Adequate sleep is critical for healthy development in young children.  Good sleep habits correlate with improved attention, better memory retention, more consistent emotional regulation, better listening skills, improved balance and muscle coordination, and better physical health. Inadequate sleep correlates with an increase in injuries, hypertension, obesity and depression, among many other disorders.    The American

Please note that there is community support for parents under stress. We encourage you to seek out resources before you need them so that you have a plan for how to respond to the sometimes overwhelming emotions that can arise with unexpected events. The phone number for the parental stress hotline is 1-800-632-8188. Parents Helping

   Children develop the basics of socio-emotional learning in their earliest years. How the adults around them act among themselves and interact with them strongly influences their sense of trust, self-esteem, confidence, friendliness, persistence, patience, and ability to recognize and manage their emotions. Strategies that have a positive influence on socio-emotional learning include the following: