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Are you looking for a safe, online educational resource for your children?  Many exciting, new possibilities exist that incorporate just the right amount of fun and learning for children. For example, Turtle Diary is one such possibility that takes the concept of education to a whole new level.
 

Turtle Diary is a one-of-its-kind online experience for kids, where learning is done the 'fun' way. The webiste offers a wide variety of online educational games and activities for kids, which stimulate their senses and add to their knowledge, and at the same time, make learning a fun activity.

The interactive educatonal games, arts and crafts ideas and printable coloring sheets,  and printable worksheets on a variety of topics are just a few of the resources available on this site.

Turtle Diary is free, full of fun, easy to use and the ideal learning space for kids.  Go check it out!

Join the Working Family Resource Center as they take a unique look at the balance between stress management and peak performance.  On Friday, March 30th at 12:00PM, Dr. William Kriva, will provide tools to increase your enegery levels, accomplish more in less time and still  maintain a healhty balance in your life.  You will also learn how to deal with "life's little surprises" without being knocked off your game.

To register for this FREE webinar event, please register here.

Parents recently posted simple activities to get your child talking from Jamie Loehr, M.D. and Jen Meyers, authors of "Raising Your Child."

1. Read to your child: talk about illustrations, have child point out specific objects, and read alphabet books.
2. Have him describe a story to you: have your child turn the pages of a book and describe the story to you. 
3. Encourage intellegient conversation: consciously hold a conversation with him asking him his opinions, likes and dislikes.  Listen intently when he talks to you.  Repeat what he says back to him to model appropriate articulation and good listening skills
4. Use complete sentences: if he asks "More?" and points to the crackers, says to him, "You want to have more crackers?"
5. Practice using the telepone: play with a telephone and soon your child will be picking up the phone saying, "Hell." (pause) "Good." (pause) "Bye-bye!"
6. Sing songs: listen to music, attend a concert with your child and soon your child will be singing along.

For more development activities for all ages, visit: www.parents.com

Struggling to find new and healthy foods for a picky eater? Try these suggestions from Mom Enough and  St. David's Center:

1. Offer a nibble tray: a compartmentalized tray (an ice cube tray works!) with bite-sized apple, avocado and cheese
2. Dip it: let them immerse food (apples, bell pepper strips, bagels) in cottage cheese, guacamole or pureed fruit
3. Spread it: give them a kid knife to smear cheese, peanut butter or fruit concentrate on crackers, toast or rice cakes
4. Top it: put favorite toppings (such as yogurt, metled cheese) on less-desirable foods
5. Drink it: make a smoothie with milk and fruit and add juice, egg powder, wheat germ, or honey for a very healthy meal
6. Cut it up: cut sandwiches, pancakes, waffles and pizza into shapes using cookie cutters
7. Package it: try using your child's own toy plates, plastic measuring cups or ice cream cones to serve food
8. Become a veggie vendor: plant a garden with your child, put grated or diced veggies into favorite foods, top with a favorite sauce, steam your greens or make veggie art
9. Share it: try group feeding so your child sees another child their age eating
10. Respect tiny tummies: keep food servings small-a child's stomach is approximately the size of his fist
11. We all have appetities: let your child set the pace for meals but if you want them to eat dinner with you then try to time snacks at least 2 hours before dinner
12. Use sit-still strategies: allow your child to sit at a child-size table and chair where their feet touch the ground or with firm support under their feet to reduce the dangly feet that makes children squirm
13. Turn meals upside down: let your child set the menu sometimes even if it means having dinner for breakfast
14. Have them help cook: children are more likely to eat their own creations.  Let them assist in tearing and washing lettuce, scrubbing potatoes or stirring batter
15. Make every calorie count: offer your child foods that pack lots of nutrition into small doeses such as avocados, pasta, peanut butter and eggs
16. Count on inconsistency: what and how much young children are willing to eat varies each day.  Try to simply roll with these mood swings.
17. Relax: expect food fixations especially between his/her second and third birthday.  Toddlers have a mindset about the order of things in their world so they expect food to prepared a certain way (peanut butter on top of the jelly)

To read the full article click here

The Working Family Resource Center is providing a FREE Webinar on Early Literacy on February 8th at Noon. 

Early literacy is developed when we sing a lullaby, listen and respond to a baby's babbling, say a mealtime prayer, read the directions for pancakes, or write an email to grandma.  All of these meaningful activities help children learn language, vocabulary, and the purpose of print.  These are the skills they need to be good readers.

Presenter, Angele Sancho Passe, MA will talk about what family literacy is, have you consider what you are already doing at home to promote literacy and learn new ideas!

To register for the webinar, click here.

Let's Talk Kids is a weekly newsletter that contains information on how to raise healthy, happy children.  The articles will supply caregivers with content on commonly asked questions, new activies and recipes for kids. 

Recents articles have included:

• Ouch, biting hurts
• Children's brainpower
• Fathers parent differently
• Family traditions

If you are interested in receiving the weekly article, send an email to ordering@letstalkkidsnet or join the mailing list at www.letstalkkids.net/subscription

Join the Working Family Resource Center as they provide a FREE webinar on getting your child ready for kindergarten.  During the conversation, they will discuss:

1. Developmental milestones birth through five
2. Provide resources and strategies for you to support your developing child
3. Discuss Kindergarten Readiness Indicators
4. Explore additional resource links and videos
5. Discuss how resources can suppor you, your child's first and most important teacher!

If you are a parent with a young child or someone who cares about young children's success, you won't want to miss this webinar on January 11th from 12-1pm.  Register today!

There is no denying it...technology is part of our culture and can have an impact on how we parent our children.  For example, it seems to be a growing trend that parents are handing over old smartphones to their children.  As a result, children are asking for apps for their phone.  How can apps become a partner in learning for our children?  PBS put together a list of 6 Tips for Buying Children's Apps.

1. A good app is a perfect combination of education and entertainment: It is important that a child has opportunities to play and do something new and challenging.  When kids are engaged, they learn!
2. Explore and play with your child: Research shows that kids learn more when parents join in the fun which is true for all media!
3. Select games that are developmentally appropriate for your child: Ask yourself, is this a skill or storyline my child is capable of following right now.  In addition, for pre-readers, make sure there are audio cues and not just words on a screen.
4. Set limits and encourage other forms of learning and playing: Think about the number of hours your child is spending in front of screens-create a balanced "media-diet"  for your child!
5. Select apps from trusted, reliable sources: Look for apps that come from educational brands that are known for producing educational content.  Review ratings and reviews on sites like Common Sense Media and from other parents.
6. Determine whether apps are trying to market to your child: Watch for apps labeled "lite" or "free".  Many such apps are tastefully done and sensitive to kids' needs while others provide frustration to the child which leads to nagging parents to purchase additional content or links to another app that requires payment.

Please watch for future blog posts as we explore some of the top apps for children!

You put your preschooler to bed at 8:30 at night, hugging and kissing her and wishing her sweet dreams. It's been a long day, but still the dinner dishes await, you have bills to pay, the dog needs to be walked and the cat fed, and you haven't had a spare moment to put your feet up. But instead of spending the rest of the evening catching up on your chores and clocking some precious time with your partner, you're in and out of your child's room, cajoling her to sleep. She finally nods off — about three hours after she first went to bed. Sound familiar?

Baby Center has a great Behavior Problem Solver tool on their website that allows you to select your child's age and the behavior you would like to get a better handle on.   Once you make your selection, tools are provided for your consideration.  Remember each child is unique and one strategy is not going to work for every child.

Here are a few of the behaviors you can choose from:

• bedtime battles
• lying
• biting
• tantrums
• whining

Did you know that children who get more sleep:

• have higher grade averages
• perform better on reasoning and mathematical skills
• have higher reading scores
• experience fewer accidents
• get along with others well
• are better able to focus
• get sick less frequently
• are less likely to be overweight

Sleep is critical in the early years for growth and development.  A child will spend 40% of her childhood asleep.  Sleep is especially important for children as it directly impacts mental and physical development!

If you are concerned your child may not be getting enough sleep, listen to a recent podcast from the director of the sleep center at Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota as they discuss important information of symptoms and management of sleep disorders, as well as advice for promoting good sleep patterns for your child.

Interested in additional resources on sleep:

• Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) has created a guide to healthy sleep.  It offers sleep tips and strategies for newborns up to adults including nighttime routines, sleep problems and naps.  Contact SMIF at 507-455-3215 for more information
• Mary Sheedy Kurcinka is a parent educator and author of Sleepless in America.  Her website and book offer many useful tips and strategies.
• The National Sleep Foundation also provides a wide array of information on sleep for all ages.