Early Childhood Vocabulary
This is how your child responds to the world, not why they do the things they do
What is temperament?
This rhyming phrase reminds us that children do more of what they see modeled than of what they are told to do.
What is the phrase, "In childhood more is caught than is taught."
Amanda's number one parenting tip; this means preparing for the needs of your child
What is proactive parenting?
This number, how many times an hour that siblings may fight, equates to about every 7.5 minutes
What is 8?
This type of development refers to the ability to use small muscles in our hands, feet, and face
What is fine motor?
This part of the brain, also called the "lizard brain", is responsible for our fight or flight response
What is the brain stem?
This biological process helps children calm down by matching their biological rhythms to their grown up
What is coregulation?
This parenting strategy gives children attention for the GOOD things they are doing
What is emphasize the positive?
What is an all in the same boat solution?
This time period in a child's life is when the most important architecture of the brain is developed
What is birth to three?
Who are parents and caregivers?
This discipline step helps children feel seen and understood, engages higher order thinking, and gives children language for future use
What is naming the feeling?
When offering limited choices, both options must be this
What is "acceptable to the adult"?
A lot of this in childhood correlates strongly with the quality of the adult sibling relationship
What is family fun?
This up and down cycle in development refers to periods when your child's skills and abilities align with their wants and desires and when they don't
What is equilibrium/disequilibrium?
This saying reminds us that in early childhood what our children DO is often a stand in for what they want to SAY
What is "all behavior is communication"?
This inwardly focused step is the first step in co-regulation
What is caregiver self-regulation?
To avoid the overuse of the word "no", this strategy uses a different term to call out threats to physical safety
What is a danger word?
Sibling rivalry serves a developmental purpose by allowing children to practice this in a safe environment
What are social skills?
These contrasting words remind us that development follows typical patterns while being unique to each child
What are universal and individual?
This aptly named developmental stage refers to the experience of children who feel discomfort when they are away from their primary caregivers
What is separation anxiety?
This lighthearted activity is one of the main ways that children process information
What is play?
Doing this helps children perceive you as less threatening, making them better able to listen to your guidance
What is getting at or below eye level?
Avoid these, as they can increase sibling rivalry and become self-fulfilling prophecies
What are labels?
This desirable skill that allows children to manage their behavior doesn't start developing until around age 4
What is impulse control?