Messages from the Movies
My mom called me up some years ago to praise a movie about a pig. As she began to mimic the pig’s squeaky little voice, I started to wonder what this meant and worried my...
A very tired mother brought her 4 month old daughter to a day care center telling her teacher, “She was up all night crying. I wanted to go get her but my husband said I’m spoiling her and she will never sleep through the night if I do. It’s so hard sometimes to know what is best.”
What should this mother have done? How should the teacher have responded? Is picking up a screaming baby spoiling the child? The answer is – it depends. It depends on whom you are asking this question. In the U.S., but not in all cultures, many parents worry that responding to a child’s needs means they will grow up to be dependent, self-indulged and manipulative brats – and no parent wants that for their child. In fact, infants and toddlers have only one way to communicate – by crying. That’s it. That is their only language. That is the way they tell you when their bellies ache with hunger, their ear throbs with infection or their gums swell with a budding tooth. It’s also how they tell you if they want to be held, if they are cold, or bored. And therein lies the problem. Since you don’t know what exactly they want when they cry, how do you know when to respond and when not to? Aren’t all their needs important, at least to them?
What the experts agree on is that young children’s brains are not capable of manipulating adults. Their brains are just not that sophisticated yet. This ability is developed much later, and is really explored in teenage years. So, if they aren’t staying up at night scheming as to how to get us to spoil them, what’s all that racket in their crib? Again, they are asking for their needs to be met. The challenge is that they have many of needs and their needs don’t typically follow our sleep/wake cycle, making the whole scenario exhausting to deal with. But despite the sleepless nights, if you can realize that a secure baby, whose needs are met, is calmer and more responsive himself, then maybe a couple of years of sleeplessness is not such a bad trade off.
Spoiling a child by responding to them when they cry is a myth. Addressing baby’s needs builds trust and attachment between caregiver and a baby. As early childhood professionals, it is our job to help educate parents and others who care for children and to put the spoiling myth to bed for good.
My mom called me up some years ago to praise a movie about a pig. As she began to mimic the pig’s squeaky little voice, I started to wonder what this meant and worried my...
It takes a village to raise a child, the old proverb tells us. But we need to expand our perspective, according to pediatric surgeon, social scientist and mom Dana Suskind. In her heartfelt work, Parent...
Dr. Calvin Moore shared that when he first arrived at the Council and took on the CEO role, he was focused on assessing the early childhood education (ECE) landscape, the reach of the organization and...
We have probably all seen the commercials this time of year when you can hear the popular holiday song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, playing in the background as parents dance joyously...
Did you know early childhood educators in Maryland have a special benefit that can help them and the children they serve? The Maryland State Department of Education has awarded a $1 million grant to the...
For the first time in three years, the Education Writers Association (EWA) gathered in person for their National Seminar in Orlando last month. The event drew journalists from across the country to hear from leaders...
In April 2022, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) issued new guidance and an Information Memoranda (IM) announcing the long-awaited, family-friendly policy of permitting families and guardians to use proof of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program...
Dasani wakes up before dawn each day at a homeless shelter in Brooklyn, New York. After slipping out from under the covers, she goes to the window. On a clear day, she can see all...
The CDA Advisory Committee was created to provide insights, perspectives, and best practices to the CDA community and other early childhood professionals. Established during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the members’ first-hand experiences...
Chief Operations Officer
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
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Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
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