Why less can be more for young children, and how to actually get there. I saw an Instagram post today that included the hook: A child can never have too many toys. …and I hope I can convince you otherwise. A little tongue-in-cheek, but it highlights how easily toys can take over a home and […]
We all understand that children may go through periods of more and less comfort with less-familiar people–no big surprise–but in the moment, it can feel exhausting, stressful, and even embarrassing. (First thing: distinguishing stranger anxiety from separation anxiety–which is really my jam!–we’ll talk about this related-but-distinct happening another day.) Stranger anxiety is a typical developmental
Smoothing Stranger Anxiety Read More »
Not sure whose work this is, but whomever: I hope you never stop loving glue sticks. Scroll Instagram or Pinterest or search “toddler art projects” on google, and you’ll find a lot of traced hands, painty footprints, and googly eyes. Please know: I have nothing against any of these individually or even, occasionally, together, but:
I Hope You Never Stop Loving Glue Sticks Read More »
You might have been here before (I know I have):
You ask or tell your toddler to do something, and instead…
But What Do I Do Instead (of a Time Out)? Read More »
This is a repost from our private IG group (session families, click to read the 100+ posts over there!), but it never gets old. A simple way to help your child absorb what you are sharing: show, then tell. (Or tell, then show…but not show & tell!) When presenting a new activity to a child, alternate between
This is a repost from our private IG group (session families, click to read the 100+ posts over there!), but it feels timely heading into the new year. I bought and wear this shirt as a reminder to myself, but I wonder if it could be a good reminder for all of us? If we’re
I Promise, You Can Read More »
(repost from December, 2023, but it never goes out of style!) Especially at this time of year, we read, hear, and think a lot about traditions. It can feel like significant pressure to make childhood as magical as possible by creating new traditions while also keeping up with old ones. A perspective shift to consider
When the Simplest Means the Most Read More »
(repost from May, 2023…this has, interestingly, come up multiple times with multiple toddlers in our classes over the last few weeks…there must be some developmental bursts happening!) I wondered a couple of posts ago why kids stick out their tongues while they concentrate, and yes, there is a study! (More than one, actually, with some
A Concentration Mystery, Solved Read More »
With arguably the biggest eating holiday we have coming up this week, I’d love to offer a few deep thoughts: > your child may never like green jello salad with cottage cheese > your child may eventually like green jello salad with cottage cheese > your child may eat way too much green jello salad
Deep Thoughts + Jello Read More »
I wonder if class adults might think there’s a little bit of magic floating around at Clementine, because I’ll sometimes overhear a conversation about something that’s needed (a paper refill, more apples, a missing tiger) and then just sort of appear beside them with it. (Sometimes I wait for a conversation with the child, too,
Two (No, Three) Kinds of Magic Read More »
the winter session schedule comes out 11/24!
