This resource provides you with strategies to make sure you are practicing self-care as you care for others. Babies and Toddlers will absorb what you are feeling, so it is even more important for you to manage your stress when parenting a young child.

Taking care of your baby or toddler is not only about what you say and do but how you are. Are you calm or tense? Can you focus on your child, or are you constantly distracted? Do you have the time and energy to pay attention and be present with your child, to laugh and play with her?

These are important questions for all parents of babies and toddlers. They become even more important when you are coping with the added stressors of transitioning from active duty service to civilian life.

Taking Care of Yourself and Your Veteran Family