Browsing all posts in development.

And the Mother Said, “Let Them Eat Dirt!”

And it was good. [Although she does expect an angry mob with pitchforks to appear at any second and send her to the Conciergerie. Which is fine, because she loves Paris.] What kid doesn’t enjoy a good mudpie? It’s a staple of childhood. Playing in the dirt is what defines childhood. Or at least it [...]

My Children’s Education Has Been Sadly Neglected (By ME)

I can’t blame anyone else, since I homeschool. And since it’s Christmas, I guess I’m doubly guilty. Here’s the story: Last week, I talked about working memory and a little cognitive theory. You all now know as much about it as I do, since I’m neither a psychologist or a neurobiologist. However, some time ago [...]

I Taught my Baby to Spell in Utero!

The Houston Chronicle published this bit on Tuesday: “Paige Vasseur of Valencia, California, never gazed at an alphabet mobile above her crib, but the contestant for the national spelling bee this week had an earlier lexical advantage. The womb. Her mother, Maria, not only sang her the ABCs in utero, but began reading to her [...]

Oh! The Drama!

Ask just about any mother for the moment when she knew her young child was a drama queen (male or female, totally irrelevant), and the answer will always be the same. The day the kid realized that he could dress himself. Or the day you made the masochistic decision that it was time for the [...]

Baby’s First Words….Umh…

Designed to tug at the heartstrings of every new parent, the first words out of a baby’s mouth (and I mean words, not screeches) are eagerly anticipated by the entire household.

Somewhere around a year, the new child learns that he can attach sounds to items.

Moms and dads lean close, and wait to hear that magic word, “Lawnmower.”