Not Just Cute, the Podcast: Intentional Whole Child Development for Parents and Teachers of Young Children

Cooking can be a powerful activity for young children. From literacy skills, math skills, fine motor skills, and sensory and science experiences, along with the confidence that comes from taking risks, learning from failures, and sharing time and food with others, time in the kitchen with kids is time well spent.

I’ve invited my friend, Tiffany Dahle to talk with us about her experiences with teaching children to cook. She’s the author of two cookbooks for kids – The Ultimate Kids’ Cookbook, and The Ultimate Kids’ Baking Book -- and author of the blog, Peanut Blossom. (In the interview, you’ll hear her mention that the baking book hasn’t released yet, but it actually *just came out yesterday*.)

Tiffany and I have known each other for about a decade now, and as the online world often works – we’ve been emailing and messaging for years, but this is the first time we’ve finally be able to connect for a live conversation. She has some fantastic things to say about the importance of starting small, cooking and baking as a type of play, and why managing risk has everything to do with experience and practice rather than avoidance.

Get the show notes at:

https://www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode30

Why are there so many reports of children frequently falling out of their seats?  Why is behavior becoming more and more of a challenge in the classroom?  And why are delayed fine motor skills becoming more and more prevalent?  One common thread, as my guest Rae Pica will explain, is movement. 

In Rae’s new book, Acting Out, she addresses not only why a lack of movement is causing serious problems for our youngest learners, but also how we can get more movement into the classroom and what kind of payoff will result.  Rae has been an advocate for movement and for developmentally appropriate practice for almost 4 decades now and has a wealth of experience to share.

Shownotes: https://www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode29

Back at the beginning of 2019 a study made a bit of a splash as headlines claimed that it demonstrated that the increased academic expectations in the early years don’t compromise social and emotional development as some fear.

I felt like there may be a bit of stretch from the data to the headlines, so I decided to nerd out on the actual study and break it down for all of you.

https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode28

Today I’m talking about how to get parents on board with play in your classrooms, right from the start. Just like the children, each parent in your classroom comes with a different set of life experiences and perspectives.  For some, the concept that their child’s best learning will be through play is a new revelation.  Some may be expecting more of a sit down and do worksheets environment.  Others may be supportive of play, but still not exactly sure why it’s best for their children. 

One of the items I recently shared at a conference was the idea of having a Parent Night or a Parent Playdate to get everyone on the same page.  I’ve had some follow up questions since then, so today, I’m going to walk you through some ideas for structuring that event to make it more successful.

Find shownotes at https://www.notjustcute.com/podcst/episode27

Today I’m talking with the Artful Parent, Jean VanHult. She is what she calls an “art enabler”, a term that I love! She’s also the author of the book, The Artful Parent.

You can find show notes for this episode at www.https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode26

Online preschool options are growing in popularity. 

Just this past spring, Ted Talk organizers created a bit of a stir in the early childhood community when they awarded a portion of their Audacious Project funding to an online preschool company, Waterford UPSTART.  While proponents suggest this is an affordable and accessible option for families that may not otherwise have preschool options, detractors say the most valuable parts of preschool could never be packaged into a virtual program.

Even before this brouhaha boiled over, Amy Webb was writing about the misconceptions surrounding online preschool on her site, The Thoughtful Parent.   I’m so excited to have her join me on today’s episode to break this topic down.

Is online preschool the panacea for early education inequality, or just a placebo we invest in to make ourselves feel better?

You can find show notes for this episode at Https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode25

There are many decisions to make as a parent. 

Breastfeed or bottle?  Cosleep or no?  Where to find quality care?

And when you reach out for more information while making these decisions, the waters sometimes seem to only get more cloudy.

Emily Oster's new book, Cribsheet, tackles many common decisions make in the early years.  But she's not here to tell you what to do.  She's taking a different approach.  Applying her experience as an economist (which, I've learned, is really the science of informed decision-making) to her role as a parent, she's sharing an approach that is equal parts, rigorous data and honest wholistic consideration.

Find show notes at: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode24

Julie Bogart is an accomplished writer and the creator of a popular language arts program, Brave Writer.  She's also mom to five (now grown) children, whom she homeschooled for 17 years.

Her new book, Brave Learner – Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life, shares so many perspectives about inspiring wonder and engaging in responsive learning with your children.  It’s written specifically for homeschooling parents, but I found that so much of it would be applicable to anyone who views their home as a place of learning – regardless of where their children officially “do school”.

So whether you’re homeschooling, considering homeschooling, or just looking to learn more about how you can incorporate more learning at home, this book and this discussion have so much to offer!

Find Show Notes at www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode23

development can be talked about in an academic construct, I received Deborah Schein’s book (Inspiring Wonder, Awe, and Empathy- Spiritual Development in Young Children) and found confirmation for some of those things that I had found in the research as well. 

That spiritual development takes us beyond ourselves and into something bigger.  Wonder, awe, and a deeper sense of meaning in life and relationships.

I’ve been excited to bring Deborah Schein on to talk about what spiritual development looks like, and how it drives the other areas of development.

Find Show Notes at http://www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode22

This episode was inspired by a real-life conversation with a friend of mine who was venting about not handling a parenting situation the way she WISHED she would have….the way she KNEW she should have. But the morning was just too much and she snapped. She didn’t handle the challenge the way she wished she had and the whole thing left her and her child feeling horrible. Now what? Sound familiar? I think we’ve all been there. So today we’re going to talk about why these meltdown moments WON’T ruin your kids and what the science of attachment tells us about how we can actually respond to them in a way that makes our relationships stronger. Find shownotes at www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode21

Play isn't what we do when we're done with the curriculum. Play IS the curriculum.

Listen to a second read of the post, Play is Efficient.

Learn more about the project, WHY WE PLAY >> www.notjustcute.com/whyweplay

I am so excited today to be talking with Kristina Bill and Joy Marchese, who, along with Jane Nelsen, co-authored the book, Positive Discipline for Today’s Busy (& Overwhelmed): Parent How to Balance Work, Parenting, & Self for Lasting Well-Being. Both women share wonderful insight in our conversation, as they talk, not only about the book, but how the principles they’re writing about have changed their own lives. You can find show notes for this episode at https://www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode19 You’ll also find a link there to get notified about my free parenting webinars. These webinars are live – not canned –I’m right there in the video chat box, and we even have time for live Q&As – they’re absolutely free, I share real, applicable tips that you can put into practice THAT DAY, and I have a new one coming up later this month. I’d love to see you there, so be sure to head over to the show notes, or go directly to: https://www.notjustcute.com/parentingwebinars to get on the parenting webinar email list and be among the first to get a personal invitation to register for our next free class.

I was recently invited to speak for 10 minutes on the importance of early childhood education as part of a local private preschool’s annual fundraiser. I was more than happy to do so. But I’ll be honest – it’s harder for me to only speak for 10 minutes than it so for me to do a one or two hour presentation. What do you say to a room full of parents and community members? What’s the message you wish more people understood? What information would enable more people to support and defend childhood? You can find show notes at www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode18

Alissa Marquess is adamant that she is not a parenting expert. She’s a mom who makes a lot of mistakes like we all do – but she’s learned something along the way that has helped her step back from the emphasis on perfection in today’s parenting culture and focus on learning, growing, and connecting in the process.  Even in the messy parts.

She's sharing her insight a new book to be released on April 24, 2018 called, Bounceback Parenting: A Field Guide for Creating Connection Not Perfection. I love the powerful shifts in thinking that Alissa shares in her book and in our discussion today.  Even in seemingly simple ways, they can create an incredible amount of positive momentum for parents and for their families.

Find shownotes at https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode17

Many of us are seeing that grief in the classroom as different policies and practices seem to forget that our children have bodies. As one of the foremost child development experts in education, Rae Pica has devoted nearly 40 years to advocating for more play and more movement. She's sharing what she's discovered about movement and whole child development throughout her career and giving tips for us to be advocates for movement as well. You can find show notes for this episode, at notjustcute.com/podcast/episode16

In today’s episode, I’m sharing the fifth and final installment in a series of conversations with Emily Plank, author of Discovering The Culture of Childhood. Instead of one broad overview, we’ve been diving in deep over the course of several months. You can get caught up with previous episodes by going to the podcast homepage at notjustcute.com/podcast or searching on iTunes or Stitcher. If you HAVE been following along, you’ll notice there’s been quite a gap since our last conversation. Along with the general struggle of scheduling two busy people in two different countries, Emily’s been having some pretty amazing adventures lately, that she’ll tell us all about at the beginning of our chat. In this episode, we discussed the conclusion of her book, and what she hopes the overarching takeaways from the book are. She also has a generous offer for those of you who may be using her book as a group book study. As always, Emily invites us to put on a new pair of spectacles and see childhood in a unique way, and what she helps us discover on our journey is truly fascinating. Find shownotes at www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode15

In this episode, I asked Deb to join me for a conversation about how to choose the right preschool for your child.  My hope is that what we share will help parents have more clarity and confidence in making this sometimes overwhelming decision, and that it will also help schools to guide parents through that process as well. What should you look for?  What questions should you ask?  We'll dive into all of that in this episode! Find show notes and grab the free downloadable guide at www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode14

Today, I’m taking on a couple of common questions about early education and reading. The questions seem to be opposites, but are really two sides of the same coin. In one form, I hear, “Why don’t you teach reading?” The other, “Isn’t it damaging to teach kids reading in preschool?” Both questions are well-intended, but hinge on some common misunderstandings I hope to address today. You can find the show notes for today’s show, at: http://www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode13

This is the fourth installment of my book talk with Emily Plank, author of Discovering The Culture of Childhood.  It’s the read-along selection this year, for Not Just Cute readers.  That means instead of one overview, I’ve been having several in-depth chats with Emily.  You can get caught up with previous episodes by going to the podcast homepage at notjustcute.com/podcast . I’ve enjoyed all of our discussions, but I have to say that this one is my favorite.  I know that sounds cliché, but this one is REALLY GOOD. In this episode, we discussed chapters 5 and 6, which address the topics of art and economics in the culture of childhood.  Emily says parts of these chapters stretched her more than the others, but what came of that is really fascinating, in my opinion.  She’s tackling touch concepts like whether adults commit a form of cultural appropriation when we approach art with kids as well as how belonging, attachment, separation, and security all fit into the economics of childhood and how we can make sure our kids are rich in all the right ways. As always, Emily invites us to put on a new pair of spectacles and see childhood in a unique way, and what she helps us discover on our journey is truly fascinating. 

Performance is the currency of education today. While assessments will always be important, I can't help but wonder about the overemphasis on performance to the detriment of real assessment, and ultimately our kids. Today I'm sharing a Second Read and also talking about some things I've observed lately that leave me scratching my head. You can get show notes at www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode11