Advisory Council

Psychologist, Author, and Parenting Resource Expert

Dr. Helen Boehm is a distinguished psychologist and national authority on toys, play and the impact of media on children. She leads the independent advisory service, “FCC Ready”, which certifies educational programming compliance and advises on the development of children’s toys, television and digital products. Dr. Helen was the Senior Vice President for Public Responsibility and Standards at MTV Networks/Nickelodeon and, prior to that, headed Education and Public Service for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Along with her former Fox colleague, John Walsh, she continues an active role with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. She is a familiar parenting resource on programs like "Today" and "Good Morning America" and has given testimony in front of Congress on advertising to children and the impact of sexuality and violence on young audiences. She also served as Vice President of the Children's Advertising Review Unit of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. The author of Fearless Parenting for the New Millennium and The Right Toys: A Guide to Selecting the Best Toys for Children, she has also written articles on kids' media and play for Psychology Today, Working Mother and Redbook. A graduate of Boston University, Dr. Helen received her masters and doctoral degrees from Columbia University and taught at the City University of New York. She lives in New York and Florida - but her focus group of two great kids is now, unfortunately, all grown up!

Articles
Introducing Switch & Go Dinos™

From playing basketball to painting a picture to cutting with scissors, motor skills are at the root of all of our movements. And while these abilities may be innate, fine motor skills must be developed and refined through practice and it is crucial for parents to offer children opportunities to reinforce these vital skills.

Read All...
Girls and Technology

Whether in the crib or the classroom, a child’s exploration, discovery and interaction with the world demonstrates the unique developmental process of play. Play is the “job description” of childhood, helping to building the fundamentals for a lifetime of learning. So, in the same way an adult’s work may be frustrating without the right tools, children’s play may be less challenging (and not as much fun) without the right, age-appropriate playthings. Kids need and deserve toys that will teach, stimulate, entertain and inspire them.

Read All...
Meet our Expert Advisory Panel
Dr. Deborah Sharp Libby

Early Childhood Language and Reading Expert

Dr. Lise Eliot

Early Childhood Mental Development Expert

Dr. Helen Boehm

Psychologist, Author, and Parenting Resource Expert

Dr. Carla C. Johnson

Science and STEM Expert

Dr. Francis (Skip) Fennell

Mathematics Expert

Stacey Heneveld

VTech Mom