NOVI, Mich., Jan. 30, 2017 – Learning Care Group, Inc. today announced its acquisition of Creative Kids Learning Centers, 10 preschools serving families throughout Nevada’s Las Vegas Valley.  Learning Care Group is the second-largest for-profit early education and childcare provider in North America. The Creative Kids Learning Center brand joins Childtime, The Children’s Courtyard, Everbrook […]

Have a real one-on-one conversation with any preschooler, and you’re in for a treat — kids are soaring with ideas. As a mom, an educator, and an entrepreneur, I wondered: When do kids lose their imagination? And what can we do to foster creative thinking skills at home? 1.  Ask Your Child to Describe His […]

We all want our children to love reading, to be good readers, and to build a strong literacy foundation for school. You don’t have to be a teacher or a specialist to positively influence your child’s reading success. But here’s what teachers do with their children that every parent can implement. Here are nine teacher […]

We’re still enjoying the summer sun and fun, but a new school year is fast approaching!  Now is the time to start preparing to make the switch.  You can help excite your children about the school season and avoid a last-minute back-to-school frenzy by trying these tips. Talk it up!  Talk to your child about […]

I couldn’t help noticing Mattie and Sophie, adorable 4-year-old twin girls at our preschool. Obviously fraternal, Mattie had stick-straight hair bejeweled with sparkly clips (and the occasional tiara). She wore her tutu to school daily in hopes of an afternoon ballet lesson. Mattie leapt into action with her friends in the classroom without so much […]

In parenting, many decisions are easy: Don’t run into the street. Take turns with your friends. But many of the most important decisions AREN’T easy, including when to start Kindergarten. Will she be ready? Or is it best to wait? When it comes to tricky parenting dilemmas, there usually isn’t a “perfect” decision. Starting Kindergarten […]

By Dr. Heather Wittenberg My husband and I used to forbid the words “restaurant” and “children” from being used in the same sentence. French fries scarfed while running around after the kids resulted in a sure-fire case of indigestion. “Why are we doing this?” we wondered. It was so much easier to stay at home. […]

“So aren’t you really saying that we should settle for mediocre?” asked a young woman at a recent talk I gave about my new book, Good Enough Is the New Perfect. Despite the book’s intentionally controversial title, my coauthor and I make clear from the start that we are not fans of a “whatever” approach […]

Your newborn baby is ready to care and share, right from the start. Yes – the very start. Neonatal nurses know that the sound of a crying newborn will trigger “sympathetic crying” in the other newborns.  It’s part of your baby’s “hardware” that includes specific brain circuits for caring and sharing.  New research – summarized […]

The word “sharing” doesn’t usually conjure up images of fun, happy play in the mind of preschoolers’ parents. More often, sharing means protests of “mine!” and guaranteed hurt feelings. But sharing doesn’t have to be dreaded. The best way to teach sharing is by simply having fun with it. Preschoolers are deeply involved in their […]

When my first child started daycare, I made the same rookie mistake many new parents make – I didn’t ask any questions. I felt embarrassed – that somehow, asking questions made me look dumb. Four kids and several daycares later, I now know what I wish I’d known then – there’s no such thing as […]

Fall is ordinarily my favorite season. With field trips to the farm, pumpkin spice lattes and a dress-up holiday that’s fair game for adults, what’s not to love? But last October, my seasonal spirits took a nosedive when my older son said: “Why do you love your computer more than me?” That zinger came after […]