Providing researched based educational resources to meet the needs of Long Islanders
By Alysa Ferguson, RD, CDE The pumpkin is carved, the costumes are ready, it’s time to trick-or-treat! If your family is like most, this can mean a month or more of candy laying around everywhere. While candy and treats can and should be a part of Halloween for children (yes, even children with diabetes), there…
By Dinah Torres Castro How many times have we heard a parent say, “If you eat your broccoli then you can have a cookie”? And for the most part the child will oblige. The problem with using food (the cookie) as a reward for a desired behavior (eating their broccoli) is that it works in…
By Kerri Kreh Reda, M.P.H. Many people say that play is the work of children, but what they may not realize is just how essential play is to growing children. Children use play as a way of exploring their environment and developing skills. Play is needed for the development of the whole child – for…
By Kerri Kreh Reda As your child’s first teacher, you teach her many things – how to talk, feed herself, dress herself and how to use the toilet. You make a conscious effort to teach these skills. What you may not realize is that you also teach many other things unintentionally by the example you…
By Nancy Olsen-Harbich, MA Adults tend to think of early childhood as a worry-free zone, but the growing knowledge, awareness, and experiences of preschoolers can sometimes provide fuel for anxiety. Add to that their budding capacity to imagine both pleasant and very unpleasant things, and the result can be worrisome comments such as: “I’m not…
By Dinah Castro Many parents of young children find themselves battling, begging and even bribing their children to eat a variety of healthy foods. Children can become picky eaters when they reach a stage in their development at which they want to assert independence. This is the time to encourage your child to make their…
By Kerri Kreh Reda, M.P.H. The World Health Organization recently published new guidelines for children under the age of five. These guidelines address factors impacting children’s physical and mental health. The recommendations seek to help parents balance the need for physical activity with sedentary behavior, including the use of screens. Sleep recommendations are also part…
By Maxine Roeper Cohen, M.S. Preschoolers want to make friends with other children and they should. There is a natural progression from solitary play during infancy to playing alongside others during the toddler years. Learning to make friends is an important task and part of your child’s growing social development and interest in the world.…
By Kerri Kreh Reda, M.P.H. One of the best ways to have a successful outing with a little one is to be prepared with a well stocked diaper bag. The items you pack will change, depending on the outing and the age of your child. Here are some suggestions to get you started: Diapers Wipes…
By Nancy Olsen-Harbich, MA How much time—if any—should a preschooler spend at a computer? Educators, psychologists, and scientists continue to debate the potential impact of computer use on young children’s development. What are the advantages and disadvantages? Three concerns weigh heavily in the debate: Computer use adds even more sedentary “screen time” to the daily…