Hidden Language of Children

Ideas for developmentally mindful ways to talk with young children. Compilation of "Let's Rephrase That" segments from the Hidden Language of Children podcast.

Laura Cyrocki, director of healthy meals and garden programs at Hanna Perkins School, discusses why gardening is such a fertile activity for developmental growth, and offers suggestions for getting young children started in the garden.

We talk with Training Director Pam Millar about the importance of a trusting and empathetic relationship between early learning teachers and parents. The discussion addresses why the relationship is so important, and what teachers and parents alike can do to make sure it's working.

We talk with child psychoanalyst Margaret Zerba, Ph.D. about the challenges for children and parents alike during each of the developmental stages that all children experience: infancy, toddlerhood, school age and adolescence.

A conversation with social worker and therapist Anita M. Eddie, MA, ATR, MSSA, LISW-S about the meaning of behaviors that can arise as a child's conscience begins to develop.

Taryn Ponsky, M.A., LPCC, a psychotherapist and child development specialist, discusses separation anxiety in young children - where it comes from, how to deal with it, and how it differs from ordinary separation feelings.

Mom and professional photographer Kim Sable shares her experience with twins in an early learning program that emphasizes social-emotional development. It wasn't always perfect, but it's still paying benefits years later - to children and parents alike.

In follow-up to the discussion about normal development in episode 2, Debby Paris returns to address the question, "If normal is so messy and individualized, how do you know when things have gotten off track?"

Social worker/therapist Deborah Paris, LISW, discusses the two-steps-forward and one-step-back nature of healthy child development, and offers words of comfort for parents who worry about developmental timelines.

We talk with early childhood development expert Barbara Streeter about "the inner life of children": The ideas and emotions they have, but without the life experience or vocabulary to understand them. So diffficult thoughts get acted out through troubling behavior. As adults, we can't offer the help and reassurance they need until we figure out what's really behind the behavior.

Are you interested in knowing your young child in a whole new way? Understanding what’s really going on in their developing mind? This podcast, from a non-profit recognized for more than 70 years of groundbreaking working with families, delves into the ups and downs of early childhood by decoding the frequently misunderstood meaning of children's behavior. It's designed to help parents and caregivers better understand the children they love and help them grow.