Hanna Perkins Center for Child Development

01/20/2026

We don’t raise strong, confident children by removing every struggle from their path. We raise them by walking beside them, offering support, encouragement, and tools to navigate hard moments. The reality is—children will face challenges, disappointments, and frustrations as they grow. When we allow them to struggle safely, they learn resilience, problem-solving, and self-trust. Support doesn’t mean rescuing; it means guiding, listening, and believing in their ability to figure things out. These moments build confidence that lasts far beyond childhood. Our goal isn’t a struggle-free life—it’s a child who knows they can overcome hard things.



Source: Inside Parenting

01/20/2026

Child Life Specialists: Cohorts are forming now for Hanna Perkins' highly respected CEU course "The Hospitalized Child." Participants discuss situations from their own cases for insights and direction. Plus 12 CEUs for just $20.

Our important course for child life specialists is now available for just $20, thanks to a grant from the Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Foundation.

01/15/2026

For every new skill your children learn, you'll go through 4 stages as a parent.

01/13/2026

"Don't talk to strangers" isn't the only advice to help children protect themselves, and it's not even close to the best advice. Here's what it really takes, from the Hanna Perkins Grandmothers.

How young children learn to protect themselves Posted by: The Grandmothers Every day brings new reports of adults in some position of responsibility who take advantage of the trust that children place in them. All of us have to worry about our children’s safety, and it’s easy to wonder what we s...

01/09/2026

Today’s winner for best use of words.

01/08/2026

Babbling isn’t just adorable, it’s your baby’s first “conversation.” 💬 💕
New research shows that when babies babble and caring adults respond, it actually helps shape a baby’s growing brain. Those back-and-forth moments help strengthen the brain connections that support language, learning, and eventually reading, especially during the first year of life.
https://bit.ly/3LDvxbT

Rapid brain growth in a squirrel-size monkey, the marmoset, sets the stage for vocal learning and may explain how people similarly learn to communicate early in life

01/08/2026

A nice way to think about handling your child’s hardest moments.

01/08/2026

With Build Up Michigan – we just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers! 🎉

01/07/2026

Insight and ideas for handling those frustrating bedtime struggles with young children.

How to understand a child's bedtime struggles and address them. The issues may vary by age, but they always seem to involve exhausted parents.

01/05/2026

As a parent, your job isn't to make things easy for your children. It's to help make the hard things bearable.

01/05/2026

The latest episode of Hidden Language of Children podcast discusses therapy for young children - reasons why and the way it works. Find the whole episode on your favorite podcast streaming platform.

A short clip from Ep. 16, about working with parents to provide talk therapy to very young children.