Kindergarten readiness checklist: skills experts say to practice now
Discover the social, thinking, and academic skills your child needs to thrive in school —plus ways for them to practice now.
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Teach your toddler to do more on their own in 4 steps
Allowing your toddler to practice each part of a self-care skill with you boosts their confidence and independence.
How can you encourage your toddler to be less clingy?
By staying close and being a calm, steady presence, you’re actually helping your toddler learn to become more independent in the future.
How to help your toddler develop impulse control
Your toddler isn't mature enough to resist their impulses yet, but there are things you can do now to help them develop this skill.
3 ways to boost your toddler’s friendship skills
Try these ideas to help your child understand what it means to be a good playmate.
Try this to help your toddler practice empathy
Acting out simple real-life situations during play gives your toddler a chance to learn about other people’s feelings without their own distress getting in the way.
Tips to avoid tantrum triggers
Tantrums are part of toddler life, but these ideas may help you nip some before they start.
Toddler head banging: why it happens and how to respond
Up to 15% of young children will intentionally bang their head on the wall or floor at some point. Here's what to do when it happens.
What to do when your toddler is scared of the bath
Try these six expert tips to make bath time less stressful for your toddler—and you.
What to do when you lose it with your toddler
Try these four steps to reconnect and teach your toddler how to handle moments that don't go the way we'd hoped.
The Enthusiast Play Kit gets an enhanced tea set, new feelings card set
The Enthusiast Play Kit for 28-, 29-, and 30-month-olds features two new items, guided by parent and expert feedback.
How to help your toddler get the most from parallel play
Learn four strategies to help your toddler enjoy—and learn from—parallel play.
Do’s and don’ts of early play dates
When hosting a toddler play date, a little planning can go a long way toward minimizing conflict and maximizing opportunities to connect.
Teaching empathy: games, books, and activities for preschoolers
Research shows you can help your child recognize how other people think and feel so they learn to respond in more compassionate ways.
5 tips to help your toddler cope with loud noises
From advance warning to giving your toddler some power over loud noises, discover the best ways to help your child startle less.
10 tips and activities for better video chats with toddlers
Find tips for planning a successful video chat as well as five activities for better video chats with toddlers.
11 ways to build your toddler’s frustration tolerance
Help your toddler work through feelings of disappointment, sadness, and frustration when their skills don't quite match their ambitions.
How to give your 2-year-old logical consequences
Your toddler is slowly learning that their actions have consequences. When you give and explain appropriate consequences, they’ll start to understand what they can and cannot do.
What to do when your 1-year-old takes another child’s toy
Grabbing at this toddler stage isn’t malicious and doesn’t need a consequence or any form of discipline. Learn what to do instead.
5 things every parent should know about potty training
Discover lesser-known tips and facts about teaching your child to use the toilet from Lovevery's senior child development expert.
Skip the night light: 4 tips to help your toddler sleep longer
Studies show that a child’s sleep environment can strongly impact their sleep quality. Try these research-backed strategies tonight.
4 types of pretend play—and why they matter
They way your child plays make-believe changes as they grow. At each stage, pretend play offers cognitive and social-emotional benefits.
The benefits of playing pretend with your toddler
Pretend play lets your toddler learn by trying new roles. Discover why pretending along with them matters and tips for playtime.
How to help your toddler understand their emotions
Discover expert tips on how to help your toddler connect how they feel to what they do.
What to do when you lose it with your toddler
Learning that emotional connections can get disrupted and repaired is an important lesson for your child. Try these four steps to reconnect.
When to set a boundary with your toddler—and when to let it go
Ask yourself these six questions to decide if a limit is worth setting.
Are they testing limits or just exploring?
Many toddlers are drawn to “destructive play." Read our tips on how to prepare for this behavior and how to react when your toddler tests limits.
How to ease your toddler’s fears
Your toddler may be comforted by one (or more) of these six strategies.
6 tips for trimming your toddler’s nails
Having their nails cut is a little bit scary for your child. Here are some adjustments that might make the process a little easier for both of you.
Is it okay for your baby to suck their thumb?
Are there benefits to thumb sucking? Should I try to stop my baby from thumb sucking? Learn if it's okay for your baby to suck their thumb.
3 steps to setting toddler limits with empathy
Read our three steps to setting toddler limits with empathy and understand what empathetic boundaries teach children.
Why to set limits with your toddler, even when it’s hard
When your toddler tests boundaries, you may wonder what you’re doing wrong. Remembering these 3 toddler truths can help.
Why your toddler may need space instead of a hug
Some toddlers are less soothed by close physical contact than they were as babies. Learn what to do when a hug won't work.
Try this to raise your child’s emotional intelligence
Using specific and even complex words to describe how your child feels gives them a deeper, more nuanced understanding of their emotions.
When it’s time to leave and your toddler won’t go
When children are enjoying an activity, they just want to keep doing it. Read our 6 steps to help your toddler transition.
Toddler tantrums: why they happen and how to handle them
All toddlers have temper tantrums. Learn the dos and don'ts to help you and your child through public and private meltdowns.
5 co-regulation tips to help your toddler manage their feelings
Co-regulation is the process of showing your toddler how to manage emotions by doing it together. Try these expert tips the next time your child gets upset.
Why it’s important to allow your toddler’s big emotions
Big feelings are a sign of your toddler's healthy social-emotional development. Learn three ways to help you and your child manage them.
Learning to walk is surprisingly emotional for toddlers
Learning to walk can be surprisingly emotional for a child. Try this game to build connection and walking confidence.
Secrets to building your toddler’s self-esteem
As your toddler becomes more independent, you have an opportunity to help them cultivate healthy self-esteem. Here are 4 ways to help your toddler develop it.
Why early pretend play matters—and how to encourage it
Now that your child is a toddler, they may start to experiment with pretend play. Learn three ways to support them.
Why timeouts don’t work for toddlers—and what to do instead
Timeouts are a controversial topic. Learn if timeouts are bad and how to help your toddler reset themselves.
6 pro tips to get your toddler to sleep
Going to bed can be hard for your toddler—and when they cry, cling, or continue to call your name night after night, it can be hard on you, too.
Inspire an early love of reading with Lovevery Book Bundles
Lovevery is thrilled to announce its new Book Bundles for Play Kits subscribers. We’re excited for you and your child to discover your new favorite books together.
Should my toddler be playing with friends?
Understand how your toddler may "play" with other kids and how you can help them build their friendship skills.
Benefits of having a family pet
Studies suggest that a child’s relationship with a pet can have health and emotional benefits. Read how pets may build skills and attachment.
When do babies wave?
Waving ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye‘ combine at least three distinct types of skills for your baby. Learn more about these skills and how to encourage waving.
Activities your 6-month-old will want to do again and again
Help your baby practice and expand their skills with these simple games and activities recommended by Gabrielle Felman, Lovevery's child development expert.
Why your face is your baby’s best ‘toy’
Face-to-face time increases your baby's attention span, helps them learn to tolerate eye contact, and introduces them to social cues.
A top way to help develop your baby’s vocabulary, according to research
When it comes to developing your baby’s vocabulary, it helps to be a broken record. Here are 4 tips to maximize your baby’s language development.
How to redirect your baby without saying ‘no’
Telling your baby ‘no,’ ‘stop,’ or ‘don’t’ can sometimes backfire. Read our tips on ways to redirect your baby without saying ‘no.’
Dads can get postpartum depression, too
Between 5 and 10% of fathers can show signs of depression during their partner's pregnancy or the first 6 months of their baby's life. Learn more about new-dad depression.
Copy your baby to help them learn
Imitation is one of the main ways your baby learns about the world. Read about the link between imitation and learning.
4 ways to encourage your baby’s first coos
Your baby’s earliest forms of communication are crying, eye contact, and smiles. Then they may begin to coo. Read these 4 ways to encourage cooing.
Is your baby smiling on purpose?
Your baby’s eyes and entire face light up when they smile, sometimes with noises and gestures. Learn how to encourage more social smiles.
Walking calms babies more than being held
Researchers compared crying and heart rate in babies when they were held and when their mother walked around, carrying them. Learn more about the study results.
How to handle your baby’s fears
Between 6 and 18 months, your baby’s growing cognition and awareness may also trigger sudden fears and insecurities. Read our tips for dealing with these new fears.
How much stimulation do babies need?
Stimulation is a tricky balance to strike for your baby. Learn clues that they're overstimulated and signs that they're ready to engage more.
Testing limits at mealtimes
Between the ages of 9 and 12 months, your baby starts to test limits, especially at mealtime. Read our tips on what to do.
Building attachment with your baby may be easier than you think
Attachment plays an important role in how the structure of an infant’s brain forms, laying the foundation for their development. Read our tips on how to encourage attachment.
A book list for Black History Month
In honor of Black History Month, here are some books we love, written by Black authors and featuring Black characters in happy, present-day storylines.
Scent and your newborn
One of the primary ways your newborn learns about the world in the first few weeks is through their sense of smell. Learn how scents can help soothe your baby.
5 co-regulation tips for calming your baby
A crying or fussy baby can be really hard, especially if there isn’t a clear explanation. Try these 5 techniques to help calm your baby.
How to ease your baby’s separation anxiety
Separation anxiety is a sign of both cognitive and social-emotional growth, and it can look different for every child. Here's how you can make the separation easier on them—and on yourself.
When do babies know their name?
Learning and responding to their name is a big cognitive leap for your baby. Read our tips to help encourage name recognition.
When do babies start laughing?
After cooing and smiling, laughing comes next. Learn how to encourage your baby's giggles.
Newborns with colic: how to help your baby and yourself
If your baby cries and cries and cries they may be among the up to 40% of infants with colic. Learn how to help your baby and yourself with these tips.
How to help your toddler or preschooler adjust to a new baby
A new baby brother or sister can be exciting for a young child, but their perspective can change quickly. Read our tips to help with this big change.
Welcome to The Storyteller Play Kit for months 40-42
Inside our Storyteller Play Kit, you’ll find a Puppet Theater and Puppet Set designed to help spark your child’s imagination and bring their storytelling to life.
Welcome to The Observer Play Kit for months 37-39
Age 3 is a period of major social and emotional growth, and your 3-year-old will need support managing their big emotions. The Observer Play Kit can help you and your child navigate this important time of transition.
How to discuss injustice toward Indigenous Peoples with your children, age 0 – 8
Here’s a quick primer on residential schools, followed by an explanation of how to talk to kids about them, and some age-appropriate book lists for family learning.
6 ways to transform your mental health, by meditation coach Josephine Alturi
Attending to the needs of your children while prioritizing your personal well-being is a tough balancing act. Here are six ways you can use mindfulness to support your mental well-being.
The complete guide to baby development milestones
We compiled this expert guide to help you know what to expect for your baby's growth and month-by-month development.
Meet our Organic Cotton Baby Doll, a timeless doll for everyone
The Organic Cotton Baby Doll comes in three skin tones and is gender-neutral. Read more about our Baby Doll for everyone.
7 key elements to create a Montessori nursery
A Montessori-inspired nursery is simple and soothing. We've collected 7 of our favorite items here to help you design one that's right for your baby.
8 strategies to help your toddler (and yourself) move on from a tantrum
The root cause of a tantrum is often your child wanting independence but not being quite ready for it. Here's how to handle one when it comes up.
Why children are so attached to their loveys (and what to do if your child loses theirs)
Loveys, also known as "transitional objects," help babies and toddlers through transitions. Learn why these blankies, stuffies, and more are important and what to do if one goes missing.
How to celebrate Halloween and maintain physical distance
Halloween will be different this year—but that doesn't mean we can't still celebrate it with our young children.
RIE, Montessori, Reggio Emilia, & more—making sense of the methods, by Lovevery CEO Jessica Rolph
We compiled this guide to different early childhood philosophies to help you make informed decisions about childcare.
How to help your toddler cope with anxiety about COVID-19
If your toddler is showing signs of anxiety like sleep issues and moodiness, try talking to them, creating calming routines, and these other tips to help.
Your toddler’s on top of the world when they make you laugh
A toddler's budding sense of humor is a sign of their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Learn five ways to help nurture your child's funny bone.
Now we are 3: Here’s what to look forward to
Three years old comes with new social-emotional and logic skills, language, independence, curiosity, and a sense of right and wrong. Learn more in our post.
A simple way to teach your child gratitude
A study conducted at UNC Chapel Hill concluded that gratitude has four separate parts. Learn them all and how to help your child put them in practice.
Do this quick prep for a peaceful playdate
Playdates are a great time to develop social skills like building friendships and taking turns. Here's how to support your child before and during a playdate.
How to cope when your child favors one parent over another
In a two-parent home, almost every child will favor one parent over the other at some point. Here's how to handle it when it happens in your family.
Yes, 2-year-olds are capable of empathy—here’s how to encourage the essential skill
A critical piece of teaching kindness is empathy. Here are some ways to help your two-year-old understand, share, and connect with someone else's feelings.
Is your toddler ready to take turns and share?
When we talk about sharing with two-year-olds, what we’re really talking about is turn-taking. Here are some tips for helping your child learn to take turns.
Why it’s okay to not force that hug, by Lovevery CEO Jessica Rolph
Lovevery CEO Jessica Rolph discusses how empowering children to choose how they show affection can help them establish healthy boundaries later on.
The surprising learning power of a mirror
Mirror play builds self-awareness, empathy, and social-emotional learning. Here are 4 ways to teach your child using their reflection and yours.
Kids whine because… it works
Studies have shown adults are hardwired to react to whining more than any other sound a child makes. What does the whining mean and how should you respond?
How eye contact affects your baby’s brain development
A study showed that babies' brains synch with their parents’ when they learn about their social environment. Read about how eye contact plays a crucial role in developing emotional connections.
When are children ready to share?
Learn the differences between turn-taking and sharing, and when children are ready for each.
5 facts about toddlers to help you better understand yours
Your toddler is growing every day—physically, mentally, and emotionally. We gathered together five key facts to help you better understand your toddler and what's happening with their development right now.
We asked 4 professionals what they wished toddler parents would do more of
We asked some of our favorite early childhood, Montessori, and resilience experts to share some advice with us. Here are their top 10 tips.
It’s okay to cry—letting your child know they can feel sad
It’s a fact of life: babies and toddlers cry. Here are some ways to help your toddler work through big feelings.
“Throw the ball to Mama”—what’s up with the third person, anyway?
Do you speak to your toddler in the third person? "Illeism" may help your toddler develop their language skills until they understand pronouns.
