Tovah Klein, PhD

Tovah P. Klein, Ph.D. is Director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development, Psychology Professor at Barnard College and author of How Toddlers Thrive, available in 7 languages. Her second book Raising Resilience: How to Help Our Children Thrive in Times of Uncertainty (HarperCollins, 2024) will be out in September.

She is a graduate of the University of Michigan, holds a doctorate in clinical and developmental psychology from Duke University.

Tovah has worked with families and young children for nearly three decades. Her love of this age stems from her interest in the influences parents have on children’s well-being as well as the joy and curiosity of children. Her research explores parenting influences and challenges, including work and family; children’s play and emotional development; parental emotional influences on early learning; and child trauma, including the impact of 9/11 as well as a study of parenting during covid.

Klein writes for and is quoted in the media including print, TV, radio and digital. She has been called the ‘toddler whisperer’ by Good Morning America. She consults worldwide to programs for children, was a developmental advisor to Sesame Street, and is an advisor to Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Hunts Point Alliance for Children, Room to Grow, and S. Africa’s Ubuntu Pathways. She is a ‘changemaker’ for a new Apple TV+ children’s show and a developmental consultant for National Geographic Kids books. She lives in New York City.