Insparenting

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.”

That’s just not true. Name-calling hurts — especially when the person doing it is a parent, a teacher, or a coach. Yelling and screaming might have been the way you were brought up and you might think it worked for you, so why wouldn’t it work for your kids? But did it? Remember how it made you feel. You probably felt belittled, devalued, and insignificant. You certainly don’t want your own children to feel that way.

What are the signs that a child is suffering from verbal abuse?  They may have a very negative self-image.  They may commit acts that are self-destructive, such as cutting, hitting or scratching themselves, as well as other reckless and dangerous activities. They may exhibit physical aggression, be delinquent in school, or display interpersonal problems.  They may hit other children, frequently fight with classmates at school, or be cruel to animals.  They may also exhibit delays in their social, physical, academic or emotional development.

It’s normal for most parents at one time or another to feel frustrated and angry with their children.  They may lash out verbally in these instances and say things they later regret.  It’s when these instances become more and more frequent that there is cause for concern.  Remember to give yourself a time out if you feel an outburst coming on.  Try to refrain from saying mean, sarcastic or belittling things to your child.  Remember, your child learns what he lives.  Don’t be a bad example and teach him bad behavior early on.

Remember that your child is a precious gift and should be treated with love, kindness, respect and tenderness.  If you exhibit these to your child on a daily basis, they will learn what they live and grow to do the same as adults.

Toddlers can be fussy eaters who refuse to try a new food at least half of the time. Approximately half of all toddlers fit this description, so it is no wonder that food issues are a source of stress for parents.

Establishing healthy eating patterns is important to avoid problems such as obesity and eating disorders later in life. Try to make foods fun.  Colorful foods like carrot sticks, raisins, apples, grapes, cheese sticks and crackers can all be fun and healthy choices for your growing toddler.  Explain to them that eating good food is important so they’ll grow big and strong, and how it will help them run faster and play longer.

Children learn behaviors from their parents. If you restrict yourself to a narrow range of foods, your child will take notice and mimic your caution. Don’t limit your child’s food variety to only those foods you prefer. It may be that your child’s tastes are different to yours, and perhaps you are simply serving them foods they don’t happen to like.  Try to set a good example and try a variety of foods in front of your child.  It could motivate them to do the same.

If your child seems healthy and energetic, then they are eating enough. If you are still concerned, keep an eye on how much food they actually eat over the day. Children tend to graze constantly, rather than restrict their eating to three meals per day like adults. You may be surprised how those little handfuls and snacks add up. For further reassurance, check your child’s growth and weight charts, or check with your child’s pediatrician.

Try not to worry, and remember, that unless a child is ill, they will eat.   Children are very good at judging their hunger and fullness signals. Try to stay relaxed about mealtime and offer your child a wide variety of foods, and most importantly, remember to set a good example by trying a wide variety of foods yourself.  You may discover you and your toddler share a new found favorite food!

Do you think that fat and chubby babies and children are signs that they are healthy kids and considered cute? Not necessarily!

Many more children between the ages of two years old and five years old are already on there way to becoming the next generation of obese teens, and eventually obese adults and obese seniors. With obesity being one of the leading causes of morbidity, disability, discrimination, and employment problems, it has become one of the biggest public problems since tobacco use and exposure. Although playing a major role, bad eating and exercise habits are not the only culprit; some genetic diseases that can predispose children to become overweight cannot be forgotten.

Professionals are treating this as a major public health concern that is threatening to damage our most precious resources, the children. Introduction of healthy play, healthy food choices, and recreation that promotes physical activity is on the top of the list for discussion and plans of battling this epidemic. Having caretakers take pro active measures to keep the child on the right track and setting good examples are key elements to helping these children to learn a healthier behavior and attitude towards their own health.

A survey has come to the conclusion that as many as one third of U.S. children are overweight or at high risk for childhood obesity. The health problems that will begin to manifest themselves from the heavy weight of such young children will start kids down a road the problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and increased risks of diabetes. These are diseases usually reserved to adults, not children. Combating this troubling condition must however, begin at home with the caregivers for these children. Improving overall diet, not dieting, and exercise is the key to resolving the problem. Protecting children’s health now and in the future will depend greatly on education of parents and caregivers to implement healthy daily living strategies.

On 21 June 2008, Shayna’s school held graduation ceremony for Kindy 2 and art performance for the whole kindergarten students. The theme was Global Warming, with several dances from around the world. Shayna and her other 19 friends got the Indian dance part. The dance was quite dynamic and exciting. And Shayna did her dance very well. We, as her parents, were really proud of her independence and self confidence during her dance performance and during her year of Shayna at Kindy 1.

With all of the varying advice on feeding your baby, you may just want to breastfeed forever.  Though you should always consult your doctor for the latest information on baby food, there are a few things you should expect in the first year.

When to introduce solids

Most doctors agree that solids should be introduced somewhere between four and six months.  However, if you had an especially large baby at birth or a little boy with a big boy appetite, your doctor might recommend starting your baby on solid food as early as 3 months.

What is “solid” food?

The term “solid” food is a bit misleading.  Typically, one of the first “solid” foods you will introduce is rice cereal diluted with formula or breast milk.  This food is extremely runny doesn’t appear to have any solid properties about it.  As your baby adjusts to eating from a spoon, dilute her food with milk or formula.  This will also help your baby adjust to the new flavors in solid food.

How to introduce solid foods

The most important thing about introducing solid foods is that you introduce them one at a time and wait at least 3 days between new foods.  This way you can monitor for any allergic reactions because it can take up to three days for signs of allergy to show up.  Always check with your doctor, some doctors recommend waiting as long as 7 days between new foods.

First Foods

Although your baby’s first food with probably be cereal, you can start introducing fruits and vegetables around 6 to 7 months.  Some good first vegetables are:  sweet potatoes, peas, or carrots.  Try to stay away from fruits that are to acidic like orange or other citrus fruits.  But your baby probably would like banana, peach or applesauce at this stage.

Foods to stay away from

There are few key foods that you should never introduce until after the baby is 1 year old.  These include honey, fish, peanuts and strawberries.  All of these foods can cause severe allergic reactions and if given to your baby too early, she could develop an allergic reaction she wouldn’t otherwise have had.  There are a few other foods that won’t necessarily hurt your child but it is really unnecessary to introduce at this stage while they are still developing their tastes.  These foods include sugar, soda or anything not naturally sweet.

Protein foods

You will want to begin introducing protein foods to your baby around 7 to 8 months.  These foods might include meats, cottage cheese or beans.  Remember that your baby probably still doesn’t have any teeth, or at least not enough to chew anything so your baby’s food should still be mushy at this stage.

Eating for the first year

The most important thing to remember about eating during the first year is to introduce new foods one at a time.  Your baby’s first year is a year of discovery.  As your child tries new foods feeding time will be an enjoyable experience for baby and parents alike.

I don’t with you ladies, but I play golf just for fun. I don’t even go as far as calling myself lady golfer or anything like that. Playing golf is only part of my socializing. Thus, all my golf equipment is usually the prettiest as well as the highest quality and durability. Well, I don’t think that any of my equipment will be broken any time soon.

Anyway, when I was looking for some great golf balls for me and my husband, I just came across this pretty golf balls for women. It is designed for softer feel, improved control and long distance with guaranteed cut-proof durability. And it also comes in pink as well as white colors. It is really great for show off, right?