Erin Dooley

#Thattimewhen my former boss interviewed my current boss about some incredibly brave law enforcement officers, and an even braver little girl. abcnews.go.com/US/police-body… via @ABC

@flowidealism They’re 28 months, boy/girl. We’re screen free (except for facetiming grandparents), but often when one is engrossed in an activity, the other will come along and interrupt, either by grabbing the toy or just generally getting into trouble 🤦🏼‍♀️. Bedtime reading is the exception!

@erindooley Thanks. I don’t have any magic tricks with twins, but of course everything changes as they mature. That said, conversation is a way to create focus, because most kids crave adult attention. How old are they?

Parents ask me constantly what they should focus on with young children. What curriculum? What materials? What early reading program? My answer is 'focus.' One of the most important educational indicators in young children is their ability to focus for longer and longer stretches. If you have that, a great deal follows. This is also what people often miss about Montessori. The common misconception is that Montessori is mainly about the materials or a teaching method. Maria Montessori was a genius observer of children. She noticed what children naturally concentrated on, then worked to protect that concentration and extend it. That’s what I encourage parents to do. Become a careful observer of your child’s attention. Notice what reliably draws them in, then help them stay with it a little longer. It’s gradual. A one-year-old will not sustain a 30-minute conversation, but a ten-year-old could. So what undermines focus? A home full of random noise, constant interruptions, and a nervous background hum. In cities, it can be sirens and commotion. In many homes, it’s screens that train rapid switching. One flash, then another, then something boring, then another flash. If you want your child to develop steady intellectual focus later, start by questioning how face-to-face interactions are shaping their attention today. Here’s an example. My daughter-in-law is a Montessori educator, and my granddaughter just turned two. She spends real time in the kitchen, washing dishes, putting pans away, and doing what the adults are doing. When she sees her parents in the kitchen, she runs over to help. This did not happen by accident. From a very young age, she has been invited into the life of the home. She’s been encouraged to notice what her parents are doing, to join them, and to persist. That is an investment. Early on, it is slower, messier, and more inconvenient. A tired parent can be tempted to shut it down and hand the child a screen so the task gets done faster. However, a child who is repeatedly pushed away from shared work does not grow up excited to join it. A child who is repeatedly invited into shared work often does. One more observation, and I’ll present it carefully. Some differences in attention and emotional regulation are clearly biological. At the same time, many children’s challenges are made harder by chaotic, anxious, and fragmented environments. Material chaos, audio chaos, emotional chaos, or a lack of sustained, responsive interaction can raise the difficulty level for any child. This is not strictly deterministic. But I can’t emphasize enough how much a warm, focused, interactive relationship early in life can pay dividends later.

Proud to join more than 200 former @ABC News employees urging @Disney CEO @RobertIger to publicly defend @MaryKBruce & a free press.

Congratulations to my friend, Ryan Raybould, now serving as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Great line AUSAs make great USAs. I may no longer be working at @NDTXnews, but I’ll always be cheering from the sidelines! justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/r…

For the record: @MaryKBruce is neither a terrible reporter nor a terrible person. She is smart. She is classy. She is an asset to @ABC and the press at large. One day, her kids will watch this video and be so, so proud of their fearless mom. apnews.com/article/media-…

Thank you to the brave journalist @marykbruce for remembering my husband #JamalKhashoggi @JKhashoggi. He would be so proud of you. #SHERO #FreedomofthePress

Best view in the world, in more ways than one. Life is so sweet.

Among the 29 cartel bosses expelled from Mexico and transferred to the U.S. on Thursday was NDTX defendant Jose Rodolfo Villarreal Hernandez, aka “El Gato," charged with orchestrating the slaying of a Southlake attorney in 2013. justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/c… @FBIDallas @DEADALLASDiv

Among the 29 defendants extradited from Mexico is NDTX defendant Jose Rodolfo Villarreal Hernandez, aka “El Gato,” allegedly responsible for orchestrating the murder-for-hire of a man in Southlake, TX in May 2013. He was once an @FBIMostWanted fugitive. fbi.gov/news/stories/n…

A cowboy-hat-wearing serial bank robber who robbed three banks while on supervised release for a prior bank robbery conviction was sentenced Thursday to more than 10 years in federal prison. justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/s…

The architect of a nearly $5 million insurance fraud was sentenced today to more than 13 years in federal prison. justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/d…

She was last seen getting into a semi-truck in Dallas. 8 days later, feds say her body was found dumped in the woods in East Texas wfaa.com/article/news/l…

VIDEO: Dallas woman kidnapped, killed by truck driver was a sex trafficking victim, family says @FOX4

“I can already smell the blood... Anyone wanna sign my gun?” A man who threatened to shoot up a Lubbock elementary school has been arrested and charged. justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/2…

A truck driver who kidnapped a 25-year-old woman and dumped her dead body in the woods was convicted at trial. Surveillance video caught Naasson Hazzard’s victim entering his semi-truck in Dallas at 9:27 p.m. on Aug. 15. justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/t…

A Dallas Police sergeant who allegedly pawned stolen service weapons has been indicted on federal gun charges: justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/d…

Opioid overdose rates in Abilene fell precipitously following a large-scale takedown of #fentanyl traffickers. The street price the drug also rose from roughly $8 per pill to between $20 and $30, making fentanyl less accessible to at-risk users. justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/a…

Way too many farewells over the last few days... But some grand new beginnings too. We celebrated the investiture of United States Magistrate Judge Brian McKay, former @NDTXNews Appellate Chief, this morning. A milestone moment in a life defined by public service.

Merrick Garland, 86th AG, bids farewell to @TheJusticeDept: “Thank you for the communities you have made safer, the threats you have disrupted, the people whose civil rights you have defended… Thank you for the way you have done that work, with integrity, skill, and passion."

"'It was love at first sight.Every day after that internship, I was figuring out how to become an assistant U.S. attorney here.' Simonton achieved her career goal, and then some." Leigha's interview w/ @TexasLawbook: texaslawbook.net/exit-interview…