Fostering security and joy in the new school year for elementary students and their families We said it last fall, and we have to say it again: this year, everything is different. Many children are in-person this school year with teachers and classmates for the first time in 18 months. But the time off was Read More
Parent Tips
Hold and Reach
Encourage Infant Hand and Arm Use You make a difference in your baby’s development! Most babies are unable to reach for objects in the first 3 months of life. If you have participated in Parent Trust’s developmental screening program and have done a 4-month screening, you may remember an activity of holding a dangling toy Read More
Music for Sleep…Maybe Not
Parents truly appreciate the importance of a good night’s sleep. A recent experiment shows that listening to music before bed-contrary to much current advice-can actually reduce your quality of sleep. The study focused on the phenomenon of “earworms”–when a song or tune plays over and over again in a person’s mind. Although this typically happens Read More
Relax About Relaxing
In today’s world, we are all bombarded with the message that it’s important to de-stress. You know that you should take time out to relax, rejuvenate–get some “me time.” But if you are anything like me, this knowledge is coupled with a crippling sense of guilt for actually doing what you know is good for Read More
Green Hat, Blue Hat
Green Hat, Blue Hat >> By Sandra Boynton Ages 1-3 Summary: Three earnest animals and one misguided turkey learn colors and clothes. Marni’s comments: I confess–I’m not a Boynton fan. But I was doing a Zoom screening with a 2 ½ year old recently, and he was cracking up repeatedly while reading this book. I Read More
The Dogist Puppies
The Dogist Puppies >> By Elias Weiss Friedman All ages Marni’s summary and commentary: When I was growing up, we had a coffee table book that was all photographs of cats. When we were very lucky, my mom would pull it out and sit with me and my sister as we went through page by Read More