Dr. Deb Zupito Now that Teacher Appreciation Week has passed, I keep finding myself reflecting on the people who make the heart of our school beat every single day. Because appreciation for educators should never be limited to one week on the calendar. Especially in early childhood education. Our teachers do work that is deeply important, incredibly skilled, and often unseen by the outside world. They are not simply managing classrooms or filling a child’s day. They are helpi

Dr. Deb Zupito There is a moment in parenting when it hits you, and it is usually not during the sweet, picture perfect parts. It shows up in the middle of real life, when things feel rushed, messy, and a little overwhelming. It might look like this. It is 7:45 am. You are trying to get out the door, and your child is completely falling apart because their pants “feel wrong.” Not a small protest or a quick complaint, but a full body, level ten meltdown over a wrinkle, a seam,

Dr. Deb Zupito Let's Say the Uncomfortable Part Out Loud I'm going to say something that might feel a little uncomfortable. A lot of what we call "challenging behavior" in young children is actually a mismatch between developmental stages and adult expectations. And right now, that gap is growing in ways we cannot ignore. We Are Asking for Skills That Are Still Developing We are asking developing brains to perform like finished ones. We expect two and three-year-olds to share

Dr. Deb Zupito There's something special about this week in the preschool world. You might notice some themed days, a little more music, a little more movement, and what looks like simple fun. And on the surface, it can feel like just that. But beneath it all, something much deeper is happening. By age five, a child's brain has reached about ninety percent of its adult size. During these early years, neural connections are forming rapidly, shaped not by pressure or performanc

Dr. Deb Zupito There's a moment in parenting that sneaks up on you. You're just trying to drink your coffee while it's still warm, maybe answer one email, maybe sit for a second, and suddenly you're fielding questions like, "Why is the sky blue?" "How do cars work?" “Where did that plant come from?" and, my personal favorite, "Why can’t I have ice cream for breakfast if it has milk in it?" Just like that, you've been promoted to Chief Answerer of All Things, no training, no m

Dr. Deb Zupito A Misunderstanding That Needs to Shift There is a quiet but powerful misunderstanding that continues to follow early childhood education. It shows up in the language people use. It shows up in assumptions. It shows up in the way preschool is sometimes reduced to “daycare” or “just watching kids.” But what is happening inside a high-quality preschool classroom, especially here in New Jersey, is far more complex, intentional, and essential. We are not simply