The MiniMinds blog
Notes for grown-ups
Child development, reading, sleep and screen time: practical notes for parents, from the team behind MiniMinds.
Bedtime Routine for Kids: What Works and Where the Story Fits
What a bedtime routine is, what the research shows, a sample 30-minute plan with the story in the right place, and calm fixes for stalling, fears and night waking.
Read the postBedtime and sleep
Routines, how much sleep children need, lullabies, and choosing tonight's story.
- GuideSleep· 13 min read
Bedtime Routine for Kids: What Works and Where the Story Fits
What a bedtime routine is, what the research shows, a sample 30-minute plan with the story in the right place, and calm fixes for stalling, fears and night waking.
Sleep· 8 min readHow Much Sleep Do Kids Need? Hours by Age, Naps and Bedtimes
Expert sleep ranges from babies to teens, how naps count, the signs of too little sleep, and a simple way to work out your child's bedtime from wake-up time.
Sleep· 8 min readBedtime Stories by Age: How to Choose the Right One, From 3 to 12+
Length, themes, favorites on repeat and stories for fears: an age-by-age guide to bedtime stories that keeps rules of thumb apart from what research shows.
Sleep· 8 min readLullabies and Bedtime Songs: What Singing Does for Your Child
What studies show about singing to babies and children, what they don't, why lullabies sound alike worldwide, and a simple sung wind-down for any voice.
Sleep· 8 min readReading Bedtime Stories in Your Own Voice, Even When You're Away
Your voice matters to your child, but a recording is not a call. What studies show, and how to record a story for nights apart.
Reading and language
Why reading aloud matters, building the habit, listening or reading, and attention.
GuideReading· 13 min readWhy Reading Aloud to Children Matters: Birth to School Age
What reading aloud really does for babies, toddlers and preschoolers, how much is enough, and how to turn story time into a conversation.
Reading· 9 min readAudiobooks vs Reading Aloud vs Reading Alone: What Helps Kids
Listening, reading aloud together and reading alone each build different skills. What the research shows, age by age, and how to combine them.
Development· 10 min readChild Attention Span by Age: What's Normal and What Helps
There is no research-backed minute count per age. How attention grows, what helps children concentrate, and what the evidence on screens does and does not show.
Reading· 8 min readHow to Build a Reading Habit in Children, Age by Age
Age-by-age ways to make reading something your child wants to do, and what research and Türkiye's PISA results say.
Feelings, creativity and connection
Emotional intelligence, the parent–child bond, creativity, and stories that star your child.
GuideDevelopment· 13 min readEmotional Intelligence in Children: A Parent's Guide by Age
What emotional intelligence is, how it grows by age, emotion coaching in five steps with words you can use tonight, and an honest look at the evidence.
Reading· 8 min readPersonalized Stories for Kids: Making Your Child the Hero
Stories starring your child can make reading more fun and may help with new words. What the studies show, what they don't, and how to write one tonight.
Parenting· 8 min readHow to Strengthen the Parent-Child Bond, Even When Time Is Short
Small back-and-forth moments, repair after a hard day, bedtime rituals and staying close when time is short, with what research does and does not show.
Development· 8 min readHow to Nurture Creativity in Children: What the Research Says
Play, simple toys, story games and better questions: a research-checked guide to your child's imagination, age by age.
Screens, safety and AI
Screen time by age, online safety, and what AI can and cannot do for children.
GuideScreens & safety· 13 min readScreen Time for Kids by Age: Guidelines, Sleep and a Family Plan
What the WHO, the AAP and the UK's 2026 guidance say about screen time by age, why content and company matter as much as minutes, and how to keep limits calm.
AI & learning· 8 min readMontessori, Screens and AI: What Fits at Home in 2026
What Montessori research really shows, why Montessori bodies keep screens away from under-sixes, and how to bring Montessori ideas, reading included, home.
AI & learning· 8 min readAI Tutors for Kids: What the Research Shows in 2026
Tutoring works, and some AI tutors look promising, but most studies are with teenagers and students. What that means for your school-age child.
AI & learning· 8 min readAI and Child Development: What Parents Need to Know
What AI can and cannot do for young children, why chatbots and AI toys worry experts, and family rules that follow the official advice.
Screens & safety· 8 min readOnline Safety for Kids: Privacy, Photos, Purchases and the Law
Settings, habits and laws that protect young children online, from photos and purchases to ads and AI toys, plus a checklist for choosing apps.