Baby Talk: Resources to Support the People Who Work With Infants and Toddlers
Issue No. 21, March 2013
In Brief: Early Childhood Mental Health
The science of child development shows that the foundation for sound mental health is built early in life, as early experiences—which include children’s relationships with parents, caregivers, relatives, teachers, and peers—shape the architecture of the developing brain. Disruptions in this develop-mental process can impair a child’s capacities for learning and relating to others, with lifelong implications. This two-page summary explains why many costly problems for society, ranging from the failure to complete high school to incarceration to homelessness, could be dramatically reduced if attention were paid to improving children’s relationships and experiences early in life. The brief provides an overview of a longer paper entitled Establishing a Level Foundation for Life: Mental Health Begins in Early Childhood.
In Brief: Early Childhood Mental Health http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/briefs/inbrief_series/inbrief_early_childhood_mental_health/
Establishing a Level Foundation for Life: Mental Health Begins in Early Childhood http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/resources/reports_and_working_papers/working_papers/wp6/
Little Kids, Big Questions – Free Resources to Support Your Work
ZERO TO THREE’s podcast series, Little Kids, Big Questions, addresses some of the most common (and challenging) issues facing the families of babies and toddlers, such as helping a baby learn to sleep through the night, dealing with a picky eater, and learning to set limits on children’s behavior. These questions—and more—are covered in this series of 12 podcasts, each of which features an interview with an expert that focuses on how to apply the research of early childhood development to your daily interactions with your baby or toddler. Download the podcasts in English or Spanish at http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/funded-projects/parenting-resources/podcast/ , and check out the additional resources on each topic.
10 Ways Babies Learn When We Sing to Them
Babies learn many different things when we sing to them. For example, when you sing to a baby, he or she bonds with you and your voice. Singing makes yours the first and most important voice in his or her life. The baby learns that you love him or her. For more information, go to http://families.naeyc.org/learning-and-development/music-math-more/10-ways-babies-learn-when-we-sing-them
Baby Talk is a free, one-way listserv that is distributed every other week. Each issue features one or more resources, the majority of which are available to download at no cost. To join the listserv, send an email with no message to subscribe-babytalk@listserv.unc.edu. To suggest resources, please contact Camille Catlett at camille.catlett@unc.edu or (919) 966-6635.