With diabetes and obesity on both sides of our family, my DH and I have decided that we simply must be healthier this year.  Now, he is a great cook, and makes us tasty,  balanced meals (unless I’m cooking, in which case we have spaghetti).  One change we’ve made in the past year or so is that we have fresh fruit with our meals instead of canned fruit–it’s a lot healthier to slice up an apple or pear than to get those fruits in heavy syrup. 

But snacking…that’s another story.  The kids don’t want fruit or vegetables very often, and I can sympathize with this.  Sometimes eating a banana just doesn’t cut it.  And any fruit that has to be peeled (like oranges) or sliced up (like apples, if you’re my kids) is a pain, and cookies are so much easier to grab.  But store-bought cookies are so full of sugary and fatty extras and preservatives that we just have to cut them out…not the least because we adults grab them as much as the kids do.  Besides that, they are getting those unhealthy things everywhere else they go–cake at birthday parties, candy and soda in vending machines, chips with school lunches.  So, it’s not like they’ll never get to have delicious junk food again.

So, we’ve been trying to focus on easy fruits (bananas and grapes are popular), granola bars, baked crackers, pretzels, popcorn, nuts, and small portions of other things (we just finished the Christmas chocolate, eating no more than one piece a day). 

Let me tell you, this has not been popular at our house.  We’ve never been much into junk food, we almost never buy soda, candy, or chips, and we only have dessert with our meals on Sundays.  But this new cutback has produced so many gripes, whines, moans, and complaints, that I’m tempted to go out and buy them a candy bar just so I have somthing to stuff in their mouths to keep them quiet.  The only thing that keeps us determined is knowing that it’s more important that they are healthy than that they are happy about it. 

But like most worthwhile things, it’s a pain in the neck.  It would be easier just to buy chips and cookies.  I suppose that Professor Dumbledore had it right when he said that we’d sometimes have to choose between what is right and what is easy.  Of course, he had house-elves to make snacks for his kids…

Christmas parties are not just for adults but also for our youngsters. So if you’re planning for a holiday party for your child, make sure that it’s creative and fun. You must determine what kind of activites will keep your children’s visitor occupied. You should also make a game that would involve everyone. The following are few tips that you can consider for a fun youngsters Christmas party:

*Wear costumes-  It’s not just halloween that kids should wear costumes but also Christmas. You can ask the visitors to come in their most creative red or green costume. You can tell them that the best costume will get a big prize. It doesn’t have to b expensive. They can use ribbons or colorful pins to make the costumes.

*kids theme – Use decorations that the children can relate like cartoon characters who’s in their Christmas costume. (Sponge bob, barbie, spiderman etc)Remember that kids loves bright athmosphere. Try using colorful lights and playing children songs,

*Don’t be afraid to ask for help – it’s good to ask for help from other parents so that they can contribute few of their suggestions for an ideal party.

*Be creative with your food – We know that kids doesn’t eat a lot, so try serving little snacks for them. You can actually make Christmas cookies and letting the kids design it. What’s more fun about this is that it will serve as a bonding time with their parents. You can also provide plastics so that they can take home their own cookies.

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Tips on gifting kids jewellery

Flying the not so friendly skies?

There’s a lot of changes when your infant finally becomes a toddler. His unfamiliar desires, needs and abilities suddenly makes you feel anxious. The following insights will somehow make you understand what your toddler would really like you to know.

• I Know how!

Whether it’s pouring her cereals, fixing her bed or doing a dozen daily tasks, your toddler wants you to understand that she can do it by herself. After she mastered walking, her sense of competence and autonomy was developed. So if she says “Mama I can do it”,  let her do it! It teaches them to be responsible

• Limitations

Toddlers are easily overwhelmed by new situations, so they need a structure “every single day”. You need to be consistent with what they can and cannot do. But make sure that you’ve explained clearly to them why they’re not aloud to do some things.

• Picky eater

It’s normal for your toddler to be choosy with food. But make sure that she eats a couple of items from each food group, and she’ll be fine. Let her enjoy eating her favorite dish. Do not force your child to eat something that she doesn’t like.

• Never get tired of answering

At this stage, toddlers will develop their communicating skills. They will start asking, Why is the sky blue?, Why is your dress red? or Why do I need to eat that? Don’t get tired of answering their questions because It’s all new to her. She’s curious with a lot of things, so be patient.

• Wild imagination

Your child’s imaginations soar, so does her fear, anxieties and nightmare. Don’t belittle them and don’t take for granted their feelings. If your child says “There is a monster inside the closet!” this is because of her imagination. It’s your responsibility to talk to her. Teaching your child how to pray will help her a lot.

These are just few points that you need to know as a parent. Learning to understand your toddler seems hard. But with great determination you’ll surely enjoy every moment with your precious child.

Great recommended reads from around our network:

Why are toddlers picky eater?

Keeping safety updated through the toddler years

Let them eat carrots

Everybody was so excited when my sister-in-law had her first baby. I saw how they took care of the precious little girl. I was 7 years old then and I didn’t know that babies are really fragile. They need “super extra” care from all the people around them. One time, I saw my sister-in-law and she was feeding my niece (she was 6 months old). She told me that a child’s nutritional and eating habits will change drastically as they grow from a baby into a toddler.

Nutritious food are important when it comes to your child’s health, but how will you know if it’s the right kind of food? Below are few examples of food that you may give your babies.

• Infant rice cereal – It provides extra iron that your baby needs at this age. It is glutten-free and the least allergenic of all grains.
• Pureed or strained veggies and fruit – I suggest that you let them eat veggies first. Naturally babies like sweets and may not be willing to accept peas once they they’ve tasted pears.
• Oat, barley and baby cereals – Once you’ve fed them rice, make sure you give other grains one at a time, so you can watch for allergies.

It is common for babies to spit out their first bite. Infants are like taste testers, they need ten tries to see if they like the new flavor and texture. To make it more inviting for your babies to eat why not try the squirt baby food dispensing food?

This spoon holds up to 3 ounces of food. You just have to squeeze it and it will give the right small amount of food that your baby can eat. The squirt has a special cover to seal the food and keep the spoon clean in between feedings. This product will make your feeding time fun minus all the messy food on the table.

Where to buy: Tottini Seattle

Price: $8.00

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Babies and math

Nick Jonas has Type 1 Diabetes

Doctors really don’t know what causes Type 1, or juvenile, diabetes. Research is being done to explore both genetics and environmental triggers, but many kids who are diagnosed with diabetes have no family history of it at all.

Diabetes is manageable; kids who have this condition can live normal, active lives if they pay close attention to treating their condition. Diabetes can’t be cured, but its effects can be minimized. If your child doesn’t do this conscientiously, he or she might develop several undesirable complications. These can include:

• Neuropathy. This is nerve damage. It commonly causes problems in the legs, but it can also affect other systems in the body as well.

• Retinopathy. Diabetes can cause damage to the eyes, including causing blindness.

• Nephropathy. Nephropathy is kidney disease. Weak kidneys allow toxins to build up in the body and make a child sick.

• Heart Disease. Heart disease is more common to diabetics than non-diabetics. It can lead to other complications such as stroke, embolism, or heart attack.

So how do you know if your child has diabetes? There are some symptoms that all parents should be on the lookout for:

• Excessive thirst. Is your child constantly asking for something to drink?

• Frequent urination. If you find yourself saying, “Are you in the bathroom again?”…pay attention!

• Drowsiness or lethargy. They fall asleep over their homework, or they just can’t get the energy to do things they used to enjoy. If you’ve tried adjusting your child’s bedtime and it isn’t helping, bring this to your doctor’s attention.

• Sugar in urine. Obviously your doctor will have to test this, but it’s a pretty significant indicator.

• Sudden vision changes. The cells in the eyes are being attacked by the immune system, so vision decreases fairly quickly.

• Increased appetite. Are they suddenly hungry all the time, and can’t seem to get enough? They could be going through a growth spurt, as all kids do…but it could be diabetes.

• Sudden weight loss. None of that food is being processed like it should be. Instead of gaining weight, they might lose weight very quickly.

• Fruity, sweet, or wine-like odor on breath. The imbalance of sugar and insulin in the blood can come out in strange ways, including very sweet breath.

• Heavy, labored breathing. Your child might find it hard to catch his or her breath, even if they aren’t doing anything strenuous.

• Stupor, unconsciousness. If diabetes goes too long without being diagnosed, it can cause kids to faint or, in extreme cases, fall into a coma.

Taken alone, most of these symptoms seem harmless, but together, they could indicate the presence of Type 1 diabetes. Don’t be afraid to bring them up to your doctor; he or she can judge whether there’s anything to be concerned about. The sooner you start treatment, the more likely your child is to live a normal, active life.