6 Tips to Help Your Child Get Quality Sleep

Last updated on June 14th, 2026 at 07:33 pm

The right amount of sleep is paramount for your little one’s development both physically and mentally. The duration very much depends on the child’s age. As a rule of thumb the following applies to my five children: between the ages 1 and 2, 11 to 14 hours of sleep, pre-school age (3 to 5 years old) 10 to 13 hours and school children (6 to 13 years old) 9 to 11 hours.   

So, why is counting those ZZZ’s so crucial to a child’s growth? One of the things that resonate with parents the most is their child’s mood and learning ability – sleep directly affects it, and none of you want those temper tantrums or phone calls from school because your son or daughter is grouchy and tired.

Sleep is essential to children’s health, influencing your child’s weight, immune system, and overall ability to regenerate and assimilate what they have learned during the day. Another bonus is that your precious offspring will be less accident prone and aware of his or her environment.

Need we go on? It is safe to say that sleep is one of the most important things in your kid’s young life. Here are some tips and tricks to help you on your way.

Choose the right mattress:

You as a parent can have a direct influence on this. 

So what is important here; what should you consider?

I have found that a pocket-sprung mattress is better suited than the memory foam version. This is because, unlike many adults, children need firmness contrary to an adaptable surface. I assumed that a medium-hard mattress is better for my child’s spinal growth and so far I still need to be proven wrong.  

Routine is everything:

I always prefer to have my son and daughter in bed before 9 pm. Also, I created a bedtime routine as a kind of introduction to sleep. My precious little ones automatically understand when their dad or I use the words, “Sweetie, it’s off to bed in half an hour.”

Think of your computer – it also needs a certain amount of time to shut down.     

Monitor electronic interference:

Now we have all fallen victim to the so-called benefits of the digital nanny. Let’s face it; our kids love tablets, on-demand TV, and music.

If you have allotted a certain amount of digital playtime, make sure it comes to an end at least an hour before bedtime. Another thing, depending on your child’s age, make sure the usage time does not exceed an hour in the evenings. From my experience too much electronic playtime makes them irritable and excitable – not the ideal recipe to collect those ZZZs.   

Reduce stress:

High levels of stress heighten cortisol levels in the body. As a result, your kid will have trouble falling asleep. A small tip here – keep those bedtime activities calm and the house quiet.

Make bedtime special:

I mention this point because the time before bed is the ideal moment for you to make your young one feel loved. You might have a small talk or tell them a story; anything that will detract from our hectic everyday lives and make their voyage to dreamland all the more comfortable.   

The right sleeping environment is the way to go:

Letting my kids have a big say in the way we designed their rooms was a huge boon.

Makes sense right? We all sleep better in an environment in which we feel comfortable and safe. Take care of those stuffed animals too; one or two is fine but having a bed full of them is counterproductive. And I always keep lighting to a minimum and make sure that the temperature is not too high or too low.

As a last bit of advice, be mindful and respectful of your child’s fears. It may sound silly to you, but to them, it is vital. A small something like imaginary magic pajamas or a brave teddy bear can go along way in creating peace in their mind.  

How Can a Sock Monkey Make Commuting with Your Kid Safer?

Last updated on May 16th, 2026 at 09:20 pm

Rarely do you find yourself getting excited while driving your kid to school. But, much to my teen’s chagrin, that’s just what happened one morning last week.

It’s all because my son was awake and observant that morning. As I was navigating a busy round-about near our neighborhood – he cried out, “What the heck?? Some crazy person has a life-size sock monkey in their front passenger seat!”

Now this intrigued me, but I didn’t manage to see the car since I was trying to keep us safe in traffic. So I asked him for more details, like who was driving. “It was a woman,” he said…..and then the all important clue: “And she had a little kid in a car seat in the back….what a weirdo!”

Now I am both a newly minted public health professional (MPH received last year!) and a child health and safety geek (seven years as Senior Editor at Pediatric Safety will do that to you!), so I immediately had a flash of insight. “Oh,” I said, “I know what she’s doing!!” “Oh that’s so cool!” I was practically bouncing up and down in my seat. Thankfully I had already merged into traffic on the local parkway.

“She’s taking her kid to daycare on her way to work, and the sock monkey is next to her to remind her that the child is in the back seat. When they aren’t using the car seat, the sock monkey sits in it – and when they put the little girl in the car seat, they move the sock monkey doll up front as a visual cue.”

The reason I was SO excited is this was an example of child safety in action. Forgetting a baby or young child in the back seat can happen to any parent when we are on autopilot, trying to get all the morning tasks done and get to work. And even a short time alone in a hot car can be fatal, since children’s bodies heat up faster than those of adults. More details on heatstroke and kids can be found at the links below:

• NHTSA.gov – Tips to Avoid Child Heatstroke
• Healthychildren.org (AAP) – Prevent Child Deaths in Hot Cars

Given the risks of heatstroke, government experts and child advocates recommend memory helpers, like keeping a stuffed animal in the car seat and moving it up front when the child is strapped in (see the links above). Experts also advise parents to keep something critical for their day in the back near their child – like a purse, briefcase or mobile phone.

Now you might think that you don’t need to take measures like this….but research shows that the easiest way to adopt a new habit or remember something is to set up your environment to help you – like ridding your house of fattening foods, keeping your gym clothes handy and visible….or putting a life-sized stuffed animal next to you in the car when your child is in back.

I don’t know who the woman was on the road that morning, but I commend her effort to ensure her child’s safety – and she really made a child safety geek’s day! Oh, and if you’d like to buy a life-size sock monkey, they have them on Amazon.

 

Are Dental Sealants and Fillings Safe for Kids?

Last updated on May 3rd, 2026 at 02:41 pm

A couple of weeks ago, I told you if you had any questions for health experts to ask away — and I’d see what I could do. Well, the topic for today’s post is thanks to my friend Kristin, who asked me to find out about BPA (bisphenol A) in dental fillings and sealants. Kristin is the “greenest” of all my friends; she even has solar panels on her house and gushes about how much it has saved her family on utilities. I’ve got to admit I wish I had her electric bill!

Back to BPA: Kristin and I tossed our kids’ plastic cups and dinnerware years ago after some preliminary research suggested that the chemical could leach out of plastics when heated and cause health problems, especially for babies and young children. I’ve been buying BPA-free water bottles and other plastics ever since, but it never occurred to me that there would be BPA in those white composite fillings or dental sealants (used to protect kids’ teeth from cavities) until Kristin, fresh from her kid’s teeth-cleaning, asked about it.

I called Julie Anne Barna, a dentist and a spokeswoman for the Academy of General Dentistry, to find out what’s going on. She said that though sealants and fillings don’t contain BPA per se, they do have compounds that can turn into BPA when they’re first put in the mouth. However, she assured me that a quick wipe and rinse of the dental work — a routine practice — removes the potential hazards. In fact, a study published in 2012 in Pediatrics by researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston found that scrubbing and rinsing sealants eliminates 88 to 95 percent of the BPA-causing compounds.

I wish it were 100 percent, of course, but 90-something is good enough for me. The real risk of having a cavity (and other dental problems that might lead to down the road) outweighs the theoretical risk from BPA. Now, please excuse me, I’m off to tell Kristin.

Service Dogs in Schools? What Do You Need to Know?

Last updated on May 3rd, 2026 at 02:41 pm

There are many questions and concerns involving the use of Service Dogs by children in schools, but it is becoming a recurring theme in the news of late. So I decided to write a post about it to better educate parents in case this becomes an issue in your school. What are the pros and cons? Do the pros outweigh the cons? Are there risks to your child both physically and educationally by having a dog in the classroom? These are all topics I would like to discuss with you, because I think they are important.

So I think the first step needs to be precisely defining what a Service Dog is, and what their role is for a person with disabilities. And I think it is important to explain that not all disabilities that require a Service Dog are visible.

That being said, in layman’s terms, a Service Dog (or SD) is a dog that has been specifically trained to perform certain TASKS that allow the owner with disabilities the ability to live a full and independent life. What do I mean by ‘tasks”? Let’s break it down into obvious and not-so obvious disabilities (visible –vs- invisible) that allow a person to function and perform what we call ‘daily living skills.’

Obvious Disabilities:

• Someone in a wheelchair may have a dog that pulls the wheelchair for them.
• Someone who has difficulty walking due to certain medical conditions (such as Multiple Sclerosis or Cerebral Palsy) may use their dog to lean on to get them from one place to another. (Also known as a Mobility Support Animal)
• Someone who is blind may have a guide dog.

Not-So-Obvious Disabilities:

• Someone who suffers from seizures may have a seizure alert dog. Under ‘typical’ circumstances, they look just like everyone else and you would never know they have a debilitating disability. But this dog can save their life. The dog cannot stop the seizure from actually happening, but by ‘alerting’ their person (often with a touch or a whine or bark) that a seizure is imminent…. it allows the person time to get themselves into a safe position (ie: lying down or out of the shower or tub) so when the seizure hits, they do not fall from a standing position, causing a possible head injury, or drown in a shower or tub.
• Someone who suffers from diabetes may have a diabetic alert dog. The dog is trained to ‘alert’ their person if their glucose levels becomes very low, or too high. Unlike the seizure alert dog, where the dog cannot physically stop the seizure from happening, by alerting their person that their sugar levels have changed, it enables the person time they would not have had before to check their sugar levels and correct the situation before it can become dangerous.

Put yourself in the shoes of the parent of the children who suffer these disabilities (and many others….. there are just too many to list) and ask yourselves this: if you had a child with some of these issues, how much comfort would it give you to know that they have a constant ‘early detection device’ with them at all times?

I have touched on some of the life-saving ‘pro’s’ of the child having their Service Dog with them. But here are a few other benefits:

• Integration into everyday life: A child with disabilities can easily feel ostracized or different from other people. This may make them shy, insecure, fearful, and at times unable to talk to or connect with their peers that they see as ‘normal’. They are more open to taunting and bullying. I mentioned in a previous post how I was once so painfully insecure, I did not know how to approach or talk to people. What I did not mention was that had it not been for my Golden Retriever Radar, I doubt I would have made it to or through my first Narcotics Anonymous meeting! In my mind, it was just one more group of people that would reject me! But amazingly, walking in with my dog broke the ice. People approached ME and asked me questions, which opened up that line of communication I so desperately needed!
• Independence: If you are anything like me, asking for help is never an easy thing. I like to be self-reliant. So imagine having to constantly ask for help with things, and what a toll that might take on your self-esteem and confidence daily? Now imagine having something that suddenly allows you to do for yourself what you previously always had to ask others to do for you? Can you imagine the sense of freedom that would give you?

I want to share with you here a wonderful short video that can show you first-hand (From the perspective of both a parent and a child) how a service dog can drastically change the life of a child.

So what we have focused on until now are the positives for the parent and child WITH disabilities. So if you are a parent who has a child with disabilities, this post may open new doors for you!! After reading this, you may have never thought of getting a Service Dog for your child, and this may have shed some light on some of the wonderful advantages your child may enjoy by obtaining a Service Dog! If you are interested in learning more about obtaining a service dog for your child, there are numerous organizations that specialize in training Service Dogs specifically for children such as Canines For Kids and 4 Paws for Ability.

But what if you do not have a child that suffers from disabilities, how can having a SD in a classroom affect your child?

First off, it is important to understand that the training that goes into a Service Dog is quite different from the training you would get for an everyday pet. It begins the same way, with basic housebreaking and commands, but after that, it becomes very different.  Depending on the type of Service Dog required, some Service Dog training companies such as CCI (Canine Companions for Independence) or the Guide Dog Foundation begin training at eight weeks old or younger. The pups are raised by people or families known as ‘puppy raisers’ where they learn things like the basic commands, leash manners, and are brought into numerous different situations to acclimate them to things like sudden loud noises, (such as cheering at a ball game) flickering lights (such as in a movie theater) constant action (like in a mall or store) or even sudden applause (like at a show.) Then at 18 months, they are brought back to the facility where they came from for extensive training, where they learn specific tasks, like pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, picking things up when they fall on the floor, etc. I will add here that an any given time, the facility may determine that a dog is NOT suitable for this type of work, (they may be a bit too energetic, or may be easily distracted…. all traits that could be very dangerous for the person depending on them!) and their SD training ends there.  After about a year of this extensive training, they are finally matched with their eventual owner/handler and for the next six to eight months, the dog/handler team work together at the facility on the challenges the specific owner has that requires the Service Dog’s assistance.

Some Service Dogs, again, depending on the situations the dog is needed for, may be owner taught, or the owner may have hired a professional trainer to make their current dog a Service Dog. Back in 2017, all Service Dogs were required to pass a Service Dog Public Access Test to be recognized as a SD. Although the requirements are a bit less strict these days, many still receive specialized training, similar to that which was previously required. If you are interested in learning more about this test, and the training dogs receive to pass it, you can watch this video on the requirements to pass the test.

So safety-wise, your child should not be at risk having a Service Dog that’s received training by a professional trainer in your child’s school, because the standards for training a Service Dog are quite high!

However, there are some potential risks to your child health-wise. For example, if your child has severe allergies to dogs, this may make it very difficult for your child to be in an enclosed environment (such as a classroom) with one.

And educationally… it may cause some issues for your child as well. Let’s face it….having a dog in a classroom (even an extremely well behaved dog, doing nothing but lying quietly next to the child’s desk) can be a major distraction for the first few weeks or months…. especially for a child who is easily distractible to begin with. (Think about the words to Mary Had A Little Lamb…. “It made the children laugh and play to see a lamb at school.’)

And lastly, we don’t want to forget about the child who is deathly afraid of dogs! Especially since most dogs trained to work with children tend to be on the larger size for stability reasons.

So how can we make this a win-win situation where everyone is happy? By following some simple guidelines right from the start:

If it is your child’s dog:

• Make sure the school is aware that your child will have a Service Dog with them before the term begins.
• The school has quite enough to do ensuring the safety and well-being of every child in their care. It is not their responsibility to walk, clean up after, or take care of the dog. So you must make sure that either your child can fully tend to their own dog (taking them to potty and cleaning up after them, giving them water, etc.) or make sure to arrange for yourself or someone outside of the school staff to take care of them periodically throughout the day.
• Prepare your child for different scenarios that may come up and coach your child on how to handle them. For example, kids will be curious, and do not know how to ‘sensor’ questions the way adults learn to, so your child may be asked, “What’s wrong with you that you need a dog?” Explain that the child may not necessarily be trying to be cruel, but probably just curious. You can also prepare your child on what to do if someone comes up to pet the dog, or asks to pet the dog. (It might help to have a “Working: Do Not Pet” patch on the dog’s vest.)
• Be aware of your child’s rights to have their dog with them in case you come across any difficulty and you need to advocate for your child. Be willing to be flexible and accommodating if another parent has a kid with severe allergies but is stead-fast on their child staying in a specific classroom for whatever reason. Remember, it is not about who is right and who is wrong here; it is about working together for the best outcome for all children involved.

Suggestions for the school:

• Send out notices to the parents regarding the presence of the dog several months prior to the start of the term. You can even ask the parent of the disabled child if they would like to create the first draft: it will save you hours of worry about wording it correctly and help them to protect their child’s privacy…at a minimum they’ll appreciate your making the effort. Also, sending notices early will give you time to identify any potential conflicts (i.e. if a child with severe allergies or a fear of dogs is scheduled to be in the same class).  This will give you ample time to move one of the children into a different classroom prior to school beginning, or to allow parents the opportunity to ask any questions they may have.

Note: keep in mind the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) states: “Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals. When a person who is allergic to dog dander and a person who uses a service animal must spend time in the same room or facility, for example, in a school classroom or at a homeless shelter, they both should be accommodated by assigning them, if possible, to different locations within the room or different rooms in the facility.” 

• Hold an assembly or at least a classroom meeting at the start of the year to explain to the children a few important guidelines and boundaries regarding the Service Dog. For example, the fact that the dog is not a pet, but that it is working, and the importance of them not petting or distracting the dog from its job. I find it helpful to explain to children that in this case, the dog is really no different than a wheelchair or crutches would be for a child. I have also found that many children are very excited and proud of their dogs, and the things their dog can do for them… so ask the child if they would like to participate and help talk to the children about their dog. This may also avoid a situation like I mentioned above…. Questions being asked out of curiosity that may hurt a child’s feelings.

If you have a non-disabled child that will be in a class with a SD:

• Talk to your child in advance about there being a Service Dog in the classroom to help a child who needs assistance. Ask for their input if they feel this would make it too distracting for them, and really listen to their answers. Remember, the parent of the disabled child is looking out for the best interest of their child by having the dog; you have to look out for the best interest of yours! It is not a matter of not caring about the other child, but remember, you are always your child’s best advocate! And your child has rights too.
• Encourage them to ask you if they have any questions, and if you are not sure of the answer, spend time with them researching the answer online.

In conclusion, I will wrap this up by saying that it is important to remember that every single child matters! Each child has their own set of strengths and weaknesses that make them special and unique. If we all work together, we can create a safe, loving, caring, and happy environment and future for each and every one of them!