Dan Wuori

Your baby understands more than you might think. And this is especially true when it comes to language. I’ve written extensively over the years about the gulf between receptive language (that which we understand) and expressive language (that which we can speak), but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any better illustration than this fantastic video, shared with me by @PMArslanagic. In it, her 10-month-old daughter - whose current expressive language is limited mostly to “dada” - correctly identifies 8 African animals, none of which are yet a part of her spoken vocabulary. It’s an amazing illustration of the order in which we acquire language (receptive before expressive) and a powerful reminder that our little ones are taking in the world more extensively than we sometime give them credit for. (This can cut both ways, incidentally, so never assume they aren’t taking in adult content/discussions just because they’re too little. Once that expressive language catches up you might be surprised to discover just how extensive their adult vocabulary can be. 😃). And kudos to grandma, who enabled this - not by drilling our hero on animal names, but by narrating their joint playtimes. Just fantastic!

During pregnancy, we often speak of adults as “expectant.” An expectant mother. Expectant parents. But we aren’t the only ones. As your baby enters the world, they too are expectant. Expectant of your love. Your care and protection. Your active attention. And your mentorship - in the form of up close, face-to-face modeling and interaction. And when they get it, amazing things happen in their developing brains. Witness this little communicator, shared to IG by heatherkingoftheworld. He’s getting exactly the thing he desires most - mom’s active engagement - and paying it back with messages about just how much it delights him. In the end it’s hard to tell who’s more enthralled by their interaction. Talk about a win-win.

Meet the palmar grasp! Juggling both his infant daughter and a load of laundry, this dad - shared to TT by thesingingrealtoralex - managed to briefly lose track of a t-shirt… only to find it was held tightly in his daughter’s hand. It’s a wonderful illustration of the palmar grasp, a reflex common to infants 6 months and under. When something stimulates your baby’s palm, be it a finger, a rattle, or… a t-shirt, their fist will close tightly around it. This primitive reflex is understood to be a survival mechanism, assisting newborns to instinctively - and involuntarily - cling to their parents. It can be surprisingly strong, but never rely on it to ensure your baby’s safety, as it can also be released without warning. By about 6 months you’ll see the palmar grasp reflex make way for more voluntary and deliberate use of the hands. In the meantime, keep an eye on your t-shirts!

@aa_boston Seen today in London. 🇬🇧 BowBowBow! @IndianaFever @dawnstaley

@RollingStone @brooklynvegan @pitchfork @SPIN @stereogum @NME Tonight in London, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore made an unannounced appearance with Negative Approach as the the band opened the Circle Jerks/Descendants show at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire. Video in reply below.

Just wow. I couldn’t be more grateful for - or humbled by - this lovely profile in today’s New York Times, which uplifts not only the babies who take center stage on this channel, but the community we’ve built here. I’ll post a “gift link” in the first reply below, which should allow you to read even if you’re not a @nytimes subscriber.

@DMAC_LA I’m just surprised Ohtani’s new interpreter wasn’t Mookie Betts. That guy can do it all.

Will Ireton, the Dodgers current Manager of Performance Operations, will take over as Shohei Ohtani's translator following the firing of Ohtani's longtime translator Ippei Mizuhara. Ireton was previously Kenta Maeda's translator during his time with the Dodgers.

Exciting news: Thanks to the great response over the past week, @TCPress will be accelerating release of my book, The Daycare Myth. It will now arrive in September (rather than late November). The book is all about the costly and disastrous mismatch between what we know (about the science of early development and importance of the early years) and our nation’s public policy approach to children. My hope is that it sparks an important, bipartisan conversation. I’m so grateful for all the support the book has received this past week. If you haven’t yet preordered a copy, I still have a limited supply of bookplates, which I’ll be personalizing/signing while they last. If you’d like one, preorder at the Amazon link in the first reply below (or anywhere else you’d prefer), then email me a screenshot of your order confirmation and mailing address to dwuori at gmail dot com. I’ll be shipping them out the same week as the book itself.

I’ve been keeping an exciting secret that I’m finally ready to share: My first book, The Daycare Myth: What We Get Wrong About Early Care and Education (and What We Should Do About It), will be published this fall by @TCPress at @Columbia University. Focused on the disconnect between what we know (about the science of early development and the importance of the early years) and our nation’s public policy for children, it’s my hope that the book will spark a long-overdue, bipartisan conversation about the consequences of our inaction and how we might do better by our youngest. Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, early childhood educator, policymaker…or a taxpayer interested in learning why the nation’s failed approach to early childhood is costing each and every one of us an untold fortune, you’re going to want to check it out. Publication is still a few months off, but pre-orders are live NOW. You can order at the link in the first reply below. To celebrate the launch, I have a special offer: The first 100 verified pre-orders will receive a personally inscribed bookplate (to be mailed the week before release). Details with the link below. Writing this book has been a real labor of love. I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you at last. Thank you for your support, today and always. I so love the community we’ve built here on X. If you’d repost this to help spread the word I’d be so grateful.

You’ve probably heard of the stages of grief. Now, meet the stages of joy. This sweet video is like a play in three acts. Act One: Did I really just see what I think I saw? Act Two: Okay yes, there is really a Spider-Man bike in the living room. But WHY? And who might it be for? Act Three: When in doubt, seek Dad out. What a treat to watch this little guy wrap his brain around such an unexpected surprise… and his dad’s equally wonder-filled response. Fantastic video via jennagriep on TT.

Parents/grandparents: this post could save your family hundreds of dollars. Did you know it’s actually possible for young children to have TOO MANY toys? 🧸 🎁 As we enter the holiday season, grown ups often feel pressured to make the big event “extra special” - which can lead not only to over spending, but to more gifts than your little one is ready to meaningfully engage. In a 2018 study, researchers observed two different toddler play settings - one with 16 toys and the other with only 4. What they found was that the children presented with fewer options actually engaged more deeply in play. They stayed focused longer and used the toys available to them in more imaginative ways. Which is just what we want, developmentally. Parents participating in the study were asked, meanwhile, to estimate the number of toys available in their homes. Some self reported 90 or more. 90 different choices! 🤯 This holiday season I want to help both your baby and your credit rating… and assure you that this is a case where LESS can actually be more. When purchasing toys, focus on quality, not quantity. Here’s how: As you consider an item, take a moment to brainstorm a list of its potential uses. Is it something that your child might, with a little imagination, use in multiple types of play? Does it lend itself to sustained engagement? Will it help them to think, build, imagine, create, or problem solve? If the answer is yes, you have a winner. If the answer is no, leave it on the shelf. Your little one doesn’t require dozens of gift wrapped boxes. And buyer beware: they’re likely to be just as thrilled with the box as the item inside. Buy less. Toddler parents, I’d love for you to weigh in here. What toy sustains your little one’s attention the LONGEST? What toy do you see them using in the most ways? Finally a favor to ask… if this post is pertinent to you and you have the means to do so, please take a little of the money this approach saves you and buy a duplicate toy (or two) for donation to a child who may not be as fortunate as your own this holiday season. ____ This little guy and his favorite plaything were shared by mariavmcauley on TT.

@ChadMoriyama That was just brutal.

Might be the final start of his career. Cool.

@Ariichiiyoko Keeping receipts! 🤣

@stuckinoregon @danmaize @EscapeCycling @neilbrownecom TourChats was amazing. Thanks for still remembering it.

A throwback to simpler times: escapecollective.com/an-ode-to-cycl…

@DEADLINE Please note that in its second paragraph this article incorrectly lists Macaulay Culkin as having received Kieran Culkin’s Emmy nomination. deadline.com/2023/07/2023-e…

What you see in this video is more than a toddler picking out a bag of chips. It’s one of the earliest forms of literacy. “Environmental print” is a fancy name for the written language that surrounds children each day: familiar logos, labels, street signs, etc. Among its ranks are typically the first symbols children come to recognize and associate with meaning. Well before they can read conventionally, toddlers often recognize McDonalds’ ubiquitous golden arches, for example, and associate them with french fries. Now watch as this little guy manages to use his knowledge of packaging, logos, and pictures to rummage through this box - carefully considering and setting aside the bags that do not match his desired choice, until he identifies the cheese puffs he is searching for. He may not yet be interacting with text in the more sophisticated ways he will in time, but make no mistake: this little guy is an early reader. A privilege to see his developing 🧠 in action. 🎥 credit unknown

Consider, for a moment, just how much there is to learn as a tiny human. Over a period of months, infants and toddlers begin to master language, how to use their bodies to move and accomplish their goals, and so much more… including their culture’s unique social conventions. Check out this sweet little guy, who has learned that, upon separating, you bid family members farewell and give them a goodbye kiss. Here he extends this same courtesy to a fish. 🥹 What a treat to watch his developing 🧠 at work. 🎥 annagrudzien1

It’s been ten years since the rather regrettable episode with Aaron Brown, aka the UCI Overlord, unfolded. This deep dive by @climbingcyclist was painstakingly researched and brilliantly written. I am grateful for his journalistic chops. Go read this piece. It’s truly incredible.

@tomowencc @joeearley I tried hard to find and write about him. But his identity remains a mystery.

@joeearley Fairly sure I was only made aware of it by the mighty @dwuori