The British pediatrician D. W. Winnicott once wrote, “There’s no such thing as a baby. There is a baby and someone.” I’ve always loved the quote, because it so simply encapsulates our situation as the newest members of the human species: We enter the world with fine tuned powers of observation, ready to learn and engage. But without at least one significant adult (and hopefully many more) ready to dedicate to our need for connection, it is impossible for our development to optimize. Or as Urie Bronfenbrenner explained: “Every child needs at least one adult who is irrationally crazy about him or her.” You won’t run across any better example than this gorgeous video shared to IG by amyjoannswart. It’s hard to tell who’s more crazy about the other. And that makes for a lucky little one, indeed.

Does your toddler call every animal a dog? Or call the moon a ball? Both are examples of a perfectly normal toddler behavior known as overextension. There’s a lot of language to learn as a toddler - and so it’s not uncommon for young children to generalize use of the words they DO know to make up for those they don’t. I loved watching this little guy (shared to IG by LeannePearson and shown here at 26 months) as he measures a chair with a tape measure. “How big is it?” Mom asks. Our hero’s brilliant response: “Thirteen dollars.” It’s a wonderful example of overextension - and window on his growing language development. You’ll note that $13 is not a random or outlandish response. He knows that the situation calls for a quantity and a unit of measure. The word “inches”isn’t a part of his linguistic toolbox just yet… but dollars is. What a clever and telling response! I can’t help but think that in the moments after this video some new vocabulary was introduced. Where does/did your child use overextension to describe things?

Turn it around. As your toddler grows as both a thinker and language user, you’ll find (wonderful) moments in which their first instincts may not always be the correct ones. Take this little guy, who is holding his trophy in just the right way… oriented so HE can see it. Asked to “turn it around” so mom can snap a photo, he does… just not in the way she anticipated. Interestingly, as he spins he also repositions the trophy, suggesting either that he did, in fact, understand her request - or perhaps more likely, was already engaged in the mental/planning process of turning it around when Mom’s secondary request came in. Either way, cherish these adorable moments. What fun that Mom was able to capture it on video! This little bike racer was shared to IG by ryanmcneil.

Thrilled to be in Roanoke, West Virginia today to bring the message of The Daycare Myth to early childhood leaders from across the Mountain State at @wvayc_’s annual Directors’ Retreat. @TCPress

Q: How much should you assist your toddler? A: Only as much as they need to avoid frustration and find success. After 8-12 months of near total dependence, toddlers unlock a whole new world in which they have the language, cognition, and motor skills to begin acting on their own desires. We call this agency. And while it can be a real shift for us as parents (after becoming accustomed to meeting infants’ every need), it’s important to honor your toddlers’ growing independence and allow them the time and space to develop skills of their own. I’m such a fan of this independent little one, who is not only determined to free herself from her car seat - but supremely confident in her ability to do so. Of course toddlers need plenty of adult supervision - to avoid not only physical danger but the very real frustration that comes along with the misalignment of their desires and abilities. But toddlerhood is also a time to begin following your little one’s lead, allowing them the opportunity to work through challenges and, yes, occasionally “worrying about yourself” (as our hero so aptly puts it). Think of it as becoming a trusted advisor, rather than the “do-er” of all things.

Your baby is studying your every move. Why? To become just like you, of course. From your facial expressions to the language you use and the ways you carry yourself, your baby is watching with a keen eye - and begins imitating you within weeks after birth. One of the earliest forms of imitation is the tongue thrust, illustrated here. Watch as our hero mimics his father, sticking out his own tongue in response to the example set by his father. It’s a great reminder that even before your child can speak conventionally, they’re watching and learning. In fact, they’re watching your mouth to figure out just how you make those amazing sounds! Never assume your little one is too little to learn from your words and actions. You might be surprised by all they’re taking in. This fantastic back and forth was shared by Hannah Choi.

As your baby grows, they will interact with the same toys in different ways. If you’re a parent you’ve probably noticed that most toys are labeled with suggested ages. These recommendations are particularly important in terms of safety. Toys with small pieces can be choking hazards for young children, for example. But these suggestions can also relate to the developmental stage at which your child will be best prepared to use the toy “as intended.” And here I always advise a flexible mindset. Take stacking rings for example. They’re a great infant-toddler toy in that children can enjoy in different ways at different ages/stages. In their idealized use, the idea is that toddlers will discriminate by size, stacking the rings in order from largest to smallest. That’s a pretty sophisticated skill… and not where the toy’s youngest users are likely to begin. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the toy should be withheld for later. At the earliest stages, your baby may simply grasp the rings and explore them with their hands and mouths - which is a perfectly appropriate starting point. This sweet little guy, shared to IG by aren.sanjari - is in between these two extremes. With the help of his parents, he’s practicing his hand-eye coordination, stacking the rings in the order presented by his adult partner. (And working on his clapping to boot!) He’s not quite ready to sort the by size, but that doesn’t make the activity any less meaningful. It’s simply a matter of matching the task at hand to his developmental readiness. As you shop for toys, consider your choices carefully… assessing first for safety and then for how and whether they may lend themselves to different and increasingly sophisticated uses as your child grows. When you can identify multiple uses, you’ve generally found a winner! The trick is to think like Goldilocks - looking for toys that are neither far too simple for your child, nor far too sophisticated - but just right (allowing their meaningful use both now and for the foreseeable future). What types of toys have you found that meet these criteria?

It’s true: Infants not only babble with an accent, but even their cries reflect the unique musicality of their mothers’ native languages. Many of you tagged me this week on this video shared by p0lar_fawn (X), which depicts the babbling of a happy French baby. If you listen closely, you’ll notice that the phrasing, intonation and vowel sounds in the little one’s vocalizations - while not yet conventional - sound distinctly French. Speech therapists call this prosody and - believe it or not - it’s something infants begin picking up in utero, even before they enter the world. As the senses activate near the end of the third trimester, children are exposed not only to the tone of their own mothers’ voices but the prosody of their spoken language. After birth these patterns are evident in both the intonation of their cries and their earliest speech sounds. It’s all a part of language acquisition - and truly amazing to behold.

Happy Saturday from Portland, Maine, where I’ll be sharing the message of The Daycare Myth with early childhood leaders across the state this morning at the annual conference of the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children.

Don't miss a special opportunity to hear directly from one of education's most influential voices! Register for our #MeetingTheMoment webinar moderated by @DanWuori, featuring a wide-ranging conversation w/ Dr. Howard Gardner followed by an audience Q&A: bit.ly/4nYGy57

“Every child needs at least one adult who is irrationally crazy about him or her.” A couple weeks ago I shared this wonderful quote from the developmental psychologist Uri Bronfenbrenner. And it’s true. Every child needs at least one. But how lucky are those who can count a whole collection of adults who feel the same way? One of my favorite things on social media recently has been a series of videos shared to IG by gwynyth depicting not only her own interactions with her newborn son, but those of her father (aka Papa Brian). Brian’s joyful rendition of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes is illustrative of the loving bond they share. Check out that eye contact. Those looks of sheer delight. Frequently we discuss attachment and early relational health in terms of a parent (often a mother) and child. And while this relationship is indeed critical, the luckiest children have webs of secure, trusting relationships with multiple beloved caregivers. We can each play a role in supporting the optimal development of the young children in our lives by engaging with love, care, and our full attention. In a world where you can be anything, be like Papa Brian!

DADA! I’ve run across many great reaction videos, filmed as toddlers realize a parent has returned from work. But this one, shared to IG by thecooleats, is remarkable - not just for the excitement this little one shows as her father arrives home, but also for the window it provides on her emergent literacy. Watch what our hero does as she prepares for his arrival: While repeating Dada’s name she runs to a pile of board books, rummages through and uncovers just what she’s looking for: A book titled DADA. As he arrives she greets him by pointing at the word and saying his name. How cool is that? One can only imagine how many times the pair have read this book together. Or how many time they’ll be reading it in the minutes following this video. Never forget that your child’s long term success as a reader finds its roots in the years before kindergarten entry. So read, write, talk and sing!

During pregnancy, we often speak of adults as “expectant.” An expectant mother. Expectant parents. But we aren’t the only ones. As your baby enters the world, they too are expectant. Expectant of your love. Your care and protection. Your active attention. And your mentorship - in the form of up close, face-to-face modeling and interaction. And when they get it, amazing things happen in their developing brains. Witness this little communicator, shared to IG by heatherkingoftheworld. He’s getting exactly the thing he desires most - mom’s active engagement - and paying it back with messages about just how much it delights him. In the end it’s hard to tell who’s more enthralled by their interaction. Talk about a win-win.

Expecting a new baby? Know that when it comes to “hand me downs” even free isn’t always a great deal. Gently used clothing? Go for it. But be extra cautious with hand me down (or second hand) car seats like the ones depicted here. Did you know that - like food products - infant car seats have expiration dates? First and foremost, these dates (which are usually within 6-10 years of manufacture) are a reflection of the normal degradation of the plastics and other safety materials involved. It makes a lot of sense if you think about it. Depending on where you live, the interior of your car may be exposed almost daily to extreme variations in temperature - from blazing summer heat to bone chilling cold. And over a period of years, those extremes can take a toll on the durability of these seats. Expiration dates are also designed to help prioritize safety advances in the years since a seat’s original manufacture. Does that mean you should never accept a used infant seat? Not necessarily. But it’s important that you adhere to the manufacturer’s expiration date (which is typically located on a sticker on the seat’s back or bottom) and inspect prospective seats carefully to look for signs of aging or damage. If there’s a place to splurge on your newborn, a good car seat might really be the one. And if you’re disposing of an expired seat, label it carefully as not for use. Maybe even consider cutting the straps, to prevent unsafe use by others. Your baby’s safety is well worth it.

Thrilled to be with early childhood champions from across Montana today in Butte for the annual conference of the Montana Association for the Education of Young Children. @MTAEYC21 @NAEYC @SaulZaentz

It’s been a busy year of travel and I’ve been to some truly beautiful places, but the next three weeks will be hard to beat. Tomorrow I’m bringing the message of The Daycare Myth to Butte, Montana for Montana AEYC’s annual conference. Next week: Portland, Maine for Maine Association for the Education of Young Children. And November 1 on Grand Cayman for LIFE Cayman’s inaugural literacy conference. I’m now booking into 2026. Have an event I’d be good for? Let’s talk!

What a thrill to watch your child take their first steps. But I want to spotlight something else about this video (shared on IG by sean.nicol): the sheer perfection of the support system created by its adults. They teach us a lesson about learning that extends far beyond walking. If you watch closely, you’ll find that mom and grandpa have created a scenario in which baby is challenged to the limits of her ability AND provided the supports needed to guarantee her success. From the moment grandpa lets go, mom’s waiting arms are close enough that baby’s safety is ensured. But watch what mom does as the baby finds success: She slowly retracts her arms and even begins to lean backward ever so subtly - extending baby’s runway while maintaining this safety net. As a result, what might have been journey of 1-2 steps was extended to 5-6. Simply fantastic. This is how all learning takes place: just beyond the limits of our prior success - and with scaffolding from caregivers, teachers, and more capable peers who help propel us just a little bit further than we’ve ever gone before. Is you child working to master something new? How might you adapt the lessons of this video to scaffold their success?

How fascinating is this video, shared to IG by youngchelsmarie? Alongside the development of expressive language itself, young children are internalizing lessons about the gestures and tones of voice that can help make their messages convincing. She may not have the all the right words, but she’s already making her case!

Excited to share the message of The Daycare Myth today at the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children’s Early Learning Collaborative Symposium in Boise.