Author: Rachel Barna
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Solving Picky Eating in Toddlers: Expert Tips for Parents
I could write numerous articles on food and early childhood education, because nutrition in the early years is that profound and essential. But if you’re here, chances are you’re thinking: “Why is my kid such a picky eater?” Well, I have some news for you:Children are not naturally picky eaters. But Rachel—that’s not true, you Read more
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Famous Early Childhood Education Theorists To Know
When we hear the word “daycare,” what comes to mind? For many, it may evoke images of young children, noisy playrooms, or even babysitting. However, concepts such as education, learning, developmental theory, and early childhood education theorists are often not included on the list. Hopefully, this perception is starting to change, especially after reading my Read more
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What Your Child Is Really Learning in Daycare
As a society, we often underestimate the value of early childhood education and the essential role early childhood educators play in shaping our future. Many times I have heard, “What do children really learn in Daycare?” I would argue that the time from birth to age five is one of the most critical periods in Read more
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Fueling Growth: The 6 Essential Nutrients for Healthy Child Development
As early childhood educators, we juggle a lot—emotions, behaviors, routines, milestones. But one thing I never anticipated having to manage so much? Nutrition. Boy, was I wrong. Coming from a family of athletes, doctors, nurses—and even a dietitian—I grew up immersed in conversations about health and nutrition. At one point, I even pursued a degree Read more
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The Truth About Rewards: How They Impact Child Motivation
When I first thought about writing this post, I simply wanted to highlight a few flaws in how rewards affect child motivation. I had no idea I was stepping into one of the most debated—and emotionally charged—topics in parenting and education. During my time in child care, I saw every approach imaginable. Some teachers used Read more
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Understand Your Child’s Behavior with This Free Behavior Log
Behavior challenges are rising rapidly in our classrooms and homes, and if you’re a teacher or a parent navigating these moments, you know exactly what I mean. While we’ll explore the broader “why” behind these behaviors in a future post, today I want to focus on a simple but powerful tool: behavior documentation. A behavior Read more
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Gentle Parenting Explained: What It Is (And What It’s Not)
When you hear “gentle parenting,” what comes to mind? For many, the word gentle might suggest permissiveness or a lack of structure, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Let’s break it down by looking at the four main parenting styles recognized in child development today: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful. Every household tends Read more
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Handwashing for Kids: Why 20 Seconds Matters and How to Teach It
Scrub, Scrub, Scrub Your Hands! I didn’t think I would ever write a post on this topic, but here I am, talking about handwashing. Believe it or not, most daycare providers must complete training on communicable diseases and sometimes specific handwashing training. In fact, after learning about so many different illnesses, viruses, bacteria, and symptoms Read more
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Wonderful Books to Support Your Child’s Potty-Training Journey
Potty training is a major developmental milestone — and it’s hard.No matter what route or tools you use, it’s going to be messy, exhausting, and filled with unexpected (and often embarrassing) moments.Very rarely have I seen parents come away from it without a few battle scars. So before we dive into the books to help Read more
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Why I Don’t Force Kids to Share—Here’s What’s Developmentally Right
Now that I’ve got your attention, you’re probably wondering:What in the world are you thinking?Not sharing sounds like bad manners.And yes — I would agree with you… to a certain extent. Often, parents and teachers are simply tired. Tired of the arguments. Tired of the endless “mine!” wars. It’s easier in the moment to say: Read more