by Susie Windle | Jul 27, 2016 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Your Child's Brain
Inhibition is that little voice that reminds us we might need to forego what we want right now in the interest of our long-range or larger goals. The brains of babies and young children have yet to develop this little voice of inhibition, which means they can and do...
by Susie Windle | Feb 17, 2016 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, Your Child's Brain
Self-talk is powerful because having conversations with ourselves—even silently—links thought, language, and action. Self-talk is really like a delay switch to action allowing us to think things through. Children are great teachers for showing us how language can...
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 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 | Feb 13, 2013 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, Your Child's Brain
Children differ in their rate of development of self-regulation. Because of this difference, it can seem that some children won’t follow instructions when in every other way they seem perfectly capable of taking direction and completing tasks. Children can even seem...
by Susie Windle | Oct 26, 2011 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
The regulation of emotions is one of many developmental processes that children go through. It is interesting to watch children use new strategies as they learn to control their emotions. Language is one of the contributors to improved emotional self-regulation. As...
by Susie Windle | Oct 19, 2011 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, Your Child's Brain
Last week we discussed how understanding the development of the right and left sides of the brain could be beneficial in making choices as a parent. This week, we will discuss the vertical aspect. The lower areas of the brain include the brain stem and the limbic...
by Susie Windle | Sep 21, 2011 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills
In March 2011, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel concluded that not enough evidence exists to prove that artificial food colorings contribute to hyperactivity, distractibility, and other behavioral concerns exhibited by children. The panel did conclude,...
by Susie Windle | May 4, 2011 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, The Power of Play
As a child learns to connect ideas and concepts, certain accompanying emotions may cause him or her to suddenly become disorganized. The child may become anxious or withdrawn or actually feel disorganized. You can help your child by tuning in to the specific emotions...
by Susie Windle | Apr 20, 2011 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, Your Child's Brain
Self-control is an important attribute in our ability to manage life. This may be particularly true in our current culture, with temptations constantly being put in front of our faces. Businesses spend a lot of money to get us to act impulsively, and any store you...
