Early Childhood News

Parenting in Jeffco (Blog)

Get Active and Outdoors!

The only list you need for free and low-cost family fun… Our counties are home to a fantastic variety of free and low-cost activities to keep your family active and outdoors all year!

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Early Childhood Mental Health Warmline

Children’s behavior is a message — and not always an easy one to understand. If your child is struggling to get along with others, the Early Childhood Mental Health Warmline can help. 

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Talking to Kids About Racism

Many of us are talking to our children about race, racism, and racial inequality. Though they are essential, these aren’t always easy conversations to have.

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Tax Credits, 2023 Refund, and Tax Prep Assistance

File Your Taxes (Even if You Aren’t Required to) and Claim Valuable Tax Credits and the 2023 Refund!  It’s tax season, and Get Ahead Colorado has tons of great information to help individuals and families learn about the tax credits* they might be eligible for and how to file their taxes for 2023.  This post […]

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The Most Effective Parenting Support You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

Since the pandemic began, we’ve heard a lot about telehealth and the ability for health care and mental health providers to see patients via videoconference.  Another service that has adapted to our new normal is home visiting — also called in-home parenting support. Home visiting is for pregnant people, as well as families with new […]

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Stress-Free Eating with Kids

By Rakia Ranney, RDN Feeding young children can be one of the most challenging parts of parenting, but it doesn’t have to be! Starting our children off on the right foot with food can set them up for a lifetime of making their own healthy choices. Here are some of my favorite tips and resources […]

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Many Different Kinds of “Special Needs”

The term “special needs” covers a broad range of diagnoses – from those that will resolve quickly to others that will impact a child for life.  It’s important that parents understand the different types of special needs – medical, behavioral, learning, developmental – so that we can support our children effectively, work in partnership with […]

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Tips to Make Sure Even Picky Eaters Eat Healthy 

You’ve followed all the nutrition advice by experts and well-meaning friends or family members. You’ve carefully shopped for and planned healthy meals but no matter what you do, the only thing your toddler will eat is mac ‘n cheese.  What do you do?  The good news is, you’re not alone. There are many reasons a […]

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Visit or Volunteer with an Urban Community Farm

Sprout City Farms is an urban agriculture non-profit organization with farms across the Denver Metro area.  Sprout City Farms engages the community in our efforts to increase food security and food literacy through education and environmentally sound farming techniques. Each year, our farm sites host an average of 5,000 visitors – and we’d like to […]

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Reducing Waste in your Family

By Rakia Raney, RDN You’ve heard it before: Reduce, reuse and recycle. But why does it matter? There are lots of reasons to focus on reducing waste, including saving scarce landfill space, decreasing air and water pollution and conserving valuable resources.  Reducing means changing our habits. Think about buying products that don’t make as much […]

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Make Sure Your Baby Is Sleeping Safely

To ensure that babies are sleeping safely, you only need to remember A, B, C, which helps us remember that babies should always sleep ALONE on their BACK in a CRIB.  ALONE  Babies sleep the safest when they are ALONE in their crib, without blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, bumper pads, toys or sleep positioners.  BACK  […]

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Healthy Sexual Development and Body Safety

Many parents wonder how to handle their young child’s sexual behavior, such as genital touching, pulling or exploration. It can be an uncomfortable topic, but it’s important for you, as their primary caregiver, to be knowledgeable about healthy sexual development in order to know what’s normal and what might be a red flag.  You might […]

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Healthy Sleep Habits

Ask any new parent to name their greatest parenting challenges and, without a doubt, sleep will be at the top of the list.  Concerns about sleep may start with how much or how little their infant is sleeping, lack of consistent sleep routines and sheer exhaustion from night awakenings and feedings. As young children grow […]

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Moving Together: Being Active as a Family Can Lead to a Lifetime of Wellness 

By Marius Nielsen, MSM Getting active is something that many families think about and want to do. But busy schedules, lack of equipment or injury/illness can stop us from being successful. We know that physical activity, especially if it gets your heart rate up, provides lifelong benefits for everyone.   Recommended Physical Activity by Age Toddlers […]

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What Does a Doula Do?

By Sara Santa Cruz Some of you reading this may already know what a doula is by word of mouth or personal experience. Maybe you had a doula (or know someone who did) during labor or in the days and weeks following their birth. Others may be thinking…what is a doula and why should I […]

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Keeping Kids Safe Online

Whether we like it or not, young children are growing up in a high-tech world and our job as caregivers is to ensure that exposure to online content is helping and not harming their development.  There are many great online tools available to support children’s learning but it’s best to limit screen time for children […]

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Milk Matters: Breastfeeding 101 for New Families

By Marius Nielsen, MSM When looking forward to the birth of a new baby, most parents in Colorado plan to breastfeed. The World Health Organization states,  “Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information, […]

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Tantrums: When Children Most Need Our Kindness (and Respect)

Tantrums are a normal part of development. Tantrums happen most between ages 1 and 3 years. Often tantrums happen before children can talk and around the time of language development. Before they can express themselves verbally, children get frustrated and a tantrum can result. The American Academy of Pediatrics has some great tips to prevent – […]

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Reflections on adoptive parenting in Jeffco

By Jennifer Anton, LPC This fall, I launched my son off to college, a milestone I wasn’t always so sure we would achieve. As I reflect on the joys and challenges of the past 18 years, here are six things I’ve learned from the front lines of adoptive parenting that have made me a more […]

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How Much Is Too Much Screen Time? Why Every Family Needs a Media Plan

Screen time, used thoughtfully and appropriately depending on a child’s age, can enhance daily life for families. But if overused or used inappropriately, screen time can also be detrimental.  Sometimes screen time – also called “media” to refer to time spent with television, tablets, smartphones and/or video games — can take the place of other, […]

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Keeping Your Child Safe from Sexual Assault: Prevention Teams

Keeping children safe from sexual assault is the responsibility of adults. It’s a difficult topic, but you can start by educating yourself, inviting others to be a part of your “prevention team” and teaching your children about boundaries and consent. All children are vulnerable and offenders can be anyone, usually someone the victim knows.  In […]

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