Providing researched based educational resources to meet the needs of Long Islanders
By Cristina F. Toscano 5 Fun Recipes to Cook WITH your Toddler Cooking with your little one is a great way to bond while establishing healthy eating habits. It can be a fun rainy day activity, a learning experience, and a teaching moment-all in one! Here are some ideas for easy meals you can create…
By Dinah Torres Castro Music can play an important part in boosting resilience and mental health. Let’s take a look at some other benefits that music can provide as children experience music in their everyday activities. The Environmental Rating Scales Institute tells us that children can gain language skills, fine motor skills, social skills, balance…
By Nancy Olsen-Harbich, MA Early in the preschool years, children begin to show an interest in what printed words “say”, and often express an interest in creating words on paper so that they can “say “ things in writing too. Although parents of preschoolers are bombarded with messages to read to children early and often,…
By Cristina F. Toscano When people think of “healthy”, they often think of low-fat or fat-free. But low-fat does not always equal healthy. In fact, healthy fats are an essential part of your diet. Your body can ONLY absorb certain vitamins (A, D, E and K) with the help of the fat you consume. Fat…
By Dinah Torres Castro How many parents have sweetly and politely asked their three year olds to clean up their toys and waited to no avail? Yet, those same parents can come into the room where the three year olds are playing and simply start singing that familiar clean up song, and magically those children…
By Nancy Olsen-Harbich, MA Leaving your little one at a preschool or early childhood program for the first time can cause uncomfortable feelings of separation anxiety for both you and your child. Remind yourself that as painful as separation anxiety may be, it represents a big step in your child’s development. It means that your…
By Cristina F. Toscano My toddler will only eat ______. Fill in the blank as you wish—macaroni and cheese, French fries, grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, etc. This is one of the most common complaints I hear from parents with young children. Parents would rather make a special meal every time the family eats than worry…
By Nancy Olsen-Harbich, MA “It doesn’t matter what I ask – she never obeys me.” “He’s impossible! I hate it that every day ends with me yelling and him crying.” “The simplest thing turns into a contest, and no one wins.” Sound familiar? What parent hasn’t been frustrated by trying to solicit cooperation from a…
By Dinah Torres Castro Parents of young children are often confused by the sudden changes in their child’s eating habits after the first birthday. This period of development, called toddlerhood, is a time when a child no longer relies solely on formula or breast milk to get the most nutrition. By this stage, most one…
By Maxine Roeper Cohen, M.S. Remember when your little ones awoke at the crack of dawn and instantly called for you to start the day? As parents, we wish that our young children would sleep a bit later so that we may catch some more shut-eye as well. If we only knew then how…