The complexity of the human brain is nothing short of amazing. The changes which occur in a baby's brain are significant from the time of conception to three years of age. As a caregiver of a baby, it is your goal to support healthy brain development. Here are a few suggestions to help: Respond...

Used with permission through a partnership with the Illinois Early Learning Project.  www.illinoisearlylearning.org Is your child between the ages of 3 and 5? If so, you can do a lot to make getting ready to read a natural part of daily life. Most 3- to 5-year-olds still have a way to go...

Winter Fitness Now that winter is upon us, it is quite comforting to sit down with a movie, hot chocolate, and your family for some quality time together. Although it is important to do some enjoyable and relaxing activities, it is important to try to incorporate some plans that include physical...

  The flurry of wrapping paper has settled, the holiday meal leftovers are a memory, decorations are packed away, New Year's resolutions have been made and broken, and family and friends are already back to their normal routines. Starting before Thanksgiving, there is such a huge build-up of...

Fun at Home with Preschoolers: Let's Measure! This is used with permission from the Illinois Early Learning Project https://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/fun-measure/ Your preschool-age child hears you talk about miles, inches, pounds, liters, acres, and minutes. He sees you measuring...

Tips on Handling Tantrums Can you think of a time where either you had a toddler or you witnessed a toddler in the store checkout line throwing a tantrum? Google's definition of tantrum is "an uncontrolled outburst of anger and frustration, typically in a young...

Despite the title, I am not going to talk about the latest video game or Monster High doll! According to authors Jo Robinson and Jean Coppock-Staeheli in their book Unplug the Christmas Machine, as early as the age of four or five kids can lose the ability to be delighted by the sights and...

Winter Fitness Now that winter is upon us, it is quite comforting to sit down with a movie, hot chocolate, and your family for some quality time together. Although it is important to do some enjoyable and relaxing activities, it is important to try to incorporate some plans that...

Periodically, I am asked to do a presentation on work/life balance. Everyone is so busy juggling work, school, family, friends, household duties, self-care, etc., that they want to know how to fit everything in their schedules. This can be a very tricky thing to accomplish since time is limited and...

When my son was very young, I remember dropping him off at the child care center and then preschool. I recall seeing little ones crying, clinging to their parents – and then seeing those same parents crying in the parking lot. It is very difficult to leave your child somewhere when he is upset, but...