Twitter isn’t known as the best place to get early childhood education tips. However, there is one user who is changing that by turning cute viral videos into teachable moments.

Dr. Dan Wuori is the Senior Director of Early Learning at the Hunt Institute, an education-focused think tank that is partnered with Duke University. But when Wuori, a former kindergarten teacher, isn’t theorizing about early learning policy for the North Carolina-based nonprofit, he’s posting some of the most informative content about early learning you will find anywhere on the web.

The internet abounds with videos of cute babies doing cute things. Wuori gives context to these videos so people can understand why the child is doing what he or she is doing and how it benefits them.

The Benefits of Failure

Experiencing a little failure can help children learn the importance of effort and consistency. This is a principle most people understand intuitively, but it helps to have an expert explain why that is. Wuori does so in the space of a tweet:

Allow your toddler to experience a little frustration.

I know that may sound odd, but hear me out.

We all face challenges and frustrations in life – and this is especially true of toddlers, who are still developing and refining so many essential skills.

Tempting though it may… pic.twitter.com/2zHQuZ9flA

— Dan Wuori (@DanWuori) September 26, 2023

Mimicking is Learning

Referencing a touching video of a mother and child telling each other, “I love you,” Wuori points out that when children mimic their parents’ language, they also learn meaning through inflection.
“If you listen carefully you’ll note that the baby changes her inflection each time she speaks the word YOU to add special emphasis,” Wuori writes. “She isn’t simply mimicking her mom’s sounds. She knows just what she’s saying – and, importantly – who she’s saying it to. It’s a game every parent waits to play. What a fantastic moment.”

I love YOU. 💕

Check out this heartwarming back and forth between mother and daughter. It contains only 3 words, but they pack a lot of meaning.

If you listen carefully you’ll note that baby changes her inflection each time she speaks the word YOU to add special emphasis.… pic.twitter.com/M2h5KrlqLE

— Dan Wuori (@DanWuori) September 25, 2023

How to Help Your Child Make Friends

Although toddlers often find it easy to make friends among their peers, Wuori gives parents tips on how to help their child if friendmaking is a little more difficult for their child.

The first tip is to provide your child with opportunities to socialize. That might sound obvious, but it’s easy to get so caught up in life that trips to the playground might not be made as often as a child might need to get their practice in.
Second, emulating what to do can go a long way. Children learn socializing behaviors such as the importance of “hello” and a smile, primarily from their parents.

Third, Wuori reminds parents to stay with their child at the beginning. Not only can it help break the ice, but children feel safest when their parents are nearby, which allows them to interact more comfortably.

“Start close so you can help mediate as needed and gradually pull back as your child’s comfort level appears to dictate,” Wuori says.

I love YOU. 💕

Check out this heartwarming back and forth between mother and daughter. It contains only 3 words, but they pack a lot of meaning.

If you listen carefully you’ll note that baby changes her inflection each time she speaks the word YOU to add special emphasis.… pic.twitter.com/M2h5KrlqLE

— Dan Wuori (@DanWuori) September 25, 2023

Wuori’s account is a regular stream of bite-sized insight into child learning and behavior. It’s a great way to pick up some information about how young minds work, while also getting a good starting point to research further if you want to learn more.