{"id":94589,"date":"2023-03-06T14:28:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T18:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=94589"},"modified":"2023-03-08T16:57:51","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T20:57:51","slug":"autonomy-in-early-childhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Ways to Promote Autonomy in Early Childhood"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Want to know some techniques for promoting autonomy in early childhood? Why is autonomy important for children?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Educators Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish claim that fostering autonomy in early childhood is important for children to feel empowered and to create a stronger parent-child relationship. In How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk<\/em>, they offer six techniques to promote early childhood autonomy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn Faber and Mazlish’s six techniques for encouraging autonomy in early childhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Promoting Autonomy in Early Childhood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The advice in Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish’s book How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk<\/em> teaches parents how to communicate in a way that shows children you hear them and care about how they feel. In the book, Faber and Mazlish claim that giving your child a level of autonomy that\u2019s developmentally appropriate is an important key for improving parent-child communication. This will make them feel empowered in the relationship, create a smoother, give-and-take relationship, and make your child more cooperative.<\/strong> In this article, we’ll explain why it’s important to promote autonomy in early childhood and six techniques for increasing a child’s autonomy, according to the advice in How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Importance of Autonomy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Showing that you empathize with your children’s feelings<\/a> sets the stage for cooperation and promotes their sense of autonomy. To build on that, Faber and Mazlish suggest approaches that depersonalize the conflict so it\u2019s no longer a war between you and your child but a cooperative endeavor instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gaining children\u2019s cooperation is key because parents have to stop their children from doing so many things\u2014putting Barbie shoes up their nose, riding the dog\u2014and this can make you seem like an enemy. When you get locked in a power struggle with your child, no one wins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faber and Mazlish recommend that you focus not on your authority but on solving the problem that needs solving. When you focus on solutions, your child may be able to suggest some creative approaches you haven\u2019t thought of. In early childhood, allowing kids to come up with ways of addressing the problems they face helps to foster their autonomy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early Childhood Autonomy & Self-Esteem<\/strong>

Why is autonomy so critical in early childhood? According to psychologist Eric Erikson\u2019s stages of development<\/a>, a sense of autonomy develops during the toddler years, from 18 months to three years old\u2014years that are often recognized as difficult or \u201cthe terrible twos\u201d because children start insisting on their own wants. This stage is a natural part of child development. If parents don\u2019t sufficiently foster this sense of independence<\/a> and capability, a child might feel doubtful about their abilities, become dependent and overly cautious, and have low self-esteem<\/a>.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To get off on the right foot, here\u2019s what not<\/em> to do if you\u2019re trying to promote early childhood cooperation and autonomy, according to the authors. Don\u2019t blame or accuse your children of negative traits, like being messy or clumsy or never listening.<\/strong> Don\u2019t threaten them, use sarcasm, issue commands, lecture them at length, or compare them to others.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, here\u2019s what Faber and Mazlish say you should do instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1: Neutrally Communicate Facts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Describe the problem<\/strong>: You may feel like telling your child, \u201cYou always make a mess! I\u2019m tired of it. Do you live in a barn?\u201d But if you\u2019re angry, your child may automatically get defensive and argumentative in response. This pits you against your child. A better approach is to calmly observe: \u201cI see muddy boots on the living room floor.\u201d When you point out an issue, your child has a chance to suggest a solution, which is an excellent skill to learn, and your conversation remains focused on the problem and how to address it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2: Give Information<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Equip your child with the knowledge they need to make the right decision<\/strong>. For example, if they\u2019re trying to give the dog their snack, tell them, \u201cIf you feed a dog chocolate, they might get sick.\u201d Then they can draw their own conclusion: \u201cI\u2019d better not feed the dog chocolate.\u201d If they realize themselves what the right thing is to do, they\u2019re more likely to do it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3: Offer Options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Offer two options that you find acceptable<\/strong>\u2014for instance, suggest your child wear either the red or blue pajamas, and let them choose. This can feel empowering to them because they enjoy selecting an option, and they feel that you value their input. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#4: Be Concise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t pepper your child with questions; the more you speak, the less room they have to think or respond. Instead of a lecture, call attention to a task with one word<\/strong>. \u201cTeeth!\u201d \u201cGroceries!\u201d Let children figure out what the problem is and how they can solve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use Scaffolding to Encourage Autonomy<\/strong>

Hand-in-hand with giving information and options, parents can use scaffolding<\/em> in early childhood to encourage their child\u2019s autonomy. Just as scaffolding is a temporary structure that provides support for a building that\u2019s under construction, educational scaffolding provides support for a child while they\u2019re learning to do things themselves.<\/a> With this support, a child can feel more comfortable taking the next step, and the adult gradually takes down the scaffolding, meaning they do less and less for the child as the child learns how to master the skills they need. 

Another approach that can help foster a child\u2019s independence is by letting them fail and try again. If parents swoop in too soon to help a child, that child isn\u2019t able to develop healthy coping strategies around failure, and that can make the child afraid to try because they might be afraid of making a mistake.<\/a> It\u2019s only when children are given the space to try things, make mistakes, and try again that they develop the resilience they will need in their later lives. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

#5: Write It Down<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Instead of nagging your children, the authors suggest writing a note<\/strong> reminding them to hang up their wet jacket or put the toilet seat down. Notes on paper can seem more authoritative to children than spoken reminders. If your kids are always raiding the kitchen, you could put up a sign saying \u201cPantry Closed\u201d after their snack. The authors encourage whimsical approaches, like notes written from the point of view of a towel that say, \u201cDon\u2019t leave me on the floor! Hang me up on the hook on the door!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Writing notes to your children fits Faber and Mazlish\u2019s general strategy of depersonalizing rules and making daily life less of a power struggle between parents and children. It makes clear that these tasks are not just arbitrary things you want them to do because you\u2019re annoying, but things that need to be done for the house to run smoothly.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#6: Share Your Feelings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let your children know how their actions affect you<\/strong>. You can tell them, \u201cI don\u2019t like being poked when you\u2019re trying to get my attention. Please use words.\u201d If you\u2019re feeling tired or frustrated, you can share these feelings with them in a memorable way\u2014for instance say something like, \u201cMy patience is the size of a tiny mouse.\u201d In better times, you can tell them, \u201cMy patience is as big as an elephant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The more authentic you are with your children, Faber and Mazlish say, the more honest they will be with you<\/strong>. The authors also claim that another way to promote early childhood autonomy is jettisoning any fixed ideas you might have formed about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Along with sharing your own feelings, Dr. Laura Markham advises parents to practice self-care<\/a> and treat their feelings as valid and worthy of attention. If you feel overwhelmed, give yourself what you need in the moment, if you can\u2013for example, a five-minute break or a cup of coffee. Schedule it for later if now is impossible.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Want to know some techniques for promoting autonomy in early childhood? Why is autonomy important for children? Educators Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish claim that fostering autonomy in early childhood is important for children to feel empowered and to create a stronger parent-child relationship. In How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, they offer six techniques to promote early childhood autonomy. Read on to learn Faber and Mazlish’s six techniques for encouraging autonomy in early childhood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":71224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,42,13],"tags":[926],"class_list":["post-94589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-communication","category-motivation","category-parenting","tag-how-to-talk-so-kids-will-listen-listen-so-kids-will-talk","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\n6 Ways to Promote Autonomy in Early Childhood - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How can you promote autonomy in early childhood? Learn Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish's six methods for encouraging your child's independence.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"6 Ways to Promote Autonomy in Early Childhood\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How can you promote autonomy in early childhood? Learn Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish's six methods for encouraging your child's independence.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-03-06T18:28:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-08T20:57:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mother-and-child-walking-outside-nature.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1578\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"952\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Emily Kitazawa\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Emily Kitazawa\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Emily Kitazawa\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e094024454c7d3334a149c0cf039bdeb\"},\"headline\":\"6 Ways to Promote Autonomy in Early Childhood\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-06T18:28:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-08T20:57:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/\"},\"wordCount\":1365,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mother-and-child-walking-outside-nature.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Communication\",\"Motivation\",\"Parenting\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/\",\"name\":\"6 Ways to Promote Autonomy in Early Childhood - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mother-and-child-walking-outside-nature.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-03-06T18:28:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-08T20:57:51+00:00\",\"description\":\"How can you promote autonomy in early childhood? Learn Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish's six methods for encouraging your child's independence.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mother-and-child-walking-outside-nature.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mother-and-child-walking-outside-nature.jpg\",\"width\":1578,\"height\":952},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"6 Ways to Promote Autonomy in Early Childhood\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World's Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e094024454c7d3334a149c0cf039bdeb\",\"name\":\"Emily Kitazawa\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f5c60fcdcf3b7cd02c2882334c15a3d02f74a69631c696c3bce47deb21dc9ac?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f5c60fcdcf3b7cd02c2882334c15a3d02f74a69631c696c3bce47deb21dc9ac?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Emily Kitazawa\"},\"description\":\"Emily found her love of reading and writing at a young age, learning to enjoy these activities thanks to being taught them by her mom\u2014Goodnight Moon will forever be a favorite. As a young adult, Emily graduated with her English degree, specializing in Creative Writing and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), from the University of Central Florida. She later earned her master\u2019s degree in Higher Education from Pennsylvania State University. Emily loves reading fiction, especially modern Japanese, historical, crime, and philosophical fiction. Her personal writing is inspired by observations of people and nature.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/emily-kitazawa\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"6 Ways to Promote Autonomy in Early Childhood - Shortform Books","description":"How can you promote autonomy in early childhood? Learn Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish's six methods for encouraging your child's independence.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"6 Ways to Promote Autonomy in Early Childhood","og_description":"How can you promote autonomy in early childhood? Learn Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish's six methods for encouraging your child's independence.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2023-03-06T18:28:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-03-08T20:57:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1578,"height":952,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mother-and-child-walking-outside-nature.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Emily Kitazawa","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Emily Kitazawa","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/"},"author":{"name":"Emily Kitazawa","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e094024454c7d3334a149c0cf039bdeb"},"headline":"6 Ways to Promote Autonomy in Early Childhood","datePublished":"2023-03-06T18:28:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-08T20:57:51+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/"},"wordCount":1365,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mother-and-child-walking-outside-nature.jpg","keywords":["How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk"],"articleSection":["Communication","Motivation","Parenting"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/","name":"6 Ways to Promote Autonomy in Early Childhood - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mother-and-child-walking-outside-nature.jpg","datePublished":"2023-03-06T18:28:00+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-08T20:57:51+00:00","description":"How can you promote autonomy in early childhood? Learn Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish's six methods for encouraging your child's independence.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mother-and-child-walking-outside-nature.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mother-and-child-walking-outside-nature.jpg","width":1578,"height":952},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/autonomy-in-early-childhood\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"6 Ways to Promote Autonomy in Early Childhood"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World's Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e094024454c7d3334a149c0cf039bdeb","name":"Emily Kitazawa","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f5c60fcdcf3b7cd02c2882334c15a3d02f74a69631c696c3bce47deb21dc9ac?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f5c60fcdcf3b7cd02c2882334c15a3d02f74a69631c696c3bce47deb21dc9ac?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Emily Kitazawa"},"description":"Emily found her love of reading and writing at a young age, learning to enjoy these activities thanks to being taught them by her mom\u2014Goodnight Moon will forever be a favorite. As a young adult, Emily graduated with her English degree, specializing in Creative Writing and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), from the University of Central Florida. She later earned her master\u2019s degree in Higher Education from Pennsylvania State University. Emily loves reading fiction, especially modern Japanese, historical, crime, and philosophical fiction. Her personal writing is inspired by observations of people and nature.","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/emily-kitazawa\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/mother-and-child-walking-outside-nature.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94589"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":95006,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94589\/revisions\/95006"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}