Browsing Category: Child Development

6 Skills Your Child Learns from Reading That Aren’t Literacy

6 Skills Your Child Learns from Reading That Aren't Literacy

I often write about how important reading is to me, and as a part of how I’m raising Harley. All the studies say that babies, toddlers and kids who are read to for at least 20 minutes a day perform better in school. But this goes beyond test scores and even beyond teaching a kid to read, because there are many things our kids learn – skills from reading that aren’t literacy.

This might seem a bit counterintuitive. I mean, the whole point of reading to kids is to teach them to read and get them literate, right? Well, not exactly. There’s a whole lot more that goes into it, like having a healthy bedtime routine. But there are also specific skills that kids use for the rest of their lives that can start with simply reading together. Continue Reading

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Videos for Toddlers: Dora the Explorer

Dora The Explorer

(Disclaimer: Yes, there are some affiliate links below. But the editorial content of this post is still the same as it would be otherwise)

Even before we gave Harley her own tablet, we were looking for video content for her. The reality is that screen time isn’t 100% evil, and honestly, sometimes we all need time to zone out – her in front of a video and me without a two-year-old demanding my complete attention. That said, I still like to encourage her to watch things that expand her mind, teach her something, or are generally worthwhile. She found Dora the Explorer all by herself because toddlers are terrifyingly brilliant creatures, and here’s what I think about it. Continue Reading

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Videos for Toddlers: Bubble Guppies

Bubble Guppies

(Disclaimer: Yes, there are some affiliate links below. But the editorial content of this post is still the same as it would be otherwise)

Even before we gave Harley her own tablet, we were looking for video content for her. The reality is that screen time isn’t 100% evil, and honestly, sometimes we all need time to zone out – her in front of a video and me without a two-year-old demanding my complete attention. That said, I still like to encourage her to watch things that expand her mind, teach her something, or are generally worthwhile. I’ve found a bunch of awesome shows for kids, and I thought I’d share them with you. This week, it’s Bubble Guppies. Continue Reading

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Videos for toddlers: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood

Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood

(Disclaimer: Yes, there are some affiliate links below. But the editorial content of this post is still the same as it would be otherwise)

Even before we gave Harley her own tablet, we were looking for video content for her. The reality is that screen time isn’t 100% evil, and honestly, sometimes we all need time to zone out – her in front of a video and me without a two-year-old demanding my complete attention. That said, I still like to encourage her to watch things that expand her mind, teach her something, or are generally worthwhile. I’ve found a bunch of awesome shows for kids, and I thought I’d share them with you. This week, it’s Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Continue Reading

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If you like these words, please check out more of what I say on twitter and Facebook, and pics I take on Instagram and subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me on Pinterest.
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Videos for toddlers: Creative Galaxy

Creative Galaxy

(Disclaimer: Yes, there are some affiliate links below. But the editorial content of this post is still the same as it would be otherwise)

Even before we gave Harley her own tablet, we were looking for video content for her. The reality is that screen time isn’t 100% evil, and honestly, sometimes we all need time to zone out – her in front of a video and me without a two-year-old demanding my complete attention. That said, I still like to encourage her to watch things that expand her mind, teach her something, or are generally worthwhile. I’ve found a bunch of awesome shows for kids, and I thought I’d share them with you, starting with one of my favorites – Creative Galaxy. Continue Reading

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If you like these words, please check out more of what I say on twitter and Facebook, and pics I take on Instagram and subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me on Pinterest.
Also, please be sure to sign up to my carefully curated, crafted and infrequent newsletter.