In her January 2026 Congressional testimony, Emily Cherkin put it simply: "Parents are not naive — we know our children will use technology for work and life in adulthood. We just want to ensure they have a childhood first."

That testimony — covering the impact of screens, AI, and EdTech on kids — echoed so much of what I hear from parents and teachers alike: real questions about technology's place in the classroom and its effect on development. So I invited Emily to dig deeper.

Known as the Screentime Consultant, Emily has spent over a decade at the intersection of technology and child development. She's an author, speaker, and consultant, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Washington, and has testified before both the U.S. Senate and U.K. Parliament. She's also the lead plaintiff in a landmark lawsuit against EdTech companies over children's privacy — making her one of the most courageous, outspoken voices holding the industry accountable. Her book, Screentime Solution, lays out her practical, no-nonsense approach.

In this episode, Emily shares the questions every parent and educator should ask before introducing a new technology, why "tech-intentional" beats both anti-tech and tech-everywhere, and one of my favorite truisms: "The best preparation for a digital future is an analog childhood."

If you're trying to push back against the creeping screen-centered focus in early childhood spaces, this conversation is for you.

📝 Full show notes, links, and resources: notjustcute.com/podcast/episode87

A scoping review published in the Early Childhood Education Journal analyzed over 50 studies on play-based learning for ages 4-6, and the findings are too significant to ignore. This research synthesis shows play-based learning enhances cognitive skills, executive function, literacy, mathematics, and social-emotional development—yet we're not acting on it.

Parents remain skeptical of play as a teaching method, though their concerns fade when they see quality programs firsthand. Teachers endorse play but struggle to connect it with curricular requirements. And there's persistent confusion about whether there's one "right" way to implement play-based learning.

The research clarifies this: effective practice blends free play, guided play, and games. Different types of play support different developmental outcomes, so restricting children to a single approach is like limiting them to one food group. Teachers need the flexibility and professional development to use this full spectrum responsively.

We have the evidence. A 29-page appendix with 50+ study citations proves it. The question is whether we'll use it now—or look back in 20 years wondering why we didn't act when the research was right in front of us.

For educators, administrators, grad students, and anyone building evidence-based early childhood programs.

Find show notes at https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode86

Joy is one of those concepts that everyone understands until you try to define it. And yet, the research is remarkably clear about what it does. In this episode, we explore what joy actually is, why it matters so profoundly for young children, and what it looks like in the early childhood classroom. From the neuroscience of how joy changes the brain's chemistry and learning capacity, to the relational dimension of shared delight between children and the adults who care for them, this episode grounds joy firmly in both science and practice.

If you work with young children or advocate for play-based learning, this episode will give you the research and the language to protect joy in your program — and a compelling reminder of why that work matters. Part two of a two-episode series with Episode 84 on agency.

Because Play = Agency + Joy

Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode85