700 Children's® – A Blog by Pediatric Experts

Posts About Child Development

Posted by: Laura Cook, PhD , Jenny Phan, PhD on Jun 04, 2025

Typically, imaginary friends appear in preschool and early childhood and most times come and go without concern. Here are a few guiding principles in embracing this fun expression of your child’s imagination.

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Toxic Stress: How the Body's Response Can Harm a Child's Development
Toxic stress that children suffer not only shapes their emotional lives as adults, but also affects their physical health and longevity.
Young man with an orange in his mouth smiling with his dad
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Breakfast on the Brain: Why It Matters

As a parent, prioritizing breakfast in your household can help set your child up for success.

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About this Blog

Pediatric News You Can Use From America’s Largest Pediatric Hospital and Research Center

700 Children’s® features the most current pediatric health care information and research from our pediatric experts – physicians and specialists who have seen it all. Many of them are parents and bring a special understanding to what our patients and families experience. If you have a child – or care for a child – 700 Children’s was created especially for you.

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Latest Posts

Child doing schoolwork at laptop

Distance Learning: Best Practices to Support Your Student

Apr 03, 2020

Since schools have been closed due to COVID-19, many parents have had to become more hands-on in their children’s daily learning than ever before. Supporting their students at home has been just as much of a learning process for these parents as it is for kids. Read More

Household items

Building Fine Motor and Play Skills with Household Materials

Mar 27, 2020

Families are spending more time at home and less time going out to their favorite places. But you don’t need to go to the store to come up with fun new ways to keep everyone in the family engaged! Read More

Caregiver and child cooking in the kitchen

COVID-19: How to Keep Kids Busy and Connected

Mar 23, 2020

In these uncertain times, parents have the added stress of keeping their children busy and connected with friends and family, all while staying home to slow the spread of coronavirus. We did some crowdsourcing to get some great ideas for younger and older kids. Read More

Teenage girl looking into the refrigerator

Food Insecurity: The Hidden Epidemic Someone You Know is Facing

Jan 28, 2020

Does putting food on the table worry you? If you are living in America, 1 in 8 of you will answer yes. Even if it isn’t you, chances are it’s happening to someone you know. Read More

Baby's handing touching a tablet device

Shopping for Kids? Think Twice Before Buying a Device!

Nov 21, 2019

As Black Friday approaches, prices on electronics are dropping and toddlers are already using their parents’ phones. Is it a good time to get your child their own device this year? The answer is probably not. Read More

Little girl with her eyes closed

Talking to Your Kids About Their Future: Questions to Get You Started

Sep 03, 2019

You may remember your parents telling you to figure out what you want to do with your life. Well time flies, and you might find yourself ready to have these same conversations with your child. So how do you encourage them to think about their plans for the future? Read More

image of a teen girl standing and a boy sitting in a wheelchair next to a school bus

Back to School: How to Get Your Kids Ready for the Year Ahead

Aug 07, 2018

Summer has flown by and, seemingly out of nowhere, it’s time to prepare the kids to head back to school – a transition that can be tough on caregivers and kids, alike. Read More

Baby shoes

First Shoes: Choosing the Right Pair for Your Child

Feb 08, 2018

Parenting is full of wonderful moments, but it can also include a fair share of frustrations. One of those frustrations can be finding the right shoes for your toddler. However, you can follow some simple rules to make your child’s journey to walking a better experience. Read More