Located in a predominantly white suburb of Boston with a primarily white student population of 3- to 6-year-olds, the administration and teachers at our school wanted to think through our role in the systemic racism in our country. Can a…
“Mommy, who is that?” My preschooler asked me this last May when he noticed me staring at Ahmaud Arbery’s headshot in my Instagram feed. I froze up. I thought, how do I even begin to explain to him that this…
The approach, stress and rigidity that often accompanies modern lesson plans may cause young children to feel frustrated or disengaged.
At this point it seems the evidence is overwhelming—new studies seem to arrive on our desks each week that suggest simply spending time in green spaces can improve our health, both mentally and physically. As avid outdoors people, we instinctively…
“Girl-boy friendships matter. They give kids a chance to explore themselves outside of constrictive gender scripts, and, ideally, question stereotypes,” observes writer Elisa Strauss on CNN. “Girl-boy friendships can help undo some of these socialized gender constraints. When parents and teachers…
It is easy to accept that a one-year-old baby is not yet able to dress herself unassisted, or to put on socks and shoes without help. Even people who do not spend their days working and playing with very young…
It’s a brisk winter morning in New York City and a class of bubbly preschoolers have burst into Room 5 of the Brooklyn Heights Montessori School for a period of free play. Amid an explosion of drawing, coloring, and play-dough…
It was a typical consult request — challenging behaviors. The message on my phone: “We just are not sure what to do with this group of children! They just seem to tear apart the room. They are disruptive at circle…
The loss of a pet is often a child’s first experience with death. Understanding the unique ways that children view pets and respond to their passing can help parents to ease the grieving process. Joshua Russell, an assistant professor of…
The Boston Globe May 13, 2016 I’ll admit it: I’m in danger of becoming a helicopter parent. After reading Julie Lythcott-Haims book, “How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Over-parenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success,” I…