by Susie Windle | Sep 2, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
First friendships play an important role in the social and emotional development of your child. Typically, these first friendships are formed through interactions in preschool and kindergarten. Most children aged four to seven understand that a friend is someone with...
by Susie Windle | Jul 15, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
Play is a wonderful way to learn, and one of the ways children learn major motor skills is through repetitive play. The first time a child makes his or her way up and down a set of stairs leads to a second and third time. Practice makes perfect. After mastering a...
by Susie Windle | Jun 17, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
Your child may seem unable to sit still, but there is a reason for it. The brain wiring needed to curb his or her restless impulses is not yet developed. That’s why children need room to roam, a change of scene, or a novel toy—all of which activate the calming...
by Susie Windle | May 20, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
As parents and caregivers, we have the opportunity to help children create an open and receptive state of mind rather than a reactive one. Doing this is important because participating as healthy individuals in healthy relationships requires receptivity. Connecting...
by Susie Windle | May 13, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, Sensory Information, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
When your toddler can use words to express herself during playtime, a new dimension begins in your relationship because you are both speaking the same language. At times, however, knowing everything that is on your toddler’s mind may feel uncomfortable. For example,...
by Susie Windle | May 6, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
Adults can easily forget that kids learn a lot through physical play. Physical play might involve roughhousing, wrestling, climbing, swinging, and running around. All children need this kind of play, and participating in it is one of the ways kids can learn to solve...
by Susie Windle | Apr 15, 2015 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
You can see signs of your child developing a more complex form of thinking as he or she logically links ideas with the sequences of action in pretend play. Perhaps you will see a stuffed animal have a birthday with a pretend birthday cake and pretend candles that are...
by Susie Windle | Apr 1, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
Children love it when a parent will play with them, and child-led play builds a strong emotional bond. When children lead parents in play, opioids—the natural chemicals that give us a general sense of well-being—are activated in their brains. Child-led play has been...
by Susie Windle | Mar 25, 2015 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Power of Play
It can be hard to understand aggressive play: things like teasing, pretend fighting, mimicking of superheroes, pointing toy or pretend guns, horsing around in a rough-and-tumble way, and dramatizing battles for dominance and power. It can sometimes be difficult to...
by Susie Windle | Feb 4, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Power of Play
If you have a child who has reached toddlerhood, it won’t be long before she puts your hat on her head, grabs your purse, prances around with a grin, and waits for your captivated laughter. Your toddler has recognized and is imitating a grown-up pattern of behavior,...
