Choosing Books for Children
Reading every day develops children's imagination and memory skills. What to look for when choosing books suited to age and interest.
1 min read
All our articles on infancy and childhood are written by a qualified clinical psychologist.
After completing a double major in Psychology and Sociology at Koç University, I graduated from the Clinical Psychology programme at Bahçeşehir University. For three years I worked with the Solidarity Association with Refugees and Migrants, a UNICEF project, conducting individual psychotherapy and group art therapy sessions with refugee children and adolescents. I currently provide parental counselling at a private practice in Kadıköy on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, working with children, adolescents and adults using psychodynamic psychotherapy, play therapy and art therapy.
Reading every day develops children's imagination and memory skills. What to look for when choosing books suited to age and interest.
How do you choose toys that support imagination and keep a child active? The importance of symbolic play and the toys to avoid.
Skin-to-skin contact is one of a baby's most basic needs. Research shows its effect on weight gain, cortisol levels and development.
The sense of inadequacy felt by mothers who formula feed, and the research showing that mother-baby bonding does not depend on breastfeeding alone.
Face-to-face games with babies lay the foundation for healthy attachment. The role of peekaboo and hide and seek in separation anxiety.
Games that reverse the balance of power offset a baby's sense of helplessness. Knock-me-over, tickling and games for coping with fears.
The causes and signs of sibling jealousy, and the role of one-to-one special play sessions and symbolic play in easing rivalry.
Gently rocking a baby in a swaying motion helps them regulate their emotions, but shaking can cause serious harm.
Why babies under 18 months cannot grasp rules, the developmental meaning of defiance in the second year, and ways to build cooperation.
Why falling asleep at the breast is normal and developmentally healthy, and what you can do if you want to make a gradual transition.
Night feeding is about far more than physical nourishment; it is not a bad habit but part of a baby's need to settle and feel safe.
Advice on watching for your child's readiness, avoiding punishment and rewards, and allowing a return to nappies during stressful periods.
Ways to prepare your older child while expecting a new baby, signs of jealousy, and why accepting their feelings and giving them special time matters.
Why separation anxiety begins around six months, plus games and goodbye rituals you can use to support your baby through it.
The effects of sleep training on a baby's basic sense of trust and development, and why responding to needs in good time matters.
How sharing a bed or a room with your baby affects the development of independence, and what the research actually tells us.
Imaginary playmates are a normal part of childhood and help children make sense of the world. How parents should approach them.
Research-based reasons behind frequent night waking, from teething and developmental leaps to separation anxiety and environmental factors.