Conscious Play

New iTunes application for healthy eating "My Family Food"

2010-01-30T14:44:00.012-05:00

An occupational therapist (me!) created an iTunes application to help individuals, families and children to keep track of (and improve) healthy eating habits. Support your New Year's resolution by downloading this great app for only $0.99. It is a food tracker that tracks all of the major food group, plus water, multi-vitamin and Omega-3 consumption. It is the only food tracking application for...

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Picky eater? Get them to eat their fruits and veggies!

2009-10-20T21:05:00.001-04:00

Getting your picky child to eat their fruits and veggies can seem an impossible task. Often children are turned off by the texture or smell of the food. What's a parent to do? Try dried! Just Tomatoes makes great dried fruits and vegetables that your kids will eat like candy. Feel free to buy a food dehydrator and dry your own, but it actually cheaper to just buy it from the pros, and they've...

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Cash for kiddie clunkers? Toys R Us offers trade-ins

2009-08-27T09:02:00.002-04:00

Toys R Us announced Wednesday that it will take back used baby products between Aug. 28 and Sept. 20 in exchange for 20 percent off new ones. Like the federal government's "cash for clunkers" program, the "Great Trade-In," as the toy chain is calling it, will enable consumers to replace old, potentially dangerous items with safe, new ones at Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores. There are a few...

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Executive Functioning and Organization for Work Habits

2008-09-08T13:10:00.001-04:00

The school years are when these executive functioning problems typically become apparent. The specific problems vary from child to child but here are some general suggestions for children who have difficulties with organization due to executive functioning difficulties. Children who have trouble organizing their school work can try the following: 1. remove all unnecessary papers, pencils or...

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Baby's Genes Determine Breast Feeding Benefits

2008-08-06T10:11:00.002-04:00

Current research has tauted the benefits of breast feeding your baby- enhanced immune system development and improved cognitive abilities are two of the most significant benefits. But do all babies gain these benefits? New research says that a specific gene influences whether or not baby will benefit from breast feeding. The good news is that 90 percent of babies do have the gene that allows...

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Cavities are Contagious!!!

2008-07-30T10:04:00.002-04:00

Yup, you read correctly- Early childhood caries (the technical word for cavities) is an infectious disease, partially caused by a bacteria. If you have ever had even one cavity, your body contains the S. Mutans bacteria which can be transmitted from caregiver to child by everyday activities such as tasting food from their spoon before giving it to them! According to the CDC, Although dental...

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See how to Swaddle

2008-07-17T10:08:00.002-04:00

Swaddling is a fantastic way to help calm your baby, especially when combined with other calming strategies in the book or DVD "The Happiest Baby on the Block". The secret to a good swaddle is to wrap baby tight! If baby can get his arms free, it is too loose. Instructions are great, but a picture is worth a thousand words! See a video of how to swaddle at http://www.videojug.com/ The Website...

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The "Eyes" Have it: Include vision on the list of well baby checkups

2008-07-10T10:07:00.001-04:00

The American Optometric Association encourages parents to include a trip to the optometrist in the list of well-baby check-ups. Assessments at six to twelve months of age can determine healthy development of vision. Early detection of eye conditions is the best way to ensure your child has healthy vision for successful development-now and in the future. InfantSEE® is a public health program...

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Online Autism Resouce

2008-07-05T13:51:00.001-04:00

AutismConnectMd.org has been launched! The purpose of Autism Connect is to provide an online resource that will assist you in locating and securing resources for individuals with Autism. The website focuses specifically on research, educational resources, and advocacy organizations available to families in Maryland, but has information relevant to readers everywhere. check them out...

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Occupational Therapy terms: What is "Upper Extremtiy Bilateral Coordination"?

2008-06-30T14:25:00.005-04:00

Bilateral coordination of the arms refers to any of these 3 different skill areas that are building blocks for general coordination of the upper body: 1. 2 arms working together doing the same thing. What for? Throwing and catching a ball with 2 hands, carrying and passing a tray with 2 hands. 2. 2 arms doing reciprocal or opposite movements (requires the timing of one arm in relation to the...

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Develop the Small Muscles of Your Child's Hands

2008-06-23T13:34:00.002-04:00

Playing with small toys encourages the development of small hand muscles. Separation of the sides of the hands means the thumb and index and middle fingers become the "skilled" fingers, and the ring and pinky fingers become the stable base which hey work off of. Here are some fun activities to try. Stringing: beads, dried pasta, cut up pieces of drinking straw. If your child is unable to string...

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Activities for Kids with Low Muscle Tone

2008-06-17T12:30:00.002-04:00

Here are some general suggestions for improving muscle tone with "play" activities. Feel free to pick and choose which ones your child might enjoy.push and pull a weighted stroller, laundry basket or box around the house (place phone books, laundry detergent bottles, water bottles, etc inside to add weight) Sit on a stool or bench with no back or side support to help reinforce good posture. An...

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Summer Handwriting Help

2008-06-10T12:41:00.001-04:00

Research has shown that when children like to write, they are more likely to experience success in school. Help you child learn to see writing as a tool rather than a chore from an early age using the tips below: Don't correct spelling mistakes for leisurely activities Use a fun variety of writing tools: scented markers, dry erase boards, colored pencils Find interesting things to write on:...

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Babies "talking" earlier?

2008-06-03T10:17:00.001-04:00

Gone are the days where sign language was just for the deaf. Signing to has been scientifically proven to be a successful means to teach babies and toddlers to communicate before they are able to speak. How wonderful for your child to have a way to tell you what they want, rather than whining or crying! The more frequently and consistently you use signs, the quicker children pick them up. Start...

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Great product find: Trunki Ride on Suitcase!

2008-06-02T10:09:00.001-04:00

Love your kids but hate to travel with them? Now you can enjoy them and your vacation with this new ride- on child's suitcase. The Trunki ($39) is the ultimate travel luggage for kids. Weighing only 3.8 pounds and made with the same durable plastic that adult luggage is made of, the Trunki makes it easy to pack, carry, and for kids ages 3-6, ride on if necessary. Cute and functional, the Trunki...

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Activities to improve shoulder, arm and hand strength

2008-05-30T13:23:00.004-04:00

Working on a vertical surface such as a wall, chalkboard or easel helps strengthen the shoulder, place the wrist an ideal position and promote mature pencil grasp. Here are some suggestions for activities you can do at home to work on these skills: Draw with small (1-inch) pieces of chalk or crayon. The size of the piece is important because with a small enough piece, your child can only place...

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Research tool can detect autism at 9 months of age

2008-05-29T11:11:00.002-04:00

The ability to detect autism in children as young as nine months of age is on the horizon, according to researchers at McMaster University. Using eye tracking as an indicator of autism, a 10 minute tool can objectively assess whether or not children have autism, with no subjective interference of examiner interpretation. Current assessments of autism are not accurate until children are 2 years...

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How to choose the right pre-school for your child

2008-05-27T11:31:00.001-04:00

Fall planning is underway and choosing a pre-school program for your young child can be a daunting task. Schools are typically centered on one of three philosophies: "play based", "montessori" or "directed". While in practice, there is usually a blend of these two principles, you should be aware of what approach will best suit your child's strengths and needs. While play based programs are...

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Grants Available for Families Struggling with Child Health-Related Expenses

2008-05-23T12:50:00.006-04:00

The United Healthcare Children's Foundation has announced that new grants are available to help children who need health care treatment, services, or equipment not covered or not fully covered by their parents' health benefit plans. UHCCF provides grants to families to help pay for child health care services such as speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, prescriptions, and...

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When did “play” become more about the TOYS and less about the IMAGINATION….and how does this hurt our kids?

2008-05-07T17:30:00.008-04:00

I just read a great article on NPR. This intriguing article explores how “toy focused” versus imaginative play has negatively impacted children’s cognitive(thinking) and emotional skills. It looks at a highly important skill, “executive functioning” and specifically the component of executive functioning that allows children to “self regulate”. Children with good self-regulation skills...

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More BPA Free Bottles and Teethers- Review of Adiri Bottles

2008-05-05T12:51:00.006-04:00

Bottles Ive just discovered 2 more brands that carry BPA free bottles! Medela and Adiri (specifically their Natural Nurser™ Ultimate Baby Bottle). Ive been meaning to write about the Adiri bottles for some time now. Adiri's Natural Nurser (which earned a 2008 Medical Design Excellence Award) (as well as other Adiri bottles) are shaped like a breast, which can help picky babies who refuse other...

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Harmful Chemicals in Baby Bottles!

2008-05-04T14:27:00.010-04:00

The safety of plastics has been disputed for sometime, and now there is evidence that many plastics do, in fact, contain chemicals that can be harmful, especially to children and babies. The chemical of concern is called BPA (Bisphenol A). BPA is used in production of polycarbonate plastic and epoxy linings to add strength to the products. Ingestion of low doses of the chemical occurs because it...

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Great NO MESS ways for kids to draw!

2008-01-25T21:05:00.000-05:00

Looking for ways for your kids to draw, but want to avoid crayons and markers all over you furniture and walls? Try these 3 great products for no mess drawing and coloring- great to take in the car too! Magnadoodle uses a magnetic pen and stampers to colorAquadoodle products use a water filled pen to create marks, then evaporate away to nothing!Color wonder products are a duo of markers that...

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Eliminate Wadrobe Malfunction! "Hooter Hiders" are Ingenious Nursing Covers for Modest Moms

2007-12-12T20:31:00.001-05:00

At my infant massage class today I saw a mom with the greatest nursing cover ever! When it comes to breast feeding, some moms don't mind putting it all out there. But for those of you who are more modest, being discreet while breast feeding is a top priority. But what about the bonding and engagement that occurs when your baby is looking into your eyes while she is nursing? That intimacy is lost...

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Feeding for Babies and Children

2007-12-08T17:28:00.000-05:00

Children’s eating habits are often of primary concern for parents. Beginning in infancy, parents need to consider choosing the right foods and introducing them at the appropriate times, as well as avoiding “no-no” foods. Super Baby Food is the speech therapist’s choice as the one-stop resource for all of your baby feeding information. It is a combination, manual, cookbook and reference guide and...

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