Some children are born social butterflies, eagerly navigating the waters of making new friends with relative ease. And some children need more support when it comes to meeting new people and developing friendships. It’s common for children – even adults, really! – who are naturally quiet or reserved to feel uncomfortable with initiating a conversation. Young children are often just beginning to learn how to read social cues, share toys, and take turns in a conversation. No matter…
Anjelica Malone, a local parent, shares with us the variety of ways her family is providing opportunities for her children to learn a second language…
Take tantrums, for example. Every parent deals with tantrums. They are a fact of life for toddlers and preschoolers. Young children develop at different rates and sometimes, it just might be the case that a child’s brain is still working on the part that allows him or her to manage their emotions. The smallest inconvenience can send them into a…
On Thursday, April 18, 2019, PEPS hosted a group of local grandparents gathered together to learn about Grandparenting in the Digital Age. Most of the 25 attendees had similar concerns: Why are screens so tempting for young children; How can we manage screen time for our grandkids (especially when our rules might differ from parent rules); What options, if any,…
by Cassie McKeown, Bright Horizons Early Education and Preschool Cleo, a 4-year-old preschooler, excitedly told her Mom, “…and then we drank purple milk that came from a purple cow.” Webster defines imagination as “the ability to form a picture in your mind of something that you have not seen or experienced; the ability to think of new things.” Every child is…
On a bright and sunny morning in July, PEPS gathered a group of grandparents together at the Environmental Science Center in Burien. We decided to drop in on the Center’s Tidepools for Tots program to learn more about how grandparents can engage their grandchildren in nature. We learned more about the unique ecosystem of the tidepools and gathered a few…
Republished with permission from Vroom Hardly a day goes by without stories about racism, sexism, bias, prejudice and stereotyping in the news. How do children learn these attitudes? Can children catch social bias simply by watching adults? A new study by Andrew N. Meltzoff and colleagues from the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, offers evidence that…
Here’s the deal: We need each other. Yes, we human beings need one another to be healthy and to thrive. Brené Brown defines connection this way: “connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” Thanks to…
You can say that in any groups of parents that you are comparing your kids to one another. That kind of has a negative feeling, right? Well sure, it could have that feeling, but it doesn’t have to. I read a lot of the feedback from parents in PEPS Groups and I’ve led a few of my own and participated…
by Sarina Behar Natkin, LICSW You survived the newborn days, and life with baby is rolling along smoothly. They are full of belly laughs, find delight in just about everything, and their biggest complaints are easily whisked away with a clean diaper, a snuggle, and some milk. As you push your easy-going babe in the swing at the park, you…