Ideas, research, and everyday inspiration for building young minds.
Videos, podcasts, research, and articles — everything our community shares to help families in the first three years.
44 resources
Simple ways to use songs, rhythm, and everyday routines to connect with your child from birth through age three.
Read “Your Voice Is Enough: Singing, Connection, and Your Baby’s Developing Brain” →
A plan for tired toddlers, fall festivals, and the families trying to enjoy it all.
Read “Little Brains, Big Halloween” →
A conversation with expectant mom MaKenzie Ramsey about preparing for parenthood, asking for help, and making room for your own needs.
Read “Before Baby Arrives, Make a Plan for You, Too” →
Why the recommendations matter, practical tips for tired parents, and help finding resources.
Read “Safe Sleep for Real Life” →
What student parents teach us about ambition and support while raising a child and earning a degree
Read “Parenting While in College Should Not Mean Doing It Alone” →
Here’s why so many parents miss the real warning signs
Read “Toddler Not Talking?” →
You don’t need a million followers to change a child’s life
Read “You might be an Influencer if…” →
A Day in the Life with Caitlin Kersey
Read “How This Mom of 5 Balances Business and the Beautiful Chaos of Motherhood” →
For decades, the standard question asked about a young child’s growth was a simple one: is this child developing normally? It’s a question that invites a single…
Read “Beyond the Single Score: Why Researchers Are Turning to Developmental Profiles for Children Under 3” →
If parenting has felt heavier than you expected lately, you are not imagining it — and you are far from alone.
Read “Parental Stress and Child Development: What Every Parent Should Know” →
For NICU Awareness Month, a Pensacola team is building brain development, connection, and community one book at a time.
Read “How Reading in the NICU Supports Babies and Parents” →
Newborns see best 8–12 inches away and love faces and high contrast. See how your baby’s vision, color, and depth perception develop in the first year — with simple ways to help.
Read “What Can Newborns See? Baby Vision Month by Month” →
Why trust, consistent caregivers, and responsive relationships matter so much in the first three years.
Read “Before the First Drop-Off: 12 Questions to Ask a Daycare, Preschool, or Mother’s Morning Out” →
A child can have a completely typical face, a typical IQ, and still be living with a brain difference that nobody can see.
Read “Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: What Every Parent and Caregiver Deserves to Know” →
Discover how screen time rewires the brain in early childhood. Learn about the "digital pacifier," the dopamine loop, and strategies to build resilience.
Read “The Digital Pacifier: How Screen Time Rewires the Developing Brain” →
By Stephanie Montgomery, Ed.D. I’ve been working in early childhood education for over three decades, and I am no stranger to the compounding effects both […]
Read “The "hidden cost" of convenience” →
As a parent, you want to give your child the best possible start in life. You carefully choose the right foods, create safe spaces for […]
Read “Music classes: A workout for your baby's brain” →
Research shows the foundation for reading is oral language — and that foundation is built through everyday interactions.
Read “The Reading Brain Starts at 18 Months” →
I've seen firsthand the profound impact that early experiences, particularly those related to language, have on building brighter futures.
Read “Building Brighter Futures” →
Every child deserves to have their story begin with words of welcome — and now we have the science to prove why this matters.
Read “The Hidden Power of Words” →
Healthcare Plus Podcast: How Healthcare Systems, Physicians, and Parents Can Support Early Childhood Brain Development.
Read “Healthcare Systems” →
Parentese is warm, sing-song speech using real words. Learn how it differs from baby talk, try everyday examples, and explore research on early language.
Read “Parentese Meaning: Examples & Research” →
Hosted by Quint Studer with special guest Carlton Ulmer On this episode of The Healthcare Plus Podcast, host Quint Studer is joined by special guest...
Read “Build a Brain, Build a Life, Build a Community with Carlton Ulmer” →
The Basics Insights Text Messaging Service is a free resource that delivers twice a week texts to new parents throughout the first three years of their child's life.
Read “Basics Insights Texts: Making an Impact for Pensacola Area Parents” →
Sibling Brain Builders empowers older elementary school students, mostly 4th and 5th graders, to read to younger siblings at home.
Read “Sibling Brain Builders Program” →
What does preparing for motherhood really look like? Weeks before her due date, MaKenzie Ramsey joins Stephanie Montgomery for an honest conversation about preg…
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Does sleeping on their back increase a baby’s risk of choking? Is a blanket really that dangerous? And if a baby falls asleep in their car seat, why not let the…
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Before babies say a single word, they’re already talking to us. This week we sit down with Kathi Frankel, RPT, MS, a neonatal developmental specialist who has s…
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Three babies. One pregnancy. And a split-second decision that meant trusting specialists, technology, and instinct with everything on the line. Tiffany Fleck sh…
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The most honest parenting advice usually comes from people living the chaos right now. Here, a PA, content creator, and mom of two boys under three opens up abo…
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Most parents think speech therapy starts when a child starts talking - but the biggest clues show up long before the first word. Speech-language pathologist Ali…
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How This Mom of 5 Balances Business and the Beautiful Chaos of Motherhood We sat down with Caitlin Kersey for a real "day in the life" conversation. She talks t…
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Student parents do not lack ambition - they lack systems built for them. This conversation with Generation Hope reveals how one organization is helping teen par…
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How to Build a Supportive Community for Fathers: 5 Key Takeaways In today's fast-paced world, fatherhood can often feel isolating. Many dads struggle with their…
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Ever feel like you're raising yourself while parenting? Here’s the real deal about routines and raising kids! Tag someone who needs to hear this! Every day is a…
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Empowering Play and Sensory Development: A Conversation with Marika Henderson In this episode, we explore the transformative work of Texture Lab, a mobile senso…
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In this episode of The Critical Window, Dr. Stephanie Montgomery and Michelle Gilbert explore the vital role of community in early childhood education. Drawing…
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Why Music Matters for Every Child Here's something extraordinary to celebrate: helping your child's brain develop for reading, language, and learning success do…
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In this episode of The Critical Window, we sit down with Stephanie Cohen, SLP, a nationally respected pediatric speech language pathologist, educator, and found…
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In this episode of The Critical Window, Carlton Ulmer, host and co-founder of Build a Brain, Build a Life, Build a Community®, talks with Jim Hoskins, President…
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In this episode of The Critical Window, we sit down with Emily and Christoph Zeller, parents of three boys under four, to talk about what it really means to rai…
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In this episode of The Critical Window: Brain Building in the First Three Years, we sit down with MaryAnn Bickerstaff and Teresa Zwierzchowski from The Arc Gate…
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This one is for the dads! The perfect episode to listen to if you have a baby on the way or if you’re in the thick of it with your precious newborn. Welcome to…
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Welcome to The Critical Window, the podcast that brings support, science and guidance together to help parents and caregivers support their child’s brain develo…
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