Our Blog

When I was first pregnant, in the doctor’s office I loved reading the magazines that offered handy-dandy little tips for solving all the major parenting problems. Sleep, discipline, feeding, potty training — it all looked so easy! Then reality hit. Wake the baby to make sure she nurses enough? AS IF! None of my babies […]

By Dr. Pam Schiller Curiosity is defined as “an eager desire to know or learn.” Curious children want to know “why.” They see possibilities. They explore. They are adventurous. Scientists claim that curiosity is the fuel of intellect. Children are born curious. It is the driving force that compels the baby to reach for a […]

By Joan Lessen-Firestone, Ph.D. Marshmallows played a central role in a classic study of young children’s ability to control their impulses and regulate their behavior. Four-year-olds were given the choice of eating one marshmallow immediately or waiting about fifteen minutes to get two. Not surprisingly, only about a third of the children were able to […]

By Dr. Pam Schiller Joy: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or by the prospect of possessing what one desires Joy belongs to all of us. It is the cornerstone of living fully. In today’s fast-paced, hurry-up world, it is easy to lose joy without meaning to — it is easy to rob our children […]

By Dr. Heather My son was turning 3. After a long toddlerhood of screaming, not sleeping and throwing tantrums, I was ready for a break. Hurray! I thought. The Terrible Twos are over! A birthday party was had. He was walking — and talking — more confidently. He didn’t look so much like a toddler […]

By Pam Schiller, Ph.D. The first three years of life lay the foundation for lifelong learning. During this critical time, a child’s brain is busy wiring the foundation for vision, emotional stability, language development, motor development, thinking skills and much more. By age 3, a child’s brain is two and a half times more active […]

By Dr. Heather My two youngest kids were having fun together in the playroom, so I started the dishes. All of a sudden, my 4-year-old screamed in shock and pain, “Mom! Sasha bit me!” And sure enough, she had. Our otherwise adorable 14-month-old left bite marks, and she and her brother were crying. So much […]

When my first child started preschool, I dreaded it for weeks. Would she cry? What if she needed me?

Our new blog, Learning Together, gathers a few of the country’s leading education experts to write candidly about the latest childhood development and early childhood education research.