Parents

All Parents Content

Getting Kids Into Healthy Sleep Habits

It is important for children to get their recommended hours of sleep each night, but good sleep quality is also essential.

young boy washing hands at a sink in a classroom.

Helping Children Learn Responsibility

Teaching children responsibility should start at a young age but is something that you have to keep working on throughout childhood. I am working with my 10-and-5-year-old girls to become more responsible for their school work and daily tasks throughout the day so I don’t need to be a broken record each day.

Two young girls in winter clothing riding on a sled.

Let Them Play During Christmas Break

As we are quickly approaching Christmas break and kids will have time off and will be acquiring new toys and activities during this Christmas season, I want to encourage parents and providers to let children play.

A young girl playing with colored wooden blocks.

Playing With Blocks

Who remembers building glorious structures and towers with wooden blocks? And then having a sibling knock them down and having to rebuild it over again? There are so many learning experiences with building and making mistakes in block play.

A young woman carefully placing her infant child in a crib on his back.

Safe Sleeping Methods for Infants

Safe sleeping positions and methods have come to light in the local news after an infant death in a daycare setting that could have been avoided.

Young girl pretending to cook in a children's play kitchen.

Let Kids Pretend!

Pretend play is as natural as eating and sleeping to kids and should not be dismissed. It is teaching them to practice being in the world and problem solving.

Silhoutte of mother and daughter holding hands at sunset.

Helping Kids Cope and Understand Family Stressors

South Dakota and many of our neighboring states experience natural disasters and agricultural family stress. While we know this can cause added stress on adults and parents, don’t forget to visit with your children of all ages and help them cope with the added stress and changes in their routine.