Parenting in the First 3 Years

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 of their own. The problem is, today's culture of gentle hands-on parenting is often construed as not letting your child make any mistakes, and doing everything for them. So how can we encourage autonomy in our children from a young age in a kind and supportive manner? What are some things we can let our toddlers do on their own to help build their confidence?

In this episode, I talk to early childhood consultant Rae Pica about ways to develop and educate your child as a whole by letting them take action on their own and make their own decisions and mistakes.

Author of 22 books, including What If Everybody Understood Child Development? and What If We Taught the Way Children Learn? Rae has shared her expertise with such groups as the Sesame Street Research Department, the Head Start Bureau, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Chicago Children’s Museum, Mattel, and Hasbro.

Show notes and lots of resources here!

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 can actually help our children regulate their emotions better, and gives them the emotional intelligence needed to navigate tough feelings for the rest of their lives. But how can we best explain this concept to our young kids? And how can we use these principles of kindness and positive language to lift ourselves up as parents?

In this episode, I talk to child development expert and author Deborah Farmer Kris about how we can create a home where our children know they’re loved unconditionally, while also showing ourselves the same compassion.

Founder of Parenthood365, Deborah works as a parenting columnist and consultant for PBS KIDS, writes about child development for NPR’s MindShift, and is the author of the “All the Time” picture book series. Her work has also been featured in The Washington Post, Boston Globe Magazine, and Oprah Daily.

Check out the full show notes here!

This is part 2 of a conversation with Sarah Moudry. In this bonus episode, we talk about how to turn your family kitchen into a Montessori kitchen so you can encourage hands-on learning during the prep and clean-up of meals.

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 them in a high chair, away from the table, a plate magically appears in front of them, and we feed them without letting them try it on their own. What if we started incorporating our infants and toddlers into every part of the meal? Could they help set up? Could they serve themselves and eat on their own? What about the inevitable mess?

In this episode, I talk to early childhood educator Sarah Moudry about how we can encourage our infants and toddlers to be active participants in mealtimes.

Sarah is an author, international speaker, and founder and owner of The Studio June, an early educational studio for young children and parents offering in-person and online classes. She is also an interior designer and spends much of her time creating both classroom and home Montessori environments where children can learn and develop.

Check out the full show notes here!

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 my parents and their 5 lb block of cheese!). There's a lot of talk out there about diet culture, but what does that really mean? How can we lead our children into a healthy relationship with food from introducing solids, all the way through their toddler years and beyond? 

In this episode, I talk to pediatric registered dietitian nutritionist Dani Lebovitz about how we can raise healthy and intuitive eaters by the way we are introducing foods to infants and toddlers.

Dani is an author, early childhood education advocate, and Mom of 3 who founded Kid Food Explorers, a resource hub and learning platform that empowers families on their journey to raise confident, adventurous eaters.

Check out the full show notes here!

We all need play in our lives. Yes, even you! It's amazing to watch babies and children play. It comes naturally to them, whereas it seems as adults we completely forget how to do it. Even though the way children play seems relatively simple, it's actually developmental play. It's how babies and young children learn about themselves and the world around them.

In this episode, I'll cover the 6 stages of play, from birth through 4+ years. I answer the questions every parent wants to know: when will my child start playing without me? And when will they start playing with other kids? Not only that, but I delve into the dos and don'ts of developmental play, along with some ideas for how you and your partner can add some child-free play to your routine.

Download our resource, 20 Ways to Play with your Baby & Toddler for simple activities you can do with your child today, using things you already have around the house! 

Check out the full show notes here.

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? What’s the best way to respond when they have an accident?

So many questions surround the simple task of learning to go to the bathroom-- the skill that every child has to learn. And every parent scratches their head about it because there are so many mixed messages out there.

In this episode, I talk to parenting coach Camilla McGill about her tips for potty training that are gentle, nurturing, developmental, and positive – all the things I love! Plus she’s got a brand new book out that gives you step-by-step instructions and insight for your child.

Camilla is a mom of four adult children and has been a parent educator for over 20 years. She founded My Parenting Solutions which provides online courses, along with group and 1:1 coaching sessions for parents.

Check out the full show notes here!

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 once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, has felt like a traumatic experience to you. In what ways might this have also affected your little one?

On the other hand, if you’re involved in the world of foster care, or you have experience with adoption, the idea of trauma may be one you’re very familiar with. But do you know what truly constitutes trauma, and how it changes babies’ brains?

In this episode, I talk to Holly Elissa Bruno, a bestselling award-willing author and keynote speaker on the topic of trauma. We discuss the causes of trauma in early childhood, and some signs you can look for in children that have experienced it. She also tells the story of her own children, adopted from Korea with very different temperaments.

Check out the full show notes here!

In this bonus episode, Dr. Zlata Stankovic-Ramirez tells a personal story about her son starting Pre-K, which turned into a difficult partnership between her and the child care provider. She gives some helpful tips on how to bring up issues with your child care provider, and how to create a partnership between you and them.

Things can get a little sticky when parents and childcare providers don't see eye-to-eye on things like discipline, nutrition, and nurturing. But what power do parents have when they're having child care issues at a large daycare facility? Or even stickier, how do they communicate with family members who are watching their kids, without ruining those relationships?

In this episode, I talk to childcare education expert Dr. Zlata Stankovic-Ramirez. We discuss how both verbal and nonverbal communication play a critical role in developing a trusting relationship between parents and a child care provider. We also tackle the tough question of how to set boundaries and communicate effectively with a family member who is watching your child.

Check out the full show notes here!