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For years we have been told that chocolate is bad for our children! It rots their teeth, disrupts the levels of sugar in their bodies, makes them hyper, and generally does them no good at all! In fact many schools ban it from lunch boxes and dinning halls! And yet, chocolate was once considered to be the "food of the gods"! In its healthy form it can be one of the best natural foods that you can give your child. This blog explores why chocolate had received such a bad press and what we, as parents, can do about it.....

Chocolate Kids! Rss

Things You Will Want To Know When Becoming A First Time Mother

Posted by Articleqast | Posted in Brain Food For Children, Childhood Obesity, Children For Chocolate, Five A Day, Healthy Food For Children | Posted on 06-02-2010

Being a mother can be the most rewarding and scariest thing in the world. The day you have your baby the worrying will begin. If you think you were worried about your baby while you were pregnant you will soon learn that was nothing compared to the stress you will now feel.

It is our responsibility as mothers to keep our sweet baby happy and safe. Worrying over your baby is normal and just because they get older does not mean it will stop. Just try to remember that your child has to live their own life and learn things by themselves but there are times they will need your help to learn. When your baby first learns to walk or crawl and you have home space heaters in your house, this is definitely a time that you have to help them learn.

This is a perfect example of how we teach them. Some things are alright for them to learn by themselves but if it will cause them harm it is our job to stop them. I know you have heard people say ‘let him touch it, he wont do it again.’ This is not a good teaching method. Why would anyone want to let their baby be hurt to learn a lesson?

When bathing our babies we use tear free shampoo and baby bath so our babies eyes don’t burn, so why not keep them from hurting any way we can? If there are space heaters in the house just remember to put them somewhere the baby can not reach. Babies grow too quickly and one day when you are storing all your baby boy bedding or your little girl clothes it will hit you just how quickly your baby became a toddler.

Spend all the time you can with your babies as possible because it is important. No mother wants to miss things in their babies life because they grow up way too fast. One day their in a crib the next day they are sleeping in a toddler bed. Even though they grow up fast you should still hire a sitter on occasion to have time to yourself. All mothers need a break and it does not make you a bad mother.

If you call your babysitter every half hour or so to check on your baby that is alright. If you are worried and need to be reassured then call. You have to remember though that just like you have to teach your baby, you are going to have to teach yourself to enjoy your alone time even if you are worrying.

Mothers worry that is just what they do. It is important to learn how to put it to the back of your mind and do not dwell over it. Your baby will grow up and have babies one day and then you will see how good a job you did raising and teaching your child even through all the worrying.

Finding After School Activities that You Can Afford

Posted by Articleqast | Posted in Brain Food For Children, Childhood Obesity, Children For Chocolate, Five A Day, Healthy Food For Children | Posted on 06-02-2010

Most of us grew up being able to participate in activities after school, such as choirs, sports teams and academic clubs. However, many after school programs go on the chopping block every year as schools contend with greater need and smaller educational resources. For families struggling to make ends meet, this may limit or take away altogether a child’s activities outside of the classroom. Consequently, we’re seeing more and more children unsupervised and at loose ends in the hours between finishing school and when their parents get home. In this article, we’ll look at some cost efficient activities and community programs that will fill the gaps in your child’s education.

A shaky economy doesn’t negate the need for fun and educational activities after school, with sports being the most popular and expensive. Besides administration fees, parents have to pay for equipment, equipment maintenance, uniforms, transportation costs, and sometimes out of town accommodations. There are several ways to reduce these costs and make sports more affordable for your family. Start by shopping for equipment and supplies off season. Items like hockey gear are much cheaper in the warm months when they are discounted. Don’t hesitate to buy used equipment like sticks, balls, skates and nets that are in good condition. You can score great equipment at 40-70% less than retail at second-hand stores that carry used sports equipment. You can also ask the team if they have used uniforms that you can purchase or rent. Don’t let old equipment sit around the house either! Sell it through newspaper classified ads, online or at a consignment shop for cash or store credit. This is a great way to offset the cost of new equipment.

For music lovers, there are also several ways to cut back expenses. Instead of buying a new, costly instrument that your child might become bored with, consider renting. Lots of stores financially support school music programs by offering leases which you can pay for on a monthly basis. This pay-as-you-go method is perfect for a youngster who is being taught an instrument for the first time. If you find that they do not like it, you just discontinue the agreement. A lot of music and second-hand shops also provide used sheet music and instruments at reduced prices.

Membership and tuition fees comprise a significant share of the expense of extra-curricular programs. If individual training is too expensive for your household, then there are more affordable choices. Organizations including the Scouts, Little League, Boys & Girls Clubs, and the Y provide economical membership costs and activities.

Discussing cost saving measures with other parents is an excellent way to come up with ideas. If your children participate in the same activities, you may save time and gas money by car pooling. You can also swap or share equipment, clothes or musical instruments. You may find parents who run activities after school out of their home, but make sure you thoroughly investigate this option to make sure it is a safe environment.

Getting your children involved with after school activities is the perfect way to keep them busy and supervised until you get home. Fortunately, there are lots of different ideas for after-school activity that are reasonably priced and easy to access.

Helping Your Child To Deal With Stress And Bad Dreams

Posted by Articleqast | Posted in Brain Food For Children, Childhood Obesity, Children For Chocolate, Five A Day, Healthy Food For Children | Posted on 06-02-2010

There are many reasons why children can start to have nightmares. I have two children, both of whom at various stages of their lives wake up crying and upset.

My young son started to have nightmares after watching the film Lord Of The Rings. He really enjoyed watching the film and wanted to watch it on a regular basis and would even re-inact the battles. I am not sure if you have ever watched this film but it is rather long in its duration and would be a film which my son would normally watch on his own - due to the fact that the me and his mother lead such busy lives.

I thought about why he may have started to have these type of dreams and believed it was due to this film. I decided to make the time and watched the film with my son. Whenever a person was killed I re-assured him that the people were only acting and had not really died in real life etc. I even made a point of laughing at some of the more gruesome scenes and by making comments like, as if that would ever happen.

Children who stress

My daughter at one point started to stress because she was not in any of the top groups in the different subjects she was taking at school. She felt like she was a failure and that we would not be proud of her. I advised her that we knew she was giving it her all at school and that as long as she continued to try her best that we would always be proud of her. But it is a bit like where I work at a company selling composite doors, we can not all be the chairman To put it in rather simple terms not every person can find themselves in the top set.

She did have a real issue to stress about - stuttering. She started to stutter at the age of three and it had a bad impact on her overall self-confidence. I searched high and low for ways to help her to stop stuttering and I am pleased to report that she has now managed to achieve fluency. She is now working as business cost reduction specialist.

I am confident that with the right motivation that other people will also be able to learn how to achieve fluency.

 

Without Your Aid Your Child Will Not Get Rid Of All That Excess Excess Fat

Posted by Articleqast | Posted in Brain Food For Children, Childhood Obesity, Children For Chocolate, Five A Day, Healthy Food For Children | Posted on 17-01-2010

Among the most unfortunate outcomes of modern-day living is excessive fatness amongst our youngsters. The large bodies of these minors do not let them frolic merrily with the other children. Food reduction, plus combating the self-regard problems that fatness commonly brings, constitutes an out-and-out must for weighty youngsters.

If you’ve an excessively fat child, you must try every way imaginable to get him or her to shed those extra kilograms so that he or she can live a regular life. First of all, you have got to confer wiht your physician and discuss with him or her the best method for your youngster to not only lose body mass, but also sustain his or her health.

To be candid, if you waver to take the essential steps necessary to enable your youngster to shed that excess weight, you will place in jeopardy your child’s health. While we do not allow our youngsters to play on the road or wield guns, why in the world should we let them destroy themselves by eating trashy foods?

If you have an excessively fat youngster, the next tips will be of huge help to you:

Do not penalize or reward your kid with food. Love of eating is one the biggest problems your child has to confront, and using it as a penalty or incentive will simply aggravate the problem.

Encourage your kid to eat healthy foods rather than fast foods. There is a high correlation between the consumption of fast food and obesity. Do not store any unhealthy food in the household.

Pack your youngster’s lunch box yourself so that you are aware of what he or she eats. Don’t allow the kid to buy any food in school.

At all times see that your kid does not eat any unhealthy food outside the home.

Child obesity prevention may mean you have to switch the food habits of the entire household. Rather than eating fried snacks, eat nourishing fruit and nut snacks. Your kid requires fresh fruits, raw vegetables, or fresh yogurt.

Consider the food pyramid if you question your youngster’s food needs. This will make sure that you give your offspring a good and well balanced diet.

Make sure that you kid doesn’t drink any sugary drinks. You will have to confront a lot of revolt initially, but your youngster will develop an lasting love for water. Water not only maintains a sense of fullness, but also destroys fat.

Bring a lot of physical activeness into your kid’s life. Child obesity and exercise don’t normally co-exist. Exercise is important in any anti-obesity program. Encourage them to join a dancing class, go for a extended walk, jog, run, or play soccer or some strongly physical sport.

Don’t permit your kid to be a couch potato. Keep him or her away from getting hooked on video and computer games. Ensure that your child is always active. Keeping the child physical means that he or she experiences a healthy alternative to eating. The result is that he or she is burning up all those extra calories.

If home techniques do not work, you could enter your kid in one of the weight-loss camps, especially fashioned to deal with fat loss and self-esteem issues in children between the ages of seven and nineteen. These camps might become the solution to your prayers.

Allow your youngster to follow the good example you set. If you desist from eating unhealthy food or indulge in emotional consumption of food, your youngster will then automatically learn from you and do the same.

You will detect a change in your child if you observe these simple methods. Your youngster will conduct himself or herself with self-assurance as he or she sheds those additional pounds. His or her relationships at schooltime will improve when all the badgering stop.

Nanny Camera tells it All

Posted by Articleqast | Posted in Brain Food For Children, Childhood Obesity, Children For Chocolate, Five A Day, Healthy Food For Children | Posted on 08-01-2010

 

You went to the best nanny service around, you ordered all of the background checks possible, you interviewed like a drill sergeant and you hired the greatest nanny. Or did you? You know that feeling you get the first day she comes over and you have to say good-bye to your kids and leave them with a complete stranger, I mean the greatest nanny? The curiosity will make you insane and the continual worry will result in a very unproductive day.

So, how do you get rid of that nagging pain in your gut? Do what it takes to find out how your nanny treats your kids; videotape her every move. Today’s nanny cameras are technologically advanced to provide a quality picture through a completely covert camera. Most importantly, they are very affordable and are simple to set up and operate. They come assembled with just the right lens that will capture images in an area the size of an average family room and display it all. Your alternatives include a fake plant that can go most anywhere or a set of fully operational computer speakers. Since most of the actual camera specifications are very similar, just pick the object in which the camera is embedded, that best suits your needs.  You can select a wireless version to be totally hidden but the price will be somewhat higher. Or you can reduce your costs by selecting the wired option, which will also provide a more stable picture, but remember to selet an item that can have wires attached without being detected.

Purchasing a nanny camera could result in complete happiness. You’ll be able to focus on your work again and be confident that your kids are at home in a loving and secure environment. If you’re lucky, you may even catch your nanny dancing and singing with your kids, who knows maybe you’ll learn some new moves.

Should You Be Using DHA Infant Formula For Your Baby Or Not?

Posted by Articleqast | Posted in Brain Food For Children, Childhood Obesity, Children For Chocolate, Five A Day, Healthy Food For Children | Posted on 08-01-2010

More and more as science discovers the benefits of omega 3 essential fatty acids to health and to the development of the growing fetus, baby and infant, we will see a continuation of the recent trend towards DHA supplementation of foods. It is now entirely possible to source a range of DHA fortified baby foods including such foods as baby cereal with DHA.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is one of the essential omega 3 fatty acids and is now considered to be the most important to our health. EPA is another of the important omega 3 fatty acids however DHA extremely important in so many areas of our heart and brain health and it is now clear that an adequate supply of DHA delivered to a fetus or growing baby is essential for the optimum development of the infant.

But it’s another matter to decide whether using DHA Infant Formula is a good idea or not. However a recent event gives us a clue. This event was a lecture given to doctors and nutritionists by a representative of baby food manufacturer who make a DHA baby formula.    This event was one staged by representative of a manufacturer of a DHA baby formula and was a lecture. One interesting fact from this lecture was that Canadian and US residents had some of the lowest levels of DHA of anyone worldwide. That’s because of our very low levels of fish intake.

Also of interest was the statement made that established benefits to infants and babies from an adequate supply of DHA included better. “cognitive development, improved visual acuity, memory retention and ability to communicate and solve problems as well as psychomotor development”. Clearly there are good reasons to ensure that a fetus or baby has a sufficient supply of DHA available to it.

However there is another powerful reason to be sceptical about the benefits of DHA Baby Formula. It has always been accepted for a number of reasons that breastfeeding is better than using infant formula. If there is a sufficient supply of DHA to the mother in her diet then this is also available to the baby through her milk.

This relies of course on the diet of the mother having an adequate intake of DHA

It is not yet clear exactly what benefits there are from using DHA in baby formula. And in fact the representative of the infant formula company noted that “No infant formula can ever substitute breast milk. It will take years before anybody can tell us how to add the hormones in breast milk to infant formula”.

It appears that it’s too early to decide that we should all be using DHA infant formula for our babies. Provided the mother gets enough DHA in her diet the baby will get sufficient DHA in the milk.

It is always possible to increase our intake of DHA by eating more oily fish. However fish is very expensive and is generally recognised as being contaminated with a range of contaminants like Mercury.

The very best omega 3 DHA supplements are quite clean to take daily and are very cost-effective. But not all DHA supplements are good.

Visit my website to find out where to source the best DHA Supplements so that you too can get an adequate supply of DHA to your baby through your milk.

Kids and Reading: 4 Tips for Helping Your Children Develop a Love of Reading

Posted by Articleqast | Posted in Brain Food For Children, Childhood Obesity, Children For Chocolate, Five A Day, Healthy Food For Children | Posted on 29-12-2009

Once a child starts to genuinely love reading, all kinds of doors start to open. It’s worth spending some time and effort ton instill a love of reading in your child.

Here are some tips to help you build that love in your home:

1. Start early with family reading time.
Reading is a habit that needs to be started early for the best effectiveness. Start a habit of reading to children from the time they are small babies. While they won’t remember this time together, you most certainly will. When children are as young as one, they can sit and participate in reading a book.

If your children are older, make it a habit to have story time each night. You can read several pages of a chapter book or a whole picture book. As your child grows, you’ll be able to read more complicated story lines and longer chapter books.

When you read to your children, engage them in the process by asking questions and having them make guesses about what happens next in the story.

It also helps to make your family reading time at the same time each day. Reading right before bed or right before bath time is a great way to remember how important this is to your family.

When you go on a trip, consider taking an age-appropriate audiobook for everyone to enjoy in the car.

2. Make reading a part of your everyday life as a family.
Reading exercises exist everywhere - even if you don’t have a book with you. There are plenty of opportunities to read in the outside world, including signs, product labels, shopping lists and recipes. Encourage your child to read these things. They’ll feel important getting to do things like grown ups and you’ll help them see how reading is so important.

3. Reward your child for good reading habits.

Older children may need a little extra encouragement to get them to read. You can work on your child’s natural competitive spirit by making reading a game. Many times libraries have summer reading programs, but you can take this same idea and use it year round in your home. Reward your children with points for each book they finish or the amount of time that they spend reading each day. Make sure that you keep track of each child’s progress and then have a big reward once they reach a goal. For example, you can take them out to their favorite restaurant once they read 20 books or they get to buy a new book once they spend 20 hours reading.

If your child struggles with reading, make a special effort to work one on one or find some special tutoring or a program, such as Hooked on Phonics (coupons are here) so that it becomes easier.

4. Set a good example.
The best thing you can do to help your children love reading is to love it yourself. If they see you spending time reading and enjoying it, they’ll do the same. If it’s been a while since you’ve read something for pleasure, ask for recommendations and then explore from there. It doesn’t matter what you read. Fiction and non-fiction are both good. Pick something and start reading and you’ll impact the way that your child looks at reading.

Bedtime Parenting Tips - How To Get The Kids To Bed

Posted by Articleqast | Posted in Brain Food For Children, Childhood Obesity, Children For Chocolate, Five A Day, Healthy Food For Children | Posted on 29-12-2009

Some children even though they know that they are tired, do not want to miss out on any of the action or excitement. They want to spend as much time with mom and dad as possible. I even heard one particular day the children discussing how unfair it is that they have to go to be before me and their mother - rather crazy some might say lol. These types of children will want to disrupt and even avoid going to bed at all cost.

When I was a child I had a speech impediment known as stuttering. I was desperate to find out how to stop stammering and was aware that I would stutter more if I had had a lack of sleep the night before.

I myself have two young children and have been through this experience myself. My daughter especially needs her sleep and can be very moody in the mornings, if she has not had a particular amount of hours of it. As a parent it can become very frustrating as well as upsetting when you see your child crying because they do not want to go to bed. Comments like, please dad just one more program on the television, were far too regular, and at times I felt like backing down.

I have now learnt via reading many books on parenting, how to best deal with this situation. Each child now has a set time when they have to be in bed by. This is a time that they have both agreed to!

They get changed into their pyjamas around half an hour before this time, and then can either spend that period of time playing with their toys or watching the television. If they want to play, we ensure that the games are relaxing ones and not too energetic.

You may well be wondering why I am so eager to get my kids to bed. Well it is because I need my own rest other wise I am a moody person at work the next day where I sell external doors.

If there is a program that is on later than their agreed bedtimes, I agree to video it for them, this way they know that they are not missing out etc.

I have agreed that I will read them a story at bedtime. Both children have stated how much they enjoy this and it certainly helps them to chill out. The kids are also allowed to take a drink of their choice with them to bed; this saves them from having to walk downstairs later in the evening. This drink is always a juice and should not be fizzy.

 

Helping Your Child With Anxiety

Posted by Articleqast | Posted in Brain Food For Children, Childhood Obesity, Children For Chocolate, Five A Day, Healthy Food For Children | Posted on 26-12-2009

Just like adults, children go through fear, anxiety and apprehension. These are but convention emotional experiences that a individual feels regardless of age. All the same, if attacks of panic become irrational, recurring and severe, and anxiety and panic attacks happen with no apparent reason, and the response is disproportional to the problem close at hand, it can be a cause of concern. This is why on the 1st signs of trouble, have your child get suitable diagnosing by a health care provider to be able to eliminate any conceivable causes and make up one’s mind the right treatment to be employed.

Since Anxiety is a type of anxiousness disorder, it is important to know what occurs to a child who’s suffering from such disorder. To be able to identify it, here are the following symptoms:

• Frequent feeling of fear and panic
• Bed wetting
• Fits and excessive crying
• Fear of making mistakes
• Fear of getting embarrassed
• Avoidance of certain activities such as school event and summer camps
• Nightmares and night terrors
• Compulsive behaviors
• Resistance to any change
• Low self-esteem, lack of confidence
• Overly shy and difficulty making friends
• Chronic physical symptoms such as stomach aches or headaches without any apparent reason

A child is under an anxiety attack if he shows the following symptoms:

• Gush of overwhelming panic
• Hot flashes or chills
• Trouble breathing or choking sensation
• Feeling of loosing control or going crazy
• Feeling and fear of dying
• Feeling unreal or detach
• Nausea or stomach cramps
• Hyperventilation
• Shaking or trembling
• Feeling like passing out
• Chest pain or heart palpitation

Different children of different ages or even of the same age may manifest a different symptom . Furthermore, a few of the symptoms given may be conceived as a convention behavior of a child. Thus it’s a little tricky to ascertain if he or she is really having an attack or not. What had better be done is to acknowledge these symptoms and regard them as a reason of concern, then help your child deal with these symptoms through the following:

Seek help from a  health care provider – in effect blocking off anxiety attacks begins with recognition and followed by a compete diagnosis from your medical doctor. A full medical checkup should be administered in order to rule out any other physical causes unrelated to anxiety.

Physicians commonly give prescription medications to help relieve anxiety. If applicable, SSRI antidepressants may be needed for a long term solution. For a more severe case, doctors may refer the child to a psychologist.

Self-help techniques – Parents may seek the help of books available for treating child anxiety. This is also very effective in teaching parents strategies for responsible parenting, which improve parent-child relationship and help build child self-confidence and self-esteem.

Play therapy – is the child version of exposure therapy. As an effective child anxiety treatment, play therapy uses the power of play to simulate each fearful situation in a controlled environment, which then helps the child face the problem and come up with a solution.   

Herbal supplements – are proven and effective means of treating anxiety attacks and other types of anxiety disorder. Some of the commonly recommended remedies include passionflower, valerian, scuttelaria laterifolia (scullcap), California poppy, Melissa officinalis, hypericum perforatum (St. John’s Wort), hops and lavender.

Selecting best Friends

Posted by Articleqast | Posted in Brain Food For Children, Childhood Obesity, Children For Chocolate, Five A Day, Healthy Food For Children | Posted on 26-12-2009

Friends are an crucial part of childhood and you desire to guarantee that your child develops excellent friendships early on.  It is easiest to make the good options for your children while they’re young.
Have your children invite their friends to play at your house.  This offers you a chance to see how they play together and how they interact through other members of your family.  Become acquainted by their parents also, & you will find that this would help you know their family circumstances.  Support your child to know what your values are & to understand the matching values in friends that they make.
Teach your children values that are critical to you, like being honest, & make sure they know that it applies to friends too.  I had a daughter who came to me because a friend wanted her to lie to me about going to the mall.  She told me what she actually wanted to do, and what her friend thought she should say.  As soon as her friend went home that day, we talked about what makes a excellent friend.  She determined that she didn’t aspire a friend that was aimed at try to locate her to lie. 
Understand that all kids are diverse.  You may have a kid that possesses fifteen friends and makes new friends simply.  Then you might have a further child who only has one or two friends, but possesses a closer friendship through them.  Understand what works for your child & assistance them develop the relationships that fit by their own personality. 
Helping your kid know how to be a excellent friend would support them understand excellent friends also.  It’s thus lots of easier to impact your kids while they are young.  Choose benefit of these opportunities when you can. Checkout more other useful information about credit cards with cash back, premier credit card and zero percent credit cards

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