Hidden Language of Children

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.

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.

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?"

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.

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.