Content by Audrey Rider

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.

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.

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.

Lunch room in a daycare facility with plates set on the tables and fall decorations in the background.

Importance of Proper Nutrition and Physical Activity in Early Childhood

Childcare outside the home is relatively common in the United States, as a majority of children ages two-to-five attend some type of childcare and spend roughly 30 hours per week in others care. Due to this, both parents and early childhood educators are responsible to ensure children are receiving the nutrition they need for proper childhood development.

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.

family gathered around an emergency weather radio

Helping Kids Cope and Understand Disasters/Flooding

South Dakota and many of our neighboring states are experiencing flooding and natural disasters. How children experience traumatic events and how they express their lingering distress depends, in large part, on the children's age and level of development.

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.

child enjoying whole wheat crackers and cheese

Healthy After-School Snacks & Activities

As my girls need healthy after-school snacks, I am working on trying to have easy nutritious snacks to hold them over until dinnertime and have fun activities to keep them busy when they get home off the bus.

Spending More Time With Your Child When Life is Busy!

Children need high-quality and truly “connected time” with their parents to feel supported and help develop those social and emotional skills that come with interactions and modeling.

Choosing the Right Child Care

Finding a place/provider that will help be a “second parent” and have a major impact on raising your child can be frustrating and challenging at times. I want to give you a few steps to use when starting the search and offer resources to help find quality childcare for your child.