Nap Solutions!

Some babies do well cat-napping for 20 minutes at a stretch, they aren’t irritable when they awake and sleep well during the night. But if your child remains cranky after waking, looks tired all day and sleeps poorly at nighttime, you may want to help improve her sleep patterns during the day. Babies who get efficient naps during the day tend to sleep better at night and allow both you and your baby time to recharge in order to enjoy the rest of the day.
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Picky Eaters

“My child used to eat nearly everything I put in front of him, but now there are times when he skips entire meals. He either wants something other than what I cooked, or he says he isn’t hungry. Is this normal?”
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Playtime With Your Infant

During Welcome to Our World, parenting educators often hear caregivers talk about what they do with their baby all day. "Do I play enough? Do I talk enough? Do I need to do more?" It can be hard to know how to fill you and your baby’s day and what exactly play looks like with an infant! Research shows play that engages all of your baby's senses is most beneficial for development.
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Reducing Children’s Screen Time

These days, children are born into a world where media and screens are everywhere! It may seem daunting to limit screen time or even eliminate it completely, but there are huge benefits that come from less screen time! Follow the link to find seven strategies other parents have used to reduce screen time in their homes.
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A Memorable Childhood

Children's memories are enhanced through experience, which is one of the many reasons we encourage parents to play with their children and strive to make special time a part of your daily routine. All parents want to be remembered for the positive experiences they have with their children. Here are a few ideas on ways to ensure you are a "memorable" parent.
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Bilingual From Birth

If you have been to our parenting programs lately, you may have noticed we have been incorporating Spanish songs into our circle time! We even have a songbook of our favorite Spanish songs. Children's brains are wired to hear multiple languages and it's amazing to see how eager children are to learn colors and numbers in different languages.
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Keeping Your Cool

We often say that parenting is the hardest job you will do!  What parents often find to be the most challenging is keeping their cool and helping their child while they are in the midst of a meltdown...basically for the parent to not have their own meltdown!  Tantrums can be very stressful for parents as the child is expressing their feelings in a big way.
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Child Abuse Prevention

Parenting Educators often say it takes a village to raise a child. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and we want to let our families know there are so many different ways to help the children in our community. As of February, there were 331 children in out-of-home and foster care in Sarasota County, according to the Family Safety Alliance. More than half of these children are between the ages of birth and 5. 
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Learning Through Music

At Forty Carrots, Parenting Educators often say that music lights up both sides of the brain. Science backs this and emphasizes the importance of signing and enjoying music with infants and children. Music stimulates the neural networks and actually makes connections in the brain, preparing a child’s ear, voice, and brain for language.
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The Importance of Play

Play is important work for your child's development. It provides an opportunity for you and your little one to bond, while also stimulating the brain and forming connections between nerve cells. Play is amazing work!
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