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Lunch They Like

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:00:42 +0000

When your child is away at school, you still want to assure yourself that your child is eating a healthy lunch. Since food is essential to proper brain function and focus, you want to make sure your child is eating the right foods as well.
Since lunch is a fairly short period of time, you want to make sure the meals you pack are simple and easy to eat. Small foods- or foods cut into smaller pieces- baby carrots, smaller pieces of celery, etc. are easier and more fun for your child too. Kids often like repetition. As long as it’s healthy, continue to allow this. Be sure to pack gel packs of ice or frozen juice and insulated thermoses (soup- easy to pack and get) to keep food the correct temperature.
Sandwiches are always a win. Sandwiches can be done and achieved a number of ways. By changing the insides and the bread, you can have a ton of different meals. Croissants, pitas, sourdough, wheat, white, English muffins, tortillas, small bagels, focaccia, raisin bread, and cornbread are all great changes. You can make peanut butter and jelly, turkey, cheese, ham, bologna, tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, or roast beef sandwiches. You can serve crackers instead of bread with bites of cheese and turkey. Instead of mayonnaise, try guacamole or an avocado spread, which is a nice spread that houses a healthier type of fat. If you can get away with adding lettuce, vegetables, or cucumber on the sandwich, add some for an extra health benefit. Another change you can make is allowing your child to put together its own sandwich. Pack the ingredients separately and let him go from there. Another cute, fun snack is a “kebob” with meat and cheese on a popsicle stick. Also, cutting sandwiches into fun shapes might make your child more willing to eat it (and happier). In addition to the sandwich, throw in a fruit cup, baby carrots, no-sugar added apple sauce, edamame, or a piece of fruit. Instead of serving vegetables with ranch dressing as a dip, serve it with hummus- a healthy but tasty.
Leftovers are a good option, and try to avoid chips and other processed sides. If the morning is a huge rush, go ahead and pack your child’s lunch at night. Get it together as much as you can, and then add the last of it in the morning as your send your child out the door.

Dealing with Bullying

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:00:30 +0000

It’s that time of year again—back to school! Are you worried about the school’s bully? Here are some tips to moderate the bullying at school.

1. Encourage open discussions with your child about bullying. You want to make it an open forum so that your child feels comfortable telling you if he got bullied. Let him or her know that it’s normal to experience sad, angry, or hurt. Figure out a way to tell him he should report the incident and be specific in his descriptions.
2. How did your child try to stop the bullying? Is there a way to avoid the bullying? Either avoidance, new friends, being near adults, finding a different game, etc.
3. Share your concerns with the school itself.

Never encourage your child to confront or fight the bully back. Don’t confront the bully or his family either. Just keep the school informed and make sure your child feels open to talk to you.

Back to School- What to Anticipate for the New Year

Kindergarten: Kindergarteners are excited and ready to learn but often scared to leave your side on the first day. Kindergarten will begin with learning the rules of the classroom, such as taking turns, raising hands, following lines, and working in a group.
First Grade: Here comes the homework! In addition to a homeroom teacher, your will interact with art, music and physical education teachers. Since the rules are familiar, this year should be an easier transition from summer than the last
Second Grade: By this age, concentration increases and reasoning skills increase. Responsibilities increase in school, as do group work and social skills.
Third Grade: This is the year where the focus on reading comprehension, learning new vocabulary words, and identifying plot are important. There will be more homework, more reading, and the introduction of long-term projects.
Fourth Grade: Longer books, longer papers, more homework, and social changes abound this year. Outside activities become increasingly important, and social ranks begin to take place at this point. It can be challenging to deal with all of this at once, so it’s important to keep communication open and healthy in your household to make sure your child is managing all the new changes well.

Middle School: As middle school (5^th/6^th grade) begins, children come into their own as they head toward adolescence. Kids begin using lockers, changing classrooms, and working with different teachers in each subject everyday. Your child will learn how to use a planner, take notes, and how to study. Homework loads increase, as do long-term projects and papers. These changes may seem gradual to you, but it might be hard for your child to keep up with the increased responsibility. Be sure to stay involved with your children, making sure they manage their time, responsibilities, and learn study skills that they will use for the next 10 years. It’s extremely important to instill good habits from day one since it’s something you’ll use for at least another decade.

Why Won’t My Baby Nap?

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:21:32 +0000

As tired as you are from watching and playing with my child all day, you find it hard to believe that nap time is still a struggle. Why is my kid waking up before I want him to, you might ask yourself? What does your toddler like? He used to take hour-long naps in the morning and evening, but now he doesn’t want to go down for a nap in the morning. How about a 2-hour nap in the afternoon?
Is there a reason your child is waking up cranky before he is ready to get up? Maybe he does not know how to self-soothe, and you need to try to teach him.
Make sure the room you’ve put your toddler down in remains quiet and dark, just like nighttime is, otherwise your chances of him having a full nap are also limited.
As a guideline, toddlers age 12 months need about 2.5 hours worth of naps, and usually 2 a day. At 18 months, you can decrease this to one longer nap of 2.25 hours. At 2 years, you can decrease the nap down to one two-hour nap, and by 3 years you can downgrade to a 1.5 hour nap.
It’s important to set a bedtime and naptime so that sleeping habits keep your child more ready for a proper nap.

Routines

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 22:02:24 +0000

Having kids and parenting can be exhausting, and you feel like it will never end. You might feel like everything is out of control and you’re spending your energy trying to stay sane. While routines might sound annoying, keeping a routine going will help you find time for yourself in between and make it easier for everyone- including your kids!
Observe yourself and your child/children for a short period of time and determine what you usually do over this time. Note the times around which you usually do the same everyday, even if it’s just when you wake up the kid. You can’t build a routine that won’t fit your kid, so you need to find one that works well with both of you.
Start by scheduling bedtime, time to wake up, and meal times. Once you’ve began this, you might start a schedule to break down structured play and free play during the day.
When it comes to bedtime, build a ritual that works for you. Begin it with saying you are going to have fifteen minutes left to play, but after that it’s clean-up time. Preparing them to get their mind already on cleaning up will help save a fight later on. After cleaning up toys, it’s time to wind the kids down entirely. If they need a bath, that’s a good next step. Follow that up with a low-energy activity like story time which should prepare them to actually fall asleep.
Keep in mind that you can’t control everything. The best routine will still have its days where it doesn’t go as planned, and even if you leave town or go to Grandma’s, try to keep the routine as best you can. Your child will get used to it in no time. Maybe you will get to squeeze more you time in for the gym!

Finding an Appropriate Daycare

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 09:40:12 +0000

It is so hard to put your kids into someone else’s hands. So much so, that you often put it off and put off researching an appropriate daycare too. I cannot stress how important it is to do your research though. Just because a building is labeled a “daycare” does not mean it’s an appropriate place for your child. You need to find the perfect fit for you as a parent and your child as an individual.

First of all, the facility should be licensed by the state and accredited. If you are not sending your child to something with this kind of structure, do not anticipate educational structure in return. If they are certified, then they are reputable and have some sort of curriculum other than kids running around.

Check with the Better Business Bureau or social services department to make sure there isn’t a laundry list of complaints about the facility, and you might want to check if the staff goes through criminal background checks. It is important to leave your children in trustworthy hands, and not in the hands of random strangers.

Then, go check out the facility. Never pick a daycare without seeing children at play at first! Make sure the children are supervised 100% of the time. How is the upkeep of the facility? Are the toys age-appropriate, are things clean, are things safe? Is there enough help and does the help seem interested in caring for children? If there are not fire-escape plans or CPR certified professionals, I would also recommend looking elsewhere. The staff should keep emergency contact information on file at all times. Does any of the staff have training in early childhood care? Do they discipline children appropriately or in a way with which you agree? Do the kids seem happy?

Daycare shopping isn’t a mission that can be accomplished in one day! Take your time and don’t rush the search- make sure you find something that you are comfortable with and that your child enjoys.

5 Ways to Stop Those Tantrums

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:58:03 +0000

I will never forget browsing Target’s aisles for paper towels when it hit- the tantrum of all tantrums. My daughter, who was sitting in the cart 30 minutes pre-nap time, decided Target was an appropriate place for a meltdown! While resistance can be a healthy way of your daughter showing you she can assert herself, this embarrassing behavior has got to stop in public before you have a meltdown! Here are some small starts to minimize tantrums.

The Car Seat Battle
1. Definitely worth a disagreement. Buckling is the best route when it comes to safety!
2. Make it a race to see which child gets in the fastest, use distracting play, or quite frankly- bribe them. Using a bite of candy might have to be the way the trick goes.
3. Hugging and Kissing When Expected
  1. Don’t force your child- he could end up making a sccene that is totally unnecessary.
  2. Prep your child by saying that the person would love a hug when he/she arrives. Watch and hope the child follows suit. You have to practice what you preach!
  3. Teeth Brushing
    1. Praise the heck out of them when they brush. Blame the need to brush their teeth on the dentist!
    2. Don’t leave it a yes/no question- say, “It’s time to brush your teeth- which color toothbrush do you want?”
    3. Vegetables
      1. I for one, never ate vegetables. I grew out of it… kinda. There was really no wiggle room to argue with me about eating disgusting vegetables, and I can assure you that yelling at your child will not make her want to eat them. Encourage a taste test, and serve things like raw carrots, broccoli, or edamame with yogurt. Pack on the fruits.
      2. When in doubt, throw in a multivitamin.
      3. Sleep Time
        
        Prepare your child to sleep, and have a set bedtime. 15 minutes before bedtime, warn them that bedtime is approaching. Preparing them mentally so that they know bedtime is coming, and by the time the fifteen minutes are up they will have gotten used to the idea.
        
        Make bedtime a routine. The more kids know what to expect, the more they won’t fight it!

Bottle Feeding vs. Breastfeeding

admin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:51:20 +0000

Stop listening to your mom and your mother-in-law and start listening to yourself. Weigh your options carefully, because once you stop breastfeeding, you can’t go back and change your mind. It is really a personal decision that you should read up on and then make up your mind.

Breastfeeding, if you choose to do it, should last at least 6 months but maybe even up to twelve. Breastfeeding provides antibodies that help prevent ear infections, respiratory infections, allergies, and diabetes sometimes. Breastmilk is easy for children to digest, so their digestive processes are often better than those who are bottle-fed. Nursing helps you and the baby bond. And, of course, breastfeeding is cheap and helps you lose the baby weight! While those last two are totally selfish reasons to breastfeed, they are reasonable to consider.

Formula, however, is a lot more convenient. You can use it in any time, place, or social situation. If you have older kids, it might be easier to warm up a cup of formula rather than breastfeed. You and your partner can share the feeding process and both bond with your child. You can drink, you can return to work without worrying, and you can gorge yourself on fish again.

BabyCenter.com

Boo Boring Baby Showers

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:49:05 +0000

Say goodbye to boring and stereotypical baby showers! When you’re throwing your friend hers, make sure to make it is individually geared right towards her. First of all, jot down a few of your friend’s interests, take note of who she would want to invite- is she the type that would want a coed or single sex party? What part of the family? Which friends? Consult with the mommy-to-be and acquire a list of names, addresses, and venues to get started. After that, it’s time to set a theme so you can buy invitations! There are so many options for themes you don’t even realize it at all!

Some of my favorite themes are things like high tea. You can use fancy china, wear sundresses, and enjoy finger sandwiches with tea. Another party theme that can be cool is a time capsule party- all your guests bring things for a time capsule to remember the year of your baby’s birth, and you serve era type classic foods and decorate and dress up in period costumes. I really like cupcake parties, a green baby shower, a salon party, and a couples’ buffet. The salon party can definitely be a welcome gesture for some mega-relaxation before the baby comes!

Once you’ve got a theme set, send out the invites and start making appropriate preparations. The shower will come faster than you realize so it’s always best to be overly prepared. Enjoy the fun times and be sure to document it all!

If you go for the tea idea, these are always a hit! Cucumber finger sandwiches- wash and slice 2 cucumbers. Stir 1 tub of whipped cream, a little dill weed, and a packet of dry Italian dressing mix together in a bowl. Spread onto bread, place cucumbers on top, and cut into small “finger-sized” sandwiches. Enjoy!

Continuing Vegetarianism During Pregnancy

admin — Sun, 09 May 2010 14:39:12 +0000

While you may enjoy your vegetarian diet regularly and intake enough calories and sustenance for yourself, you may not be getting the proper nutrition for your developing baby. It is definitely possible to continue your vegetarian diet, but you need to be extremely conscience of what you take in and monitor yourself closely.

Make sure that you are getting proper amounts of D vitamins by getting at least an hour of sun a week without sunblock. Go for a twenty minute walk three times a week when the sun is at its weakest (late afternoon or early morning before 11), and this way you can get in some exercise and vitamins. Protein needs up by 30% during pregnancy, so make sure to eat even more nuts than you usually do.

B-12 is extremely important for the development of your baby, so either take a multivitamin or find fortified milk or cereal. Another vitamin you need is calcium, which you can find in milk, green vegetables, and milk products- you should have at least four servings a day.

Iron supplements might also be something you might consider taking during pregnancy. Iron levels are especially important during the later half of pregnancy, and it can be found in dark green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fortified cereals. Zinc is another supplement you might consider- it can be challenging to get the appropriate amount needed during pregnancy from only legumes and whole grains.

Other vitamins necessary for pregnancy that you need from food are things like folic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin A. Just like daily life, be sure to keep your balance, but do not diet or deplete yourself of anything during pregnancy. If you have any concerns about your diet, ask your doctor.

Go-Veg.com

Naming Your Baby

admin — Sat, 08 May 2010 22:36:46 +0000

In addition to bringing a new life into the world that you have to care for, you have to give it a name that will last through its years of life. How the heck do you even go about settling on a name for a baby? Luckily, you have nine months to pick this out… and you can (and even should) test it out once the baby finally arrives.

Don’t name your baby girl Bertha or Apple, she will get made fun of… plus how seriously can you take someone in a professional setting named “Apple”? It’s like yeah, I sit here using my Apple computer writing this to you while Tweeting on my Apple iPhone, but this is just not a name. I’m sorry. It’s a brand.

Instead of discussing the name with your mother, brother, aunt, grandma, and cousin, pick a close friend who is honest and knows you well. Share the names you and your partner have picked out with her and see her reaction.

Repeat the name out loud to make sure it has a nice ring to it and write it down too. Make sure you like the look and sound. Trends wear out, but traditions never do- so if you’re debating between something kitschy or classic, choose classic instead.

Lastly, consult a baby naming book and family names. Something with meaning is always satisfying and long-standing, and peering at options gives you assurance that you’ve actually taken the time to research. Remember, you have lots of time to determine this name, but the name has even longer to withstand. Good luck naming your baby!

BabyNames.com