If you are someone who cares about the children -- in particular the positive future of children this is a discussion for you! It is designed for those who are a leader, practitioner, funder, or advocate you will want to join us. It will bring together dedicated people in healthcare, government, social services, education, and community organizations who want to move beyond theory to actionable strategies for large-scale system change! Learn more and register here: ...

Can kindness and gratitude make a difference in individual lives and for society overall? Do these practices impact the brain? Do they also influence the way in which children's brains develop? In considering the influence of kindness and gratitude it is important to realize the reality that we always have a choice in being kind and grateful. Gratitude Can Make a Difference Debbie Hampton shares her personal story of gratitude and how research shows that it benefits the brain. She also...

Emotion has an enormous impact on imprinting memory in our brains. I had an experience when I was 6 years old that included emotion and I have the memory of it all of these many years later. It was a 6 year old birthday sleepover party. There were 7 girls invited that lived near each other and played together most days. A girl new to the neighborhood was invited only due to the requirement of the birthday girl’s mother. I was also invited. I lived a block away but did play with these girls...

An abundance of research over decades has demonstrated the importance of relationships on the developing brain. Studies have shown that humans are biologically designed for relationships and now there are more recent research findings on the significance of timing. Babies are born with a primary need to have someone care for and provide for them. A newborn is completely dependent on at least one relationship with another person. Through having someone lovingly and consistently respond to...

“Nothing lights up a child’s brain like play.” ~ Dr Stuart Brown, M.D. When you think of a baby or child, what is it that they want to do most? They want to play… Right? Babies are born ready to learn, they want to explore, touch, taste, smell, poke, pound, and throw everything they can get their hands on. This is learning and these are experiences their developing brain needs. Through “hands on” interactive experiences young children are learning about their environment, how things in the...

The brain doesn’t fully develop until about the age of 25. This fact is sometimes quite surprising and eye opening to most adults. It can also be somewhat overwhelming for new parents and professionals who are interacting with babies and young children every day, to contemplate. It is essential to realize however, that the greatest time of development occurs in the years prior to kindergarten. And even more critical to understand is that by age three 85 percent of the core structures of the...