? with Ann McKitrick Just like everything else when it comes to children, humor is developmental and amazingly enough it starts really early in life! Babies laugh before they talk, which...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #1: Why Baby Talk is Good for Language Development with Ann McKitrick We all know that people use a different tone of voice when they talk to babies, like what we would typically call ‘baby talk’. Researchers have...
Parenting in the First 3 Years Podcast #0: Trailer with Ann McKitrick You know, there’s a transition that takes place when we become a parent. It looks different for everyone and it’s not just one-and-done. It’s a transition that repeats itself in every stage...
Why should you get some puzzles for your toddler? Play is essential for toddlers - it's how they figure things out. They need opportunities to play with good toys and materials and use their imagination. Puzzles fit the bill! They provide lots of learning - from...
Can toddlers write? As soon as your little one becomes interested, you can give them some big paper and a marker to get them started. Learning to make a mark on the page is actually an important part of early literacy, which begins in the first three years of life....
Making playdough with toddlers. We had a tray on the shelf with all the playdough ingredients and made a fresh batch about every 2 weeks. When I was a teacher, our class loved making playdough. We pull out the tray of ingredients and the kids would take turns dumping...
Tea parties. We started them early on at our house. I think it started that time I spotted Good Mood Tea at Whole Foods. I bought a box for the next time the crankies set in. Because um, that happened often with three kids under age four. I bought it for myself, then...
Do you need to sanitize your baby's toys? Um, yeah. Today I was scrolling through facebook and saw a picture of my friend's baby wearing a cute little outfit she'd made by hand. In the background their dog was licking a baby toy lying on the floor. This is why we need...
What's a lovey? It's a blanket, a teddy bear or some other object that children attached to. They use loveys to comfort themselves at bedtime and in other situations where they feel the need for something cozy and familiar. The psychological term for this is...
We've got a closet full of toys upstairs in the kids room. When the grandkids are here, they spend LOTS of time playing up there! In fact, sometimes when we're FaceTiming now, I'll walk up there and we'll "visit" the toys and they get so excited! 😂 If you were here,...
Toddlers can be picky and it’s not because they’re trying to be difficult. Eating is a developmental process, it takes time to master. Try these toddler snacks!
It’s one of those things that connects us all. We love to look at pictures of people we love! How about making some toddler books with pictures of familiar people and places?
What’s the difference between a pregnancy cookie and a regular cookie? Do labor cookies really make your labor begin?
Make reading a part of your daily routine. You’ve heard about the importance of social-emotional development in the first years. But what does that actually look like in the day to day? Social-emotional development includes your child’s experience, expression, and...
There's not much better than snuggling up with a good book. It's one of my favorite things, especially when I'm snuggling with a child. 🥰 If your brand new to parenting, you may feel unsure how to go about reading a book to a baby that's so young they can't talk yet....
When do you really need to start reading to your baby? Now's a good time! Early literacy begins early. Research shows that newborns are born equipped to respond to the language they've heard in the womb. They've been listening to you all this time and they love your...
It's one of the first things people ask, "Is he keeping you awake at night?" (Um, yes he's awake at night, he's a newborn) This week I sat down with Joanna Clark of Blissful Baby Sleep Coaching to talk about sleep patterns for newborns. I asked her what you should...
Talk about adulting. This is it. Likely one of the first big decisions you'll make when you become a parent. It's a decision that will deeply impact your family, especially your baby. The folks who care for your baby while you work will become your partners in...
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Oh my goodness... I don’t know about you but it feels to me like unknowns of COVID are lasting a lot longer than I expected. As this all unfolds, new parents are faced with questions that weren’t even in our grid 8 months ago! Pregnancy can be filled with a lot of...
A 10-day old baby will present many different changes from when it was brought into the world. Here are some of the changes that you may want to watch out for…
While infant attachment is sometimes overlooked by some parents and caretakers, it matters to the baby’s communication development a lot. Here’s how the process usually begins and the reasons why it’s vital for the baby’s progress…
Having baby feeding essentials with you before the baby comes is important. For that reason, here’s a list of items you may want to get before the big day.
Every baby is unique, and you are the expert on your own child. I do everything based on a career in early childhood education, coaching early childhood teachers and parents.
Are you a new parent looking for parenting tips? Read about why the first 3 years are important for your child’s development and learn how you can help.
Are you looking for fun activities you can do at home with your toddler? Learn about how you can use shipping boxes to create fun activities for your toddler.
Is your baby teething and wanting to chew on everything in sight? Learn how you can make delicious teething sticks from banana bread.
How do you know if your little baby is taking in enough formula in order to get what they need nutritionally to grow? In this article, I will talk about some guidelines to follow that will help you decide on how much to feed your baby.
Have you wondered why toddlers make silly decisions? Read about how this is due to them learning about the consequences to behavior and how you can help them with their behavior development.
I love labor and delivery stories. Every story has the features of an exciting docu-drama — the inklings of early labor, the wondering of “should I call the doctor?”, “should we just wait or go ahead and go?” The thrill of the birth and the flood of emotion that follows. Then the calm after the storm as everyone, including baby, begins the process of healing and resting up from the experience of labor/delivery and settles into the new life of being a family. One of my favorite labor stories comes from my friends, Glen and Laura.
For many new parents, the first time they hold their tiny bundle of joy triggers an instant bonding. In the early years, a baby’s brain grows rapidly making millions of neural connections, so a variety of experiences and exposure aids physical, cognitive, social and language development. Read about a few ways in which bonding and baby development in the early years can go hand-in-hand.
Do you have a young child and wonder why they love to play Peekaboo? Read about why they love to play this popular game and how it helps with their development.
House rules are important, but did you know that it is also beneficial for their behavior development? Learn about why house rules promote good behavior
Curious about the speech and language development process for toddlers and babies? Learn about how electronic devices can help aid the process.
Are you looking for ways that you can organize and create fun activities for your kids while at home? Learn about some fun activities that we think will help!
Do you have a toddler that bites others and don’t understand why? Learn why biting is a part of a toddler’s development and suggestions that you can do for when it happens
Have you ever wondered how you can create fun learning activities for your kids with items around the house? Learn about how a roll of tape is all you need!
Are you tired of your toddler constantly demanding that they get their way ? Learn about how offering choices can help reduce the amount of arguing.
Social distancing is easier for some of us than others. Especially our children. For those on the more introverted side, they're delighted to stay home and hang with the family. They are content! For your children who are extroverted, it’s a little like torture not...
You have new coworkers. As we navigate the challenges of coronavirus and its implications to daily life, it’s important to keep something, or rather someone in mind. And that’s your kid. It’s a big adjustment for you, moving from everyday go-to-work life to figuring...
I was recently in Minneapolis, hanging out with the grandkids. I get up there a couple of times of year - usually once in the dead of winter and once to enjoy their beautiful summertime. One way I cement a long distance relationship with them is to have consistent...
You are really, really important to your child. You see it in the way your baby gazes at you, prefers you over others and cries when you leave. We know we’re important in our child’s life but do we truly understand this? Attachment researchers tell us that we become...
Love on your baby. Then they'll be really smart. Love is in the air. Even though Valentine's day focuses on romantic love, it’s a great time to hone in on the love connection between you and your child. It’s amazing to realize that your child’s brain...
When I became pregnant with my first I quickly realized how few friends I had in the same boat. The handful of friends I had with kids lived in different states and I found myself scrambling to find friends undergoing the same life transition. Having a community full...
5 tips for new parents Anytime you begin a new job there’s a period of orientation. And depending on the complexity of the work you’ll be doing, you might have months of training before you’re on your own with full responsibility. When you become a parent, while...
We really can't help ourselves. Something inside us kind of melts. Have you ever noticed the feeling you get when you see little tiny puppies or kittens, or even a baby elephant at the zoo? Or had complete strangers stop to talk to you as you walk your puppy? We...
Recently I had the privilege of presenting a training to over 150 Head Start teachers in Houston. The topic was understanding autism and we covered lots of information about neurological development that happens in the first several years of life. One of the word...
I’m a child development specialist, parent coach and teacher trainer. I’ve cared for countless babies in child development programs, plus 3 kids, 3 grand babies and 5 foster babies! I LOVE babies and would come hold yours if I could. ❤️
