Choosing Toys

Many of the best toys for children don’t cost a lot of money! Have you ever been surprised to see a child having more fun playing with the box a toy comes in than with the toy itself? Boxes are really appealing to children because they can be played with in so many different ways. Depending on the size of the box, children might use it for stacking, for filling and dumping, or for giving rides to other toys. They might even wear it as a hat or use it as a drum! Bigger boxes can be anything from a house to a barn to a store.

Good Manners Matter

Good manners play an important role in your child’s success in social relationships. However, children are not born with good manners! It’s up to parents and other adults to teach and reinforce them. With these tips in mind and by practicing plenty of patience, you will find that over time, your children will become respectable young people.

What You Do Matters…Make Sure Parents See It!

by Katie Brazerol

We Are All Free

Five Habits for Healthy Sleep

Sleep is always a popular topic in early childhood. Adults often talk about being short on it, and parents often struggle to help their children rest at night. Research routinely shows that children do not receive enough sleep, sometimes by as much as a couple of hours per night. Sleep deprivation is linked to a number of issues in children, including a greater risk for obesity, impaired memory and attention, susceptibility to illness, and poor academic performance. Experts recommend that children ages 0 to 5 sleep 10-16 hours a day, including naps. How can we best support children in developing and maintaining good sleep habits? Below are five habits to help you set the stage.