You are here: Home / Archives for News & Issues

Tips on How to Squeeze Healthy Eating Into a Busy Day

Water is often used to cook foods such as noodles.
Image via Wikipedia

Nutrition is an important part of a child’s growth. They require plenty of calories to keep up with their energy levels as well as vitamins and minerals for their developing bodies. Meeting this needs should be a parent’s priority when it comes to daily consumption.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to mean never eating fast or junk foods. It’s fine to have a treat every once in a while. What it does mean is that parents should pay attention to what it is they’re bringing home to eat.

Certainly it’s difficult to find time in a busy day to cook. But don’t blow off cooking in favor of putting together something from a box. Processed foods don’t contain the necessary nutrients and ingredients that children need. They’re tasty because they’re loaded with salt, fats, and sugars, items that go straight to the brain’s pleasure center. This is why it’s so easy to get a child to clear their plate when serving up dishes like this.

Many alternatives are out there for the household on the go. Find cookbooks that use the premise of a complete meal in so many minutes. Work on preparing ingredients in advance and learn how to reuse leftovers from previous meals. Crock pots are an excellent tool for slow cooking food throughout the day. Put the ingredients together in the morning and come home to a finished main course. And if not a crock pot, consider investing in a pressure cooker. A pressure cooker will cook foods through in a short period of time.

Cooking at home starts kids off on a good footing and teaches them healthy eating habits for a lifetime. Showing them that it is possible to be busy and eat well bodes well for their ability to do the same as an adult.

Filed Under: News & Issues Tagged With: , , ,

Don’t Mistake Shyness for a More Serious Issue

Shyness can resemble autism in that it can cause a child to shut down in a social situation. Fortunately it’s a simple coping mechanism that’s very normal and will fade as the child gets older. It’s possible that it’s a sign of being an introvert, which is another normal personality feature. But the biggest mistake is to assume that a shy child has something wrong with them.

Professionals feel that shyness is sometimes nature, sometimes nurture. There are examples where a parent experienced it as a child, and vice versa. It’s suspected that it’s simply an instinctive way for a child to control a situation that’s scary to them. For example, entering a room full of people they don’t know may be an intimidating experience. Clamming up and refusing to interact with the new people is a way for the child to bring a sense of control back to them. In no way are they not disinterested in being social, but they have no idea of how to handle the situation.

A parent can do much for their child who exhibits shyness. To begin with, there’s no need to get upset. A parent who’s displeased with their child and lets them know that will only serve to drive them deeper into their shell. Encourage a child to say hello, and that no one’s going to hurt them. Work on explaining that people just want to meet them and get to know them. Be soothing but be positive when trying to get a child to open up. Demonstrate to them that meeting someone new isn’t so scary.

There are those children who do not need or want to be the center of attention. That is perfectly OK. By sticking with them and helping them work on social skills, a parent can show them that they can take control of their situation.

Filed Under: News & Issues Tagged With: , , ,

How Important is Self Esteem in a Child’s Development?

Creating self-esteem seems to be something that is always being stressed in child development circles. But how necessary is it? Some psychologists don’t think it needs developing. Does a child really need their self-esteem boosted? Sometimes, sometimes not.

The time of pre-pubescence is the most innocent time of a child’s life. They’re learning their sense of self without the influence of hormones. Interactions with others give them feedback on who they are. But they most certainly don’t need to have their self-esteem given a boost.

Younger children do not have a very developed sense of self in the early stages. It’s all me, myself, and I, or the ID as Freud described it. They have few worries in the world apart from the next punishment or reward. Certainly they’re capable of anticipation and the anxiety that comes with it, or we wouldn’t see children express what are known as negative emotions. But they have very little concept of boosting ones self esteem as it’s really not there yet.

Self-esteem will start making itself known as the child ages and starts getting to the pre-pubescent years. External influences start making their impressions and work on the mind. A child can have all the encouragement they needed before this age, but if they have a strong negative experience, all the work goes out the window. Parents who are fighting constantly or going through a divorce will affect their kids self image. It’s not uncommon for children to blame their parents troubles on themselves. They think they are the source of the discord and will act accordingly.

Simply put, let a child be a child. Monitor their progress, keep an eye to the outside influences, and make adjustments where need be. Absolutely encourage them to be the best they can be, but never at the cost of their sense of self image.

Filed Under: News & Issues Tagged With: , , ,

Minimize Distractions when it’s Time for Studying

It’s easy for a kid to get sidetracked while working on their homework. Not every child has the capability to focus on what’s in front of them and are easily thrown off the task. A parent can do things to make it easier to study while limiting the range of distracting items.

Start with designating a space for working in. Place it away from televisions and computers, unless a computer is necessary for research. Use restrictive software to make the PC useful only for finding information. Arrange as much lighting for the space as possible. A brightly lit area is much more accommodating than one that’s got a cave like feel. Don’t rule out putting a radio or allowing streaming radio to be played. Music helps set a rhythm to set the mind to. In short, do what you can to make the study place a spot that the child wants to be in.

Recognize that certain age groups are not going to be able to focus for very long. The younger the child, the less patience is available to them. Keeping this in mind, don’t force them to stay past their tolerance level. Make them go outside or do something else for a while, and make sure they come back to the work if it isn’t finished. This is a good opportunity to teach self-discipline by making sure they finish their homework.

Step in and help when the going gets tough. When a child hits a roadblock of non-comprehension, the work stops. They’re more likely at this point to want to stop what they’re doing and go find something else that’s more fun. Watch for the signs of frustration and do an intervention when they show up. You don’t have to necessarily do the work for them, but you can help with walking them through the problem.

Filed Under: News & Issues Tagged With: , ,

Understanding General Anxiety Disorder in Children

It’s strange to think of children suffering from anxiety. Why would they? Their lives are carefree, unencumbered by adult concerns. Unfortunately kids can suffer from general anxiety disorder, just like adults. And research is suggesting that it’s an inheritable trait. IE if a parent suffers from anxiety, so will their offspring.

Start by identifying if your child is suffering from attacks. Sometimes a child will have be anxious over an issue but gets over it relatively quickly. Provided there’s no repeat to the behavior, chances are good that it’s not a sign of the disorder. True suffering from anxiety manifests itself over a period of time. Keep an eye out for repetitive symptoms, such as stomach aches, phantom illnesses, and a general sense of insecurity. GAD creates physical symptoms that have no connection to an actual cause.

Once it’s determined that the physical problems are from GAD, it’s time to root out the cause. A sufferer will internalize the problem and not really talk about it. So the parent may have a more difficult time finding the source. Be persistent, draw out the child, and get them to discuss the problem. Sometimes it’s a change at school or some form of peer pressure. Other times it may be a bit more obvious such as a move.

It’s at this point where the parent needs to make the decision to send the child into therapy and/or medicate. GAD will follow the child into adulthood so it may not be a bad idea to address the problem sooner than later. Probably the most effective form of therapy may be cognitive. It encourages the child to discuss their feelings and how to work through them in a non-confrontational way.

It’s not a good idea to ignore the signs of GAD. Letting it go untreated can cause problems for the child down the road.

Filed Under: News & Issues Tagged With: , ,

Never Underestimate the Importance of Playtime

CIMG3565
Image via Wikipedia

Playtime is an important period of development. It’s where children learn how to socialize with others in play groups as well as other important life skills. Toys teach them how to perform tasks, enhancing motor function along the way. It’s also a time for the child to take a break from the world by forgetting their cares and absorbing themselves in fun. And it’s something that follows us through our lives. Who doesn’t enjoy spending time with a game as an adult?

The younger the child, the easier it is to give them play time. Simply set them in a playpen with toys and let them go to town. It’s when they start getting a little older and more interested in the world that the parent needs to get more involved. If there aren’t a lot of children in the neighborhood, look around the community for local activities. Parent/child swim time is a great place to meet others for socializing.

Spending time playing with your kids is always a good thing. It opens up lines of communication with the parent which will help as they get older. Kids get a lot of benefits from spending time playing with their parents. The activity doesn’t matter all that much as long as it’s quality time. No stresses, no worries, who cares about what time it is, all that’s important is that everyone enjoys themselves.

As children age, they start spending more time on academics and less time playing. A parent can be proactive by ensuring that the child has some type of curricular activity to go to once or twice a week. This gets them out of the home and doing something different for a while.

It’s always important to get kids out of a routine and do something fun. Doing so makes for a much happier child and family.

Filed Under: News & Issues Tagged With: , , ,
Newer Posts »