Talking Children Up

April 30, 2012

Children who hear calm voices and a variety of words have a much greater chance of academic achievement, physical health, and well-being. Babies who are not stimulated by calm conversation are more likely to struggle to learn and less likely to make positive contributions to our community as adults. A child's brain development irrevocably changes, based on the words that she hears in the first three years of life.

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Taste and Smell: The Foundation to Healthy Nutrition

April 30, 2012

As the parent of a child who lives on grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken nuggets, developing healthy eating habits in children has always been a mystery to me. Nutritionists tell us that the senses of taste and smell are developing even in the womb, and parents can begin to support their children's nutritional health by eating a healthy diet throughout their pregnancy, and by breastfeeding – whenever possible – for at least six months.

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Kids Need the Proper Kind of Touch

April 17, 2012

Touch can be a touchy subject. Child sexual abuse has long been a taboo topic. Only in recent years has it come to the surface in public discourse. Stories of children abused by adults in positions of trust or authority are frequently the focus of headlines, talk shows and television dramas.

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Youngest Citizens Rightfully Lead Our Agenda

April 12, 2012

The past few weeks have reminded me yet again how special Memphis is -- the accessibility of our public leadership, the willingness by city government to reach out to the public for help, and the creation of a civic agenda that we can all embrace and support. There has been one important thread running through the fabric of these recent events -- early childhood development -- and it's being woven by the smart thinkers at The Urban Child Institute.

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Getting the Right Focus: Trauma and Brains

March 19, 2012

More than 100 years ago, abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass said it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken adults. Recently, Harvard economist Ed Glaeser, when asked for his advice for cities, said: "It's fundamentally about kids. You really want to be investing in children." That's why we've been so busy over 60 days emphasizing the pivotal factors that determine if our children have their best chances to succeed in school and in life -- toxic stress and brain development.

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