Hidden Language of Children

Hidden Language of Children

Are you interested in knowing your young child in a whole new way? Understanding what’s really going on in their developing mind? Does your child say or do things that make you stop and wonder … “Where did that come from?” This podcast, from a non-profit recognized for more than 70 years of groundbreaking working with families, delves into the ups and downs of early childhood by decoding the frequently misunderstood meaning of children's behavior. It's designed to help parents and caregivers better understand the children they love and help them grow.

Episodes

November 7, 2025 28 mins

People are often surprised to learn that toddlers and preschoolers can benefit from "talk therapy." In this episode, we discuss the reasons such young children are getting help, and how it's provided through a discipline called "therapy via the parent."

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A conversation with Social Worker Anita Eddie, MA, ATR, MSSA, LISW-S about Halloween with young children. Parents often remember Halloween as good, scary fun - and they want to share that with their children. But the youngest children - typically 5 and under - can't yet separate reality from fantasy. So scary fun is just scary.

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Host Dr. Kimberly Bell talks with Adrianne Fletcher, Ph.D., an educator, psychotherapist and author of children's books about the developmental meaning of conversations parents and children have when enjoying reading together.

You can find Dr. Fletcher's books on Amazon.com by clicking the links below. Purchases generate a small commission for non-profit Hanna Perkins Center, which produces this podcast.

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A special episode on what children need, and how to talk with them, about the most recent school shooting or other gun violence. Featuring host Dr. Kimberly Bell in conversation with Hidden Language of Children producer Bob Rosenbaum.

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In the first episode of season 2, host Dr. Kimberly Bell Kim is joined by Dr. Tovah Klein, author of "How Toddlers Thrive" and "Raising Resilience" for a conversation about how parents can help children develop resilience to difficult moments, unwanted surprises and other adversities.

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In a relevant departure from our usual early-childhood topics, we expand on the concept of "behavior as communication" in a conversation with Dr. Dan Ratner, author of Crushing Doubt (www.crushingdoubt.com), about the important role of the mind in managing chronic pain and discomfort.

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Rique Sollisch, an early childhood consultant with Hanna Perkins Center, shares her noteworthy approach to talking with young children in a way that helps them undertand, discuss and gain mastery of their feelings.

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May 15, 2025 10 mins

Ideas for developmentally mindful ways to talk with young children. Compilation of "Let's Rephrase That" segments from the Hidden Language of Children podcast.

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Laura Cyrocki, director of healthy meals and garden programs at Hanna Perkins School, discusses why gardening is such a fertile activity for developmental growth, and offers suggestions for getting young children started in the garden.

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We talk with Training Director Pam Millar about the importance of a trusting and empathetic relationship between early learning teachers and parents. The discussion addresses why the relationship is so important, and what teachers and parents alike can do to make sure it's working.

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We talk with child psychoanalyst Margaret Zerba, Ph.D. about the challenges for children and parents alike during each of the developmental stages that all children experience: infancy, toddlerhood, school age and adolescence.

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A conversation with social worker and therapist Anita M. Eddie, MA, ATR, MSSA, LISW-S about the meaning of behaviors that can arise as a child's conscience begins to develop.

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Taryn Ponsky, M.A., LPCC, a psychotherapist and child development specialist, discusses separation anxiety in young children - where it comes from, how to deal with it, and how it differs from ordinary separation feelings.

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Mom and professional photographer Kim Sable shares her experience with twins in an early learning program that emphasizes social-emotional development. It wasn't always perfect, but it's still paying benefits years later - to children and parents alike.

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December 3, 2024 36 mins

In follow-up to the discussion about normal development in episode 2, Debby Paris returns to address the question, "If normal is so messy and individualized, how do you know when things have gotten off track?"

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Social worker/therapist Deborah Paris, LISW, discusses the two-steps-forward and one-step-back nature of healthy child development, and offers words of comfort for parents who worry about developmental timelines.

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November 20, 2024 29 mins

We talk with early childhood development expert Barbara Streeter about "the inner life of children": The ideas and emotions they have, but without the life experience or vocabulary to understand them. So diffficult thoughts get acted out through troubling behavior.

As adults, we can't offer the help and reassurance they need until we figure out what's really behind the behavior.

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Are you interested in knowing your young child in a whole new way? Understanding what’s really going on in their developing mind? This podcast, from a non-profit recognized for more than 70 years of groundbreaking working with families, delves into the ups and downs of early childhood by decoding the frequently misunderstood meaning of children's behavior. It's designed to help parents and caregivers better understand the children...

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