Baby Talk: Resources to Support the People Who Work with Infants and Toddlers
Issue No. 118 March 2021
BabyTalk Newsletter March 2021 pdf
Baby Talk is a free, one-way listserv that is distributed monthly. Each issue features high quality, readily available, and free resources. Resources in Spanish are highlighted. All or part of Baby Talk may be freely shared or copied. To subscribe to Baby Talk, or for more information, please contact Camille Catlett at camille.catlett@unc.edu
Caring for Yourself While You Care for Your Children
Even when it seems impossible, finding moments of calm during a busy day is important. Short, simple activities like the ones below can cut down on feelings of stress and also help you feel more connected to your child. These activities can be used at any time to relax, reduce stress, and re-connect with your child. https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/3797-caring-for-yourself-while-you-care-for-your-children (English) https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/3885-cuidarse-usted-mismo-mientras-cuida-a-sus-ninos (Spanish and other languages)
Who Am I? Sharing Picture Books that Nurture Positive Self-Identity
Books with characters that look like their readers. Stories that represent their own experiences. Learn how the read-aloud favorites in this article tell children that their lives are worthy of being thought about, discussed, and celebrated. https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/2789-who-am-i-sharing-picture-books-that-nurture-positive-self-identity
Why the First 2,000 Days Matter: A Look Inside the Brain
This 20-minute online module from the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) shares how early experiences shape children’s brain development. Each module delivers content through narrated PowerPoint slides with embedded videos. A discussion guide and handout are also available for this module. https://modules.ilabs.uw.edu/module/first-2000-days-matter/
Children Use Both Brain Hemispheres to Understand Language, Unlike Adults
Infants and young children have brains with a superpower, of sorts, say neuroscientists. Whereas adults process most discrete neural tasks in specific areas in one or the other of their brain's two hemispheres, youngsters use both the right and left hemispheres to do the same task. The finding suggests a possible reason why children appear to recover from neural injury much easier than adults. Learn more at https://gumc.georgetown.edu/news-release/children-use-both-brain-hemispheres-to-understand-language/#
For the Birds: Counting, Categorizing, and Caring for the Creatures Outside Your Door
Wherever you live, you’ll find birds. And because babies and toddlers are interested in everything that creeps and crawls and flies, they are interested in birds too. Here’s how you can build on that natural curiosity to explore the world with your little one. https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/3884-for-the-birds-counting-categorizing-and-caring-for-the-creatures-outside-your-door
5 Facts About Health That Are Often Misunderstood
Did you know that interactions among genes, experiences, age, and environments influence every biological system in the body, with especially powerful effects in the earliest years? Systems relating to brain development, heart and lung function, digestion, energy production, fighting infection, and physical growth are all interconnected. Click the link to learn five other facts about health that are frequently misunderstood. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/5-facts-about-health-that-are-often-misunderstood/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=february_2021
GUMDROP: Sharing Traditions
The transmission of traditions takes many forms and this gumdrop shows how that occurred in one family. Take a look at https://youtu.be/6PH88aAL7hU For those of you who are grandparents, take a minute to enjoy any of the shared traditions you see your children passing on to your grandchildren.
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