Rebecca Parlakian - Primrose Schools

Rebecca Parlakian is the senior director of programs for ZERO TO THREE™, where she develops resources for parents and trains both parents and early childhood professionals on a range of education and parenting topics. She holds a master’s degree in education and human development from George Washington University. Her most important and most satisfying work in child development is raising her two children, Ella and Bennett. They help her remember that parenting is hard, but also lots of fun!

Learning Is Play, and Play Is Learning

Two-year-old Olivia was busy collecting sticks at the park. She lined them up end to end and walked along the long line she had made. …

7 Ways to Practice Patience with Your Child

Little kids have big feelings. And while all the advice says that parents should stay perfectly calm during our toddlers’ meltdowns, parents are people, too.…

Baby lays in crib sleeping through the night

Help! My Baby Won’t Sleep Through the Night

Sleep while the baby sleeps. Use special swaddles. Try white noise. There are a million pieces of advice – and accessories to buy – to help your baby sleep through the night. But what really works? Here are some parenting tips for how to handle night wakings.

One Size Does Not Fit All: Tips for Raising Siblings

In celebration of National Siblings Day, here are tips to keep in mind as you encounter the challenges, and joys, of raising more than one child.

Working mom takes baby to child care after maternity leave

Returning to Work After Maternity Leave

Every mother has a unique experience when going back to work after maternity leave, so every mother’s advice will be a little different. However, there’s…

Grandfather and grandson play in the park

How Children Benefit From Their Grandparents (and Vice Versa!)

My 3-year-old daughter was recovering from her first stomach virus and my mom watched her so I could return to the office. When I got…

A young girl has fun with her babysitter while playing outside.

How to Find an Amazing Babysitter

There’s so much truth in this old advertisement: Pizza: $20. Babysitter: $50. A night out without the kids: Priceless. But finding that great babysitter—the one…

A woman, looking at her smartphone, confused by the numerous options

How to Avoid Information Overload

When my daughter was an infant and never seemed to sleep, I remember desperately typing the words “how to get a baby to sleep” into…

A father smiles back at his happy daughter reassuringly

Teaching the Difference Between Right and Wrong

It’s snack time and several 3-year-olds are sitting around a table. Each child has two crackers, but one of the children has taken a third.…