No Time for Questions: Responding to Distress in Young Children
By Philip Mott A young child’s roller coaster of emotions throughout the day is partially due to their age but is often connected to their sympathetic nervous system. This in-born system is responsible for what is commonly known as the fight or flight response. During this response, the brain and body will release a […]
The Benefits of Crafting With Toddlers
The Benefits of Crafting with Toddlers By Philip Mott, philipmott.com Arts and crafts activities are ubiquitous in the homes of anyone with a toddler—finger paints, watercolors, scissors, paper plates, and a box of broken crayons are all mainstays for this age. Most toddlers just can’t wait to get their hands on these messy supplies. […]
Indoor ‘Untivities’
Indoor ‘Untivities’ by Philip Mott, philipmott.com You are no doubt familiar with the plethora of activities you can do with toddlers. Just walking a craft aisle will likely give you tons of ideas of messy things to do that they will indeed love. Never mind that toddlers change their minds about what they want […]
Hidden Holiday Traditions
Hidden Traditions By Philip Mott, www.philipmott.com Our children come into this world, and our heads fill with images of what might be. My wife, for example, talked about visions of apple orchard visits in the fall and warm cookies on a Saturday afternoon. I envisioned big dinners together and weekend camping trips. Then the […]
The Other Side of Tears
The other side of tears by Philip Mott, FatheringTogether.org What do we do about the tears of early childhood? Some claim to have found “no cry” solutions to problems like potty training, sleep training, and even instruction once you get to that point. They’ve actually positioned the eradication of tears as a primary selling […]
Am I Overthinking Early Literacy?
Am I Overthinking Early Literacy? by Philip Mott, http://www.philipmott.com Parents of young children are bombarded with content about creating the perfect environment for encouraging literacy. You may have been coming into parenthood with your own ideas about how you’ll create this environment. While you weigh different offerings and create your own plan for your […]