How Does Screen Time Affect Kids Sleep?

Screen Time and Our Kids

How does Screen Time and the Use of Technology Affect our Children’s Sleep and Health?

Screens are ubiquitous in our lives and our kids’ lives.  They are abundant and we use gadgets without realizing that some of them even have screens.  In my house we have 2 TV’s, 2 tablets, an e-book reader, 2 cell phones, 2 iPods, 2 laptops and 2 monitors for our desktop.  That’s a total of 13 screens for just a 3 person household!!

Our children, from the time they are born, are surrounded by screens, despite our best efforts to curb their use and interaction with them until they are at an appropriate age.  As they get older, they start collecting their own set of devices – hand held video games, computer games etc.  So how does screen time affect our children’s well-being? How does it affect their health and mental well-being?

Transitioning Your Toddler from a Crib to a Bed

Transitioning Toddler from Crib to Bed

How and When to Transition Your Toddler from a Crib to a Bed

by Visa Shanmugam

It’s that time and you can’t believe it’s here.  How did your baby grow up so quickly?  How can they be ready to move out of their crib into a toddler or twin bed?  Or are they?

Most parents tend to jump the gun when it comes to transitioning their toddler from a crib to a bed.  If your child hasn’t learned to sleep well on their own in their crib or if you are still facing bed and night time challenges then they are most likely not ready.  Changing them to a big boy/girl bed, in the hopes that they will start to enjoy sleeping on their own, is probably not a good idea.  You will have a toddler who has a new game to play – leaving their bed and room to come find mom and dad.

How to Help Your Child Get Over a Fear of the Dark

Ways to help kids when they have a fear of the dark

Fear of the Dark:

Rite of Passage or Destructive Emotion?

If you go to the library to find some resources on helping your children get over the fear of the dark; you’ll probably be hard pressed to find very much. Although the fear of the dark is said to plague millions of children, it is still a subject that most parents know very little about.

Most parents will end up willing to do just about anything after frustration and exhaustion takes over. You hear of children sleeping with their parents for weeks, if not months. Parents hire therapists to help their kids overcome such anxieties and many children are simply left to deal with their fears on their own. While most methods have their validity, some are more effective than others.