The ABZzzzs: Set child’s routine for healthy sleep

Photo by Luiz Farias

HIGGINSVILLE, Mo. - Sleep is as important to a child’s growth and development as nutritious food and exercise.

A set routine for bedtime and wake-up time will help children set their circadian rhythm, or their sleep/wake cycle. Kathy Bondy, University of Missouri Extension 4-H youth specialist, said routine helps children prepare for sleep.

Are you a skip-breakfast sinner?

Photo by Julia Freeman-Woolpert

If hitting the snooze button three times is more appealing than having a bowl of cereal, you might be a skip-breakfast sinner.

While 93 percent of Americans know that breakfast is important, only 44 percent regularly eat something before walking out the door in the morning, according to a 2009 survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation.

Success in School is a Family Affair

Photo by Tiffany Szerpicki

Teachers have children in the classroom for about seven hours a day, but what happens during the other 17 hours can make or break your child’s success in school.

Attitude can make all the difference, says a University of Missouri Extension human development specialist.