Shows and Cartoons for Early Childhood

My favorite media and movies for preschool and kindergarten age children ages 3-6 #1 Little Bear (1995) This is a little known book series illustrated by Maurice Sendak that was turned into a television series.We own all of them on VHS because I love them so very much. So wholesome and good. You can watch … Read more

Why I won’t watch live action movies with children

Children under the age of 7 should never ever watch a live action movie. Perhaps the exception to this is a terribly old technicolor film like The Wizard of Oz but really they ought to be avoided entirely and here is why. Your child cannot yet cognitively understand that it is not real. Yes yes … Read more

Movies for children from a developmental perspective

Many years ago I was a 25 year old mother who thought that my 6 year old daughter might find Mars Attacks entertaining. She didn’t. And she still talks about how wildly inappropriate it was for her to watch at that age. The more I learned about children’s cognitive, social and emotional development the more … Read more

The Vital Role of Play

Why is it so important that we give our children opportunity for free play? How could sending my child to an enrichment activity possibly harm their development? Joan Almon explores the rational behind the “play principle”… “creative play is a central activity in the lives of healthy young children. It helps children weave together all … Read more

Gordon Neufeld on Raising Children in a Digital World

Developmental psychologist Gordon Neufeld discusses how parents can prepare children to live and thrive in the digital world at the KMT Child Development and Community Conference in Toronto. This is quite possibly one of the most important lectures of our time. This is NOT about media and technology being inherently bad or wrong. It is about balance and developmental readiness. It is about what is best for our children’s hearts and minds.