Jacqueline Jabonero-Espina Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics

05/12/2025

JACQUI’S ADVANCING YOUR CHILD’S ABILITIES
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If your child hits you, your response is likely to affect whether they hit again. Follow these strategies to reduce aggressive behavior. Link in first comment to learn more. ⬇️

04/12/2025

JACQUI’S ADVANCING YOUR CHILD’S ABILITIES blog
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Before children speak, they sing. Before they write, they paint. As soon as they stand, they dance. Art is truly the foundation of human expression, a universal language that transcends barriers and connects us to our deepest emotions and experiences. From the moment we are born, we are drawn to express ourselves creatively, whether through sound, movement, or visual art.

Art is more than just a form of entertainment; it is a vital part of our development and understanding of the world around us. It allows us to process our emotions, communicate our innermost thoughts, and share our experiences with others. From the first time a child picks up a crayon to the moment they express themselves through dance or music, art is the vehicle through which we connect to our humanity.

This quote beautifully captures the essence of art as a foundational human impulse. It reminds us that before we learn to speak or write, we instinctively turn to creative expression to make sense of the world. Art serves as a bridge between the internal world of the individual and the external world of society, creating a space for connection, understanding, and emotional release.

As we grow, our forms of expression evolve, but the need for art remains constant. In every culture, throughout history, and across generations, art has been a constant thread that unites us all. Whether through music, painting, dance, or any other form, art allows us to express our humanity in ways words alone cannot capture.

The significance of art in the development of children cannot be overstated. It is through creative expression that children learn about themselves, their surroundings, and their place in the world. It nurtures their cognitive, emotional, and social growth, offering them a safe space to explore and process their feelings.

As adults, we often lose touch with this instinctual need for artistic expression. Yet, in remembering the wisdom of children and their unbridled creativity, we are reminded that art is not just something to appreciate—it is something to live, create, and embrace every day. Art is the foundation of our shared humanity, a reminder that we are all connected through the stories we tell, the songs we sing, and the movements we make.

02/12/2025

JACQUI’s ADVANCING YOUR CHILD’S ABILITIES blog
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If you’ve noticed your child becoming more irritable, impatient, or “hooked” on screens, you’re not imagining it. Screens don’t just entertain – they rewire the brain’s reward pathways.
Here’s the cycle many children get stuck in… and why it becomes so hard to break without support.

30/11/2025

Ever wish there was a clear route to help a child move from chaos to calm?
That’s exactly what The Calming Pathway is — a step-by-step journey to guide a child from overwhelm to regulation.

When a young person is dysregulated, they can’t access logic, reason, or reflection — and that’s not defiance, it’s biology. The Calming Pathway helps adults respond in a way that meets the child where they are, instead of pushing them further away.

It’s not about quick fixes or punishments. It’s about understanding what calm actually looks like, feels like, and requires for that individual child.

Save this post as your map — the route from chaos to calm starts here.

NOW AVAILABLE IN THE RESOURCE STORE
The Child Brain Explained: How the Upstairs & Downstairs Brain Shape Behaviour, a Toolkit for Parents & Educators. Electronic download available at link in comments or via our Linktree Shop in Bio.

27/11/2025

Jacqui’s ADVANCING YOUR CHILDS ABILITIES blog
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A parentified child is expected to take on the role of a caregiver or parent, either physically or emotionally, before they are developmentally ready, often leading to problems in adulthood. Here are 10 signs of a parentified child, according to a psychologist. Link in the first comment to learn more.

27/11/2025

JACQUI’s ADVANCING YOUR CHILDS ABILITIES blog
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When students “snap,” shut down, or lose control, it’s not always defiance.

Many of these reactions come from automatic processes inside the emotional intelligence brain. This is the system that helps kids recognize emotions, read social cues, and regulate behavior.

At the center is the amygdala, the brain’s alarm system.
When it senses danger (real or imagined), it triggers the body’s fight, flight, or freeze response.

Understanding how this works helps us respond with empathy instead of frustration and guide students back to calm. 💙

23/11/2025

JACQUI’S ADVANCING YOUR CHILD’S ABILITIES blog
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🌟 Sensory processing differences, like sensory seeking behaviors, are a core part of autism spectrum disorder.

Many autistic individuals seek out sensory input—movement, textures, sounds, or visual patterns—to help regulate how they experience the world. 🌍

While these behaviors provide comfort and self-regulation, recent research shows they may also affect cognitive functions, especially sustained attention. 🧠

A study on autistic adults reveals how sensory seeking behaviors impact focus and engagement.

These insights can help occupational therapists, educators, and parents better support attention and cognitive strength in individuals with autism. 💡

21/11/2025

JACQUI’s ADVANCING YOU CHILD’S ABILITIES blog
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08/11/2025

JACQUI’S BLOG: ADVANCING YOUR CHILD’S ABILITIES blog
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STAGES OF LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
(From baby sounds to full conversations)
1. Pre-linguistic Stage (0–12 months)
Cooing • Babbling • Gestures • Responds to name
“Ba-ba!” “Da-da!”
Understands words before speaking
2. One-Word Stage (12–18 months)
Says first words with meaning
“Mama,” “Milk,” “Ball”
One word = whole thought (“Milk” = “I want milk”)
3. Two-Word Stage (18–24 months)
Combines simple words
“More juice,” “Mama go”
Vocabulary explosion begins!
4. Telegraphic Stage (2–3 years)
Uses short sentences • Simple grammar
“Daddy go work,” “I want cookie”
Speech 50–75% clear by age 3
5. Complex Sentences (3–5 years)
Uses pronouns, tenses, plurals
Can tell short stories • Asks “Why?” “How?”
✨ Almost fully understandable by 4 years
6. Adult-like Speech (5 years +)
Fluent, expressive, conversational
Uses language for thinking, storytelling, humor
Vocabulary grows with experience and reading

Each stage builds on the last — respond, talk, and read to your child every day!

As Always: Doc Jacqui

31/10/2025

True strength lies in restraint. Responding with grace instead of anger shows maturity and self-control. People who live in negativity will always try to pull others into their chaos. The best response is peace and silence, because when you stay true to your values, life rewards you in ways that disrespect never could.

25/10/2025

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JACQUI’S ADVANCING YOUR CHILD’s ABILITIES blog

THE “YAYA” FACTOR IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Very common now are 2 parent working families or parents working abroad. They entrust their children to these persons which maybe hired caregivers or family members who rears them instilling in them principles and understandings that shape who they are.

Want effects does a “yaya” have on the child’s development.

1. Attachment and Emotional Security
During the first years, children form primary attachments—the emotional bonds that shape trust and security. When a yaya is the constant caregiver, the child may form a secure attachment to her instead of the parents. If the caregiver changes often (common in households with high staff turnover), the child may develop insecure attachment, leading to anxiety, clinginess, or detachment in later relationships.

2. Language and Social Learning
Children imitate the speech patterns, emotional tone, and manners of their primary caregivers. A yaya’s language, values, or cultural background may heavily influence the child’s first language, accent, and mannerisms—sometimes more than the parents’.

3. Parent-Child Relationship
Parents who delegate too much of daily caregiving may find it harder to build deep emotional familiarity with their child. The child might show selective attachment—seeking comfort or approval more from the yaya than from the parents. As adults, such individuals might struggle with intimacy or have “emotional distance” patterns, subconsciously shaped by early separation from their parents.

4. Identity and Social Modeling
Children copy behaviors and worldviews from those they spend time with. A nurturing, respectful yaya can model positive values—but inconsistencies between home and caregiver influence can create confused internal models. In adulthood, this can appear as dual identities—one emotionally responsive, another detached or role-playing based on expectations.

5. Optimal Balance
The key is not exclusion but integration. Even if yayas help with childcare:
o Parents should maintain consistent bonding routines (bedtime stories, meals, playtime).
o Yayas should be trained and guided to mirror the parents’ values, discipline style, and routines.
o Emotional handovers—where the parent reconnects after work—help the child maintain secure attachment with both caregiver and parent.

AS ALWAYS DOC JACQUI

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